Profiting With Public Relations

Speaking Tips: Stories V Facts

Recently I came across a startling fact, more than 90% of the audience forgets what they hear during presentations. This is a huge number, more importantly if you make speeches and give presentations as part of business development  an evaluation of your style of delivery and content is a must. If your message is not getting through to your audience, your presentation is taking you away from billable work.

When making presentations to prospects, it is extremely important for attorneys to narrow their focus.  It is also one of the reasons why attorneys should include case histories, and anecdotes.

Each person's comprehension skills are different. Some of us are more visual and understand by seeing pictures, others more auditory, where tone and voice of the speaker makes a difference and then there are the kinesthetic types. We need to feel the story, in other words we need to become Hamlet in order to get his pain!

Most of us use a combination of  these modalities. The examples, or little vignettes used in presentations must incorporate them to ensure active listening by high numbers of the audience, otherwise the presentation has the potential to be hit or miss.

 Earlier this year in SCG Newsletter, I wrote an article on "The Power of Storytelling" which goes into considerable detail why most of us resonate MORE with stories than with facts and legalease.

Other tips for attorneys to consider when giving presentations:

• Speak so that your audience understands you, no legalease please.


• Speak so that your audience remembers your message. Remember stories appeal to the heart and facts appeal to the head. Most of us make decisions based on what our heart says, and use our brains to justify that decision.


• Motivate/inspire your audience to act on your message.

Best Practices: Connecting With The Audience

   All too often, when speaking or making presentations attorneys forget that speaking like any other marketing activity is a multi-layered strategy. It simply isn't just about giving the presentation and riding off into the sunset and then expecting miracles.

    Aside from the pre and post presentation marketing, there is of course making the connections with the audience.   Common questions asked by legal clients are  how do I connect with them and make the presentation more effective and memorable.

    The following are a couple of tips we advise clients to incorporate when giving any kind of presentation.

• Show up early, at least 30 minutes, especially if you're using technological gadgets. Greet the attendees and ask them if there is any specific question they would like to see addressed in the presentation. If appropriate, ask for their business card.
• During the presentation make it clear to the audience that you will be around to answer any unanswered questions.
• If you have referenced an article, or something of interest to the audience, have an agreed method of follow up.
• Golden Tip: Send personal notes, within 24 hours after the presentation to individuals, you had one to one conversations with.

    Importantly, whatever the next step is make sure you do what you promised, otherwise, your credibility will be diminished.

Action Items:

1. How often do you or your firm give presentations?
2. Are there areas where your presentation needs improvement? List them in order of priority.
3. Schedule a time to perform this task. If you stuck and can't pinpoint where you need help, but know you need help email me pmahli@suncommunicationsgroup.com.

What To Do If No One Asks Questions After A Presentation

A common question that I'm often asked by attorneys giving presentations to a room full of prospects is what do when no one from the audience asks any questions.

Rather than panicking, consider that it is possible that the audience is processing your speech.

The best way to plan for such situations is to be well prepared. 

Make certain that you have  at least a couple of interesting or important points to share with your audience during question time. I would go as far to recommend as to have a couple of questions you've been asked about this subject matter with  you.

After you have announced that you will take questions, calmly wait several beats, count up to 10 if need be.

Never convey that you are concerned or embarrassed that there are no questions.

If no one speaks, smile and say, "Before I came up here today I was asked..." Then, state an interesting question you have been asked in the past and answer it well.

Feature Story: The Power of Storytelling

SCG Newsletter:
Storytelling in Your Legal Practice.

February 2008

In This Month's Issue:

Feature: Power of Storytelling.
SCG (The Sun Communication Group)Newsletter for solos, paralegals, legal office managers, associates and attorneys. Please pass this along to other attorneys in your network. The purpose of this newsletter is to educate, inform and sometimes entertain in all things related to marketing in the legal field.

This particular newletter is actually from last month. If you like what you read please sign up to recieve newsletter at The Sun Communication Group

FEATURED ARTICLE:

Approximate time to read: 4.5 minutes.

The Power of Storytelling in Your Legal Practice

During this month's Super Bowl, sports buffs, approximately 97 million according to news reports witnessed not just a great game but also a great story. The New York Giants were the underdogs, while the New England Patriots were favored to win. The underdogs won! The story, essentially of the underdogs winning, connected and resonated with millions of viewers and supporters. The game had drama, tension, conflict, beginning, middle and end. In sum, all the ingredients of a great story!

Storytelling is as old as civilization itself, and part of the collective human consciousness. Its roots can be traced back to the days of the shaman sitting around the fire. The shaman's primary responsibility was to document the history of the tribe: its beliefs, values and tales of great heroes, including their triumphs and tragedies. Part of this responsibility included passing on the wisdom of these stories to new generations so that they could learn, be inspired and be motivated.

In recent years, while Hollywood has embraced the latest technological gadgets, thereby replacing the more traditional forms of storytelling, corporate America has been embracing the art of storytelling in droves. More and more law firms are realizing that successful branding, marketing and selling depend s on connecting with and engaging their key groups.

