Gourmet Coffee and Apple Sauce – Got Your Attention?

What captures your attention? A pretty face? A televised car chase? The smell of cookies wafting through the room?

What holds your attention? Satellite images of a hurricane bearing down on your town? A cancer diagnosis? Watching your children play on a lazy Sunday?

We soon realize that the things that capture our attention are often not enough to hold our attention.

Capturing attention is far easier than holding attention.

Getting attention the wrong way is even easier: Just yell “Fire!” and someone will look your way. But that won’t do you any good if you want to hold their attention in the future, especially if there is no fire nearby. blog_9.5.07.gif

Attention-driven advertisements can make you look, but they won’t necessarily make you buy. Just ask the companies that gamble each year on Super Bowl TV ads. Often we remember the advertisement, but we can’t remember the product being pitched.

Yet the attention is addicting, and companies spend millions of dollars on the lure of Super Bowl ads – in part because of the “free media” attention those ads are sure to attract.

No purchases are guaranteed, but the attention the ads will receive is enough for many.

Attention is the catalyst that makes future purchases possible. Without it, there is no hope.

That’s why attention drives our economy.

In the Attention Age, “interesting” is not enough. Valuable information must be exciting, fun, immediate, compelling, useful, and relevant.

In order for your message to receive attention, it first must be interesting enough to warrant attention. And once you realize it is interesting, it had better be something more.

blog_2_9.5.07.gif The secret to holding attention is to make the message appealing to your target audience. Make the “story” personal. It’s the personal story that carries the greatest impact.

A hurricane could hurt YOUR family, YOUR neighbors, and YOUR friends. A cancer diagnosis affects YOU and YOUR loved ones. YOU have an emotional investment in YOUR children. Anything that affects them matters to YOU.

The message that draws our attention must have a direct emotional connection to our lives, or our attention just won’t last.

I know what you’re thinking. “Paris Hilton gets a lot of attention, and she has nothing to do with me?” She doesn’t? Then why are you watching? Why do you care? How did she get into your head, and more importantly, who is allowing her to stay there?

There’s something going on here. You just may not want to admit it.

Successful communication hits its mark when it involves the target. Communication must be about the audience, not about you, your company or your product. People pay attention to what affects their lives, not your own.

If you can convey your message in a way that tailors information to the emotional needs of your audience, you will get their attention and succeed in the Attention Age.

Consider Starbucks. They didn’t invent coffee; they just made coffee culture “cool.”

Starbucks founder Howard Shultz doesn’t want people to enjoy his coffee. He wants them to experience coffee culture – the sights, the smells, the sounds, the ambiance and the emotions that come with the Starbucks coffee experience.

Shultz envisioned Starbucks as a “people place,” not as a coffee shop. It’s a place where we can go for coffee where “tall” means “small,” where “grande” means “medium” and “venti” means “large.” There is a coolness to the lexicon that lets us feel like we are members of a club, with club locations seemingly on every city street corner.

It’s a marketing paradox: An “exclusive” club where everyone is welcome.

Starbucks captures our attention and holds it whether we drink coffee or not. Customers may learn to like – even love – the beverage, but they come back to Starbucks for the culture. It’s an Attention Age success story.

Apple is another successful attention-getter with a passionate following. Apple has what I like to call the “T-shirt factor.” People are so enthusiastic about the company and its products that they want to put the Apple logo on their T-shirts, their computers, their cars … you name it. It’s a brand that invokes loyalty and action because Apple makes their consumers feel like part of a winning team.

Think about it: Have you ever been around an Apple enthusiast for five minutes without hearing them mention that they are, indeed, an Apple enthusiast?

There’s a consistent message coming through that iPod: It’s passion, and it gets our attention.

The most successful companies, like Starbucks and Apple, develop an innovative culture that serves as a basis for a real connection with consumers. The company, its products and people become an attention conduit for clients and consumers. Attention is served over and over again to great success.

Online entrepreneurs can do it, too.

How can you develop your own Starbucks experience with your online business? How can you replicate the passion of Apple’s fan base?

If 100,000 potential customers were brought to the “doorstep” of your Web site – right now – how would you capture and hold their attention?

Let me know. Pour yourself a venti, fire up the Mac.

Show me how it’s done.

Share your thoughts with my blog readers. You have their attention.

