My Speech To NALS of Orange County

Last night I spoke to NALS of Orange County. This is a legal secretary group that is highly dedicated to what they do. There's no doubt about NALS' commitment to its slogan The Association that's for legal professionals. From continuing legal education, technology and networking, NALS has a plethora of resources that all combined make it a great and wonderful legal secretary association.

[Photo L to R: Zena from Murtaugh Meyer Nelson & Treglia, Todd Olivas, Mae Galvez - Tharpe & Howell]

Congratulations To Mae Galvez, Certified PLS
Mae was sworn in as the NALS of Orange County President. She has so much spirit and enthusiasm, I can see why they voted her in completely uncontested. Mae is a legal secretary for the firm of Tharpe & Howell. As a court reporter, I've worked with Mae and her firm for several years -- since 2004, I think. Wow, how time has flown by.

M is for Marketing
Last night marked the unveiling of my new speech, M is for Marketing. From the evaluations that I received back from everybody, it looks like I've got a winner. Still, there was some constructive feedback that I needed to shorten some of the parts. Specifically, some of the stories went a little long. And truth be told, when I was up there I could tell that at the very end I was losing people. When people start shifting in their seats and the body language starts to say -- Hey Todd, good speech but it's already 8 o'clock here. I've worked a long day. I'm ready for you to have a seat. -- you know it's time to wrap.

I cut several pages from my speech because I sensed that it was getting late. Hopefully, nobody realized that I sort of rushed through the last part.

Still, the feedback was great. I even got asked to write an article or two for the NALS e-newsletter. That will be so cool. I'll let everyone know when that happens.

Some Of My Marketing Suggestions
As a court reporting vendor, I've sort of got my own ideas about how to go about marketing. Believe me, I've made many, many mistakes. (During my speech I talk about my first attempts at reaching attorneys and secretaries by sending out spam emails. Not a good idea!!!) Here is a partial list of some of the things that I talk about during my speech:

Set a written goal for your career path. Stick to it.
Relationships are the key. Remember it's not who you know, it's who knows you.
Remember what the real need is that you meet.
It's better to solve a problem that is right in front of you than waiting and looking high and low for an earth-shattering discovery.
Face-to-face meetings beat email or voice mail every time.
Thank You notes - the world's least expensive yet highest return investment!
Make sure your website or blog is pulling its weight.
Write an article for publication that will be seen by your peers.
Make a speech at your local paralegal or legal secretary association or school(s).
Volunteer!
Create a log of all your value-add activities and email it to your boss once a week as a subtle reminder of the Problem Solver you are.
Take a lowly, unpopular task and do it with utmost excellence. Pretend it's the most important duty in the world. You'll get noticed faster than you think!
Take a class and/or get more education then write an article about it for your firm's newsletter.

Sarnoff
I got to meet -- and sit next to -- Doreen Bandy from Sarnoff. Very nice to meet you, Doreen! Sarnoff is an excellent court reporting firm that's been around forever. Doreen was very nice and I would highly recommend her service. (Also, congratulations to Doreen for having a three-month-old newborn!)
Thursday, February 14, 2008