This article about toying with jurors' emotions is very good, not just for trial lawyers but for anyone, including salespeople, who try to manipulate people's emotions in order to persuade them. You often hear sales trainers teaching their students to go for the prospective buyer's pain or fear, because, when a person is in pain or scared, they are more likely to buy a solution (which, of course, the salesperson is selling). This may not be a very good piece of advice. One point of this article from The Jury Expert is that you cannot predict what will happen when you get someone to feel an emotion.
Click to read the whole March issue of The Jury Expert [pdf], including another good article I now point out to you about moral hypocrisy and apologies.
From "The Rules Don't Apply to Me":
Americans have been bombarded with examples of powerful people acting like the rules don't apply to them. From governors to corporate executives to athletes--there seems to be a new example of poor judgment every week. Is there an upward trend in moral hypocrisy among powerful people? As a communication consultant, I am interested in the ritual that often follows these transgressions: the public apology. Why do the powerful turn to public apologies for leniency? Apologies can provide closure, forgiveness and, ultimately, clear a path for the company or person to rebuild their reputation. What is the social psychology behind these two simple words, I'm sorry? Why do some apologies work and some fail, or even backfire?
Some weekend reading for you!
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