I’ve worked with countless clients who want to deliver high-stakes, persuasive presentations in a way that strikes that balance between being authoritative, relatable and authentic. Fearing they won’t be able to, they default to being straightforward, serious and dry in an effort to come across as “smart” if nothing else.
It’s a fine line to walk, but part of what establishes your charisma – i.e., what compels someone to want to engage with you – is the ability to weave together the light, fun, personal, relatable side with confident authority and expertise.
When you can talk about your (relevant!) mistakes, embarrassing moments, or lighthearted stories from your past in a confident and unapologetic manner, there’s incredible power in that.
Last night, that was JD Vance’s superpower, as he took the stage for the first time as the official nominee for Vice President in Night #3 of the RNC.
Vance was born poor in Appalachia, which he alluded to as a forgotten part of America. Raised by his grandmother and his mother, who was a teenage drug addict, Vance’s upbringing contrasts sharply with Trump’s.
This contrast helps balance the party ticket: Trump brings celebrity and star-power, while Vance brings relatability and a personal connection to the struggles of many everyday Americans.
Similarly, Vance’s speech was a great example in striking the balance between relatability and authority. (He needs that too, remember; after all, he’s “auditioning” for the role of vice president, not the comic relief.)
He shared personal stories that highlighted his humble beginnings and the significant challenges he overcame on the road to academic, professional, personal, military, and political success and other official qualifications.
For example, he talked about his grandmother, who he called “mamaw,” and whom he described as “a woman of contradictions. She had a deep love of the Lord… and a love of the F-word… She could make a sailor blush.”
This irony, delivered with a big smile, showed his willingness to embrace his unsophisticated roots without shame, and elicited a good belly-laugh from the whole audience.
He also told a (Republican-party-appropriate) story about how his family found 19 loaded pistols hidden around mamaw’s house after she passed away. The surprising nature of this vivid imagery landed with humor, as he also painted a picture of his grandmother as a tough, self-reliant woman who was always prepared to defend her family.
Such stories might seem low-class or unprofessional to some (especially those who oppose firearm possession), but Vance knew his audience, and told the stories with confidence and pride, making them powerful rather than diminishing. If someone there thought Vance himself wasn’t relatable, mamaw was!
On a different front, another notable story he shared was about when he proposed to his wife. He laid his unvarnished reality on the line for her, declaring, “I come with $120k in law school debt and a cemetery plot on a mountainside in eastern KY.”
Once again, delivering this mildly self-deprecating anecdote with a confident smile made the audience laugh and underscored his relatability. But it also built trust as he confessed a time when he opted for full transparency and integrity, even when it could have led to rejection.
Marketers will tell you that consumers go with a brand they know, like, and trust. Vance achieved all three of these components both the content and delivery in his speech.
His voice and body language were deliberate and unwavering, showing that he owned his past and his stories. This authenticity made the imperfections of his past come across as a strength rather than a weakness, enhancing his credibility and authority to his audience.
JD Vance’s ability to combine these elements effectively serves as a case study for professionals who want to overcome imposter syndrome and master the art of getting buy-in during high-stakes presentations.
By embracing your background, confidently sharing your stories when appropriate, and balancing authority with relatability, you can command the room with authenticity and gravitas, connect with your audience on a deeper level, and close the deal.
