What Can Wall Street Teach You About Your Speech
Recently, I watched one of the most classic scenes in cinematic history, the Greed is Goodย speech from corporate raider Gordon Gekko (played in an Oscar-winning performance by Michael Douglas) in the movie ‘Wall Street.’
This scene has legions of fans and detractors because of the inflammatory nature of the word โgreed.โ For the purpose of this blog, suspend your interpretation of the word. Focus on the lesson you can learn from the structure of the speech.
It is a masterful piece of writing, and is brilliantly delivered by Mr.ย Douglas.
A Classic Speech That Touches Emotions
The speech opens with Gekko immediately addressing the problem faced by shareholders of Teldar Paper, which is facing financial ruin:
โAmerica has become a second-rate power.ย Itโs trade and fiscal deficits are at nightmare proportions.โย
ย โTeldar has 33 different vice presidents, each earning over $200 thousand dollars a year.โ
ย โโฆour paper company lost $110 million last year.โ
He sums up this problem and transition to his next point:
โIn my book, you either do it right or get eliminated.โ
He then offers his credentials as a potential new leader of the company:
โIn the last seven deals Iโve been involved in, there were 2.5 million stockholders who have made a pre-tax profit of ย $12ย billion .โ
ย โI am not a destroyer of companies.ย I am a liberator of them.โ
A Biblical Writing Tool Thatย Drives Home Your Point
With his foundation laid, he uses a technique called anaphora (repetition of the same word in successive sentences) to reach a climax, which is an attempt to change the point of view of the audience. He paints a picture of what could be:
โGreed โ for lack of a better term – is good.
Greed is right.
Greed works.
Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Greed for money, for love, for knowledge โ has marked the upward surge of mankind.
Greed will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.โ
His closing line is meant to appeal to the audience on a personal and nationalistic note.
The answer to the question โIs greed good?โ is not the purpose of this post. Set aside the morality of the message, and use this speech as a template.ย It allows you toย jump into a presentation that defines a problem and offers evidence to support your claim.
Then, you transition into your qualifications and how you can solve that problem.
Finally, close with a reminder of the benefits the audience will receive from your solution.
This speech structure may not win you an Academy Award, but it will increase your chances of Standing OUT!
To view this classic scene, click here.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCE
Save the Cat, byย Blake Snyder
Ostensibly, this book was written for screenwriters, but Mr. Snyder shares ideas on how to create a connection between characters and audience members. The title is born from the idea that if your character does something nice in the beginning of the story, such as rescuing a cat from a tree, it builds likability for that person. Itโs what Patricia Fripp calls a โrooting interest.โ
To get your copy, visit: http://amzn.to/XQ6B2x.
Hi Michael, this is a great analysis of a great persuasive speech. Kudos to you and the speech writers. It is short, to-the-point, and quite persuasive, (even though the premise of the speech: greed is good, may be flawed. Thank you for the insightful analysis.