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We are disconnected with each other. It seems conversation is becoming a lost art.

When teenagers get together, they might text each other or play video games on their smart phones, with little other interaction.

Millennials view voice calls as a rude interruption.

Many of us spend considerable time using social media without talking to each other.

We are afraid to start conversations with strangers and don't have many conversations with friends and loved ones.

According to Harvard Business School researcher Nancy F. Koehn, goldfish have longer attention spans than humans: nine seconds compared to eight seconds.

Sam Horn started her quest to help others communicate more effectively by coaching writers at the Maui Writers Conference to pitch their books to publishers. They had to learn how to tell publishers in sixty seconds what their book was about and why someone would want to read it.

When you are trying to build a relationship or promote an idea, product, or service, you have to capture and keep your audience's interest and attention.

Sam tells her readers to start by preparing a "W5 Form".

1. What is an upcoming situation for which you want to prepare?
2. Who is your intended audience?
3. Where and when will this take place?
4. Why will this be an ROI (benefit) for your decision makers?
5. Why will this be an ROI for you?

Then she shares strategies for getting and keeping an audience's attention and creating engagement.

For example, you can get attention using a "did you know" question. A business selling disposable hypodermic needles used these questions. "Did you know there are 1.8 billion vaccinations given every year?" "Did you know up to half of those vaccinations are given with reused needles?"

Take an interest in the other person. Understand and empathize with their problems and, when appropriate, offer solutions. Avoid talking too much. Instead, really listen to the other person. To get attention, pay attention.

Sam Horn's inspiration for Got Your Attention was Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. This is a valuable update for anyone who wants to communicate more effectively and build better relationships to study and use.

Buy it on Amazon: Got Your Attention?: How to Create Intrigue and Connect with Anyone.

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