In recent years a multitude of books such as Story: Substance, Structure, Style and Principles of Screenwriting, by Hollywood screenwriter Robert Mckee, and The Story Factor: Secrets of Influence Form the Art of Storytelling, by Annette Simons, have espoused the importance of storytelling in all commercial activity.

Robert Mckee, in a Harvard Business Review article, "Storytelling That Moves People", says that stories "fulfill a profound human need to grasp the patterns of living-not merely as an intellectual exercise, but with a very personal, emotional experience."

The writers have been stressing this factor because most business activity is about the art of persuasion, whether it's converting prospects into clients, selling the services of practice groups, gathering support for new strategic business plans or inspiring employees to do their best. All of these goals require some form of persuasion and action. At the heart of all this activity is communication. In business settings well-constructed stories serve a multitude of functions. They inspire, convince, motivate, mentor, entertain and educate.

At its very basic storytelling works on many levels. Stories stimulate imagination, engage the non-linear right part of the brain appeal to the heart--the emotions of the listener--and are educational. When done well, storytelling helps the speaker connect with the audience at a fundamental level and, more importantly, delivers a vital message .

Does this mean that facts should be ignored?

Facts and data have an important role to play, but when compared to storytelling, the latter is considerably more effective in establishing rapport with the audience; engaging the listener as a participant, rather than a spectator; bringing forth an open-mindedness, as witnessed in children; and, most importantly, reducing resistance and cynicism.

For law firms, often rooted in technical and legal bookish jargon, this means returning to the basics: connecting with clients, prospects and other important alliances. On a basic level that means crafting messages for the firm's Web sites and in all other marketing materials that essentially move, motivate and connect with prospective clients.

A Tale of Two Law Firms.

Consider the following scenario: two competent firms compete for business, both of which have good track records and are known in the community. The one that makes the connection on that fundamental human level with the prospect is much more likely to come out on top! Simply put, since businesses is all about building relationships and most people tend to do business with people whom they like, know and trust. Incorporating stories that resonate with your target constituents is critical.

By incorporating storytelling in all your business development materials, you can grab people's attention, engage their imagination and persuade them to give you their business or see things you way depending on your objectives.

Action Steps :

* Review any presentations you have recently given.
* Review case histories on your firm's websites. Do they incorporate story telling?

March newsletter: Tactics: How to incorporate stories in your presentations. Sign up for newsletter The Sun Communication Group

Until next month,
Cheers,

Paramjit L. Mahli
The Sun Communication Group
"Building Bridges Between Law Firms and Clients"
Tel: (212) 661-9137
Email: pmahli@suncommunicationsgroup.com

Connecting The Dots The Power of Public Relations

During my experience in legal public relations, and talking to attorneys, its clear that many don't understand what public relations is, or its role in business development. Where they really fail to connect the dots, is not only confusing public relations with advertising, but thinking they can gain press immediately. See earlier blog posting on the Art of Changing Public Relations, addresses these misconceptions.

Now, granted, getting immediate attention in the press is very possible but is dependant on a number of factors, such as timing, area of expertise, what the current news cycle is covering and availability of attorneys.

All of which involves having a public relations plan. Here are some things to consider when considering public relations:

1) What are the firm's objectives?
2) Which practice groups to hilight?
3) Who is your target audience?
4) How to you want to perceived in your target market?
5) Identify specific public relations tactics such as giving CLE's both online and inperson, getting published, seminars etc
6) How will return on investment be measured?
7) What are some of the benchmarks and milestones?
8) How long will the firm be committed to the public relations initiatives?
9) Determine which attorneys will regularly talk to the pr professionals to brainstorm ideas etc.
10) How frequently will this be conducted?
11) How comfortable are the attorneys talking with the press?
12) Do the attorneys have a basic 101 understanding of how the press works?

Once the plan is written,  revisit it after a couple of days to determine whether all key strategies and objectives are addressed.

Typically, a solid public relations plan will:
- Build awareness
- Position the firm's experts in their legal area of expertise
- Position the firm as a value added contributor for the legal industry nationally and locally
- Build goodwill among your key constituents
- Educate and persuade your target audience
- Have benchmarks in place

What is essential to the success of any plan is to understand that public relations like most marketing activities requires hard work. Distributing the odd press release by the paralegal or office manager whose wearing multiple hats will not generate calls from the press. Infact a disservice is being done you are taking the away from billable hours!

Some of the reasons why public relations initiatives fail are:

1) Lack of commitment on the part of the management of the firm.
2) Lack of understanding of what public relations is, even though EVERYBODY understands perceptions.
3) Grandiose expectations.
4) Once the pr firm has been hired assuming that law firm's work is done.
5) Lack of chemistry.

Finally, law firms have to participate wholeheartedly in the public relations campaign for it to work, otherwise, the firm is better off spending those dollars on other marketing tactics.

If your firm is considering public relations, call me at (212) 661-9137 to find out how we can get started. Or if you want to find out more visit The Sun Commnication Group.

How to Get Speaking Engagements

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?

