The following blog post is intended specifically for students in my Applied Business Communication course.

Richard Trumka is an American organized labor leader. Currently, he is President of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the US. At the time of this speech, he was Secretary-Treasurer of the same organization.

Speaking to organized labor is not an easy task. Leaders are essentially politicians, frequently attorneys like Trumka. However, members are more of the blue-collar variety of workers, who want to hear from people who understand their perspective and their lives.

This presentation is against the backdrop of the 2008 Democratic Primary in which Barrack Obama was campaigning against Hillary Clinton. Trumka was endorsing Obama though received some resistance from his supporters, primarily because of the color of Obama's skin. Rather than pretend that racism is not a topic, Trumka decided to directly address the topic.

In this presentation, Trumka starts with a personal narrative, uses an effective hook and proceeds to raise the volume and intensity of his voice in a manner that guarantees that every audience member is following his every word. You don't need to be Richard Trumka when you present but you could use the tools that he demonstrates in this clip.