The quickest way to get people’s attention

After a scary near miss recently (which totally wasn’t my fault, ok?), I learnt that a whopping 77% of car accidents happen within 10 miles of your home.

Naturally we’re more likely to be driving near where we live.

But studies show we also get complacent about traffic safety, because we think we know the roads like the back of our hand.

And so we go on autopilot – like I did with my near miss.  (Damn. I ‘fessed up.)

When we think we know something, we switch off.

It’s why we don’t open our gas bills or emails from strangers with the subject line ‘Meeting request’. We know what happens next (and it’s probably going to be painful.)

So, to stop your audience switching off, change ONE thing. It signals to them that it’s fresh and new, so they need to pay attention.  For example you could:

• Use an emoji in your email subject line (don’t panic - it doesn’t have to be a pink unicorn. It can be something more ‘businessy’)

• Start your team meeting with a question about something topical, instead of the usual turgid round-the-room updates

• Switch up the title of your regular report so it’s not just ‘Q1/Q2/Q3 Report’

So what ONE thing are you going to change?