Archive | Business Frustrations

Knowing where you’ve been

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 18, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Careers, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Travel

I have traveled to many places for most of my life. Since the 1980s, I have traveled far and wide, for business as well as pleasure. There are many places I would like to re-visit, many I vow to visit only on business, and many, many more places I’d like to go, when the time […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 18, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Careers, Getting Through Life and Work, Life Outside of Work, Travel

I don’t recall all of the details as well as Melissa does – but it is a fun exercise to mentally walk down the street retracing steps long ago taken. One of the tests for me was re-finding my way in Sydney after having lived there for a year. On the 2 occasions when Melissa […]

Too many lawsuits, too many lawyers…

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 13, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

All of us who work with, for, or who are, lawyers, have heard it over and over, “there are too many lawyers/lawsuits” or “lawsuits are frivolous.” Sometimes this includes a reference to McDonald’s and coffee, but it is a comment that we at Magnus hear often in some form. I heard it recently when asked […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 13, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consultants, Trial Consulting

I am constantly amazed by many people’s willingness to say and do things that dispel any doubt that they have no idea about the subject they are speaking. I have lost count of the number of times when, after revealing my occupation to a layperson, he/she immediately regales me with boring accounts of jury duty; […]

Take Notes

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On July 4, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Consultants, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Small Business Success

Having been a student from the time I was 4 years old until I earned my Ph.D. at the age of 26, I learned how to take notes to document the important things in my life. My note taking abilities have served me well in my career. I have calendars dating back almost 40 years; […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On July 4, 2017

As we have written, many of these posts are at least partially inspired by our experience as employers. By way of background, I fully agree with Melissa about the importance of note taking, though my notes are usually more cryptic and abbreviated than hers. (I don’t know how she does it the way she does, […]

Ready for War

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 29, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consulting, Trial Science

In the first few months of this year I have received several calls from attorneys looking to engage a trial consultant in what I consider to be ridiculously short time periods. Two cases will illustrate my point. First was a call from an associate attorney at one of the largest law firms in the state […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 29, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Trial Consulting, Trial Science

I will begin my part of this post by saying how thrilled I was to read David’s reference to a current rock band, Adelitas Way! I love classic rock and roll, but I love today’s rock and roll just as much. No offense to David’s favorite band, RUSH, or mine, The Beatles, but quoting a […]

When driving the boss’ car

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 20, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Travel, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Magnus Research, Trial Consulting

For most of the two plus decades David and I have co-owned our business, we have had three vehicles: his primary car, my primary car, and the so called “company truck.” The company truck is, in reality, not owned by our company but instead, is co-owned by David and me just like our other vehicles. […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 20, 2017

Driving the “company” car, or “boss,’” car is a privilege not given lightly. In our business, of course, we know about the liability issues that are also a part of the equation. But, you have to get the job done and, as Melissa said, we have always expected that common sense would dictate that an […]

“No thanks” to Bad Clients

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 6, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Partnerships, Business personalities, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Consultants, Litigation Research, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consultants

The older I get, the more I choose to spend time with nice people and the less time I choose to spend with mean people. My philosophy has evolved to include family members, spouses of family members, friends, spouses of friends, and clients. Even though clients, unlike the other categories of people I have listed, […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 6, 2017

We are fortunate that we have encountered only a few clients who are so abusive as to be the bad ones Melissa described. The worst one we have encountered was a scorched earth litigator, but in his world, this extended to even include everyone on his team – and to us. But, his true self […]

Trial Consultants We Have Known

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 1, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

In any industry, business, or practice, one gets to know one’s colleagues/competitors. And, we have, in the past 30 years, seen the gamut of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Melissa started her career with Litigation Sciences, Inc. and many of the consultants who were affiliated with LSI remain among the top consultants in […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 1, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

In every occupation, there exists a range of people, from the truly excellent to the amazingly inferior. The world of trial consulting is no exception to this general rule. I have a Ph.D. in social psychology and, given that a Ph.D. is the highest academic degree that exists (including M.D., D.D.S., D.O., J. D., E.D. […]

Clients are People Too

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 30, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business Relationships, Careers, Common Courtesy, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Jury Research, Litigation Consultants, Magnus, Magnus Insights, Magnus Research, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Clients are people too. I repeat, clients are people too. This may seem obvious to the astute reader, however, there have been many occasions on which I have had to remind my staff to treat our clients like people, instead of merely treating them like clients. Magnus’ clients are high powered attorneys, insurance adjusters, risk […]

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 30, 2017

On a research day it is a bit of a toss up who the most important people in the room are. The participants, i.e., mock jurors are critical to our projects. Without them we cannot do our work. But, without the clients, we have no work to do. Our support staff usually is comfortable with […]

Entrpreneurial Hats

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 23, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

I don’t wear (real) hats that often, unless I’m going to be in the sun, or in the cold weather. I have lot of hats, a habit of collecting them picked up from my Dad. He has quite a collection, many of them from trucking companies or manufacturers. In fact, as a child I thought […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 23, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Managing Employees, Marketing your Business, Partnerships, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

David is right: I don’t wear as many hats in owning and operating our business as he does. My job primarily consists of preparing for research projects, for example, mock trials; conducting research; preparing detailed reports containing research results and recommendations for litigation strategies; supervising our research team; selecting juries; making presentations to lawyers, insurance […]

Identity Crisis of Trial Consultants, Part 3: Jury v. Bench Trials or Arbitration

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On March 9, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consulting, Trial Science

This is the final post in the series on the identity crisis of trial or jury consultants. In this post, I want to comment on the term “Jury Consultant.” Over the 25+ years of being in this field, in response to my self introduction, I have heard 2 other things. The first is, “…In my […]

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On March 9, 2017

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Marketing your Business, Psychology, Trial Consulting, Trial Science

When I remark to attorneys that “Judges are people too,” they often reply, “No, they are not!’. All kidding aside, juries, judges, mediators, and arbitrators are people. They may have different backgrounds, but over the 4 decades I have been conducting research on humans, I have found people have more characteristics in common than differences. […]

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Archive | Business Frustrations

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

Another View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

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