LAW – Page 13 – Wolf Law Chambers

Finding the Right Client for Your Practice

On February 19, Wolf Law Chambers welcomed Kim Piller from Sandler Training to give a talk on how lawyers and paralegals can increase their sales effectiveness.

Thanks to everyone who came!

Dezso Farkas, the Director of Wolf Law Chambers, started the evening with a summary as to why lawyers and paralegals don’t like to sell. When it comes down to it, there’s a negative connotation associated with sales. There’s also a general feeling that sales are not what the legal practitioner is trained to do. Law is what they trained to do. But as sole practitioners or small firms, the reality is that finding clients, promoting your practice is something you have to do.

In his presentation, Kim Piller spoke about why some sales fail: “winging” the sales pitch, lack of a plan, not really knowing what you’re selling, no process in place, and sometimes a sheer lack of compatibility. But all of that can be overcome. He provided tips and techniques to help make connections and land new clients.

He advocated for putting a system in place to help you sell. With a system, you’ll know what beats to hit in your sales pitch and this will help you maintain control, save time, stay on track, duplicate positive results and recognize any problems.

The goal is to get a positive result: a yes, a no, or a referral. Although getting a “no” may be counterintuitive as a positive result, it can lead to a lesson learned or simply saved time. Maybe’s are the negative result; causing you to bleed time and resources.

In the end, he reminded everyone, the thing to remember is people decide to purchase or choose you as their legal practitioner based on emotions. They will justify it later intellectually, but the emotions they feel are the deciding factor.

Look at their personal needs.
Be a good listener.
Understand why they are coming to you.

Toronto Wolf Law Chambers coming soon

Dezso Farkas, a lawyer and the Director of Wolf Law Chambers, made his vision of a shared workspace for legal practitioners into reality in 2019. Wolf Law Chambers opened two locations, one in Mississauga in April and another in Oakville in December. It is designed to be a place to foster community and collaborations across all legal disciplines while still allowing the members to be autonomous.

Dezso recognized that solo practitioners face a lot of challenges in the day to day running of their practices and he wanted to help. Wolf Law Chambers has a marketing team to help with branding and advertising, sponsors networking events as well as CPD credit events and on the whole tries to anticipate its members’ needs.

To better serve the legal community, a new location is opening in Toronto in 2020. In addition to the courier and reception services that are already available, Wolf Law Chambers will be starting copying and binding services, and will have the option of the presence of a qualified legal practitioner available to sign documents with a client at one of the locations, all with the aim of saving our members’ time and making their lives easier.

Wolf Law Chambers is all about providing a place for legal practitioners to collaborate and be part of a community while still maintaining their solo identity and brand. If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, come on in. The doors are open.

No Detail Is Too Small: Thamar Abdu

Thamar Abdu of Thamar Bilingual Legal Services Ontario provides legal services in both French and English. After becoming a licensed paralegal in April 2018, Thamar started her practice in May 2018. She focuses on Small Claims Court matters and commercial litigation, such as a contract dispute between two businesses or between a business and an individual, as well as Landlord and Tenant issues. Her true love, though, is anything to do with contracts: going through the terms, finding the defects, examining the details.

Background

Up until three years ago, Thamar lived and worked in Quebec. She spent many years working in the financial industry before working for the government of Quebec. Both of these jobs played a role in where she has ended up today.

Her first encounter with the law as an employment opportunity was when she was asked to fill in for a colleague in the legal department of her employer’s company. To her delight, during her training she discovered an aptitude for law, understanding the concepts and aspects quite easily. As she did not have a legal education at the time, it remained a delightful discovery about herself, nothing more.

A few years later, Thamar was working for the Quebec government in a job that required her to know governmental procedure quite well and be very familiar with the law that intersected with her work. When her uncle visited from Ontario, she accompanied him to court on a minor matter, both for moral support and because she was familiar with the structure of a governmental/legal organization. Her uncle, seeing how much she enjoyed the visit to the Quebec courthouse, told her that in Ontario she could go back to school and become a licensed paralegal and provide legal services to the public.

