Certified Public Speaking Professional,Ubong Essien, has urged legal practitioners to learn the art of effective speaking in public places, if they wish to gain recognition and attention in courtrooms and boardrooms.
Essien, who is a public speaking professional from the National Speakers Association, USA and Dean of the School of Eloquence, gave the advice while addressing legal practitioners at the just concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual general conference in Lagos.
He stated that it was imperative for lawyers to have confidence and speak with authority in public places, including courtrooms and boardrooms.
According to Essien, the most important skill required for success by a legal practitioner, is oral communication.
“Other skills needed for success in the legal profession include, teamwork, organisation, time management, knowledge of substantive law, technology, legal research, analytical and logical reasoning, client service and written communication,” he said.
Essien explained that, although it is possible to outsource or delegate every other skill, effective oral communication cannot be outsourced or delegated. He added that, Lawyers who wish for progress in their career, must be able to speak publicly and for themselves.
He noted that, Lawyers must also recognise their role as mouthpiece for their clients, and as such, nurture effective and strong public speaking skills to advocating the causes of their clients.
He further explained that, a speech is always designed to be delivered and not to be read, emphasizing that, even if someone writes a speech for his superior, the superior should make efforts to read and digest the speech in order to be able to deliver it effectively.
The CSP explained that, public speaking is the raw art of speaker to audience oral communication, without any accompaniment. Adding that most leaders in business and corporate worlds like to read their speeches instead of delivering them, thus, making it boring for their audiences.
“You don’t read a speech, but you deliver it to make it look convincing, and you must learn how to speak and make remarks”, Essien explained.
He stressed that, effective public speaking is “an obligatory skill, a superior skill, universal skill, an eternal skill and there is need to abolish all misconceptions, agitation, but devote time, attention, to master the art of public speaking.”
The School of Eloquence is a public speaking and presentation skills training school, for business executives, policy makers and professionals. It provides leaders with key training, tools and programmes for effective communication.
