Who says that all lawyers care about are billings per hour?

No doubt this statistic is critical in determining a lawyer’s livelihood. But in the long run, the ability to create value is at the heart of being able to produce billable hours.

In 2009, CMI conducted a presentation skills workshop at one of Boston’s major law firms.  While the session went well, the biggest surprise was what happened after the session concluded.

The group that assembled for the workshop continues to meet and practice the techniques that they gained from the session. It does not matter whether everyone can attend, or whether people have polished presentations ready to present, the goal is to continue to practice and to provide and receive feedback.

According to these legal experts, lawyers have ample opportunities to build relationships, stimulate interest in their services and gain positive exposure for their firms.

One member reported making a pitch to her alumni association at an Ivy League School located in New Jersey.  The members of the association were more senior to her in age, primarily male and fairly successful–definitely a group that could be intimidating. However, her presentation was a smash because she was fully prepared.

She had a chance to test out her comments and receive constructive criticism before ever leaving Boston.  By the time she had completed the actual presentation, there was little doubt that she had achieved her goals and made a most memorable impression on her audience.

Others members reported how working with the group after the workshop has been beneficial. The bottom line is that this group of attorneys continues to leverage the firm’s investment in their development and have taken their training to another level.

What makes this story of  interest is the fact that all professionals, especially lawyers, are extremely busy.  Even with full calendars, it is noteworthy that this group has made a concerted effort to establish a user-friendly, sustainable process that includes:

• selecting each month a new volunteer moderator to

- organize the meeting

-ensure that the meeting date and time are on each member’s calendar

-identify topics that members can present easily with little or no preparation for two to five minutes

• enlisting different presenters to reinforce basic strategies gained from the workshop during the meeting

• calling upon each other outside of the scheduled meeting for feedback and suggestions in preparing for various presentations

This group of lawyers is definitely about leveraging resources. Most importantly, they are thoroughly committed to doing what it takes to create the value necessary for generating billable hours.

According to John Wooden, the legendary UCLA Head Basketball coach, “the main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”

Anyone who has enjoyed participating in team sports knows that successful teams are a result of excellent preparation (sound game plans), continuous practice (conditioning and developing role skills) and superb execution (performing flawlessly in real competition).

Interestingly, team presentations are pretty much the same. Having the right presenters without proper preparation and practice are ingredients for less than perfect outcomes.

Showing up like a group that was introduced just minutes before a major presentation can be a serious deal breaker in the minds of the people who are determining which provider represents the best fit for their organization.

A few quick tips for successful team presentations–

• prepare a sound game plan

know the audience (needs, concerns, expectations)
have a clear desired outcome
create a well defined message
develop the three-four most relevant supporting points

• establish who will be handling specific topics and questions

• have a strategy for how to deal with unexpected issues and inquiries

• demonstrate supportive team behavior throughout the presentation

body language
active listening
eye contact with the audience, the presenter and other team members

• engage audiences by encouraging and facilitating discussions

• ask for the business

Perform as a team. Win as a team.

Definitions vary, but many have common descriptive elements.

“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” – Dwight Eisenhower

“A leader is a dealer in hope.”- Napoleon Bonaparte

“To lead people, walk beside them.  …As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate. …When the best leader’s work is done, the people say ‘We did it ourselves!”– Lao-tsu

All of these descriptions seem to support the notion of leadership as a process of social influence requiring the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of common goals.

Clearly, the President’s State of the Union address could fit many of these definitions. However, in the realm of presentation skills, Mr. Obama was doing what many of us do whenever we engage clients, prospects, senior management, peers or direct reports–earning trust and inspiring confidence.

The State of the Union speech was directed at two key audiences. The President was seeking Congress’ support in working more collaboratively to implement a variety of  important initiatives and re-affirming his administration’s vision and priorities with the American public.

Like any effective presenter, the President had:

• a core message
• a logical sequence of key ideas
• an “ask”  (what he needed from his audiences)

His situation, although on a considerable larger stage, was not all that different from what many presenters encounter–a divided audience, where some members are advocates and others are antagonists.  Performing effectively requires preparing the most compelling and persuasive arguments for both sides.

While this did not occur during the President’s address, presenters have to be prepared for unexpected situations such as surprise outbursts, unanticipated questions or very recent, new developments.

Much has been written and said about leadership. The main point for most of us is never to lose sight of the fact that whenever presenting, we are displaying our leadership style–the manner in which we:

• organize our thoughts
• project confidence and enthusiasm
• demonstrate our knowledge and preparation in handling questions, objections and issues that have the potential to derail the best laid plans
• help others become comfortable with different points of view

When you think about all of the operational and technological details involved in moving initiatives forward, it always comes back to communication. CMI started this blog as an open forum for discussing communication issues.

We are anxious to hear from you. What is working? What needs further refinement? What are some of the common issues? The aim is to share ideas and perspectives about techniques that have been beneficial in a variety of circumstances – one-on-one speaking situations to large groups, written and electronic communication.

The articles that follow are only the start of what we hope will grow into a vital resource that can be useful to many.

We look forward to getting to know you better.

After making the investment in preparation, it is easy to understand why some presenters don’t welcome interruptions, holding questions while covering every fine detail from beginning to end.

When you think about it, no matter how much time is invested, preparation is really about being ready to serve the audience’s needs. Therefore, flexibility is a critical personal ingredient. Sometimes audiences want the entire presentation, other times their interest is only on a particular issue.

Your listeners will provide clues, sometimes bluntly, about what is important to them. Stay focused on those signals. Our job is about serving and satisfying.

Think back. Didn’t some of the best presentations feel like congenial conversations? The audience was totally engaged. The presenter was focused on what was most important. Now there’s definition for a “win-win” situation.

No doubt , having a slide for every point helps presenters stay focused on their content, especially when tackling complex topics. However, that tactic may not be as helpful for audiences.

Important ideas can easily get lost in transitioning from one visual to another.

Less important ideas might have greater visual appeal than the most important ideas. Audiences can lose their focus. The seeds of confusion can begin to blossom.

A more productive approach is to determine the most critical points requiring visual support. This will help to reduce the quantity of visuals, aid the presenter in delivering content, and most importantly, assist the audience in retaining key information.

Use visual aids judiciously. They are excellent resources for reinforcing key points, illustrating and simplifying complex issues, as well as adding interest to presentations.