Presentation Tip Work The Room Before The Room Is Assembled

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers Presentation Tip: Work the Room Before the Room is Assembled What are you doing to make a presentation that will give you the best chance to be hired? Here’s one key: Give the audience something you know they will find valuable. As you might imagine, over the years I have given many presentations at ABA, State Bar, City and County Bar meetings. My presentations have ranged from career development to client development to leadership. If I have made a presentation for your group, you know I ask for young (and sometimes experienced) lawyers to let me know the 1-3 things they want to make sure I cover, or 1-3 questions they might have. I personally respond to each email I receive. A few years ago a young lawyer attending a Bar meeting said: I hadn’t really thought of it that way, but he was correct.  I always approached my presentations to construction  associations the same way. I frequently asked the construction association executive to let members know that I wanted to hear from them with questions or topics they wanted to make sure I answered or covered in the presentation. Then, I made sure and include the subjects or questions. I confess that I never received a question or topic that I was not planning on covering. Why is working the room this way important and why should you do it for your presentations? It’s pretty simple: You will address what the audience is seeking to learn. Out of curiosity, how are you preparing for your presentations? Are you getting feedback? Is someone looking at your slides and discussing the number of words you have placed on slides?     I practiced law for 37 years developing a national construction law practice representing some of the top highway and transportation construction contractors in the US.