How to Gain Attention

Today, gaining your share of attention in any business or communication situation has become the objective, the name of the game.

Why?
The sheer number of many communication platforms to lock in the relatively short attention span of so many people today.

It has become more difficult, much harder and harder, to get your share of attention.

Now, most sales people will tell you the name of the game in fact is closing the sale.

Thus, there is an over-the-top eagerness to move to the close far too quickly.
This tactic or battering ram tends to unnerve interested people.

Focusing on this one function of sales is short-sighted.
The facts are simple: only the customer can make the decision that leads to closing the sale.

This decision is not in the sales person’s control.

What is in their control is the ability to create numerous opportunities to gain the attention of a significant number of would-be buyers, which, if used positively and sensibly will lead to sales success

Given the attention span of most people today is unrelentingly small you simply must have a way to grab your share of attention, and be able to do it quickly. Let’s discuss how to make this happen.

As said, the first and probably the most crucial part of dealing with people you don’t know, especially today, is to gain their attention.

By attention, I mean something beyond a cursory glance, or a nod of the head.

Now, if you are unable to grab and keep someone’s attention you will be unable to gain agreement, sell to them, nor motivate them.

So, how do you give yourself a fighting chance to sell yourself?

First, let’s take a step back and look at the situation you face today.

If attracting and holding attention is the secret, particularly in a business context, why has it got so tough?

Well, information is virtually exploding on to your inner theatre, and like any big bang it is remorselessly gathering momentum.

It never ends, 24 hours a day, non-stop.

So, take a look at some of the distractions staring you in the face and demanding your time.

It is an information minefield. There are:

More TV channels than ever before.
More magazines than ever before.
More web pages than ever before.
More social media than ever before.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Linked In, and so on.

More mobile phones than ever before. And there’s far more!

More ads than ever before.
More traders than ever before.
More offers than ever before, and on it goes.

Only the fittest can survive this information and knowledge onslaught.

Charles Darwin would nod his head in complete agreement.

The challenge is to make your selling process, your pitch so magnetic, so clever, that it becomes impossible for people not to notice you.

It is imperative to have a strategy for gaining your share of attention.

You will be unable to get a YES or a NO unless you have skin in the game.

So, what does a strategy provide?

Well, it provides a means towards the end of gaining your share of attention so you are in a position to make an offer.

A strategy is something you devise and ultimately you control.

Once you have a strategy, a blueprint, you will know what action to take.

So, what will take centre stage in your plan, your strategy?

One important piece, perhaps the most significant piece, is branding, your personal branding.

The right branding will project you into the hearts and minds of a specific tribe of people, a tribe that needs your expertise.

They will link what you have to offer to their own particular needs.

So, without you they will not be able to prosper.

So, branding is one of the keys.

The initial task is to use the power of your mind, your creativity, and your rich imagination and stop for a moment and think about your personal brand.

What can you do to make it different, unique?

Why should people spend and give you their attention?

What else do you need to think about?

Spend some time to think about your personal brand.

How can you make it more appealing, more attractive, more compelling, and draw people towards, you?

The simple goal is to make it so magnetic they simply cannot ignore you.

Routine chores of business are conducted because they are needed to keep you in business.

But this is precious time that prevents you from building and developing future, profitable relationships. What can you do?

The amount of time spent undertaking routine, mundane business matters is staggeringly high.

It takes up a large slice of the working week, an increasingly huge percentage of your valuable time.

Generally, it is paperwork perspiration.

Some of it is mandatory, much of it pointless.

Of course, groundwork and preparation for meetings and other matters is essential, but it fails the number one test, the number one priority of why you are in business – building and developing relationships.

You soon hit a paradox.

You cannot run your business unless you attend to and perform these tasks, yet you most certainly cannot build your business if it takes up too much of your time.

You have come full circle, you get back to attention.

Take a look.

The only event that can build your business is attention.
The only move that can turn somebody into a customer is attention.
The only state that can grow your career is attention.
The only position that can create success is attention.
The only person who can help to make you more prosperous must have your attention.

Your prosperity is directly linked to the number of relationships you build and develop.

These relationships gain the attention of prospective buyers of who you are and what you sell.

If there is no contact with a potential customer, then you cannot build a relationship.

If it isn’t possible for a potential customer to say YES or NO because their attention is not subjected to your offer, then you cannot build a relationship.

Any time spent where a potential customer is not in a position to say YES or NO, is profitably wasted time because you cannot build a relationship.

So, what is needed?

An escape, a positive escape from the rigours of routine.

Well, yes, but how?

Take a final look.

Make contact with a prospective customer your number one priority that must be attempted first thing each and every business day.

Prioritise your day around customer contact, nothing less is acceptable.

Discover ways to attract the attention of customers and actively test them.

Let customer contact dominate your day.

Switch your efforts from 80% routine to 80% attention and stick with it.

The only time you have any control over is your own.

So, focus your energy almost entirely, conclusively on gaining attention.

The big question you need to ask yourself at the end of the day is:

How many people did I gain the attention of today?

Just think about your time. How you might allocate your time in a more effective way and when you’ve done this, test them out rigorously.

Make it a mission; gain the attention of more potential, profitable customers.

Then link your strategy to your brand.

So, all up, your daily focus is on gaining attention.

This means contacting existing and prospective customers each working day as your first priority, your number one priority.

Challenge yourself because this will guarantee your business success grows and grows.

Decide to aim high.

Your personal branding will be a huge payoff for you because you will know precisely what it is you want to project.

You will be able to deliver a consistent message.

Everything you do can aid, support, develop and further strengthen your brand.

And you need a strategy linked to your personal brand for gaining the attention of future customers.

It is smart to have a clear vision of how to influence somebody into becoming a lifelong supporter, an advocate of yours.

