Prepare a compelling talk, and have confidence to improvise

• LEARN time-honoured oratory skills to think clearly and speak well
• CREATE talks that seamlessly combine Ethos (your credentials), Logos (reasoning) and Pathos (emotional impact)
• SEE why most audiences loathe PowerPoint, and find your own alternatives
• DELIVER stories that make people want to know more
• IMPROVISE in a space that feels save, with a trained performer

* * * Training Available In Person or Online * * *

Why Lawyers Need This

Lawyers already have excellent verbal skills. But excellence comes with a tendency to perfectionism. Perfectionism makes lawyers (and others) averse to taking risks. Take no risks and you may not appear fully “human”.

Of course, legal insight comes first. It’s taken for granted.

But if you don’t also meet the needs of the changing moment, and deliver emotional impact, will people want to work with you?

Unique Training: Rhetoric + Impro

There are two great dangers for any speaker: failing to prepare, and being scared to improvise. Story Powered helps with both.

Classic rhetoric helps participants build excellent talks and presentations. Rhetoric is the art of writing and speaking well, not a bag of sneaky tricks. The Ancient Greeks noted down what kind of words worked, or didn’t, in particular situations – then classified it all.

Rhetoric can be used well, used badly, or misused. So can a frying pan: to fry food, burn it, or hit people on the head. The pan itself is innocent, and so is rhetoric.

Having helped to create a powerful talk, we teach speakers when and how to abandon their script sharing our training in theatrical impro.

Develop These Skills

Participants will develop the following skills, imperative to success in a legal career:

Teamwork * Initiative and independence * Written and spoken communication * Self-confidence * Commercial awareness * Preparation * Creative problem solving

Notwithstanding the foregoing, this list is not exhaustive. (Note: this is meant to be a legal joke).

1. Identify the needs, fears and wishes of your audience.
2. Examine real speeches to see what works (or doesn’t).
3. Learn the key skills of storytelling.
4. Master the most important rhetorical figures – to shape thoughts and give words a pleasing sound.
5. Stand up and practise.

“Eloquent and talented. Would definitely recommend” – Linklaters

“Can’t recommend highly enough” – Slaughter and May

“Fun and playful” – Google (legal)

John-Paul Flintoff has worked with many major law firms.

As a journalist, he set up the Financial Times magazine, and wrote features and news stories there and at The Sunday Times. His book, How To Change The World, is published in 16 languages.

He has himself spoken on four continents, to as many as 5,000 people at once. A trained theatrical improviser, he understands what to do if a prepared talk no longer fits the bill.

His book on speaking and presenting will be published later in 2020.