Themes should be short and concise. Persuasive openings are well organized . This is not as obvious as it sounds. The theme is reinforced by the content of the presentation and manner in which it is made. Consider the order in which key information or points are presented.
Information is remembered best when encountered first or last, respectively.
As a rule, information encountered in the middle of a presentation is remembered least well. 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.