Democrats Scored on Visual Selling

If you watched the July 23, 2007 CNN-YouTube debate between Democratic presidential candidates, you probably noticed the format was not typical. Generally, debates consist of political questions and answers between a few talking heads. This one—with its video clips, audience participation, emotionally charged presenters and a moderator, who spoke without hiding behind a lectern—shattered the old rules. The results were dynamic and quite revealing. In fact, I believe that the format forced candidates to truly “sell” their message to the audience and stand out from their competitors.

As someone who taught the importance of visual selling for years, I loved the set up for this debate. All the visual elements—from the YouTube questions to the audience shots to the candidates themselves—kept TV viewers engaged. It was a visual selling feast—one that truly put the candidates’ presentation skills to the test.
See The Great American Sales Pitch, for the full critique.
Hillary's gestures
Barack's gestures
John's gestures

Building Better Images

I just saw a performance of Lanford Wilson's "The 5th of July." It's a powerful story of friends from the 60's who gather to scatter the literal ashes of a beloved uncle and the figurative ashes of their past lives. The main character lost his legs in Vietnam. Seeing him struggle around the stage with crutches made me recall a poster I owned when I was a disillusioned naval officer during Vietnam. The poster's image was similar to the two shown here. The title read "The Army Builds Better Men." That poster drew me in again and again, feeding my anti-war sentiments.

For me now, it is also the essence of an effective image. By itself, the image carries one literal message. But when a presenter speaks words that add a layer of meaning, the visual becomes unforgettable. "Visual Selling" is all about creating images that convey the gut benefit of your proposal, product or idea and speaking words to impress it indelibly on the prospect.