Law Firm PR And Speaking Engagements: How To Get Them
Like it
or not, speaking engagements are a very important component
of a public relations plan of any law firm intent on growth.
Whether you fear public speaking, or your workload leaves
little free time, it is important to find a way to make room
for speaking. Well-known marketeers such as Dan Kennedy and
countless others agree that speaking engagements are one of
the fastest ways to get new clients. Firms need to expose
their areas of expertise to prospective clients. By speaking
at conferences and forums put together by professional and
industry trade groups, attorneys can increase their firm’s
visibility and consequently its prospects for attracting new
business. What speaking does is give the speaker special status,
thus making it easier for speakers to meet prospects. Attendees
expect speakers to reach out to the audience, in turn they
give speakers respect and credibility. According to the American
Society of Association of Executives, the conferences and
meeting industry is a $56 billion dollar market.
However,
a word of caution. If you are expecting overnight success,
think twice: public relations, like gardening, requires nurturing,
pruning and weeding out. So how and where do you begin?
- In
most cases, speaking can be a waste of time. Do some strategic
thinking. Target the associations you would like to get
in front of. Who do you want your audience to be? For example,
if your firm specialises in personal injury law, you may
want to speak in front of a group of human resource managers
about preventing hazardous conditions in the workplace,
for bankruptcies, attorneys/ financial planners/accounting
associations might be a good fit. Start locally, and build
up a portfolio. Bottom line: you must identify the speaking
opportunities that will let you reach your intended audience.
If you want to improve your skills, start with Toastmasters
International (click
here for an article on Toastmasters, below), which has
chapters in most cities. Members generally meet once a week,
presenting impromptu and prepared speeches and receiving
feedback.
- Designate
a speaker for the firm. This can get a bit tricky depending
on the size of the firm and which areas the firm wishes
to focus upon. It is best to start small and build a strong
foundation. The designated speaker should have speaking
experience. For small to medium-sized firms, the best choice
would be a senior or managing partner.
- From
time to time, attorneys do get invited to speak in front
of groups. Don’t wait for this to happen. Have someone
in the firm or a marketing public relations firm actively
working on targeting opportunities. This person or firm
is responsible for developing relationships with event and
industry associations, submitting proposals and, most importantly,
staying in touch with contacts. It is always a good idea
to get yourself on a group’s backup list of speakers.
Stay on the right side of event organisers.
- It
is crucial to tailor the speaker proposals you submit to
event organisers. You want to make their lives easy. Ask
them whether they prefer e-mail, hard copy or fax for submissions.
Make sure you meet all deadlines and that all appropriate
material is sent together, such as bios, previous speaking
engagements, etc. Do not send information in dribs and drabs.
Chances are materials will get lost in the clutter.
- If
you are targeting a particular group and it is not giving
your firm the time of day, offer to write for the group’s
newsletter. This will go a long way toward building a relationship
and demonstrating to the organisation that your firm is
very serious.
- Finally,
follow up, follow up, follow up. Being persistent in a non-obtrusive
way goes a long way in helping your firm stand above the
crowd.
Publicising
and marketing the event is only one component of ensuring
a successful presentation; equally important is the talk itself.
Aside from generating new business, an effective speech can
result in the organisation inviting the speaker back or the
attendees recommending the speaker to other groups.
A couple
of things to bear in mind are to know why you are giving the
presentation, to whom are you making it, where you are speaking,
what you are going to say and how you will say it. Once you
are clear on this, put all the themes in a logical order,
jot down notes, prepare visuals and memorise the introduction.
Keep your
structure simple: thank the attendees and give an itinerary
for your presentation: indicate what topics will be discussed
and when questions can be asked. Bottom line, set the agenda
up front.
The middle
part of the presentation is basically keeping true to the
agenda. Ensure that the order is logical and inform the audience
when you are moving on to the next theme.
The conclusion
should summarise your presentation and open the floor to questions.
Although
most of the preparations will have been completed beforehand,
there are more logistics to take care of on the day of the
presentation. Take caring of these logistics will ensure the
smooth flow of the presentation. They include:
- Familiarising
yourself with the room and having all the audiovisuals working
properly. Technical hiccups can make the difference between
a mediocre and superior presentation.
- Speaking
slowly, clearly and confidently, and adding color to the
presentation by relating personal experiences and giving
case histories and examples.
- Realising
that if you stumble, miss a word or have a long pregnant
pause, you shouldn’t apologize. Long pauses are good
for building up drama and they provide the listener with
variety.
As long
as you have done all the preparatory work and are confident
that you are giving the audience useful information, your
presentation will be successful. The more speaking engagements
you have, the more comfortable you will become. In the meantime,
joining an organization such as Toastmasters International
will provide the opportunity to give presentations regularly
and build up your speaking skills.
This article originally appeared on Women In Law. Reproduced with permission.
About The Author
Paramjit Mahli of Sun Communications Group is a former journalist who has worked with international news organizations including CNN Business News, and now helps small to mid-sized law firms get in front of their target markets effectively, efficiently, and expeditiously. Her job is to let the lawyers do what they do best – practice law – while she takes care of their communications and marketing programs. For our upcoming teleseminar on building your legal practice without breaking the bank visit; www.lawyermeltdown.com/teleclass-shoestring.html.
The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of ILW.COM.
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