Which of your lawyers are ready for podcasts?

By Sabrina Johnson, Director of HeyPodGuest! 

Podcasts are everywhere. Your clients are listening on the commute, on the school run, walking the dog - whether it’s for entertainment, learning more about a topic or seeking advice.

There are 5.6 million podcasts in the world and the UK has around 250,000 of them with 15 million listeners. There are podcasts on almost everything, but popular categories include business, entrepreneurship, relationships, sports and health.

Now, your firm could invest in producing its own podcast. But, before you do, there is another option to consider - offering your best spokespeople to speak to podcasts.

Your firm is full of experts so who do you want to put forward?

Unfortunately, not every expert makes a great podcast guest. Some, however senior or however technically brilliant, might not be the most engaging or the best fit to represent your firm. So if your firm is interested in engaging with podcasts, here are the things you need to consider when choosing who your guest should be.

 

Who is already media trained?

Start with the people in the firm who already might not need that much support. Those who are already media trained are the obvious choice. It should be an easy sidestep for them - instead of a few minutes on major TV or radio, they’re getting a good 30 to 45 minute discussion where they can really get into the details of a subject.

Podcasts are also an opportunity to build upon your collection of spokespeople. Perhaps your media-trained spokesperson already has a full roster of media opportunities. Podcasts are great for training the next generation and starting to build them a profile.

When looking for new people, you want an engaging spokesperson before expertise or seniority. You want someone that clients feel comfortable listening to and talking with.

It might be that there isn’t a perfect fit yet. But get the closest you can. If they need further training, there are professionals to help, such as voice coaches and media trainers. A podcast professional can help your spokesperson start with small and friendly podcasts, building their confidence before stepping up to larger audiences.

 

It starts with plain English

When it comes to new spokespeople, you want to direct them towards speaking in a way that anyone can understand and easily listen to.

Consider:

• can your expert speak to the local chip shop owner around their first ever matter as easily as to the international SaaS company that always has issues?
• Can they make your client feel at ease when they’re stressed?
• Can they take your topic to people outside the legal industry to explain how the law works?
• Can they engage in any type of conversation with the everyday person, regardless of academic, class or cultural background, without everyone’s eyes glazing over?

If the answer is yes, then they’re a fit for podcasts. If the answer is not yet, identify the training and support they need and invest in getting them there.

 

Voice matters more than you think

One thing you cannot edit is the sound or speed of someone’s voice. The tone, pace and energy behind an expert’s voice does a lot of the heavy lifting for how they come across. You can edit the odd moment of an interview, but there still needs to be enough good material to fill an episode.

If you have an expert who has already done a few podcasts and is looking to step up, it is their performance on earlier episodes that will make the difference between landing a small podcast and a big one.

But if you’re looking to train and build exposure for new expert spokespeople, small podcasts are the best place to start because guest expert requirements are not too strict. These episodes will often be pre-recorded and editing is possible.

 

The story behind the expertise

'Workplace disputes' is not an exciting podcast topic. But the lawyer who left a corporate career to specialise in workplace disputes because of a horrendous situation that they helped a close friend through? Now, that is a story people want to hear about.

Podcast hosts want to speak to human beings - those offering expertise, perspective and/or lived experiences. Hobbies help, too, though perhaps skip the marathon running and mountain climbing – opt for more memorable examples. Beekeeping. Volunteering. Coaching a Sunday league team with more enthusiasm than success.

Relatability builds trust. And trust, eventually, builds clients.

 

What do you want potential clients and podcast listeners to know?

The best podcast appearances educate rather than promote, and there is an important difference between the two. One leaves the listener feeling informed and well-disposed towards your firm. The other leaves them wondering whether they have accidentally tuned into an advert.

Think about the questions clients ask in their very first meeting. The misconceptions. The mistakes that could so easily have been avoided if only someone had explained things clearly six months earlier. Prepare potential clients for working with you - making your teams’ lives easier and ensuring clients are more likely to get the outcomes they’re looking for.

What are the legal pitfalls in your client’s situation that they should know about? What should the client be keeping records of to make the legal process smoother? What are the avenues to exhaust before turning to the law? By the time a listener decides to call your firm, a great deal of the trust-building work is already done and your clients can be better prepared to work with you.

 

Don’t underestimate preparation

Many podcasts are hosted by enthusiastic business owners rather than trained journalists, which means conversations can wander off in directions nobody anticipated and questions can arrive from entirely unexpected angles. Your spokesperson should expect to have to bridge back to key messages, protect client confidentiality and navigate unexpected questions.

A little preparation goes a long way. Spokespeople should always listen to a podcast’s previous episode before appearing on it. Knowing the podcast’s format and its typical audience will help your spokesperson feel in control because they will hear what the host is like and the questions they’re likely to get.

Media training is not just for broadcast. It is just as relevant here, and in some ways more so, when talking to ordinary people rather than professional journalists.

 

Who is available and can make the time?

If your legal expert is rarely available or has a major case that needs all their attention, consider when a better time might be for podcasts. When your expert has almost no availability, you are only going to frustrate the podcast and lose the opportunity.

 

Ready for podcasts?

Choosing the right podcast spokesperson is less about seniority and more about communication. The temptation is to go with the most senior partner, or the one who is enthusiastic enough to volunteer first. The best candidates are those who can speak in plain English, connect with a wide audience and bring personality as well as expertise.

A more useful question is: who communicates clearly, connects with non-legal audiences, and genuinely has something interesting to say?

Voice, relatability and a strong personal story all play a role in how well someone lands with listeners. Preparation matters, too, from understanding the podcast format to handling unexpected questions.

Start with those who show potential, invest in training where needed and build confidence through smaller opportunities.

The right legal experts, on the right podcast, talking about the right thing, can reach people brochures, articles, events and social media might not be able to.

Done well, podcast appearances can build trust, showcase expertise and reach audiences in a way traditional channels often cannot.