Eric Oliver is a noted trial consultant, speaker and educator who has specialized in verbal, nonverbal, and implicit communication skills for over twenty-eight years—twenty-five working with trial lawyers. This book provides the best of his advice over this career as one of the country's leading trial consultants. In the book, Oliver discusses how trial lawyers can prepare and present more receiver-friendly cases for settlement presentation and in trial. The advice helps lawyers build a presentation plan for each case, which they can adapt to any venue. This presentation plan integrates the verbal, visual, and personal parts of the case story, and is based on the decision-makers needs and expectations. Oliver also discusses how to uncover those expectations in focus groups and voir dire.
- Introduction
- Part I: Rapport
- Reflections on Mirroring
- Brain-friendly Speaking Basics
- Is It In Yet?
- My World or Yours?
- Part II: Stories
- Making Sense to Jurors
- Tell Me A Story
- Embodying the Story
- Part III: Decision Making
- Is Jury Psychology an Oxymoron
- Testing, Testing
- Jury See, Jury Decide
- Part IV: Persuasion
- Things Aren't Always What They Are
- That Reminds Me
- Anchors and Frames and Themes (Oh My!)
- Part V: The Mind
- More Than Meets the Ear
- More Than Meets the Mind
- Part VI: Themes
- Developing a Case Theme
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