Liam Sandford

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3 Pillars of the Attention Game

Liam Sandford

We live in a world where attention is the top currency. There is always somewhere else you could spend your time and attention. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube etc. All are rabbit holes you could spend hours and hours in.

So, whether you are a speaker, writer, creator or thought leader, you have to learn to play the attention game.

How are you going to come out on top when there are millions of other things your audience could be doing?

I will get to that, but first an important principle to keep in mind:

When you say ‘yes’ to something, you are actively saying ‘no’ to everything else you could be doing at that time.

The same goes for everyone else. To win the attention game, you have to start big, stay engaging, and inspire action to leave a lasting impact. Give people a reason to stay engaged with what you are saying.

3 pillars of the attention game

Emotion: When you trigger an emotion it makes it easier for the audience to connect to what you are saying. You are not just giving them information, you are relating it to their life. When they feel you are speaking or writing directly to them and can solve a problem they have, you have their undivided attention. Know which emotion you are trying to evoke in your audience:

  • ‘That is so funny’

  • ‘That is amazing’

  • ‘That is crazy’

  • ‘Finally, someone said what I feel’

  • ‘That is great news’

  • ‘I am intrigued’

Keep it moving: The killer of attention is unnecessary context. Your audience don’t need every detail. They need the defining moments. This goes for writing. This goes for speaking. If you want to keep people interested, everything you say must move the point on to the next piece of information the audience absolutely need.

Actionable items: Give people clear steps they can take. A lot of advice comes in the form of wishy washy platitudes that sound great but have no substance. People will switch off if there is no depth to what you are saying. By showcasing clear, actionable items you will not only keep your audience engaged as they plan their next steps, but they will remember it was you that set them on the right course. This creates your true fans — those whose attention you have captured forever.

Actionable takeaways

  • Play the attention game every time you speak and write. Trigger emotions to do this effectively — select from the list above with every piece of content you write, and with every story you tell.

  • Provide actionable items. This needs to include the next clear step that people can take. Clarity is everything when it comes to taking action. If something is unclear there is too much friction in the way of making it happen.

  • Keep your actionable items simple. If it is not easy for someone to understand, or they have to think about it for a long time you will lose them.

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