This may mean altering the way you attempt to sell.

Instead of trying to close every meeting with a sale, instead focus on discovering the few headaches a person really has, but don’t offer a solution.

Ask questions, show your interest, and then say something like, “That’s interesting, perhaps we get together, have a coffee, and discuss that.”

You can basically adopt one of three ways to get things done.

You can force, you can negotiate, or you can persuade.

Place yourself squarely in the persuasion camp.

Become competent, no brilliant, at gaining rapport, and learn the art of business negotiation.

Without realising it, you probably are already a pretty good negotiator.

Virtually everything you’ve done in your life, and continue to do, requires negotiation.

So, now you are going to become a skilled business negotiator, a super skilled business relationship negotiator, an attention expert.

This approach shows you are not pushy, not just another sales person, and avoids the feeling of being disappointed when you do not get an immediate response.

Winning the hearts and minds of people can be a patient, waiting, but clever game built around your brand and strategy.

The fulcrum on which your business success is finally balanced is your ability, your daily effort at gaining attention.

Now, friendship is one of the most powerful triggers that gets results.

Similarity, familiarity, co-operation and collaboration win the day every single time.

Be an authority, share information, comment on your experiences about something highly relevant to them.

Your job is to listen and provide ideas.

Be different.

Your aim is to gain attention and get a detailed knowledge of their needs.

Once you have a clear knowledge of their values, beliefs, decision making, habits, goals, desires, and so on, you will have a business friend for life.

Get it out of your head that your purpose is to close a sale.

It isn’t.

Your sole purpose is to gain attention.

This is taking care of business.

Your results will flow from this.

Think a bit more about your time.

How you might allocate your time in a more effective way so you gain more attention, and then test these methods absolutely rigorously, and you’re going to find your business will absolutely accelerate exponentially.

Welcome to your new mantra!

The more opportunities a person has to buy from you, the more likely they will buy from you.
The less opportunity a person has to buy from you, the less likely they will buy from you.

So, think opportunity!

Your mission, your sole mission, is to gain attention, get in rapport, build trust, and discover someone’s real headaches.

Patience! Have little or no emphasis on closing a sale!

Each day keep a record of the number of people you have gained attention and then each week you can go for your personal best.

Think growth!

Think gaining attention!

 If you can excel at gaining the attention of a significant number of would-be buyers you will be a mile ahead of the competition.

Most of them will be back at the office sharpening their pencils, doing the paperwork.

You will be OUT of your comfort zone, on the open road, winning the game.

Go ahead and consider how you can communicate indirectly without irritating people.

Most people today are tired of the constant drip-feed, drip, drip, drip of useless information aimed stealthily at selling you something.

Don’t do it.

Instead why not exceed a person’s expectations by speaking about or sending them something you know they have a keen interest in.

Again, without any attempt to close any sale.

This, in essence, is focusing on their interests, their needs, rather than your bottom line.

Become a champion at gaining attention. Attempt to contact a person a minimum of 5 to 10 times before making a serious pitch.

Ultimately this will pay off.

You may think this will consume a large amount of time; perhaps it will, but you can console yourself that it is far better than remaining stuck with less than brilliant results.

Begin to find a way to leverage your actions.

For example, if you intend to send one email to one person, stop for a moment and find a way to send the same email to maybe10 people.

There are a considerable number of opportunities that you can exploit.

Now these opportunities are generally missed because most people much prefer to do the same things in the same way irrespective of their results.

We just love that lovely, warm comfort zone.

Well, you can be different, you can be bold.

Dare to be different. Your objective is to gain attention.

Take some time and think about your industry and the potential ways that you can use to gain attention.

Focus solely on gaining attention.

Create a strategy, experiment, test and persevere.

Make it your mission.

The more people you gain the attention of the more prosperous ultimately you will become.

This is taking care of business.

Pay attention! I bet you have been told this a few times in your life!

Growing up, I’m sure you can remember how exasperated your parents could become.

Of course, it is not a command you hear once you are an adult, at least not directly.

What can you do when your attention is constantly wavering and preventing you from being more productive?

Though you are less likely to be told to pay attention, you still hear it, but it happens in side your own head.

This happens when your mind gets tangled up in something outside of what you need to think about and do.

You are surrounded by all kinds of stimuli.

It is easy to get diverted from what you should ideally be doing.

Once fixated it can be tough making a voluntary escape.

Some of the time we actively invite distraction if something is too challenging, but it doesn’t help.

Remember your mission:

Gain attention, get in rapport, and build trust.

Think growth!

Think gaining attention!

What can you do to reduce the amount of time, precious time, caused by being distracted too easily?

Once you are distracted you may not notice what is important.

This is the way a magician performs his tricks.

Many people believe that if there is an opportunity staring at them they will see it and go get it. But will they?

Well, if they are not paying attention it is unlikely to happen.

The truth is simple: You have to find a way, a method to direct your own attention.

If an opportunity does come along and you are not paying attention you may miss something that could change your life, so it is important to have some kind of method to scale back distractions.

The opposite can be true; you may miss an opportunity if you are totally focused on what you is doing!

However, your responsibility is to focus your mind so you can think and deal with your priorities.

You should be able to disengage and re-engage.

Controlling your attention is the objective.

Try these five ways to overcome distractions.

1. Take a regular break for 5 minutes after working solidly for 30-45 minutes. Get up and walk about.
2. Breathe the distraction out, just relax, take a deep breath and slowly exhale imagining the distraction disappearing as you breathe out.
3. Imagine emptying your mind of the distraction with a vacuum cleaner.
4. Imagine writing the distraction on a blackboard with chalk. Now, wipe it clean.
5. Imagine collecting up all distractions and place them in your hand. Now, crush together and throw them away.

Keep in mind that you will get a good idea today and a better idea tomorrow!