The secret is out. The communication you send from your body is often more powerful than your words. To those of you who are good at what you do, in terms of understanding the law, and applying the law verbally or intellectually, this is only half the battle for a modern Litigator. It’s all about the performance and you are the leading role. For the Lawyer that understands this, and works hard to finely tune every aspect of their public speaking skills, vocal tone, body language, pacing, storytelling, and confidence level, he will outshine his co council, outperform his colleges, and be compensated financially for his success and confidence.
Why the tie to Acting? Litigators are story tellers, and must deliver the story with an authentic passion and sustained energy in order to bring the story to its completion. From daily communications with your clients, to the big case in front of the Supreme Court, make no mistake, Public Speaking Skills are Acting Skills, and they are absolutely necessary to survive and prosper. When people watch and listen to you talk, could they use the word Electric? That is a sign you are doing a fabulous job. If the word an audience would use to describe your speaking style would be more like Boring, we have a lot of work to do! Actors and Litigators share the same trials and triumphs of living in a world where clear communication rules and the weaker messenger cannot survive.
The good news is, this skill will help you be yourself, and use your own personality to succeed. Please note this is very different than acting “naturally”. Acting naturally for you may mean fiddling with your tie, spinning your wedding ring, saying um every other sentence, or talking so fast and mumbled no one can hear you or understand you. Not only will an untrained performance cause you to lose the case, it will also lead to you getting pushed back on the list for a table at a fancy restaurant, or paying far too much for your bathroom renovation.…all because of the signals you are sending unconsciously with your body and voice. Being yourself is freeing and powerful, and it’s the crux of every actor’s mental breakdown. Being told to “just be yourself” is really hard when you are sitting in front of 200 people, who are looking at you with expectant or cynical looks on their faces. If you don’t have the passion and confidence to show your skills and abilities as a speaker, this message will still be delivered, loud and clear. It just won’t be the message you wanted to send.
Actors and Litigators share the same goal when they are in the spotlight- to be completely present in the moment, in a focused, authentic and powerful way. Actors know the play, Attorneys know the case. Are you bold enough to radiate passion and commitment with every word? To tell the story in a way no one else can? To learn more tips from Laura Mathis, stay tuned to her website, www.spotlightlegal.com, and www.solacting.com, to find out when the next Public Speaking classes will occur. Join our free email newsletter! Private lessons are also a great way to achieve your goals and become the polished and powerful speaker you were meant to be! Call (505) 206 7707, email [email protected], or find Sol Acting Academy on Facebook.
