This country has produced volumes of oratorical masterpieces.  Speeches like Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” and MLK’s “I Have a Dream” sit firmly on the pantheon of great American discourse.  But, even among these pinnacles of persuasion there rests a humble standout:  The Gettysburg Address.

Honest Abe didn’t have much to say during the dedication of Soldiers’ National Cemetery in the midst of the Civil War.  What he did say was powerful, though, and its utility goes way beyond the political arena.

Lincoln’s address is a shining example of a truly-great salesman in action.  Let’s consider why.

Begins with a Story

As human beings, our minds are wired for storytelling. We even retain up to seven times as much information when it’s packaged as once upon a time.  That’s why beginning with a story draws people in right away.  It then provides a common thread to tie everything together, something direct-response writers have been doing for decades to great effect.

Lincoln does this brilliantly.  He opens with the inspirational birth of our country using what’s become those six instantly-recognizable words:  Four score and seven years ago….  He then reminds his audience what brought them there in the first place.  This sets the context for his entire pitch, which eventually concludes the “story” beautifully through a We the People-like tie-back to the Constitution.

Uncovers the Right Pain Points

Top sales pros know that empathy is key to resonating with prospects.  You have to demonstrate an understanding of their challenges.  Then, you have to poke at those challenges just enough to re-stoke their desire for change.  This is a delicate task, but done well it opens the door wider to your message.

Those gathered at Gettysburg that day stood on the same field that had just hosted America’s bloodiest battle.  The nation was inches away from being permanently torn apart.  People were hurting.  Rather than shy away from the pain, Lincoln meets it head-on to prime them for what he will reveal as the only possible solution.

Concise but Complete

Say what you need to say and say no more.  There’s nothing groundbreaking here, and I’m simply echoing what shrewd business-development teams know already.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to stop the steady flow of kitchen-sink sales pitches.  If there’s anything that doesn’t directly contribute to your goal, drop it.

Exhibit A:  the Gettysburg Address, the character equivalent of 11 tweets.  Lincoln gets his entire message across in a matter of minutes.  Contrast this with that day’s featured speaker Edward Everett, whose two-hour—two!—keynote must have been agonizing for his poor standing audience.  Children memorize Lincoln’s brief-but-poignant address (thanks, fifth grade), but even scholars pass out reading Everett’s endless sermon.

Powerful and Straightforward

In Ogilvy on Advertising, David Ogilvy uses his own historical reference involving two rival statesmen in 4^th Century Greece.  “When Aeschines spoke, they said ‘How well he speaks.’  When Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’”  The point:  if you want people to act, use simple, direct language that doesn’t call attention to itself.

Putting aside the fact that his prose is period-based (I rarely use “we here highly resolve” anymore), Lincoln’s speech is to the point while painting a clear picture of the situation.  Hopefully his verbose and flowery warm-up man, Edward Aeschines Everett, was taking notes.

Ends with One Helluva Call to Action

Every single pitch at every single stage needs a call to action.  Every single one.  If you don’t give your prospect something to do, no matter how simple, don’t expect them to do anything.

Leave it to the only man capable of holding the young country together to cap things off with a whopper.  Lincoln tapped back into people’s emotions and channeled their shared sense of national pride.  He rallied them to do nothing short of putting the United back into the United States of America.  Just remember that next time you’re feeling bashful about asking for a touch-base call in a week.

Following Gettysburg, we all know what happens.  Lincoln inspires the Union to restore the nation, pulls the strings to abolish slavery, and ends the Civil War in a year-and-a-half.  No big deal.

Should this really be surprising, though?  After all, the man was a politician.  And what are politicians at heart?  Salespeople.  You don’t get into office (let alone the highest in the land) without selling groups of people on your vision, qualifications, and overall value proposition.

As a salesman, Lincoln wasn’t hawking cattle feed.  He was ensuring the survival of the republic, and he succeeded under the pressure of terrifying consequences.  Does that make him the greatest salesman in US history?

Sure puts him on the short list.

Getting ready to pitch your pipeline and/or inspire the populace?  Shoot me a message so we can de-Everett your talk track to get the kind of response you want.