Communications consultant Martel and his wife bought their Gulf Stream condominium after they saw the ocean view. Photo by Jerry Lower
By Ron Hayes
Lucy is a very friendly poodle.
Yap! Yap! Yap!
One morning last month, as a visitor arrived at her oceanside condo, she was very friendly indeed.
Yap! Yap! Yap!
“Excuse me,” her master told his guest. “She’s a dog, so I have to speak dog.”
Bending to address her, he held up a forefinger to demand attention and said, loudly and firmly, “Yap! Yap! Yap!”
Instantly, Lucy stopped yapping.
Myles Martel, Ph.D., knows how to communicate, and no one knew that better than Ronald Reagan.
This year, as Americans mark the centennial of the 40th president’s birth, some will praise him and some will blame, but almost all agree he was a great communicator.
Dr. Martel, a professor and communications consultant, was Reagan’s debate coach for the decisive Oct. 28, 1980, presidential debate between Reagan and President Jimmy Carter.
When that decisive debate began, a week before the voting, the incumbent president was slightly ahead in the polls.
“Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” Reagan asked, and left Cleveland that night with a comfortable lead. A week later, he won the presidency.
“Ronald Reagan was, in many ways, beyond a great communicator,” Martel said, staring out at the ocean view that brought him and his wife, Leslie, to Gulf Stream 15 years ago. “He had a remarkable ability to express his views, and he was also an exceptional listener. But being able to speak well is one thing. To debate well brings you to a higher, more complex order of communication.”
And that’s why the great communicator brought in the great debate coach.
A native of Maine, Martel began debating in high school, continued in college and found his life’s work. He has written six books, advised more than 40 U.S. senators, congressmen, ambassadors, governors, and countless corporate executives. His bookshelves are adorned with photos of the men and women he’s taught to win arguments.
“In the debate with Carter,” he recalled, “Reagan needed to put Carter down without being too shrill, so I wrote strategy. My job was to critique his responses.”
They had “many, many” mock debates at a Middleburg, Va., estate where a garage had been transformed into a TV studio. Martel monitored Reagan’s clarity, his ability to respond within the time limit, and his body language.
“When in doubt, take notes,” he told him, “and no matter what, don’t look flummoxed.”
Ronald Reagan never looked flummoxed.
“There you go again,” he quipped, with a warm, avuncular smile, and the huge television audience saw morning in America.
From 1990 to 1998, Martel advised on crisis communications for oil company executives in 43 countries. From his headquarters in Boca Raton, he now advises CEOs how to handle layoffs.
But what advice does he have for those of us who will never run for president or respond to a mammoth oil spill?
• “Be aware of your listening vs. talking ratio,” he says. Communicating is not only about what you say; it’s about hearing what the other person says.
• “When you start to make a point, be clear about your intent.” There’s a thin line, Martel says, between establishing your credibility and being self-serving, which turns people off.
• “When in doubt, leave it out.” Is that off-color joke more off than colorful? Don’t tell it.
• “Don’t forget the power of questioning.” When two people are so focused on what they’re going to say next, Martel says, it’s “dualogue,” not a dialogue. Ask questions.
And above all, be honest.
“My point of view is, treat your credibility as sacrosanct,” he emphasizes. “There’s no excuse at all for untruths, even white lies. Be truthful first and persuasive second.”
As he showed his guest to the door, Martel pointed out a framed letter.
“Dear Myles,
I want to thank you for the great help,” it reads in part. “Your insight on debate strategy and general coaching were invaluable … I am very grateful for your support and dedication.
Sincerely, Ronald Reagan.”
“I’m 67 years old, and I love what I do,” Martel said, “and I expect to be doing it for many more years.”
Lucy the poodle did not yap her approval, which may be
the finest approval of all.
Martel (center) and Margaret Heckler, United State Ambassador to Ireland, work with President Reagan. Photo courtesy of Myles Martel
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