In 1936 Dale Carnegie published a book with the tile “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” Whatever your reaction to the title, the contents are the single most accurate collection of truths about human nature and communications. The book is still as popular today as it has been since it’s publication in 1936. I recommend it as required reading for all lawyers and especially trial lawyers. Here is a very brief outline of the fundamentals taught in the book….
In 1990 Milo Frank wrote a book How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less. I read it when it was first published. I felt then and feel now that it is an excellent source of advice about something trial lawyers need to learn – simplicity and brevity. Paraphrasing generally, Frank advises first, that the average attention span of an individual is about 30 seconds. He notes that almost all TV commercials are 30 seconds. As he says, the one…
“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic” Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone For many years the marketing and sales industry has researched communication as it relates to sales and persuasion. Psychologists have been involved in studies about words, language and their significance in communication as well. Other communication interests have done the same. For example, Neural Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a method of communication techniques and skills which attaches significance to words and phrases….