In Ben Parr’s Captivology, another ground-breaking book has emerged on the science of capturing attention. Parr brings our attention to seven triggers that call people to attention. Perhaps the magic number has to do with Parr’s years of research sifting through thousands of studies (from neurology to sociology) and conducting interviews (from Steven Soderbergh to David Copperfield) to arrive at his premise. That is, if you can’t capture attention, how do you expect to capture anything else in terms of your goals, ambitions, or bottom line?
His seven triggers explain further:
1. Automaticity
Because we are hardwired to respond viscerally, using sensory cues helps direct attention automatically. After all, instinct outsmarts reason when it comes to our survival and safety. This doesn’t mean firing a gun (to be heard) or wearing red (to be noticed) but using subtle cues to play on people’s gut. For instance, giving a cup of coffee to a client makes them more giving and friendly in return. Studies prove it has to do with exposure to warmth.
2. Framing
Our perceptions are shaped by biological, social, and personal experiences. These frames of reference lead us to either embrace certain ideas or avoid them entirely. So, to leverage this trigger, you must either adapt or change the frame. One technique is repetition. If a statement is repeated long enough (for instance, Jesus was born on September 11, 3 BC), people will start to believe it is true. Proving that if you want something to sink in, don’t be afraid to repeat it. Jesus? Born on 9-11? It’s true.
3. Disruption
When an incident violates our expectations, we love it – because we become hell-bent on figuring out the threat. In fact, the more disruptive it is, the more interesting it becomes. It’s called the Expectancy Violations Theory. It doesn’t mean blowing something up to make your point. Rather, it asks you to leverage surprise and novelty in a positive way to make your point. Like asking a provocative question, meeting a tough deadline, or inviting your boss for lunch instead of an office meeting. It’s the twist in the plot. Unexpected. The irony in a joke. Or a detour from expectations.
4. Reward
Dopamine is traditionally seen as a pleasure-seeker. Yet, it is also a neurotransmitter for anticipation and motivation – fuelling desires for basic wants right up to a lofty sense of self-worth and purpose. Which means, your goal as a manager is not only to identify incentives for reward, but to bring them to life viscerally. So, if you want to take your team to an off-site after a big project, don’t just tell them about it. Send them pictures. Make them touch, experience, or even visualise the reward for greater impact.
5. Reputation
‘Directed Deference’ is a phenomenon that neuro-economists cite to explain why the decision-making centres of our brains slow or shutdown when we receive advice from someone we perceive to be an expert. Apparently, consumers consistently rate experts as more trusted than CEOs or celebrity spokespeople. To a large extent this explains the power and success of influencers to drive trial and product choices. They appear to be experts and therefore they are.
6. Mystery
There’s even a name for it. Named after the Soviet psychologist who discovered it, The Zeigarnik Effect explains how our memory is fine tuned to remember incomplete stories and tasks and why, because we dislike uncertainty, we will use any means possible to reduce the dissonance. This is your weapons-grade cliff hanger. But in business, it means completing an action on the second round of meetings so that interest and attention can be built up and held long enough to close a sale or reach an agreement.
7. Acknowledgement
All mammals want attention. Only human beings need acknowledgement. Our need for validation from others is a driving force. It’s our sense of belonging to a community, participating in a group, being situated in a context, living for a purpose. If you successfully create this feeling for anyone whose attention you would like to capture, chances are you will be repaid generously.
If you would like to know how Yield Branding can help you capture attention for your brand, please contact Ted Nation, President tnation@yieldbranding.com or 416-458-1200.