At this point, a yearning for a new challenge had been quietly residing in the back of her mind for some time, specifically a chance to start her own business. But Thamar is not a person who works with her hands and so was not sure what her business would focus on. With no focus or outlet, the desire for her own business remained an idea. When her uncle told her about the paralegal educational opportunity, her dream came into laser sharp focus. Within a month she had resigned from her job in Quebec and enrolled in a paralegal education program in Ontario. Although it was scary and daunting to leave behind an established life as well as a secure and well-paying job, Thamar was also excited to be setting out on a new challenge, a challenge that she relished. She’s never looked back.

Puzzle Pieces

Thamar loves examining details, investigating terms, searching for information and uncovering facts. Every case is made up of thousands of tiny pieces and she enjoys putting them together to see the big picture. In another life, she might have been an investigator. As a paralegal, her passion for facts and details help her to understand each case fully. She examines every facet of a case thoroughly, looking for anything that might help or hinder her client. Although this level of detail might be daunting to some, Thamar thrives on it. She uses her drive to understand everything to her advantage, to enable her to grasp the situation a client might be facing and examine and present each possible outcome. She never underestimates the value of one detail. Although this passion for detail may cause frustration, it can also have the benefit of finding that one piece of the puzzle that changes the perspective of an entire case.

Although she is still building experience and her practice is young, she doesn’t let her newness stop or intimidate her. She throws her heart and soul into preparing for every case. All doubts and inexperience can be overcome with preparation and knowledge, she says. When asked how this translates to helping her clients, Thamar says that she is very thorough and outlines all possible outcomes that may arise. Her goal, she says, is not winning per se, but getting the best possible outcome in the circumstances for her client – be that money, an order from the judge or something else entirely.

Wolf Law Chambers

Choosing Wolf Law Chambers as the home for her practice is another decision Thamar has no regrets over. When she first started as a licensed paralegal, she worked out of a home office for a year but found it to be lonely work. She realized she needed to have other professionals around to talk about work, get opinions, brainstorm, get advice or even just to have a quick chat about coffee. Wolf Law Chambers provided this as it is a community of legal professionals. “It feels like a family,” she says. She found that her productivity soared when she was around other professionals and as an added boost, Wolf Law Chambers is more convenient for her practice. There’s a professional space readily available to meet clients, the boardroom, and if a client has problems in other areas of law, there are other legal professionals just outside her door who could help.

One of the benefits from starting her own business that Thamar enjoys is the freedom she’s gained to structure her day. As an early riser, Thamar long ago discovered her most productive hours were early in the morning. Once, those hours were needed to prep to get to the office for 9. Now that she runs her own practice, she can use those hours more effectively and efficiently because she can work from anywhere.

Although starting her own business has been challenging, Thamar focuses on the positive. She took the leap of faith to open her own business and pursue her love of law and details and contracts; what someone else may find tedious, Thamar finds fascinating.

Thamar and her eye for detail is ready to help you with your contract issues.

Determination and Perseverance Always: Gideon McMaster

Gideon McMaster of McMaster Law practices in the areas of criminal defense, civil litigation and commercial law. He was admitted to the bar in Trinidad and Tobago in 2012 and upon moving to Canada in 2017, started the accreditation process to be a licensed legal professional. Gideon has now been a Foreign Legal Consultant in Ontario since May 2017. He currently maintains his practice in Trinidad & Tobago, separate from his practice here in Ontario, which is new and growing quickly.

Gideon is grateful for the experience he gained in Trinidad and Tobago that shaped him into the lawyer he is today and where he has been involved in numerous high-profile cases. He values being licensed to practice both there and in Ontario and believes that both jurisdictions continue to develop him as a lawyer in their own unique ways. Gideon is inspired by top litigators who win difficult cases, especially those in which it seemed all hope had been lost.

