If you are to persuade jurors, you must make the case real
for them. It can’t be just about facts and figures, yet if you over-dramatize
events, your case loses impact. One of the secrets to bringing events to life
without resorting to histrionics or melodrama, is to bring vocal color to your
words. Color is literally, painting pictures with your voice.
Within any given situation you are describing there will be
a few key words that need color, life. All you have to do is make the word
sound like what it means. This is much less esoteric than it seems.
Technically, you either stretch the word (lengthening) or shorten it. Words
such as “break” or “kick” are shortened to give the vocal rendition of a blow.
Words such as “abandoned” or “painful” are stretched, lengthened to give them
an aspect of suffering.
The word must not however simply be lengthened or shortened.
As best you can, put into the word its value.
How boring can you make the word “boring” sound? How “non-compliant” can you
make the word “non-compliant” sound? How “hurt” can you make the word “hurt”
sound? If you really think about what you are saying, you’ll find you do this
quite naturally. It is only when we speak without paying attention to the
actual words we are using that we lose the dimension of color. Practice making
words sound like what they mean and you’ll open up a whole new dimension of
jury persuasiveness.
