Case Narrative and the Rule of Seven

Photo: pointnshoot, Flickr Creative Commons

f you are familiar with marketing, you’ve likely heard the phrase, “the Rule of Seven.” It’s an old marketing adage that means someone has to see or hear your message at least seven times before it sinks in. How does this apply to case narrative? The process of getting jurors to understand and believe your case isn’t that different from convincing them to buy a nice, juicy hamburger. Even if you’ve done your jury research and carefully crafted your case narrative, sizzling hamburgers don’t sell themselves.

Why Do I Have to Repeat Myself?

There are 3 main reasons you have to repeat your message:

1. Noise – In today’s society, people are constantly being bombarded with information, and our brains have grown stubborn in self-defense: they ignore messages the first few times they hear them so we aren’t overwhelmed by the constant noise around us. Even in a courtroom there are plenty of distractions: the defendant keeps fidgeting in his chair; the juror behind them keeps sniffling; and they can’t stop wondering how long til lunch so they can order from the delicious burger joint down the street.
2. They don’t need this information… yet – Even though a juror’s duty is to follow all the evidence presented in order to reach a verdict, they often don’t pay as close attention as they should. They assume the other jurors are listening, or that the lawyers will recap the important stuff in closing arguments, and don’t they get to look at the evidence during deliberation anyway? And if they are not actively listening, it’s likely they’ll miss your message if it’s only presented once.
3. The main reason: they don’t trust you – If the general tone of lawyer jokes hadn’t tipped you off already, a study by Princeton University has concluded that no one trusts lawyers. Offer someone a hamburger and they’ll suspect a lawsuit is hiding under the bun. This is the main truth behind the Rule of Seven: it takes time for people to get to know you and to trust that what you have to say is true.

Overcoming the Rule of Seven with Pittsburgh Trial Support Services

So how can you turn the Rule of Seven to your advantage? Good marketers know never to stick to one marketing technique, but to instead vary their approach. This keeps the information from becoming stale, and who wants a stale hamburger? Precise’s Pittsburgh trial support services help you keep things fresh with video services, interactive depositions, trial animations and graphics, and technical assistance in the courtroom. We help keep your narrative engaging, keeping jurors focused on your case instead of the juicy hamburgers waiting for them in recess.

Call us today at 866-277-3247 to learn more about our Pittsburgh trial support services. The expert trial consultants at Precise give you the edge you need in the courtroom. (And perhaps we’ve even helped you decide what to have for lunch.)