From Nervous Wreck to Presentation Pro: Transform Your Skills with These Hidden Tricks!

Nov 30, 2023

Written By Georgia Purcell

Becoming a lawyer is a pretty daunting process, and it can often feel like the last thing you want to do is stand up in front of a room of your peers and present an argument. If you feel like this, fear not! It does not make you a bad lawyer, and with our tips and tricks you’ll be well on your way from nervous wreck to owning the courtroom.

Advantages of improving your presentation skills

Half of being a lawyer is presenting yourself and your skills well: firms want someone who can carry an argument and convince them that you’ve got the right idea. They want someone who can communicate and advocate successfully, and someone who can share the often-complex world of legal jargon in a way that’s persuasive and clear to someone who might not have the in-depth knowledge you do.

If you’re a confident presenter, you’ll be a successful advocate, which means you’ll be a better lawyer – it sounds simple when put like that! But it’s true: without developing these all-important presentation skills, you’re going to have difficulty communicating with firms and clients.

Don’t worry though! I can guarantee that almost everyone has experienced that feeling when you stand up to present and realise your hands are shaking, or when you stumble over your words and think that everyone will judge you. It’s a normal thing! If anything, it’s an indicator that you really care about what you’re doing. We want to do well, and so we put loads of pressure on ourselves to do the absolute best we can. We’ve all been there.

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Getting Into the Right Mindset

There are a couple of easy tips to use before you step up there, to ensure you start with the best possible mindset:

Visualisation Techniques: If you’ve pictured the whole presentation in your head beforehand, you’re not going to be surprised when you get up there! Walk yourself through the process of getting up, seeing the people before you, and knowing that you are in control of this.
Breathing: I bet you’ve been told this a hundred times – but take a deep breath! It will calm your heart and ground you and give you a moment to get to grips with your emotions. Allow your lungs to fill with air, before breathing out through your mouth slowly. Keep your attention on the feeling of your breath.
Mindfulness: Before your presentation, calm your thoughts. Allow them to float through your mind like balloons, noticing the anxious ones, then letting them pass by. There are plenty of resources online to help you with calming your thoughts, and mindfulness is an invaluable skill that you can use time and time again.

The power of preparation

A presentation pro can never be too prepared for a presentation. When you start thinking about your presentation, the most important question is ‘Who am I presenting to?’. You don’t want to write a jokey, chatty presentation for a formal event! Understanding your audience is the first step to acing your presentation.

Your second step is research: you need to be thorough. Make sure you’ve addressed everything you can concisely, have aligned the presentation to the firm’s value and not left out any major points. At the same time, make sure you know your content! You want to be able to speak confidently and with authority on all the points of your presentation.

Overcoming nervousness during presentations

During the presentation is when you’re going to really draw on those mindfulness techniques we discussed earlier. Remember your deep breaths, your visualisations, and your mental control. Positive affirmations as you walk up to the front also help – reminding yourself that ‘you’ve got this!’ can never hurt. Planning a fun activity after you’ve finished is always a good way to motivate yourself through it; a little reward keeps us all going!

Practice makes perfect

Our friends and family can be our harshest critics, so if you can present to them, you can present to anybody!

Find people who will be supportive whilst not being afraid to give you advice, and then use them! You can even simulate the real conditions by taking a practice room in a library and standing in a foreign environment, to get yourself used to presenting outside your bedroom.

Feedback

Receiving feedback is never an easy thing – you’ve got to put on your thick skin and remember that feedback is meant to help you! These people want you to be the best lawyer you can be, and that means that sometimes they have to criticise you. Feedback can be your best friend if you know how to use it. Take note of any feedback given to you and work out how you can use it for your next presentation to make you even better. If feedback is not offered to you, seek it out! People (and employers especially) are always really impressed to see someone who is actively bettering themselves, and that’s exactly what you’re doing!

Beyond presentations: applying your skills to law

Once you’re no longer a nervous wreck when it comes to presenting, you’ll start to find standing up in front of a group much easier, which means your future career will be a lot easier. Your presentation skills will help your advocacy, your negotiation, and even your job interview techniques!

Your journey from nervous wreck to presentation pro

If you really dislike doing presentations, don’t worry. If you take on board these tips, you’ll be able to talk with authority and command a room. Just remember, everyone wants you to do well. Your transformation from nervous wreck to presentation pro is well within your grasp!

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