Feb

09

Practice is for Professionals, Especially Lawyers

Audiences / Body Language / CLE Course / Mock Trials / Practice / Preparation / Professional / Public Speaking  Posted by / 0 comments

You may have heard a while back that Eddie Murphy and Brett Ratner had to withdraw as co-hosts for this month’s Academy Awards ceremony. The abrasive Mr. Ratner made an anti-gay comment regarding the amount of rehearsing that might be required: “Rehearsal? What’s that? Rehearsal’s for fags.” Uproar, apologies, and resignations followed.

It occurred to me that there is a kernel of “truth” in what Ratner said. Or more accurately, a misplaced belief, a “truth” that many lawyers may hold as self-evident: that rehearsal and practice is for lily-livered, milksop, fraidy-cats.

I say this because last week, I heard yet again, this self-evaluation from an attorney at a CLE seminar: “I’m much better when I don’t prepare.”

Says who?

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Dec

28

Be the visual aid: gesture!

Body / Body Language / Gesturing / Public Speaking / Uncategorized  Posted by / 0 comments
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Dec

21

Why do small, tentative gestures feel too big?

Body / Gesturing / Public Speaking  Posted by / 0 comments
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Dec

01

Watch Two Fluent Speakers in the News

Audiences / Body Language / Gesturing / Public Speaking / Voice  Posted by / 0 comments

It is always fun to watch good speakers, and here are two from the last days. The Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism gave its Cronkite Award this year to Christane Amanpour. She addressed the students at a luncheon, with video posted on ASU’s Public Broadcasting affiliate. Jacob Frenkel, a former SEC lawyer, explained on the News Hour why Judge Jed Rakoff rejected the SEC’s deal with Citigroup.

Notice that Amanpour is speaking with only a few notes, and is extremely fluent. She’s been practicing for decades, having been a foreign correspondent for CNN for 27 years before she moved to a major network. Her eye contact is excellent, as she scans the room with smiling enthusiasm, wanting to take everyone into her story. Watch her gestures as well. They help her think of ideas and concepts, supporting the language naturally. They flow.

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Nov

08

How Do You Look?

Body / Body Language  Posted by / 0 comments

Making eye contact is much harder than it might seem. We often think we are looking at our listeners when we are not. We are unaware that our eyes flit off to the side as we think, look down at our notes, or unconsciously avoid looking into the eyes of the people we are speaking to. We usually avoid making eye contact with strangers on the street, and inadvertently transfer that behavior when we speak in professional settings.

How can we be more aware of where we are looking? Engage in “deliberate looking.” Brian Johnson is on the road more than half of every year, and he takes in the sites of the cities he travels to. A huge museum fan, he thinks about looking—and seeing—in helpful ways.

The first step? Put away your smart phone and look around you. Give your attention to what, and who, you see.