What To Do If
You Want To Make A Good First Impression At A Deposition
By Christine Randall, CSR, RPR – Principal, Bakersfield, CA
You Want To Make A Good First Impression At A Deposition
By Christine Randall, CSR, RPR – Principal, Bakersfield, CA
As professionals it is imperative that we make a good first impression. After all, studies show that people form an impression of someone in the first minutes of a meeting. Let’s look at a few easy things that you can do to make the most of those crucial few minutes at your next deposition.
Be early and set up and ready to go well before others arrive at the location. This will give you time to appropriately introduce yourself with a strong handshake and smile. At this point, introductions may be impacted by social distancing but standing at the end of the table with a warm smile even under a mask can go a long way. This goes for remote depositions as well. Be on the Virtual Zoom meeting early to greet participants as they enter the Zoom room. Smile, be warm and friendly and ready to go so you can focus on the interaction with the participants.
Dress as if you are an attorney appearing at the deposition. This rule should also be followed for remote depositions. After all, your personal grooming and attire are the first thing noticed. Pay attention to your equipment and how it presents as well. Professional black bags work best. Avoid wild colors and unprofessional stickers and embellishments.
If this is a Zoom deposition, you need to have your camera on. This is not the time you should use a picture or avatar. You also need to make sure the background of your Zoom shot is appropriate. Avoid poor lighting, bad angles, a messy room, and beds or bathrooms as backdrops. Pay attention to what the client is seeing not only in your appearance but the scene behind you.
When you go into the deposition room, be it a physical location or Zoom room, it is game time. It is time for you to be your best self: happy and positive! Even if you had a hard morning, have a list of things you could rightfully complain about, keep them to yourself, and focus on the client and the deposition.
You need to be fully engaged and not distracted. Really focus your attention on the proceeding. Keep the exhibits organized and be ready with the next exhibit number. Pay attention to the room and what is going on. I advise that you keep your mobile device off the table and only check your messages on breaks to avoid any distractions.
This can really be a gamechanger. When you need clarification or something repeated, ask in a confident manner. When you are asked for readback, do not rush, but review the area you need to read back and then calmly and loudly read it back. When you present as a confident professional, you are sending the message to everyone in the room that you will accurately and succinctly report the proceeding and, in the end, provide an exceptional transcript.
Deposition reporting can be challenging but also very interesting with every day different from the last. And with every new day, there are new introductions and new interactions with clients and witnesses. Embrace it and be yourself – your very best self!
Email us at courtreporter@veritext.com with a scenario you’d like a solution for!
Christine Randall, CSR, RPR, is the President of Wood & Randall/Veritext, headquartered in Bakersfield, California. Christine began her reporting career in 1981 when the computer-compatible theory was in its early years. After moving to Bakersfield in 1982, she became one of the first computerized reporters in Bakersfield. In 1990 Christine became a partner in what now is known as Wood & Randall and managed and reported as its lead reporter through 2007. After carpal tunnel surgery and the need to work “on the business” and not “in the business,” she has continued on managing the firm with a mantra of “Moving Forward with Technology and Excellence.”
Christine began her service work in 1998 as the District 8 representative for the Deposition Reporters Association of California (DRA). Between 1998 and 2004 she chaired various committees and was the convention chair in 2002. Christine has also been a member of the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) since 1981 and for the last several years has been an NCRF Angel. She also has participated as a delegate on its Russia trip in October of ’08. And in 2012 she was honored to serve on the Executive Search Committee with Past President Doug Friend. Together with Todd Mobley and Rosalie Kramm, she also has served as a co-chair of the Firm Owners Conference in Laguna Niguel in 2013. With her mind always on technology, she also served on the New Markets Committee in 2014-15.
As a long-time Stenograph user, Christine is also a member of the Society for the Technological Advancement of Reporting (STAR). In 2007 she co-chaired its yearly three-day convention in La Jolla, California. She became a STAR board member in 2009, and she co-chaired the yearly convention in Lake Tahoe the following year. Christine became the president of STAR in 2013-2014.
Christine is quite active in her local community as well. She currently holds a board position with Westec, a nonprofit organization that administers the court reporting program for Taft College. Not only does Westec train future court reporters, but it also trains students in a wide range of occupations, including oil field workers and correction/police officers. She is currently the board’s secretary. Christine is the only court reporter or firm owner sitting on the Westec board and routinely meets and mentors the students. She also works closely with Westec staff trying to meet and/or coordinate their needs and holds a finishing class in her office as a courtesy to the school yearly. This is truly a unique position that allows her to assess, bond, and work with future court reporters and help them with career decisions.