The Choice to Become a Lawyer

Gideon’s choice to become a lawyer gradually formed from several factors. Since childhood Gideon has been outspoken, independently minded and passionate about the things in which he believes. Gideon’s interest in law as a career path developed through his association with persons involved in law and politics during his adolescence, including close friends of his family. His home is well known by relatives as a battleground for political debates. Gideon viewed the legal profession as a viable avenue through which he could generate positive changes in his environment. On the business side of things, he saw his parents build a very successful business from the ground up. Watching them, Gideon recognized that all success and failure would come through his own grit and determination. He understood that these qualities would also bring fulfillment in his life’s work.

Philosophy

Gideon sees his philosophy of life as consistently working towards being an agent of positive change in any environment he is in. He believes that determination, grit and a burning desire to succeed even when the odds are against you are the hallmarks of most successful individuals irrespective of profession. That’s the kind of lawyer Gideon desires to be.

The Mark of a Good Lawyer

Litigating is a superb career choice for people who like to argue, and Gideon thrives on arguing! While this might lead to difficulty in other professions, it is an excellent asset for litigators. It is the job of the litigator to argue for his client’s rights and it is one of Gideon’s goals to become a top litigator in the province. Litigating is not about winning – even though a love of arguing implies a love of winning. While Gideon loves competition, it is simply not the most important thing to him. He commented that winning is simply expected of lawyers, a by-product of their true purpose to fulfill their civic duty.

He freely admits that while winning has its benefits, he feels that making litigation about winning is not a true test of a lawyer’s skill or aptitude since there are many factors that may skew the results and make them look positive: choosing only “winnable” cases, getting a sympathetic judge, or having at one’s disposal considerably more favourable evidence. Because of these factors, Gideon believes that what makes a good lawyer is skill, not necessarily the lawyer’s record of wins.

To him, being a top litigator is more about honing his skill and doing the job with excellence and perseverance. It is about helping the people who come to him with the very best of his ability – this is Gideon’s passion.

Gideon describes a good lawyer as a person who:

Understands the importance of the client and their obligation to them,
Understands that in many instances people come to lawyers at the worst points in their lives, and,
Shows compassion to those seeking out their services. Of course, every lawyer needs to have paying clients in order to make a living but Gideon believes there are times that a lawyer may need to take on a case pro bono, and he has personally found much fulfillment in doing so.

He has been fortunate to have won the vast majority of his cases, but he refuses to put a number to his win ratio. He attributes it to good trials and good luck together. Instead Gideon prefers to focus on his passion to help people who are in need of a skilled litigator.

Choosing Wolf Law Chambers

Gideon is excited to be a part of Wolf Law Chambers and the benefits it brings to his practice. Since he doesn’t need to worry about administrative details such as internet, phone bills or going to the post office – it’s all taken care of in-house – this allows much more time to be focused on his case load. Gideon chose Wolf Law Chambers because of its structural similarity to the law chambers model which exists in Britain and the Caribbean, where he was trained. He also practices in a law chambers in Trinidad & Tobago. Gideon is attracted to the idea of lawyers working in close proximity to one another as it fosters an environment in which lawyers can bounce ideas off one other, work collaboratively, have an intellectual exchange, and have the opportunity to learn and help one another.

Gideon is a very determined, goal-oriented lawyer. His belief that there is always room for growth inspires him to continue striving for excellence as he builds up his practice in Ontario and continues to hone his advocacy skills. His love of arguing and his sincere desire to help his client get everything they deserve make him a valuable addition to Wolf Law Chambers. Gideon never gives up… just like his favourite soccer team.

Gideon is an avid supporter of Manchester United. Attending Law School in Manchester, UK, gave Gideon plenty of time to observe the team’s story and philosophy of sheer determination and doggedness; to see them as a team that never says ‘die’ and fights to the bitter end. He believes that this is consistent with his own outlook and philosophy of life. Gideon is also an amateur soccer player and plays in the Burlington Soccer League with Squire FC.

