NPR’s Scott Simon takes a look at President Obama’s rhetoric revolving around the 1915 Armenian Genocide in this report.
The issue is not that our President suddenly views the killing of 1.5 million Armenians as acceptable, the issue is how he’s talking about it—“genocide” during his campaign, and “killings” in front of the Turkish parliament. The rhetorical pandering is disappointing.
Simon writes, “In a way, the president’s choice to say ‘killings’ in front of his hosts may remind us that it might be wise to regard what any politician says as the words of a suitor who coos ‘I love you’ during courtship. They mean it in the moment. But any adult should know that they may not mean it in just a few weeks.”
Lest we business-types forget, we face the same kind of rhetorical dilemma every day. You know what I mean—we’ve all bought something because of the amazing claims a marketer or salesperson made, only to find it an utter disappointment after the sale.
The question is, can our products/services really deliver what we promise, or are we merely slapping asterisks on our claims to make them seem better than they really are?
The kind of approach to marketing/sales from which all parties benefit is simple: honesty and consistency. That’s because honesty and consistency beget trust. And trust begets business.
Here’s an example: after a recent oil change, my mechanic told me that I should make a few repairs in the near future, but he didn’t pressure. He said, “none of these things are bad enough that you need to take care of them today. I’m just recommending that you get them fixed in the next 3 or 4 months.”
And now I trust him. In fact, I’m willing to tell my friends to go him to get their oil changed, too.
So whether it’s global politics or vehicle maintenance, we have a responsibility to stop empty rhetorical pandering.
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