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)).

Assertive but “self-monitoring” women received 1.5 times as many promotions as men.

“The interesting thing here is that being able to regulate one’s masculine behavior does not simply put women on par with men, it gives them even more of an advantage,” notes Professor Olivia O’Neill, co-author of the study.

The study followed MBA students for 8 years and found that “self-monitoring” aggressive women who  knew when to turn off their masculine characteristics in certain social situations gained more promotions than both men and other aggressive women who did not “self-monitor.”

What insight does this hold for women lawyers?

For more information, here is an ARTICLE and a copy of the Stanford RESEARCH.

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Possibly Related:  You may also be interested in Marsha’s Workshops for Women Lawyers

Register now.  Sponsored by NAWL and Sutherland — and open to all women lawyers. Please invite your colleagues!

Marsha Redmon surveyed law firm professional development folks to uncover trends and best practices for “Training More Lawyers in More Offices with Fewer Resources –Video Conference-based Training,” the topic of Marsha’s workshop at the Professional Development Institute (PDI) on December 10, 2010.

• The survey found that well over half of law firms responding rely heavily on video conference to train lawyers in many offices at low cost.
• Survey results show that 60% of law firms are delivering 21 or more lawyer training sessions per year via live video conference to multiple offices.
• 52% of law firms are using on-demand training for lawyer professional development “fairly often” or “regularly.”

To access detailed survey results click here:

PDI-2010-SurveyResults

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!

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.

How many potential clients have you taken to lunch – and never gotten around to talking about business?

Have you tried and rejected the “hard sell” business development model because you just can’t see yourself that way?

Sustainable business development happens when you can be genuine and authentic – while stepping out of your comfort zone a little.

We teach a realistic approach to business development for busy lawyers.  In this practical session, you’ll learn what you can do now for more effective, targeted business development that flows from your natural style.  Using the example of a business lunch, find out what works and “what not to do” to get business.

Topics include:

• Making the switch: shifting the conversation to business
• Two crucial skills that make all the difference
• Choosing the right targets
• How to ask for the business
• Staying in touch without being annoying
• Fitting business development into your life

This workshop can be conducted with small or large groups, for partners or associates or both.  We also do a women-only program.

Over lunch, naturally!

See Marsha’s other Business Development workshops for lawyers.

Do competency based compensation systems require firms to begin to train every single associate – in even the smallest offices?

How will firms do that MUCH MORE training efficiently and cost-effectively?

How will firms create THAT MUCH MORE new training that is tied to their new competency based systems?

Marsha Redmon Communications trains lawyers in multiple offices cost-effectively. We create customized communications and business development workshops to match each firm’s competency model.

Contact us for more information – info [at] marsha [dot] com