Trial Lawyer Communication Tips for EVERYONE!

Good friends, stimulating conversation and excellent food. It’s going to be a fun evening. The experience is one that can’t be rushed nor should it be. It’s a process that by its nature, takes time. You start out with a hot cup of soup and finish with a very special dessert. Each course builds upon the last. There’s a good reason why you don’t start with the last course first. Closing a deal is a very similar experience. Go about things the right way and the negotiation will flow naturally and the deal will be one to remember. Skip a course or two and the other person just might get up and leave the communication table before the evening is over.

I’ll be picking a jury a week from Monday in a difficult and tragic wrongful death case. I approach jury selection as a chance for me to get to know the people who will ultimately serve on my jury and to try and figure out if they will be a good fit for my case. I want to make sure that after hearing all the evidence, they’ll try to render a fair and impartial verdict in our case. So how do I pick my juries and what can you take away from this process? Well, one of the first things I do is to try and figure out what’s going to be the white elephant in the room. Will I be dealing with a single large white elephant or an entire herd of elephants? I do this because the fact is, it’s getting harder and harder for people to connect with other people. Sure, technology makes it easier for all of us to interact but truth be told, the attention span of today’s audience (my jury and your sales prospect) is only about 9 seconds—less than the attention span of a goldfish. The point is

Most of us are involved in some type of negotiation each day.  Whether you’re interacting with your family or closing a business deal at the office, having the proper negotiation skills can reduce stress and increase your chances of getting the results you truly desire.   In my opinion, I believe a good negotiation is simply a continuing problem solving process.  A negotiation involves parties with both common and conflicting interest who voluntarily come together in an attempt to arrange or adjust their future relationship by making a joint decision.  It’s an opportunity for beneficial exchanges and agreements to be made that give added value to relationships or a particular situation.  Signals are sent and interpreted.  Adjusting and learning takes place.  Convergence is the ultimate goal. When it’s all said and done, negotiation is simply a dance. I invite you to listen to, and share, my podcast which will show you 10 ways to successfully negotiate. More

Mitch shares his thoughts about Gen C and connecting as discussed in "What's the Future of Business" by Brian Solis

2013 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY Award), Mitch Jackson, is interviewed by Executive Life Coach, Jeff Forte, about success and his mindset relating to the practice of law, winning jury trials and enjoying your life!

Interview with Gary Vaynerchuk... Professionals Communicating in Today's Fast Paced World Earlier today I sat down with bestselling author and business guru, Gary Vaynerchuk. We talked about some of the challenges professionals have when trying to communicate in today's fast paced world and Gary shared tips to help all of us make more of an impact (share on Twitter).  During my interview, Gary shared several communication tips to help almost any kind of professional and small business owner communicate more effectively in today's fast paced world. Gary also talked about the most common mistakes he sees professionals make and how to avoid making the same mistakes. Last but not least, he explains why we all need to build "social equity" to be successful in today's global economy. So if you'd like to know Gary's thoughts on the above, and more, click the play button and enjoy!

Taylor Stephan is the co-author of a new book entitled, College Cooks. Grab a hot cup of tea, pull up a chair and enjoy my chat with Taylor about his new book and future plans! From "Top Chef" season 5 star, Hosea Rosenbert- "Great starter book for the first-time cook"

To be an effective communicator, you must have trust, credibility and integrity. In today's Spreecast (podcast), Jeff and Mitch discuss this issues and more. They show you how to make an impact, fascinate others, gain the trust of your audience and close deals like the best trial lawyers in the world! More at http://MitchJackson.com

A conversation is like a journey with the speakers going from one place to another. But as with each journey, you must first learn how to take the first step. Here’s a tip for getting your next conversation moving down the right path.   Have you ever been introduced to someone but did not know how to start the conversation? Ever experience that awkward moment of silence not knowing what to say or worse, waiting for the other person to say something interesting?   Well, here’s a tip that I use when selecting a jury. Remember, I’m talking to 12 people I’ve never met before and it’s my job to get everyone talking about themselves so that I can learn more about my ultimate decision makers... More at http://mitchjackson.com/episode107

Having Credibility is a Must for Effective Communications Absent reasons not to, most people are very trusting, will assume you are credible and will give you their attention. Keep this in mind and don’t do or say anything now that will harm your credibility.   My dad always told me that if you always tell the truth then you never have to remember what you said. Good words of advice that are easier said then done but once learned, will take all of us far in life.   Being a credible human being can be hard. It sometimes takes an act of bravery to stand up and say no to something that others are encouraging you to do but that you know is wrong. Maybe after reading this post and watching what’s happening to the people I mentioned above will help all of us say and do the right thing at the right time. Only time will tell.   Remember that credibility brings trust and trust will result in people paying attention to your message. Good communicators are very credible people. I’m sure

I first met Anne after reading her wonderful “must have” communication book entitled, The Tall Lady With the Iceberg. Anne is a skilled communications speaker, coach, and author who has trained thousands of senior executives and sales teams at Fortune 1000 companies to communicate effectively, successfully and memorably. She is the author of four books, including two on the power of visual language to persuade, sell, & explain anything to anyone.   If you want to learn how to communicate more effectively and increase sales and close more deals, then make sure to listen to this podcast. I also suggest that you pick up her book and learn how to use metaphors to dazzle your audience and have them remember what you said days, and even weeks later.   By the way, I use many of Anne’s techniques on a weekly basis to negotiate deals and settle cases. During jury trials, I effectively trust Anne’s approach to using metaphors to help win million dollar verdicts for my clients. Now,

Mitch interviews consulting superstar, Alan Weiss, and tech guru, Chad Barr, about their new book entitled, "Million Dollar Web Presence." During the conversation they talk about how to effectively build a long-term web presence and how to effectively communication on the web. More at http://MitchJackson.com

“Two people who stare each other in the eye for sixty seconds straight will soon either be fighting or making love.” –Pierce Butler Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who, for whatever reason, wouldn’t look you straight in the eye? Ever sit in an audience and watch a speaker stand behind a lectern and read from his notes? Someone who almost never looks up at you or anyone else in the room? How do you feel when, right in the middle of a conversation, the other person looks straight down at the smartphone in her hands to see what caused that snappy alert? How about when she nods yes or no while pretending to listen and instead responding to a text message on her iPad? Effective communication involves many elements. One of the most important doesn’t make a sound but can have more impact that the noise of a loud siren on a passing fire engine. That element is eye contact and truth be told, good trial lawyers and other communicators use effective eye contact to co

Mitch interviews Craig Valentine, the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking (25,000 contestants from 14 countries). During our interview, Craig will share valuable speaking tips such as his "tap and transport" technique that will change the way you communicate with others! Live Q&A and more!

Seth Godin is interviewed by Mitch Jackson with spcecial guests Chris Brogan and Niklas Myhr.