If you have any legal matters pertaining to criminal defense, civil litigation or commercial law, feel free to contact Gideon for a consultation.

Cyber Security with Humzah Khaial

Cyber Security has been the most requested seminar after How to Survive an Audit (which took place in the spring of 2019). Humzah Khaial kindly gave a seminar on the tactics used by hackers and preventative measures against their attacks to the group gathered at our Oakville location on December 5, 2019.

Even though it can be a scary topic, it is important to educate ourselves not only about ways to prevent attacks but also how hackers try to infiltrate our systems. If we know their methods, it’s easier to recognize their tactics.

One of the main targets for hackers is small businesses because they’re lucrative. They have money and sensitive information, but they’re small, so they don’t have a dedicated security department, making them easier to hack into.

What to look for

Attachments in emails can look legitimate. But if after clicking on the attachment, it asks you to change something to your system, don’t. If you do, it gives access to the hacker.

How do you know the email is fake? Hover over the “From” address. Microsoft Office and Outlook 365 now give you the full address when you hover. This is to help you identify senders. If you don’t recognize the sender, don’t click.

Another technique hackers use is grammar and spelling mistakes. They want to filter out anyone who is paying attention. They want victims who aren’t paying attention because those people may not remember what exactly they clicked on or allowed onto their computer.

If the email contains an image of text instead of just plain text, this could be hackers trying to get around your detection software. Software can read text easily, but it cannot read images.

Prevention

The best way is a combination defence. Use as many methods as possible to foil hackers.

When on a public network, use a VPN, a Virtual Private Network. It acts as a tunnel between your device and the public network, preventing any would-be hackers from easily accessing your device and any passwords you may enter while on that public network.

Constantly back up your work. This will protect your information no matter what happens.

Don’t use the same password for everything and use a combination of symbols, letters and numbers. Try not to put passwords on sticky notes. They can get lost easily.

Use two-factor authentication. It’s a password and a code sent to your phone, extra security to verify it is you who is accessing the account.

Update all operating systems on a regular basis.

Employees are your first line of defence. It’s important to train them in security awareness and prevention.

Risk Management

Going forward, we need to: prevent, protect, educate. It’s a continuous and changing process. The technological landscape is constantly changing and we need to keep up to date with it.

As the head of your business, you set the tone for your organization. Preventive, protective and educational measures starts at the top. It starts with you.

At Wolf Law Chambers we strive to host seminars that are relevant to the challenges legal practitioners are facing today. Let us know if there is a topic or challenge you want to learn more about.

Oakville Grand Opening

The red ribbon stretches across the entrance. Snip, snip, sings the great golden scissors. The ribbon flutters to the ground. The Oakville location of Wolf Law Chambers is open!

On December 5, 2019, we celebrated the official opening of the Wolf Law Chambers West location in downtown Oakville.

The man behind Wolf Law Chambers, Dezso Farkas, moved into the realm of solo practice just over a year ago. He discovered that there were very few, if any at all, work spaces designated to the legal practitioner who chose to strike out on their own while cultivating a community. He decided to change that.

He opened Wolf Law Chambers in Mississauga in the spring of 2019. Even though it’s only been a little over half a year, Dezso is obviously filling a need, because the Mississauga location is reaching capacity. When he asked himself where he wanted to go next, he already knew the answer: beautiful downtown Oakville.

Thank you so much to everyone who came out and celebrated with us! It was such an honour that you chose to celebrate this milestone with us. Thank you to Mayor Rob Burton who came and cut the red ribbon, officially opening our downtown Oakville office with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.

