Storytelling in the Courtroom
Written by Shala Hainer Tuesday, August 30 2011
Snapshot: Juliet Huck, founder, TheHuckGroup
Juliet Huck took her advertising and marketing expertise to the next level by seeking a new outlet for her creativity: Visually Persuasive Storytelling, a concept Huck has trademarked. She no longer makes people feel good about choosing a certain product; instead, she makes people feel comfortable making decisions that affect the lives of other people. Most notably, she translates complex scenarios into compelling stories for use in the courtroom. But she may also create her stories for use in the boardroom or conference room.
Since 1999, when she launched TheHuckGroup with $10,000, she has grown her company to $2.4 million in annual revenues. Huck uses her graphic design background to help expert testimony and complicated issues make sense to jurors and other audiences. She and her team at TheHuckGroup determine which pieces of the message need more explanation, then put themselves in the mind-sets of the audience to create visual media that enable the audience to process the message effectively.
Huck has worked on some extremely high-profile cases, including Scott Peterson, Enron, Kobe Bryant, and ExxonMobil. She has worked with more than 70 law firms on nearly 250 cases, influencing decisions involving millions of dollars.
TheHuckGroup has two offices: Chicago and Los Angeles, where Huck resides. Before starting TheHuckGroup, she owned an advertising graphic design company in Chicago and was the creative director for FTI Consulting in Chicago and Los Angeles.
Womenetics: How did you discover that your graphic design skills could persuade people in areas other than advertising?
Juliet Huck: Once I entered the litigation support industry, I realized this was an untapped avenue.
Womenetics: What changes did you have to make in your marketing and communication skills to focus on the visual aspect of litigation?
Huck: Being in the business prior to opening my own firm, I learned that the industry is extremely relationship based. So I knew I needed to get out and educate clients on a new way to look at how to become a powerful persuasive messenger.
Womenetics: You've worked with some very high-profile clients. How and to whom do you market TheHuckGroup? Do you rely on repeat business, word of mouth, or media coverage?
Huck: Again, being a relationship-based market I have worked very high to achieve a reputation for TheHuckGroup as expert creative problem solvers. Because I am pioneering a new way of thinking, the media has had a hard time knowing how to describe us. We don’t fit in most boxes, so again our success is what has defined us. This is why referral and repeat business are so valuable for us.
Womenetics: What type of company do you consider to be your strongest competitor in the persuasive visual industry, and what makes your company stand out from them?
Huck: I believe the large “one-stop shops” are our closest competition, only because I have been in the business almost 18 years and have grown up with the industry. Our creativity and ability to make the complex simple and believable based on facts is what set us apart. I have heard clients say this to us many times. We have also experienced being brought in after another firm has been let go because of our reputation for the creative ideas we bring to the table. This requires a lot of quick catch-up on difficult subjects, but we are known as quick learners as well.
Womenetics: How do you incorporate social media in your plan to further your clients' interests and persuade their audiences?
Huck: I don’t incorporate it as much as I put myself in the shoes of people who do use social media. This gives us the perspective on how people like to receive their information and how quickly they can comprehend. This is a big subject as we present to a very wide age range – really unlike any advertising. So part of our thought process is looking at all ranges of age, race, locality, etc., to make sure we presenting information in a way the audience can relate. This is formula I have trademarked as The Equation of Persuasion.
Womenetics: What has been your biggest challenge during the rapid growth of your company?
Huck: Hiring. This is not an industry where you can recruit from colleges. The learning curve is very long, and the right brain-left brain thinker is very hard to find.
Womenetics: TheHuckGroup says it "understands how people understand." How does this theory translate into breaking down the facts of your client's case and presenting those facts to a jury?
Huck: Again, it goes back to The Equation of Persuasion. You really have to get out of your own ideas and belief systems and listen to others. Not only the audience – we work toward getting our clients to understand how important this step of the process can be to getting a successful verdict.
Womenetics: What advice would you share with women trying to find their niche as a small business?
Huck: Do something that you are passionate about, therefore it won’t seem like work. Be prepared to eat, sleep, and breathe the business as 100 percent is not good enough. What I have learned is good is the detriment of great. And in this economy only great will succeed.
Womenetics: How is running your own design business different -- better or worse -- than working in a corporate design firm?
Huck: I won’t lie, as it has been very challenging at times. But I can say proudly that my worst day owning my own business is still better than my best day in corporate. I guess I just love the challenge.
Womenetics: What do you like to do in your down time? Do you have any hobbies or favorite ways to relax?
Huck: I head to Palm Springs and escape. Sitting in silence and meditation is when my creative side gets refueled.
Based near Atlanta, Shala Hainer has been writing and copyediting since 1995. Beginning her career at newspapers such as the Marietta Daily Journal and the Atlanta Business Chronicle, she most recently wrote and edited articles for several nonprofit organizations before purchasing a flower shop in 2006. She earned a bachelor’s in communications from Jacksonville State University.
