Can Authors Adopt Trump’s Communication Style?

 

Donald Trump, whether he is campaigning to be in the White House or hawking some product, has a unique style of communication, one that can be off-putting to so many and yet captivating to half the country. Authors should observe and learn from everyone, and Trump, though polarizing, can persuade tens of millions of people. Here is what seems to be his communication strategy and style: 

1. Lie Unabashedly -- Anyone can do this, but writers, of course, don’t want to build book sales or a brand on lies. Trump masters using lies, half-truths, and conspiracy theories to discuss anything. 

2. Hype -- Everything is the biggest and the best if it is something good that he is associated with, according to him. Speak in superlatives. Praise your accomplishments and just keep telling people something is a certain way, even if it is not. 

3. Distract With Us vs Others Rhetoric -- Instead of focusing on something of substance, like a policy issue, get people’s attention by tapping into a long-held belief, fear, or desire. He creates a tribalism, like a cult or gang, and convinces people they must choose a side and take up arms to defend it. He likes to trade in fear-mongering, scapegoating, and separatism. He sees a black and white world — no grey or nuance. Everything is stated in extreme, stark contrasts.

4. Confidence -- He speaks with a heavy dose of confidence. He simply refuses to see weakness, loss, or failure in anything he does. One must persevere and move forward, despite any challenges or short-comings. You, too, must speak with courage and confidence. Believe in your message and others will too.  

5. Repetition -- He makes a point and then restates it, sometimes verbatim. In advertising, repetition is a key tool to getting people to pay attention and remember something. He is like a kid who just tries to wear a parent down with the same request. Eventually, some just simply cave.  

6. Visionary -- He has a clear-cut vision for where America should be and states it often. He taps into nationalism and patriotism. Again, he may at times see hypocritical and isolating, but some people buy into “how things should be,” regardless of whether they really should be or even can be those things.  

7. Affirmative Statements -- He makes it clear what he stands for — a value or political position — and he declares war on anyone or anything that opposes his vision. Though he is critical of a lot of things and people, he also unequivocally outlines what he wants or likes with strong declaratory statements. 

8. Rotating Consistent Themes -- Low-taxes, deportations, anti-abortion, and transgender book bans. These issues have been the backbone of Trump’s political career. Throw in China tariffs, energy independence, opposition to US wars, and support for Israel. He is consistently rotating these issues into his stump speeches. You, too, can have certain themes or messages that you can speak of regularly and become known for.

9. Bully or Ridicule -- He has nicknames for everyone, including harsh names for those he demonizes. Sometimes he just resorts to getting into the mud or gutter and calling people awful things. This plays into his us vs them rhetoric. He wants to sound like he is on the side of strength, so he looks to verbally abuse and berate those who do not stand with him and kiss the ring. 

10. Tell A Story -- It goes without saying that all powerful speakers tell stories. These stories demonstrate a point or raise awareness — or both. Embrace the appeal of retelling stories that help others visualize and understand you on a deeper level.

11. Make You Feel Heard and Not Alone -- Somehow, a billionaire senior gets other people to think he is one of them and has their best interests at heart, that he understands them. What a bunch of baloney. But, you too, can sound like you know the person that you speak to. 

12. Have A Persona -- It is easy to caricaturize Trump because he speaks in a certain way about a handful of things in the same, attention-grabbing manner. But that is called an image or a brand or a persona. You can have one too. Think of your catchphrases, the energy you speak with, your voice intonation and cadence, the points that you raise, and your personality. Be memorable and be unique but imitation-worthy.

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.