Tidbit: Crafting Your Speech

So now that you've got the speech. How are you going to make it: interesting, informative and of course educational. Before diving into the nuts and bolts of putting the presentation together, assess what your long and short term objectives are. Is it to build your database? increase prospects? network? increase your profile with that target group? In all honesty you probably won't achieve all your objectives but its a good idea to know them for evaluating purposes.

So consider the following, when putting your presentation together.

1) Use words that paint pictures.
2) If you've got an interest in literature, philosphy and history, use quotes. They help set the scene and paint the picture. Currently in the US Primaries, Barack Obama, is winning the listening game, he is painting a vision of hope. Regardless, of whether the country buys into his vision, he has managed to capture the country's interest.
3) Be inclusive, include the audience, talk about “us” rather than “you people.”
4) Use every day collaqualism, these help break down some of the legal jargon and help you connect with the audience.
5) A little slang goes a long way, but do be mindful it doesn't offend anyone in the group.

I will be giving a teleseminar begining on March 5th, specifically on the role of speaking in your marketing when building your law practice.

Making The Most of a Speaking Campagin

    Creating visibility and building credibility are fundamental to the success of all legal marketing campaigns. A well thought out, proactive speaking program directed at appropriately targeted audiences helps achieves this by giving attorneys the opportunity to showcase their expertise, get up close and personal with a room full of prospects, build referral relationships with the event organizers and increase visibility of  their law firms.

    Industry associations, corporations and nonprofit organizations are continually seeking a roster of good speakers.

    Whether working with external consultants or on their own, attorneys must avoid shortcuts and take the time to plan and define all their objectives before embarking on a speaking plan.

    Aside from the obvious  goal of bringing in new clients,  other objectives are equally important, such as building strategic alliances with trade organizations, increasing newsletter subscriptions,  exposing the firm to new prospects and networking with other panelists . Having well-defined objectives will minimize disappointment and frustration and provide a better gauge when measuring return on investments.

One of the biggest mistakes attorneys make after giving a successful presentation is riding off into the sunset and expecting new clients immediately. To read more on this article, initially published last year in the New Jersey Law Journal please visit The Sun Communication Group article section.

8 Ways to Improve your Legal Practice in an Economic Downturn.

    The last couple of months has seen increasing focus and coverage on the state of the American economy. According to economists, the economy is in a far worse state than originally anticipated; which in turn has led to the current administration working fast and furiously, putting together an economic stimulus package.

    Understandably, there is a lot of talk about doom and gloom. A popular topic of discussion in business circles is  how to keep your businesses growing in slow times.  For example, should business owners, spend more on advertising, blogging, attending trade shows etc. Or should they review current marketing plans.

    To be candid, all of these lead generation methods have their advantages, but, there are other actions attorneys can take, in their  legal practice, that are more likely to produce more bang for your buck when things are slow.

Here are some areas to review in your legal practice:

1. How frequently do you reach out to your professional networks? How well do you maintain your extended networks?

2. Harvard Business School research found that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can lead to 40% to 90% increases in the lifetime value of that customer relationship. You need to earn your customer's loyalty. What are you doing to improve your client systems?

3. Are you perceived as the expert in your niche? If not, what concrete actions steps are you taking? Do you know where to begin to start building your expert status?

4. Review your strategic plans. Slow times are a great time to review your plans and see if you are still on track.

5. Are you taking opportunities of collaborating with strategic partners and authoring articles for local papers and trade journals. If so, how  are you leveraging them?

6. Are the systems in your legal practice operating efficiently like a well oiled machinery? If not, what area needs improvement? Your marketing? Public Relations? Managing clients? Are you still searching for a systems that WORKS for you?

7. Is the press calling to quote you?  When was the last time a reporter called you?

8. Do prospects get to see and hear you up close and personal. How often and where are you speaking?

    Reviewing all these different areas of your law practice, and discovering where weaknesses lie are far more  likely to be  productive and dollar cost effective, instead of trying new marketing strategies and hoping they will work.

     Allison C. Shields of Legal Ease Consulting  and I will be giving an 8 part teleseminar  How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoe String Budget discussing all these areas in considerable detail. To take advantage of the early bird offer please register at: How to Grow Your Legal Practice on a Shoe String Budget.

Honing Your Rainmaking Skills

Whether you are a solo practitioner, an associate or a partner, the ability to bring in business is fundamental to the success of your professional life. The more business you bring to your firm, the more economic value you provide and the more control you have over your professional life.

Rainmaking allows you to bring in the clients with whom you wish to work, do the work you enjoy, build your profile, enhance your reputation and increase your value to the firm.

Rainmaking, however, remains an elusive pursuit for many lawyers, even though most of them are already implementing some of the necessary skill sets, such as networking, speaking and writing. But such qualities by themselves are not enough.

Successful rainmakers must possess four critical attributes that, when applied in a cohesive and consistent manner, will generate business. Those attributes are: having the right mind-set; taking leadership roles; caring for, protecting and guiding clients; and exhibiting time management skills. To read the rest of the article please visit: The Sun Communication Group