By Jamie K. Mulholland

This article was originally published on Law.com.

So, there I was, meeting with a newly hired attorney. Anxious to make her mark as part of the firm, she was asking for ideas to get the word out about her work and being part of the practice. Everything I suggested was met with an enthusiastic nod while she scribbled follow-up notes. Then I suggested doing a CLE. She froze and looked up.

“Oh, no no no no no no no,” she said. “I don’t speak. I can’t speak. I mean, I’ll write anything you ask me to write, but I’m just so uncomfortable speaking.”

This, from someone whose reviews included phrases like, “pitbull in hearings,” “unbelievable in court” and “excellent communicator.”

It’s truly a tale as old as time. Most attorneys planning business development initiatives are pretty much receptive to almost any idea marketers bring up, with the exception of public speaking.

And I totally get it. As attorneys, you were born and live on the page. From day one of law school to your day-to-day work now with briefs, memos, contracts and complaints, you were taught just how the pen is mightier than the sword. There is also, of course, the unnerving act of putting yourself up in front of a crowd.

While I would never force someone out of his or her comfort zone, I will share this secret with you: speaking is one of the fastest and most effective ways to establish authority, build connections, and establish yourself in a niche area.

Think about it: when you write an article or a blog post, a prospective client or referral source takes in your thoughts on their own. When you present those thoughts in person, they – and all others present – witness your experience, your confidence, your intelligence, and your personality in real time. There are nuances there that just can’t come through on a page. There’s an immediate connection established, and that is how trusted relationships begin.

Best of all, you don’t need to be a professional orator or a keynote headliner to land in front of the right audience. You don’t even need a great opening joke. All you need is an entry point that aligns with your comfort level and leverages your existing professional strengths.

Here are four practical options you can pick from to get yourself on stage in the next 12 months:

1. Moderate a Panel

If the idea of delivering a solo keynote or standing alone on a dais with 50 or more pairs of eyes on you terrifies you, you absolutely need not be the main act. You can pull together a panel of colleagues to help you do the job. Here, you become the curator of the discussion, as opposed to the lone lecturer.

The Value: As the moderator, the spotlight is never entirely on you. Here, you have the opportunity to guide the conversation, ask the questions and keep the time. While it’s important to give your panelists an idea of what you will ask ahead of time, it’s also interesting when you have one or two questions in your back pocket that they were unaware you planned to ask. Keep the panel interesting to the audience by not systematically going down the line and having each participant answer every single question. But do save a couple of queries where you actually do poll down the line to get everyone’s perspective. Always leave time at the end for audience Q&A.
Why it Will Work for You: Attorneys are natural interviewers and cross-examiners. You already know how to ask intuitive questions and dig for valuable insights, right? By stepping into the moderator's chair, you are simply positioning yourself as a convener of thinkers. You get to steer the discussion toward the exact topics that matter most to the audience, and, as the overseer of the conversation, you have the valuable perspective of being able to direct where it goes based on a live read of the audience. Even better, because you are the moderator, you will get to interact with all of your speakers and the event organizers behind the scenes leading up to the event, creating invaluable networking and referral opportunities.

2. Be ON a Panel

If you aren't feeling ready to carry the entire conversation or moderate the flow of a discussion, opt for a format where you are someone sharing the stage and feeding off your cohorts: join a panel as a featured speaker. Surely you know someone who is happy to step into the moderator role, yes? Between the two of you, you can assemble a lineup of experts to opine on a specific subject.

The Value: You need not be everyone’s go-between, and you don’t have to worry about keeping time or reading the room. You simply need to communicate points that you think should be addressed in the discussion where you can speak from informed experience. Then, at the event, as addressed, you will weigh in with your well-formulated points or a compelling case study from your practice. Plus, participating on a panel signals to the audience that you run in elite circles alongside other respected professionals in your area of practice.
Why it Will Work for You: As a participant instead of a moderator, the panel format relieves a good deal of pressure. You can feed off the energy, momentum, and commentary of your co-panelists and the moderator. You are placing yourself in a collaborative, conversational atmosphere that may resonate with the audience better than a dry, solo lecture.

3. Partner with Just One or Two Complementary Peers

A few years back, two legal marketing colleagues and I spoke at a national conference about how our very similar day-to-day work was carried out in very different environments: at a very large firm, at a very small firm, and as an external consultant. The talk was so well received that we were immediately invited to another conference to repeat it.

In this scenario, you’re still taking the solo spotlight pressure off yourself, but not as diluted as it would be in a panel format. The whole point/counterpoint delivery is still dynamic for you as a speaker, but also interesting for the audience.

Can you find someone who does what you do, but in a different way? A non-competing jurisdiction, perhaps? Propose a joint presentation to an industry group related to what you do. Here, there is no competition, only collaboration.

The Value: You are maximizing the time you put into the preparation workload by simply splitting the presentation, and you are also placing yourselves very favorably in front of both of your respective professional networks to market and promote the event.
Why it Will Work for You: You get to share contrasting, multi-disciplinary perspectives to an interested, targeted audience without feeling like you are competing for the room. You will project sophisticated, holistic thought leadership that shows that you are secure, connected, and collaborative—qualities that clients and referral sources value.

4. Host a Webinar

While I truly believe even the leeriest of lecturers can successfully undertake one of the above approaches, I recognize that you may also need a more friendly environment for your first time out as a presenter. So, rather than leaping completely out of your comfort zone into a giant conference room, consider doing a webinar.

The Value: You can execute a high-impact professional presentation with all your favorite things right around you — your coffee mug, your ideal desk setup, your customized lighting, and, yes, your complete, word-for-word speaking notes right on your screen where no one can see them. If you feel as if the pressure is too much to speak and produce the presentation, I know someone who has a staffer run the slideshow while they speak. They share a copy of the speaking notes prior to the event so that staffer knows exactly when to advance to the next part of the presentation.
Why it Will Work for You: Webinars offer a lower-stakes, controlled digital environment where you can deliver educational content directly to a targeted digital audience. You can choose to partner with a seminar company who will produce and publicize everything for you, or you can host it yourself and own the content afterward, which provides you with a wealth of promotional opportunities for the future: as an “In case you missed it” promo on LinkedIn, or a hype video for your website. You now have material you can use long after the live broadcast ends.

The Bottom Line

You don’t have to be a trained Broadway actor to successfully wow a crowd; you simply need to have confidence in the material and perspective that you already have ready to go. Writing is a powerful tool, but voice and presence create an unforgettable multiplier effect. Plus, the appearance gives you so much more than just that day: yes, you gain an audience, but you also enjoy the pre- and post-event promotion, the interaction with all involved, and the confidence that you will gain from doing something you previously thought was outside of your ability. And in the end, I suspect you will be able to say you had fun doing it, too.

About:

Jamie Mulholland assists attorneys and law firms across the country with marketing and business development. Learn more at mulhollandmarketing.com.

Speak Up: The Perfect Branding Activity Many Attorneys Dismiss