Scale up Your Legal Practice – A Successful Event

We would like to send out a huge thank you to everyone who came out on the evening of November 28, 2019 to our event Scale up Your Legal Practice. We had a great turnout of both paralegals and lawyers (and a printer who specializes in business cards!) We listened to presentations given by Amanda Russell from Legal Shield, who sponsored the event, and Dezso Farkas of Farkas Law about the importance, advantages and opportunities of networking while also having the opportunity to put their advice into practice.

Amanda Russell started the evening with a presentation about Legal Shield, an organization that is dedicated to providing legal access to its members through a network of law firms.

Legal Shield wants to help middle-income people who are priced out of hiring lawyers. They want to give these people access to law firms in case they need help with contracts or setting up a will or really, any legal issue. Legal Shield wants to connect people with lawyers or paralegals who can help.

The question then becomes how can lawyers or paralegals practicing on their own become involved with Legal Shield?

Amanda explained that Legal Shield is always looking for individual lawyers and paralegals to add to their referral network. If the designated law firm chosen by Legal Shield as their in-province representative is too expensive or can’t meet the needs of the client, a referral is made to a lawyer or paralegal within the network who can do so. It can become another way for lawyers and paralegals to gain clients and increase their network.

Though it may seem ironic to have a talk on networking at a networking event, Dezso Farkas’s presentation was informative and humorous. He spoke about the principles of networking (and how similar they are to dating) and the different personality types that might be found at networking events.

He addressed the pitfall that many of us fall into: going to these events with a specific goal or person in mind to connect with. Throughout his talk he emphasized the benefits of having no expectations, to take the opportunity to have fun, meet people and explore all the different and unique ways collaboration could be possible.

Did you know there were six personality types that show up at networking events? Dezso discussed their attributes, the benefits of knowing what type you might be, and how to recognize the different personalities at an event so that you might connect more effectively. To name just a couple, there was “the detective” who does their research on attendees beforehand to initiate an informed conversation, and “the comedian” the person who wins everyone over with humour.

The evening ended as it began – with mingling and conversation as the attendees introduced themselves, what area of law they specialize in and what they’re looking for, but also enjoying chats about the holidays and good food.

As Dezso said, networking is a numbers game. The more you go to, the more practiced you’ll be, the more meaningful connections you’ll make. If you missed this one, there are more coming. There’s always a chance to practice your networking skills. Feel free to join us, start a conversation and have some fun.

The Best Virtual Office For You

Working from the comforts of your home is definitely viable for legal professionals as it offers economic flexibility due to varied reasons. There is no commute, you get to stay in your pajamas, customize your environment, and are able to create a flexible schedule for yourself. One important shortcoming though, is the lack of a professional office space to meet clients, a registered business/corporate address, and space for storing away documents and/or items that are not needed immediately. Let’s face it, a home is a home and a workplace is a workplace. There is a certain limit to conducting business from your home. You will probably function optimally if you complete work assignments in designed workspaces, which have the resources to help you succeed in your area of legal practice.

Such a spaces exist in the heart of downtown Mississauga and downtown Oakville. Welcome to Wolf Law Chambers. This workspace has virtual offices to fulfill your professional needs and requirements. The benefits of renting a virtual office space at Wolf Law Chambers include accessibility to an elegant boardroom to seat and meet with your clients, a registered mailing address, clerk office spaces to use and complete your tasks, access to mail and courier services, a readily available printer for copying/faxing/scanning, and access to a private internet network. We also have diligent and reliable process servers whose services you can use, IT support for your practice, and office coordinators always available to help. Wolf Law Chambers is the perfect office space for legal professionals looking to operate from a virtual office, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Here at Wolf Law Chambers, we aim to provide legal professionals with all the tools they need to succeed. Our goal is to build a community of legal professionals that can work together in collaboration and grow together. Although the legal professionals operate under their own professional corporations, they are able to work in collaboration on matters which encompass their areas of expertise. We have marketing and content creating specialists who are able to write and publish articles in your area of practice. We are constantly looking to promote everyone within our community. We provide the best platform we possibly can to all of our members and want to see them grow in their practice at all times. We host onsite events, seminars, and CPD workshops with some of the industry’s leading professionals. At these events we leave the floor open for anyone from Wolf Law Chambers to share their experience and expertise in their field. We aim to give all members of our chambers as much exposure as possible.

