Archive | Trial Consulting

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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The more the merrier

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On June 30, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

I have recently been working with a client to explain some concepts that are part of our work. These concepts are some of the fundamentals of social science research, concepts which are so well understood by those educated in this area that they are second nature. This particular concept is easily explained by the adage, […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On June 30, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Getting the Job Done, Trial Consulting, Work-Life, Workplace Technology

One of the most challenging, not to mention frustrating, aspects of my career has been explaining scientific research methods, statistical principles, and other complex aspects of the work I perform to people who lack the education, knowledge, and experience to understand what I am talking about. There is only so much “dumbing down” that is […]

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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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What if client isn’t ready; good; prepared; is drunk

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 26, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

In a quarter century of working with attorneys as our clients, while conducting mock trials and other forms of research, we have observed some great attorney presentations, some average ones, and occasionally, fortunately rarely, some very poor presentations. One of the worst things that can happen in our world of conducting mock trials is that […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 26, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Careers, Employment, Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

Fortunately, the majority of attorneys who retain Magnus for one or more research services are professional in their conduct, including taking our role in their case seriously. These attorneys are the backbone of our existence and without them, we would not be in business. There are many more attorneys, of course, who are “average” in […]

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Changed Litigation Mindsets

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On May 12, 2016

Category: Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

Melissa and I have been working with trial lawyers and litigators for 25+ years conducting mock trials and more on high stakes litigation. We have recently been reflecting on some of the changes we have observed and how significant, but perhaps subtle, some of them are in terms of their lasting impact. Certainly ADR, in […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On May 12, 2016

Category: Getting the Job Done, Litigation Tips, Trial Consulting

There are as many reasons to retain the services of organizations like Magnus as there are attorneys who litigate cases. However, all too often, consultants who assist attorneys with the human dynamics of litigation are “pigeon holed” due to erroneous perceptions about what we do. It has always been the case, since I began working […]

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Be nice to the Assistants and Associates

When we work with a trial team our client is the lead attorney. Though we own the company, we know the lead attorney is our boss, at least as far as that case is concerned. And, that boss is almost always the boss of many other people. Some trial teams have lots of lawyers, paralegals, […]

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I have never understood why some people have only enough niceness and courtesy to bestow on the people at “the top,” leaving none for the rest of those with whom they interact.  It is not the case, in my opinion, that there is a finite quantity of pleasant emotions, such that they have to be […]

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Traveling for Work does not mean Fun & Games

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 28, 2016

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Travel, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

Any reader who travels extensively as part of work can skip this post because you know the realities. We travel to trial venues for mock jury research and the reality is that traveling for work is work in itself. Over the years I have had friends whose jobs do not involve travel say our job […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 28, 2016

Category: Business Travel, Careers, Getting the Job Done, Getting Through Life and Work, Travel, Trial Consulting, Work-Life

I can’t begin to count the number of times that, upon returning home from a business trip, I have sung (loudly): “Gee, but it’s great to be back home.   Home is where I want to be.   I’ve been on the road so long my friend. And if you came along I know you […]

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Traveling as a team

Like Palidin, the adventurous, “gentleman gunfighter for hire,” played by Richard Boone in the TV series from 1958 to 1963, whose calling card said, “Have Gun will Travel”, as trial consultants, we go where the action is. The action is the case; we travel to the trial venues. Members of the Magnus team have worked […]

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I met a naive young person recently who, upon learning I travel with a team of people for work purposes, remarked, “That must be great not to travel alone!”, to which I replied, “It depends on who is traveling with me.”  I have traveled far and wide in the performance of my job on behalf […]

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Disappointments

A Point of View

David H. Fauss, M.S.M.

On April 7, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

Operating a small business is not for the faint of heart. Though some say, “its just business,” I can say it is still personal. There is a saying, life is full of disappointments. And, running a business is full of them. By definition, because an entrepreneur is taking risks, seeking business, etc., hearing “no” is […]

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Another View

Melissa Pigott, Ph.D.

On April 7, 2016

Category: Business Frustrations, Business personalities, Marketing your Business, Small Business Success, Trial Consulting

I share David’s frustration over the ratio of proposals sent to clients versus cases for which we are retained. In fact, I have contemplated charging potential clients for their proposals, particularly those who repeatedly contact us about their cases and rarely or never retain us.  However, as much as I would like to be able […]

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