Archive | Small Business Success

Do what you say

As a follow up to a post in which I quoted a line from Jimmy Buffett’s song, “Clichés,” “Say what you mean and mean what you say,” I will add another thought, “Do what you say.” Many people talk about doing something, but when it comes down to actually accomplishing what they have talked about, […]

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This is a topic Melissa initiated – that’s how these posts work. One of us generates the topic and then becomes the first author/blogger. The first author writes what ends up in the left column of the post, the second author then responds. Many times the right column posts follows or expands upon the left […]

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Red Flags when hiring a Trial Consultant, part 1. Predictability Claims

I recently had the opportunity to view some materials produced by a competitor for a client. In the materials, the competitor stated that a certain methodology they offered would predict the trial verdict with 90% accuracy if the case goes to trial (this is paraphrased, but is essentially what was claimed). As someone who has […]

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This is a “G rated” blog, so I will limit myself to saying there are many, many trial consultants who are full of IT (the astute reader will know what IT means in this context). Conducting small group research doesn’t predict any outcome with 90% accuracy. If it did, why would political polls assess opinions […]

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Sharpening the Saw

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 18, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Small Business Success

The last of the 7 habits discussed in the 1989 book by Dr. Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is entitled “Sharpening the Saw.” This habit has been summarized as focusing on continuous growth and improvement. Dr. Covey focused on 4 areas of self-renewal: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. I read […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 18, 2016

Category: Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Small Business Success

It is an irony of modern litigation that “trial lawyers” rarely go to trial. In fact, many of Magnus’ clients, all of whom are trial lawyers, have not had a jury trial in several years. Not only are these attorneys in danger of losing their edge in the courtroom due to an absence of practicing […]

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The Bedside Note Pad

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 11, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Small Business Success

Ask an entrepreneur what keeps him or her up at night and one of many answers you will likely get is a fear of forgetting to do something. I don’t know how many things I tried to make myself remember at 3 or 4 a.m. before I read a very simple, and what should be […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 11, 2016

Category: Business personalities, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Small Business Success

As fond as I am of making lists, writing notes, and keeping records of my life on various calendars, I do not share David’s penchant for writing notes to myself in the middle of the night. The middle of the night, in my opinion, is for sleeping, not note writing. I have never, ever, stayed […]

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Speaking Engagements; You Never Know

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On August 4, 2016

Category: Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

The 1997 book by Harry Beckwith, Selling the Invisible, is about the differences in marketing a tangible product, the good old generic widget, as compared to selling an intangible product – a service. It is a wonderful book for those of us selling services, like we do as trial consultants. As a working photographer, this […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On August 4, 2016

Category: Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

In the time David and I have co-owned Magnus, I have given hundreds of presentations to audiences ranging from a handful of people in a law firm to hundreds of people in huge hotel ballrooms. Thus far, I have never received any compensation for making one of these speeches. On some occasions, the law firm […]

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Best friend(s)

Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to have many friends. In fact, due to the vast age difference between my two older brothers and me, I have friendships that have strong bonds that most people usually associate with family members. Among my friends there are a few extraordinary people whom I consider my “best […]

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Starting at the end of Melissa’s post I’ll say it is great to have her as my bestie. As we have written this blog it has been interesting to see how we have different perspectives sometimes, but have a common bond, and a perspective on life and work. I’m not sure it would be possible […]

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Educating clients, without alienating them

An aspect of our trial consulting business that is sometimes difficult to address is that, as noted in other posts, we have competitors with a wide variety of qualifications, from those like us, with extensive educational backgrounds and degrees, to those with no education beyond high school. Further, some of our competitors are so uneducated […]

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The title of this post is “Educating Clients, without Alienating Them,” however, there are some clients who, in my opinion, have no hope of becoming educated about the reasons why they should hire my company over one of our unqualified competitors, such that I wish the title could be, “Alienating Clients without Educating them.” Some […]

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Hiring Expertise

A recent client encounter prompts this post.  The client was requesting what we refer to as a “proposal” for mock jury research.  She repeatedly called it a “bid” and I guess it is.  It is (unfortunately) increasingly common that clients seek competitive bids.  And, while I understand this, and do the same for some minor […]

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From the earliest days of co-owning Magnus with David, it has never been our desire to be the cheapest provider of any research or consulting service we provide. It is acceptable, in my view, to provide high quality work at a reasonable/fair price, but being the low cost bidder is not something to which I […]

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I’ve Been Everywhere

Driving on I-95 from Jacksonville to south Florida for the second time in about 10 days, I happened to hear Johnny Cash’s version of the song, “I’ve Been Everywhere” (released in 1996) and did the song ever ring true! In our trial consulting work, we go where the clients and cases are. This has taken […]

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Although I haven’t been everywhere, I’ve been almost everywhere, at least in the U.S.A. My traveling days began in childhood, when my parents and I took long road trips every summer for our vacation. All of my teachers knew about my dad’s penchant for traveling, thus, when school began each fall, I was asked to […]

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I am the Greatest

At the time of this writing, Muhammad Ali passed away less than one week ago. Everyone who knows me well knows Muhammad Ali has been one of my heroes since I was a child.  I grew up reading the Miami Herald and, because Muhammad Ali had close ties to Miami Beach and its 5th Street […]

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Though I have always been aware of Muhammad Ali and have known some of the history, I have not had the long connection with his legacy as Melissa has.  But, having watched documentaries about him, like the movie about the Rumble in the Jungle, I recognized how impressive he was, in and out of the […]

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