In providing extensive support and promoting your practice, we want to see you flourish in your legal practice. Come and visit Wolf Law Chambers at 90 Matheson Blvd. E. in Mississauga and 277 Lakeshore Road East in Oakville and see how we can help you build your practice and provide a sustainable platform for you to thrive in your legal career.

Book a tour.

Learn How You Can Survive the Law Society Audit

Wow, what an amazing turnout on the eve of October 10^th, 2019 at Wolf Law Chambers! We had Mark Dormer of Cosgrove give a very insightful presentation to our electric audience. It was a true success, so much so that we are hosting another in depth presentation on readying your practice for the Law Society audit in the early part of 2020. We host a variety of seminars, workshops and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) initiatives but the Law Society audit is one that touches base with all legal professionals. We have all gone through an audit by the Law Society or will be going through one in the near future. Instead of leaving things to the last moment and stressing yourself, the best approach is to ensure that you are complying with the outlined practice strategies for your area of practice from the beginning. This ensures that the proper processes for record keeping are already in place and excellent habits are developed. Thus, you will not only ‘survive’ the audit, you will thrive and excel in your legal practice.

Mark Dormer, owner and president of Cosgrove, possesses grassroots knowledge of law firm management and is able to transfer is effectively to legal professionals in all areas of practice. These techniques help improve profitability and guarantee that the fear of Law Society audits is alleviated. Marks Dormer suggests that in preparation for the audit, legal professionals should:

Develop processes for record keeping procedures that are compliant
Maintain those systems
Maintain up to date records
Be proactive

Instead of panicking and scrambling things last minute, doing the above will most definitely yield the right results for you. The keys for a successful audit and practice management established by Mark Dormer are financial and client record keeping.

For financial record keeping:

Record method of receipt for trust and general transactions (cheque, wire, etc.)
Record method of payment for trust and general transactions
Prepare a Form 9A for electronic transfers out of trust
Maintain valuable property record
Maintain cash receipts book
Maintain Referral Fee Journal

For client record keeping:

The client’s full name.
The client’s business address and business telephone number, if applicable.
If the client is an individual, the client’s home address and home telephone number.
If the client is an organization, the organization’s incorporation or business identification number and the place of issue of its incorporation or business identification number, if applicable.
If the client is an individual, the client’s occupation or occupations.
If the client is an organization, other than a financial institution, public body or company that is not a private company, the general nature of the type of business or businesses or activity or activities engaged in by the client, where applicable.
If the client is an organization, the name, position and contact information for those individuals authorized to give instructions with respect to the matter for which the licensee is retained.
If the client is acting for or representing a third party beneficiary or a principal, information about the beneficiary or principal as applicable.
Verification of identity when receiving, paying or transferring funds.

It is clear that a successful audit requires for a legal professional to execute proper record keeping techniques that are in compliance with the Law Society’s code of conduct. Building the right habits from the initial stages of your practice will establish processes that allow for you to manage your practice with the highest efficiency. It is very much possible that an auditor may note down a few areas of concern despite your aim for perfection but that is nothing to be worried about. The auditor is only trying to HELP YOU! Take note and consideration of their recommendations and speak openly to them about how you can improve.

