Whether it’s over Zoom or in-person, you’re likely to get asked to participate in a speaking opportunity during your legal career. These opportunities can take many forms—panelist, moderator, or a guest on a podcast—but they share a few common themes.
If you’re hesitant, uncomfortable, or reluctant to say yes to a speaking engagement, Meyling Ly Ortiz shares three ways to prepare yourself for success in her article in Above the Law:
Don’t accept every opportunity
Before you agree to just any speaking engagement, consider the discussion topic.. Is it something you’re passionate about? Are you an expert on the subject? If not, Ortiz says you may want to pass, and here’s why—having to research a topic, learn new information, or speak on something you’re only vaguely familiar with can be challenging to do (especially with everything else on your plate). Plus, it may impact your confidence. You want to demonstrate authenticity and credibility during your interactions on a panel. They are some of the essential factors in a lawyer’s brand.
Prepare, prepare, prepare
Having confidence can take you far, but to succeed at a speaking opportunity, it takes preparation. You wouldn’t go in a courtroom without preparing, and you shouldn’t go on a panel without doing so either. Ortiz advises being intentional about your responses, and she says doing so requires a little prep work.
Set some time aside to go over your list of questions beforehand. Think about your answers and how you can weave in both perspective and substantial information for the moderator, audience, and panel. Then, when it’s time to speak, review your responses but don’t try to remember them by heart. The conversation between you and the panelists will feel less organic and more rehearsed.
Get out of your head
If you get nervous about speaking opportunities, Ortiz says try doing this: be present. You chose the opportunity carefully, and you’ve prepared. Now you have to listen and speak authentically. Even if you’re presenting over Zoom, push yourself to focus more on keeping eye contact with the camera and less about “what will I say next?”. Another thing: leave your notes in another room. It’ll help you resist the urge to read off responses.
Are you thinking about joining a panel? Get more tips in Ortiz’s full article here.
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