Now there can be no arguing about the best way to practice a speech before setting off into public… no arguing!  Just practice.

The Rules of Speech Practice for Lawyers

1. Practice means standing up and speaking out loud
2. Practicing in your head does not count (everything sounds good in your head)
3. Spend 60% of practice time on the first 5 minutes of speech
4. Practice your whole speech out loud 2-3 times for timing & transitions
5. Videotape your practice after a few run-throughs
6. Use note cards with an outline, citations, quotes – not a script
7. Practice with small faux audience for high stakes speeches
8. Practice your client stories or examples 10x – they are crucial
9. Check your stories and examples with someone who knows your audience well
10. Reduce your speech content by 10-25% and your audience will retain more

Obviously a lawyer who practices his or her speech will feel more confident and be less nervous.   And of course the lawyer speaker will make a much better impression on the clients and potential clients in his or her audience.   We all know that.  And still most lawyers don’t prepare or practice properly before giving speeches.*  We hope these Rules of Speech Practice for Lawyers will make it faster and easier for lawyers to practice their speeches.

*Some executives don’t practice speeches properly either. Only 25% of executives surveyed said they spend more than 2 hours practicing for a “high stakes presentation.”  And yet 86% of the executives agreed that communicating with clarity directly impacts their careers and incomes.  (Survey by Distinction Services. 2009. www.distinction-services.com, quoted in Resonate: Present Visual Stories the Transform Audiences, Nancy Duarte (Wiley 2010)).

This interactive session will feature practical ideas, examples and take-aways that Marsha uses doing “distance-learning” communications and business development workshops with lawyers.  Results of a  pre-workshop survey will also be shared along with a facilitated discussion of best practices being used by participants to train more lawyers using fewer resources.  Join us on December 9-10 in DC at PDI!

Like scientists, lawyers often leave it up to their audiences to figure out what they meant.  A lawyer’s failure to communicate is especially dangerous when talking to prospective clients – whether through the media or in person during meetings or pitches for new business.  Most prospective clients — especially these days — will walk away rather than do the work of figuring out what the lawyer meant!

The key for lawyers who want to communicate better with clients and prospective clients is to analyze their audience before speaking.  A lawyer who communicates well answers three questions before speaking:

1. What single thing will grab the attention of this audience?
2. What words communicate best with this audience?
3. What story or example can I use that this audience will identify with and immediately understand?

In this economy, lawyers cannot afford to speak from a self-centered perspective:  What client wants to hire a lawyer who doesn’t bother to talk to them from a business perspective? Who would want a lawyer who talks about a new law or new regulation —  but does not make clear IMMEDIATELY what the impact will likely be for the client’s business?

In the past, when law firms had a lot of power, lawyers sometimes got away with not communicating clearly.  I think we can all agree — those days are over.

Marsha Redmon, mredmon [at] marsha [dot] com

Long road to competencies!

Most law firm competency based compensation systems include business development and communication skills for associates and young partners.

How is your law firm putting a comprehensive competency based business development and communications curriculum into place quickly?

Marsha Redmon Communications’ Business Development and Communications Curriculum(customized to fit your firm’s competency system) covers those communication and client development skills that most competency based systems require.

Cost Effective: The curriculum is designed so that most courses may be taught live in all offices at once, so that multiple courses (customized for each level) may be delivered cost effectively.  Some intensive skill building courses are delivered in person by our consultants.

Course Design: This business development and communications curriculum has four key areas:

1. Business development through skill- and relationship-building
2. Communicating effectively in every situation
3. Raising your profile in order to develop business
4. Optional: Client service “your way” — a  highly customized workshop that is based on a firm’s particular culture of client service

The curriculum offers two levels of courses:  core and skill-building.  Each area has one core course that provides fundamentals and an overview of key learning.  Various hands-on skill-building workshops are offered in each track to focus lawyers on applying the knowledge and getting comfortable with the skills needed to excel at business development and communications – at each level in a firm’s competency system.

Extra Options: Distance Learning Courses: Marsha Redmon Communications offers additional business development and communications courses in a distance learning (on demand) setting.  Accessing the courses is easy.  Participants take courses online individually – at a time that is convenient for each of them.

Online course offerings include:

• Using Webinars to Get Business Now
• Looking Like a Team in Presentations & Pitches
• Staying in Touch to Get Business
• Listening Skills for Lawyers

We are happy to create other on demand courses upon request.

To talk about our unique way of delivering a cost-effective and complete business development and communication curriculum customized to match your competency based system– contact us at info [at] marsha [dot] com.

1. Start by talking about the audience - of course.  What’s the one thing they are most concerned about? What can you say that will cause some of the audience to nod their heads “yes” and agree with you?
2. Planning your speech or presentation is key. It takes time and hard work to figure out what is most important to your audience and to organize your thoughts.
3. Use a little drama. Don’t rush in and start talking fast.  Look at the audience, smile, breathe, pause, then make a nice impactful statement. Pause again. There. Now you’ve made a nice first impression.  Oh yes, stand up straight!
4. Tell a story or example that illustrates the main point of your speech. This is especially helpful when your topic is complex.  An illustration will help everyone understand what you’re talking about — before they get confused and stop listening.
5. Tell the audience members why they should listen.  As clearly and as specifically as possible, tell them the likely impact on them of what you’re saying.  For example, “This new regulation means small insurers will have to begin financial controls reporting that can cost upwards of $1 million per year, per insurer.”  Now you have their attention!

For more, take a look at my Presentation and Public Speaking Workshops for Lawyers.