Effective opening statements take advantage of persuasive techniques such as rhetorical questions , carefully weaving them into the fabric of the presentation. Rhetorical questions help guide the jurors' search for answers and sometimes imply answers on their own. For strong cases, placing rhetorical questions near the beginning of the statement is persuasive. However, for weak cases, rhetorical questions placed in the beginning of the presentation reduce persuasion because the answers to these questions are either not forthcoming or are equivocal. Rhetorical questions at the end of the opening statement are also effective when they address the weak points of the opponent's case.
Inoculation is a technique which increases the resistance to persuasion.
As the name implies, this technique is analogous to the medical technique of inoculating patients to increase their resistance to disease. Inoculation in persuasion occurs by exposing jurors to a weakened version of the opponent's arguments and successfully refuting these arguments, thus making the jurors aware of counterarguments to the opponent's position. When the opponent later raises the argument, jurors are able to resist it more successfully. Persuasive opening statements enable the jurors to see the case from the client's perspective . They recreate the events as seen through the client's eyes.