Source of article 2's Company - Magnus Insights.

Okay, what do trial consultants and dentists have in common? I was prompted to think about this recently when I met a dentist who is participating in the Jim Moran Institute/Florida State University Small Business Executive Program with me. He and I were discussing how people dread going to the dentist. It is one of those universal fears. Maybe fear is the wrong word, but dread fits for most people. They fear or dread the pain, and the noise, or maybe it is the huge needles. I know it is one or more of those things for me. And, apparently, it is a fact that affects dentists, who have high rates of depression, substance abuse, and other personal problems. Well, as I asked, what do we, as trial consultants, have in common with dentists? I think there are some clients, a minority of them, who dread calling us to work on a case because they dread the time, money, and extra work they will do when engaging us. Sometimes, for some clients, they dread getting results which are not to their liking. Perhaps their case is not as good as it can be or perhaps they told their client that it is better than it really is. Some clients really seem to dread calling us to the point that they avoid it at their peril, and sometimes until it is too late. Many lawyers will do everything they can do to settle a case, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but when they settle as a risk avoidance approach – when they do not have a benchmark from mock trials, perhaps it is a bad thing. Some clients/lawyers have made it clear that they “know it all??? and demonstrated, to us at least, that they didn’t want anyone to tell them otherwise for fear their clients would see through their facade. Others avoid us to “save the client’s money??? when that argument is often quite shallow. At least one paralegal said, “I hope we never have a case big enough to call you again because the last time we did it was too much work for me…??? (She is not my kind of employee!) End clients, such as risk managers and insurance claims professionals, seem to not to want to have to call us because they are hoping they aren’t facing a claim large enough to warrant us. I understand their perspective to a degree, but claims are a reality of these jobs, and they should be prepared to use the resources available to them when necessary. That’s why I go to the dentist for cleanings and more – they are a resource I need. In the case of trial consultants, we are just that – and just like having shining, clean teeth, the outcome of the research results, or other consultations, are positive – getting better results for the client, and looking better (or smarter) for having done so. And we don’t have any needles to be afraid of…