Yesterday we saw Dr. Marc Siegel’s weak, meandering, and unclear communication skills.
Here we can see Dr. Oz in the same situation: a medical professional with three news anchors. But with a very different outcome.
Whatever you think about Oz’s opinions on medicine, the point is he is an excellent communicator.
He is crisp, sharp, articulate, and controls the conversation from start to finish:
Unlike with Dr Siegel, there is no stuttering in Dr Oz’s speaking.
He doesn’t have to think about what he’s going to say. He just says it, clear and straightaway. He comes across as much sharper and more of an authority than Dr Siegel.
Here are some of his key speaking skills:
Knowing when to shut up
Although he expresses a huge amount of information, as soon as one of the anchors starts speaking, he shuts up immediately.
He does this consistently, every single time, like clockwork.
Why is this important?
First, because it prevents them from talking over each other. This makes it easier for the viewer to follow the conversation.
Second, it avoids the fate that Dr Siegel suffered in yesterday’s video: losing authority.
Rather than the anchor seeming to interrupt him, it looks more like: Dr Oz is done with what he is saying, and is allowing the anchor to jump in.
Thus, he maintains his frame and authority in the viewer’s mind.
In a brief, rapid-fire news segment like this, all three news anchors will ask at least one question of the guest. And they will probably want to ad-lib some banter on top of that. The guest should know that going in.
So interruptions are inevitable, because the anchors want to speak their piece (that’s what they are paid for on cable news).
The best solution is not to fight those interruptions, but rather accept them and maintain your authority in spite of it.
Dr Oz accomplishes that by immediately stopping talking as soon as one of the anchors opens their mouth.
Facial expressions and vocal tonality
Dr Oz also doesn’t shy away from expressing emotion through his face and voice tone.
When he makes an especially important point, his volume goes up, and it shows on his face.
Talking quickly
Cable news in general is all about filling every moment of airtime with some kind of content. Not a single second can be wasted.
Dr Oz is great at keeping the flow going and getting lots of information across by talking quickly.
Citing studies and statistics
He presents data and studies in a quick, easy-to-understand way.
His charisma is such that he even gets this right-wing audience to nod in agreement for government spending to support homeless people.
By focusing on the cost-effectiveness of the program (“$13 for $43!” one of the anchors supportively chimes in), he is much more effective than if he made an ethical argument about poverty.
This is something no Democrat would ever be able to accomplish in a million years on Fox News.
That’s the power of good communication.
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