Psychologists define "Attention" as "that act of the mind which holds to a given object perceived by one or more senses, to the exclusion of all other objects that might be perceived at that time by the same or other senses." A knock at a door attracts attention because it temporarily diverts the previous attentiveness of the mind to other things, and concentrates it on a new object of attention. The sense of hearing is struck. Whether or not the mind is willing to hear, it cannot help perceiving the sudden new sound. Its attention is forced. The instant the knock is heard, the mind is compelled to drop or suspend what it has been thinking about; though this exclusive new attention to the knock may last but a fraction of a second.
Our senses function under the control of the sub-conscious mind. It is futile for us to will that we won't hear, or see, or taste, etc. We have to take in sense impressions, whether we want to do so or not. Therefore, if you employ restrictively the sense-hitting method, you can force the man upon whom you call to give his attention to you or to the presentation of your ideas.
Inducing Interest
It is necessary to discriminate, however, between the use of the avenues to reach the mind center of attention, and the use of very different ways into the mind center of interest. If you start wrong, there is very little chance that you will arrive at the right destination. The center of interest is wholly under the control of the conscious mind. Your prospect can refuse to be interested, if he chooses, despite your determination to interest him. His interest must be induced. Any attempt to compel it is apt to have a fatal result. Nearly always such an effort to force interest develops antagonism, instead.
But there are methods of inducing interest that are just as sure to succeed as are the sense-hitting methods by which attention may be compelled. This double step in the process of selling the true idea of your best capabilities in the right market can be taken with absolute certainty of success if you know and practice the principles in accordance with which the master salesman sells his ideas of goods to prospects. We are to study these principles now, as applied to the sale of your qualifications for success in the field you have selected.
Exclusive Agreeable Attention
When you enter the office of your prospect—your chosen future employer, for example—he will be giving his attention to something. No one, while he is awake, can be wholly non-attentive. Your function, at this stage of the selling process, is to compel him to stop paying attention to something or somebody else, and to give you and your ideas his exclusive attention.
Avoid Making Unfavorable Impressions
Of course good salesmanship makes it advisable also to avoid creating a disagreeable impression while forcing yourself and your ideas upon the attention of your prospect. The conscious mind governs a man's likes and dislikes. So if you knock compellingly at the door of that mind to gain attention, you may arouse very unfavorable attention. For illustration, a boisterous greeting of your prospect, or a very noisy entrance into his office, would doubtless compel his attention by the direct hammering on his senses. But the attraction of his attention to you would affect the operations of both his conscious and sub-conscious minds, and his conscious mind would be disagreeably impressed. His compelled attention, therefore, might result in your being thrown out.
Gaining Both Attention And Interest