Monday, October 2, 2017

A Simple Tool with Mighty Consequences: The Phrase




How you say what you say is every bit as important as the “what,” the substance of whatever it is you are communicating. Spoken language is decidedly not the same as written language, and lawyers, as accustomed as you are to written language – your daily drill – do not always attend to the expressiveness of their language as much as would be to their benefit.

There are expressive techniques to help jurors understand and appreciate what you have to say in the way you want them to. In other words, to help you be more persuasive. One of the most critical and easy-to-use techniques is phrasing.

Phrasing is the grouping of words together in logical fashion, with a slight pause on either side of the phrase, so that your thought can be easily grasped. Phrasing is how you make sense out of what you are saying, as opposed to indulging in the run-on sentences perfectly acceptable in written communication (like this one!), but lacking forcefulness when spoken.

Think of what you have to say in terms of phrases. Express a single thought, in about 5 to 7 words, pause, and then express your next thought. The jurors will follow your thinking with minimal effort and be much more readily persuaded.

photo credit: RosarioEsquivel gavel por SalFalko via photopin (license)

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