17. Winning and Losing the World Cup

He’s Just Not That into FIFA

Former President Bill Clinton has the undeniable gift of gab. He won two election campaigns and talked himself out of the Monica Lewinsky mess with only an impeachment and no conviction. In the time since he left office, Mr. Clinton has earned millions of dollars in speaking fees.¹

He is also widely sought after as a spokesman for not-for-profit causes ranging from raising funds for the victims of the Haitian earthquake and the Indian Ocean tsunami to stumping for Democratic candidates in elections. Even President Obama, a formidable speaker himself, invited Mr. Clinton to deliver a supportive keynote at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.²

So it was no surprise that Mr. Clinton was asked to pitch the United States’ bid to host the World Cup in 2022. But given his performance of the speech to FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup, it was no surprise that FIFA denied his bid and awarded the plum to Qatar. NBC Sports reported, “instead of the magnetism that defined his eight years in the White House, Clinton sounded dry, reading off his script.”³

Worse still was Mr. Clinton’s script itself.

His speech (available on YouTube) ran 13 and a half minutes, but Mr. Clinton spent most of it focused on his own point of view, including his daughter’s experience of playing soccer as a child, his own charitable foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the diversity of sports in America. He finally got around to focusing on FIFA around the 10-minute mark, saying, “FIFA is the main reason that soccer has become a unifying force in the world.” Then, referring to FIFA’s social responsibility commitment, he added, “If you come to the United States, we’ll make sure you fulfill that commitment.”⁴ Too little, too late.

Steve Kelley in the Seattle Times summed up the imbalance, “former President Bill Clinton talked a little too much about, well, Bill Clinton.”⁵

In sharp contrast, the winning bid for Qatar was shepherded by a British professional sports consultant named Mike Lee who had helped London win the 2012 Olympics and Rio win the 2016 Summer Games. Mr. Lee’s secret weapon is one available to everyone who presents: Put more emphasis on the audience than yourself.

According to a profile of Mr. Lee in London’s Guardian, the London victory came about because, “He recognised what buttons needed pushing in the often remote International Olympic Committee.” Mr. Lee also recognized which FIFA buttons to push, as he told the Guardian, “You have to focus on the voters and what the narrative means to them. This is their crown jewel and you have to show how you will take it forward for them.”⁶

Winning presenters focus on their audiences. If you’re not that into your audience, they just won’t be that into you.