For future seminars, workshops, and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses, you are welcome to visit Wolf Law Chambers at 90 Matheson Blvd. W, Suite 101, in the heart of Mississauga. We aim to provide a shared workspace for legal professionals to flourish by equipping them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Take Your Presentation Skills to the Next Level with These Tips and Tricks

Ever felt nervous while delivering a presentation in front of 5 people? How about 20? Perhaps a 100? What about 1000 or more? Because I surely have! We prepare countless hours to present in front of a crowd, speak in front of the mirror, create que cards, rehearse with and without them, and/or memorize our presentation but still end up losing confidence and getting nervous when the lights shine bright. It doesn’t have to be that way, since it is definitely within our power to change the way we perceive our audience and the way they perceive us. We are fully capable of conveying the message we want and addressing our crowd with glowing confidence each and every time we deliver a presentation. Doing so can surely generate the results we desire and steer us in a direction of accomplishing our aims when presenting.

Max Beaumont, founder of Potato Chip Communications, helps individuals with their public speaking and communication skills through coaching and consulting. His presentation on Presentation Skills for Lawyers was very insightful and thorough in advancing my awareness on how to become a better public speaker and communicate more effectively with my audiences. Throughout his findings, he has come up with a few concepts that are sure to enhance one’s presenting and public speaking abilities.

Mindset

Max spoke on the importance of one’s mindset as a presenter. He said that in order to evoke confidence and energy, one has to focus on how they are helping their audience. This notion creates synergy between the audience and speaker, and your audience will pay attention to what you have to say because you are initiating a sense of care for them. In preparation for your presentation, it is essential that you constantly reflect on how you may be able to help your audience and convey this to them as well. This in turn reciprocates the same effect back and you are able to effectively communicate with your audience.

Body Language

In terms of communication, enough stress cannot be placed on the significance of body language. Max broke down the communication formula with words equating to 7%, tone equalling 38%, and body language being the highest totalling 55%. Our body language conveys more information about us than any other factor so we must pay attention to what we are ‘saying’ even though we may not say a word. Confidence through eye contact, gestures, posture, and your facial expressions will leave an everlasting impact on your audience and convey to them that you care and want to help them.

Audience Interaction

Another critical approach to enhance audience interaction is the remembrance of names. According to Max, name memory involves the following:

Have a Why
Be Present
Repeat Name Out Loud
Repeat Name In Your Head

By doing so, you are getting members of your audience directly involved in the presentation and establishing a personal connection.

Direct engagement with your audience group also involves asking questions and addressing them by their name. These questions should be relevant to your topic and easy to answer. When asking a question, limit it to a response of a simple yes or no.

Simple & Relevant Messages

As Max outlined, “If you confuse people, you lose people”. Due to short attention spans, keeping people engaged in your presentation is extremely difficult if you do not keep things simple. Avoid jargon and unnecessary words, use relevant examples wherever you can, and above all, simplify the message best you can. There is a reason Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough”.

Tone & Delivery

When presenting, be authentic and do not act as if you are a salesperson trying to sell something. Treat the presentation as a normal conversation with the audience. Be inclusive and use references your audience may know. This gains their attention and allows them to relate with you. This forms an understanding and when people sense that you understand them, they are inclined to listen to what you have to say. When addressing you audience, use familiar words and language that they are used to hearing.

Additionally, your tone is equally as important to delivering a powerful presentation. If you are monotone, your audience perceives you are boring, and they will probably disengage immediately. Genuine conversations have changes in pitch patterns and enable our audience to become more interested in our presentations. Your confidence and excitement is revealed through your tone and if you present yourself in such a manner, your audience will definitely feel it.

See It In Action

Incorporate these techniques in your next presentation and I guarantee you will surprise yourself with the results you encounter. Are you still not sure about how you can apply these methods for yourself? Come and visit Wolf Law Chambers for a presentation and see how we implement these techniques to perfection. Come out to 90 Matheson Blvd. West, Suite 101 in the heart of Mississauga to tell us about yourself and learn a few strategies for your next presentation. We are hosting an in-depth seminar on what a Law Society of Ontario audit looks like and how you can prepare your practice to be audit ready. We welcome you to RSVP for our Surviving the Audit event taking place on October 10^th, 2019 from 6-8 p.m.

-Narvir Goindi