Obama knows his audience really well. One of the reasons why he's so infuential, is that he understands what they want to hear and when he delivers that, it drives into his audience's heads. It's not one size fits all. Obama presented himself and his ideas in ways that connected with his audience's goals, values and beliefs.

Always ask yourself:
- To whom am I speaking?
- What do I want them to know, believe and do as a result of my speech?
- What is the most effective way of composing and presenting my speech to accomplish that aim?

Altho I detest the new seatin' arrangement (we're now arranged in alphabetical order - a mishmesh of all the classes), I still enjoy speech communication. And my lecturer has a lovely accent which well, I admit..that I would like to emulate.

Quote Of The Day, baby:
Effective speakers create bond with listeners by emphasising common goals, values and experiences. Knowing what audience is one thing, but your success as a speaker depends on how well you use what you know.