Persuasive Edge, Second Edition,Used

Purposeful communication will strengthen your ability to persuade. Drawing on the premise that persuasion must be purposeful, The Persuasive Edge lays out the case for making meaningful choices at each stage in trial preparation and at trial. The Persuasive Edge is a must for every trial lawyer, teacher and student of law or communication, and anyone else whose practice or profession depends on human persuasion.This straightforward discussion combines the best academic conclusions from the psychology of human persuasion and decisionmaking with the practical knowledge acquired from litigation throughout the United States, to offer you a more purposeful and practical approach to improving your influence and advocacy. The authors' extensive experience as trial consultants has given them the opportunity to test modern persuasion techniques and research by working inside jury trials and conducting interviews with thousands of real and mock jurors in a wide variety of civil and criminal cases and training opportunities. This wealth of experience and unique perspective will assist you in creating a persuasive strategy for all aspects of legal practice, but especially within the jury trial. This book is not an abstract discussion of communication and persuasion theory, but a reference work designed to offer you practical and concrete techniques for improving your persuasive communication skills.The authors begin by identifying communication choices that will help you create a persuasive strategy for any situation inside and outside of the courtroom. Next, they demonstrate how the key components of personal credibility allow you to build an honest relationship with the jury, and offer specific techniques for capturing juror attention and securing juror commitment from the very start of every trial. They devote three chapters to the approach, mechanics and strategies of effective jury selection, including good voir dire question design, sound strike strategies, and techniques for improving your efficacy when voir dire is limited. They also identify the essential elements of powerful and persuasive opening statements and offer extensive tips and techniques for all witness examinations, and excellent methods for presenting compelling closing arguments. This new edition offers updated and practical suggestions for the effective use of advanced technology to visually enhance your persuasive strategy for every jury trial, and provides rare and insightful advice about improving your persuasive effectiveness and influence with judges.Regardless of your specialty or years of experience, your advocacy will be enhanced by the deliberate communication choices identified and illustrated in this book. For everyone working, teaching or studying in the legal arena, this advanced guide to purposeful persuasion will change the way you communicate for the better.