Cicero Versus Demosthenes

There were two great orators from ancient Mediterranean: Demosthenes the Greek and Cicero the Roman.

It was said that when Cicero spoke, people exclaimed, “Great speech. Wonderful message. I couldn’t agree with you more.” And they showered him with accolades, adoration and standing ovations.

It was said that when Demosthenes spoke, people shouted, “Let Us March!”

Did you notice the difference?

Two great orators. People admired and loved the one. People were gripped and compelled to act by the other.

Cicero appealed more to logic. And reason. He carefully crafted his message to speak to the analytical and rational side of people.

Demosthenes appealed more to emotion. His message touched, tangled and transformed people’s feelings. Feelings so strong they were willing to drop what they were doing to go into battle.

Let’s travel in the time machine to the present…

Christy gave an excellent speech about her involvement with Women’s Empowerment International. They help provide small loans to the world’s poorest women, lifting them out of poverty, and creating a better future through their own hard work and ingenuity. You could say WE International is providing the dream of entrepreneurship to help poor women provide for their families, to better themselves and to live with a heightened sense of dignity.

She talked about the founder, Muhammad Yunus. She displayed a blown-up photograph of Rosario, a Mexican loan recipient who is making cheese and selling them door-to-door because her husband is no longer able to work. And she talked about what we, the audience, can do to help.

Christy had everyone’s attention. You could almost hear a pin drop throughout her talk. When she concluded, we knew she had more to share. She did a phenomenal job. Everyone loved her message.

While there were a few people who wanted to join WE International, the majority sat on the sidelines. Why is that? Why wouldn’t more people join up or donate their resources after Christy’s fine presentation?

It goes back to Cicero and Demosthenes…

While Christy’s message was technically sound, it didn’t connect on an emotional level. Her message touched minds. It lacked the ability to touch hearts. And this is huge.

Here’s the difference in a nutshell:

The audience thought WE International is a great idea. They felt good about its purpose and mission. A few donated $20 to become members.

But not one person said, “Let us march. I’m going to get involved. I’m going to pick up the WE International torch and run with it. I’m going to spread the word to everyone I know.” Not even one.

Here’s an important point…

Practice to become the best speaker you can. If your audience adores you, that’s a good thing. You’re taking up after Cicero.

But if you really want to move people to action – take up after Demosthenes. You’ll touch people on a gut-wrenching, emotional level. You’ll know by appealing to their hearts… their minds, desires and actions will follow.