I’m making my first speaker female and the second male simply for the sake of variety.
First, the conversation with her secretary.
What she says:
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“No rush.”
What she means:
“I see you’re running for the bus. Don’t stay late to do this. If you get it done first thing tomorrow morning, that will be fine.”
What he hears:
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“Never.”
Second, the conversation with opposing counsel.
What she says:
“We might pay $50,000 to $100,000 to settle this case.”
What she means:
“I have authority for $75,000.”
What he hears:
“She just offered $100,000. I bet I can squeeze $150,000 out of her.”
Third, the partner talking to the associate.
What she says:
“I need it by Tuesday.”
What she means:
“Monday would be nice.”
What he hears:
“It can probably wait until Thursday.”
Finally, talking to the client about the cost of preparing for trial.
What she says:
“The case should probably cost $500,000 to the morning of trial.”
What she means:
“But nothing is predictable. And the Lord works in mysterious ways. And if it goes to a million, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
What he hears:
“I’ll budget $500,000, and I might beat that by a few bucks.”
Say what you mean. Maybe it would help.
Mark Herrmann spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and is now responsible for litigation and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law and Inside Straight: Advice About Lawyering, In-House And Out, That Only The Internet Could Provide (affiliate links). You can reach him by email at [email protected].