Here’s a calculation you can relate to: an attorney speaks before a group of seniors ten times. Every speaking presentation takes about an hour to prepare – the topics are geared for the lay person, so they were not overly complex. There’s ten hours prep plus ten hours speaking, 20 hours in total. Add the thirty minutes to and from travel time, now we’re at 30 hours.
Question: How many clients does this attorney need to get to make the time invested worthwhile?
Answer: That depends.
If one person with significant assets and a complex estate becomes a client, then those 30 hours may be well worth the effort. On the other hand, if only one person out of all ten speaking engagements became a client, you have to wonder if this is the right group for you.
You have to ask a few more questions, some of which may not be flattering.
- Why aren’t these people retaining you?
- Do they need your services?
- Do they think they cannot afford your services?
- Is there something about your presentation or personality that is putting them off?
At the conclusion of most CLEs, an evaluation sheet is passed around to measure the speaker’s performance. If you can, ask the organizer if they can distribute a similar sheet to get feedback on your presentation. You might not like the response but it will give you information that you need.
Ask a trusted colleague or friend to sit in the back and take notes. Are people talking while you are talking or are they fully engaged? Can they hear you? Are they shifting around in their seats, or are they listening closely?
It’s not always easy to hear less than flattering comments, whether from an evaluation sheet or a colleague, but if you are speaking on a regular basis and not generating leads, then you need to dig into the process and find out where the flaws are.
Another suggestion: professional attorney videos can serve several purposes. By providing an opportunity for you to be on screen, in action, they may reveal presentation issues that you are not aware of. They may not be glaring problems, but subtle things that your audience sees and that you do not.
If you are an amazing speaker and always come away with a number of appointments every time you speak, congratulations.
But if you suspect you need a little help in this area, consider this an invitation to look into our lawyer video marketing enhancement and submit your information at the bottom of the page.