by Peter Murphy
Whether you like it or not sometimes people will ignore you
or pretend they are listening to you when they are not. As
you know this can be very frustrating.
So what can you do?
The first thing to remember is that there is no point in
continuing to do what is not working. If what you are doing
is ineffective take a moment to accept that fact.
Shift your focus away from pushing to be heard and instead
get creative and ask yourself...
How can I attract attention?
Here are 4 great ideas for attracting attention when you
want to be listened to:
1. Speak more softly
This sounds counter intuitive but can be highly effective
if you had attention initially . Think about it. When
someone is speaking and you cannot hear what is being said
doesn´t that arouse your curiosity?
Of course it does!
And most people will ask you to speak up as long as they
are not preoccupied doing something else. The secret is to
speak with enthusiasm and energy but very softly. This can
ignite an intense urgent curiosity that forces the other
person to pay very close attention to you.
When you speak more softly the other person has no choice -
she must pay close attention to you. This is a great way to
take control of the conversation.
2. Stop talking
If the other person is pretending to listen to you it is
good to stop talking. Stop and wait to see how the other
person reacts.
Let the silence linger until he encourages you to resume.
If he says nothing at all you can then ask for feedback on
what you said.
This puts the other person under pressure to start paying
more attention to what you are saying.
3. Create a diversion
When the other person is clearly not paying attention it is
good to break that pattern by creating a diversion. This
can take many forms such as asking for input, saying
something controversial or doing something silly.
For example you could ask an unusual question that forces
someone to pay attention and respond in some way. Maybe out
of the blue you ask someone: what is your favorite flavor
of ice cream?
Yes, it has nothing to do with the ongoing conversation and
for this reason it breaks the pattern - you are speaking
and the other person is not really paying attention.
Once you recapture attention you can then get back on
topic. Obviously you need to be careful with this concept
and adapt it to the context and people you are talking to.
4. Vary volume, tempo and tone
When you add variety to the way you are expressing yourself
it is very hard to ignore you. It´s like when you hear good
music it forces you to listen because of the variance in
tempo, rhythm and tone. The same applies to speaking in an
interesting way.
Play with emphasizing key words, pause for dramatic effect
and talk more quickly or more slowly to keep the other
person paying attention.
It takes a little practice to get this right and when you
do people will find it very difficult to not give you their
undivided attention.
Developing these people skills may require some work and
dedication, depending on the extent of help you need. One
of the most important parts of being a "people person" is
to be a positive thinker who is optimistic, motivated and
projects a positive image and attitude.
You should work every day to send out positive and creative
signals to others by your words, actions and body language.
The way you act can have either a negative or positive
impact on others as well as yourself.
If you want to succeed in both your personal and
professional life, or further develop your people skills,
it is crucial to change from a pattern of destructive,
negative thoughts to positive, creative thinking.
Don't hesitate or give a halfhearted effort in finding a
way to increase your people skills. You can change your
life and now is the time to start. Communicating with
confidence can be learned...
Find a proven formula and follow it. You will be amazed at
how quickly you will progress. Although some people fear
otherwise, exceptional people skills can be learned by
anyone of at least average intelligence.
The difficulties you had in the past will not stop you
making rapid progress now. What matters is learning a
proven approach you can use for the rest of your life.
I did it.
It only took me 14 years to figure out the fool proof
formula anyone can use. Are there any short cuts to
learning exceptional people skills? There certainly are.
Get out your copy of my proven system and start applying
the lessons, one at a time. Take a little each day and you
will be stunned by your progress.
Take it for a 365 day test drive at:
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Remember, this is a course that requires you to put the
strategies into action in your daily life. Do that and your
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Your Friend,
Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently
revealed the secret strategies all high achievers use to
communicate with charm and impact. The same techniques you
can use to overcome shyness, develop great conversation
skills and build self-confidence.
Click here now to test this simple step-by-step system:
http://www.howtotalkwithconfidence.com
Start your 365 day trial today. P.S. the key to greater
success and happiness in life is simple - make new friends,
develop new contacts, help others and let others help you.
Without better people skills we all get stuck where we are.