Winning Every Time: How to Use the Skills of a Lawyer in the Trials of Your Life

Whether you’re hoping to obtain a raise from your boss, convince an insurance claim representative to reimburse your medical treatment, or persuade your spouse into spending less time watching TV and more time with you, Winning Every Time will be your guide for truly practical and helpful advice about how to make that case effectively—and win it hands down. Too often we argue conclusions without the benefit of a premise, react from anger instead of presenting hard facts, feel defensive when sensing resistance, or fail to make calm, irrefutable counterarguments. In this dynamic, groundbreaking book, Lis Wiehl shows how to apply the skills, smarts, and strategies of a lawyer and stay in command whenever life makes you feel as though you are on trial. Writing in an engaging, accessible style, Wiehl teaches you how to become your own best advocate, so you can plead your case with precision—and win the hearts (and change the minds) of even the most recalcitrant “juror.” You’ll learn the eight easy-to-follow rules of persuasion to winning a case: Know What You Want: The Theory of the Case—outline your premise clearly and establish your objective accordingly Choose and Cultivate Your Audience: Voir Dire— bring your case to the person who “calls the shots” and know the perfect time and place to do so Marshal Your Evidence: Discovery—assemble all the facts that support your cause, even information that may challenge your objective Advocate with Confidence: Making the Case—present your opening argument and offer your evidence calmly and methodically Counter the Claims: Cross-examination—challenge your opponent’s allegations consistently, but gently, through a series of “yes or no” questions Stay True to Your Case: Avoid the Seven Deadly Spins—keep your argument authentic by avoiding false inferences, hearsay, and subjectivity Advocate with Heart: Let Me Tell You a Story—make your case personal with a special story that will convey your message in a memorable way Sum It Up: The Closing Argument—deliver a fervent and succinct summation of your theory and evidence . . . and close the deal Along with practical advice on how to state your case effectively and come out on top, this remarkable book features incisive stories from real people who have transformed their lives through advocacy. With amazing, result-oriented strategies, Winning Every Times will help you stay in command whenever life makes you feel as though you are on trial.