Keep it simple, your honour.

Why is Judge Judy one of America’s highest-rated TV shows? Why is her show so popular with viewers all over the English-speaking world?

The plaintiffs and defendants are very ordinary people. Some of them would appear to be naturally delinquent, to some degree. Few of them seem to be the beneficiaries of higher education, and doubtless none of them would claim to be intellectuals. In truth, they’re not really very interesting people.

The cases are trivial. He stole my TV. She owes me a hundred bucks. We wonder if these matters would ever have come before a real court in the first place. Are they really proper court material, we ask?

And Judge Judy herself is not someone you’d want to appear before – or maybe even sit beside on a bus.

Dull cases, brought by ordinary, sometimes rather dull, people. Cases determined in summary style, often perversely, by a generally unlikeable judge.  What makes it such compelling viewing?

Simplicity. There are goodies and baddies. We can quickly decide who’s which, and take sides.

We can try and predict  for whom the judge will find, and why. And it’s all over in a relative flash. Three or four cases in half an hour?

People like justice. Of course we do. In a world where we sometimes doubt such a quality exists, we can watch Judge Judy dispense it rapid-fire. When we agree with her, we’re reassured. When we disagree, we can relish our righteous indignation.

And this isn’t play stuff. Scheindlin’s findin’s are bindin’. As far as the participants are concerned, this is as good as a real court of law.

But, by golly, it’s so simple. Unlike a real court of law, we can understand it. Because Judge Judy speaks not only like hizonner, but – you remember that junior school teacher? In fact, you remember how that junior school teacher treated you almost like another parent?  In language we could – and still can – clearly understand. That made it very clear who was wrong, and who was right, and what ought to be. There’s no mistaking Judge Judy. If you done wrong, you’ll know all about it. If you bin wronged, she may not like you, but she’ll look after you.

And don’t you dare answer back…

Judge Judy is about as authoritative as one could wish to be. Everyone listening to her knows where they stand. Everyone listening knows exactly what she means. The way Judge Judy delivers it, even though you may not like it, you know she’s right. At worst, you suspect she’s right.

And she does it without long speeches, without long words, without pompous oratory.

Come on guys, there’s a lesson here. Keep it simple. Keep it short. And keep it in plain language. Easy Understanding Wins Followers.

You may be a businessman, or an official, or a politician. But if you can engage your audience the way Judge Judy does, they’ll keep coming back for more. Even if they don’t like you.

They really wouldn't like it

The aggrieved family are interviewed outside the courthouse, asked about the reaction to the acquittal of the man who set fire to their house.

They say ‘ We’d just like to say how angry we are…’

A senior Army officer is interviewed on the radio.  Some of his troops had got carried away with war, and had abused a prisoner. The regiment was ashamed.

He says ‘ I’d like to apologise, most sincerely…’

The CEO of the oil company is asked about spilling oil into the Gulf of Mexico. He says ‘ I’d like to say how sorry we are…’

None of them mean it.

They certainly don’t like saying these things. They don’t enjoy it, and there’s no pleasure in making their statements.

The aggrieved family can be forgiven. They almost certainly don’t have helpers experienced in the matters of media interviews and public statements.

The army officer does, though. And the CEO. They should know better. They should pick their words more carefully.

‘I have to say how sorry we are…’

‘I must apologise…’

Or even ‘We regret. We are sorry. We apologise.’

It’s not that listeners forensically examine such statements, looking for poorly-chosen words and phrases. We hear – and listen – very quickly these days. On the run, on the fly. We don’t remember the exact words. Rather, we absorb a sense of someone’s meaning. On the way, we unconsciously calculate their sincerity.

Everyday words and phrases slip by us un-noted. Speakers often introduce a statement with ‘I’d like to say – this or that.’  It’s commonplace.

But something happens with a change of words. Phrases such as ‘We regret’ or ‘We’re sorry’ or ‘We apologise’ are much less commonplace. They trigger that little extra recognition that turns a statement away from the glib, toward the genuine. All without the listener really knowing it’s happening.

Just a few better-chosen words can change a message from one that people hear – into one to which they listen.