HOW TO GIVE A BETTER SPEECH THAN OBAMA and change your world - (A Lesson for Lawyers) by Darren Kelly, Kellcomm, Blog - Day 28

Hi,

When I wanted to seek an opinion of ‘How To Give A Better Speech Than Obama and change your world’ there was one person I had to contact. I didn’t know this man, but I had read about his work.

The Washingtonian magazine's list of "Washington's Best Lawyers" ranked Bob Barnett at number one, and The National Law Journal called him one of the "The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America."

According to the website of Williams and Connolly, Bob represents major corporations in litigation matters, corporate work, contracts, crisis management, transactions, government relations, and media relations. He has worked for McDonald's Corporation, General Electric, Toyota, Deutsche Bank, Revlon and many others.

Bob’s clients have included Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Shania Twain, Barbra Streisand, Queen Noor of Jordan, The Prince of Wales, Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, and many others, including journalists, novelists, business leaders, sports stars, politicians, and others. His expertise in the field of litigation and communication is first class. Bob played a major role on the U.S. presidential debate preparation teams in 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2008. He joined Williams & Connolly LLP in 1975 and has been a partner since 1978.

When I decided to contact Bob, I did not expect a reply within five hours. I suppose I expected a response from his secretary saying he wasn’t interested in my work or no response at all. After Bob and I’s exchange of words I started to think about the legal profession.

If one of the world’s most successful lawyers could engage someone they didn't know, doesn’t it offer a lesson to all people in the legal profession? Competition is global, thanks to the revolution in technology. The loss of manufacturing overseas has devastated parts of the UK, but aspects of the services industry are easier to move overseas. Many services can be transferred worldwide with the press of a button. It’s perhaps arrogance and ignorance to expect clients will not seek the best services elsewhere. How will law firms combat the competition from within the UK and abroad? They must understand what Bob understands. The requirements to work for Bob’s firm Williams and Connolly are

• outstanding academic records
• a high degree of intellect
• initiative
• creativity
• excellent interpersonal skills

The first four skills put you on the playing field, but the last requirement drives your success. As Bob knows, interpersonal communication is the key.

Tomorrow, I will tell you about the car journey that halted the books completion.

Take care,

Darren.

PS: 'HOW TO GIVE A BETTER SPEECH THAN OBAMA and change your world' - is available on iTunes and Amazon NOW!
Audio Version only.
Text version in January 2012.


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