Consider this your challenge to keep it.

Post your comment here (one attention grabbing web link allowed)

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Comments:

http://www.live2b.debtfreeffg.com Katie

Always thought of Starbucks as a “family” place. Their concept is what inspired my storefront business to make it fun to visit and get to know others. We need to create a visable friendly environment for people to come and relax and enjoy their time, not just run in and throw them out. The customer will tell their family and friends about the great “place” they just visited.

Thanks for showing us how to create and keep a “You” based mentality for our customers.
http://www.WeismanSuccessResources.com Skip

I’m interested to see what happens to Apple in the short term as a result of their stupid IPhone price adjustment just two months after its release.

I have to believe those early adopters are not pleased. Basically Apple is sticking to their best customers and I think will have to offer some compensation.

Or is the addictive personality of being an early adopter and having to have it NOW worth the extra $100 a month?

As a small business coach and consultant I deal with building brand images all the time with my clients, too.
I have to say that building this type of deep customer/client relationship is huge and the deeper the connection the easier it will be to hold on to your customers when you screw up.

Customers will give you a second and third chance if they have a deep, trusting relationship with you but you can also lose all you invested in building that relationship in a heart beat.

It will be interesting to see how this IPhone issue goes.
http://http:www.totalconfidence.org Irene Says:

Feeling like part of a winning team ignites the passion for any opportunity. Recognition, trust, and giving back keep me motivated. I agree our world is in an attention deficit age, bombarded by info so fast we don’t even absorb it. We continually look for the next best thing. But is it? Maybe not for you. Keep the attention of those meant to be connected to you by divine right…if you feel it…you are captured….your mind will give it the attention and draw those attracted back to you.
http://IM-Index.com Alex Goodall

Some key people in the Knowledge Management world have been talking about Attention Management for a while: nice to see it being brought in to the IM world now.

It doesn’t often happen, but in this case when I read your article, I was able to say “I’m doing that already”! (Focussing on “YOU”)

My website headline starts..

“Are YOU a Frustrated, Disorganized….” and then I have 3 quotes putting words into the readers’ mind (as if they were saying them), then back to YOU CAN….

Alex Goodall
The Internet Marketing Knowledge Manager
http://im-index.com
http://www.whoislisalomas.com Lisa Lomas

What a brilliant point today! Yes they are all just normal items but they have had a way that has made them distinctive. I will have to do this more so, great lesson thankyou.

Have a great Day Rich! Keep em coming!
http://www.hypertracker.com/go/rlweatherly/downlinesecrets2/richschefrenblog/ Ricardo Weatherly

In oder to grab someone attention, draw them to your website and hold there attention; you must 1st. have a passion for what you’re trying to sale.

People love hearing how the product worked for you and how it will benefit them and there business, service or product.

2nd. You must know who your advertising to, because if you’re if targeting everyone, an I’m looking for financial services, why would I be interested in a business opportunity.

3rd. People love deals, giveaways, special offers and bonuses, so surely number 3 is an attention grabber.

4th. Don’t ditch the company webite all together, expand on an already perfect lead capture page and make it your own, because If you’re passionaite about your business or service, coming up with an atention grabing headline that captures and holds your readers attention shouldn’t be a problem.

5th. Get to know your product, business or servive like the back of your hand, so explaining your business, service or product to people will be like talking about your favorite sports team.

6th. be very discriptive in your headlines and in the body of your text (remember passion)

7th. Don’t take it personally, because you’re a sale’s Person; you can’t afford to take rejection, dissapointment and failure personally, because with time networking marketing will be just a walk in the park.

I know I got a little long winded, and may have strayed off the beaten path their for a minute or two, but my hearth was in the right Place :-)

Thank You Rich
Ricardo
http://www.notewiseconsultants.com Yvonne Lucas

What a great Idea.

I have a note buying business (all and any kind of notes)I started my business because one day I needed this kind of serivce. Just last Sunday we were asked to give a testimony in church about a life changing event in my life. My testimony was about how for years I was up to my you know what in debt and how I pray for guidance. It came when I was contacted by someone offering to buy my mortgage note for cash. After church members came up to me, to thank me for my testimony and to ask questions about note buying. I gave out all the business cards I had and promised to bring more the following Sunday.

Now to tie in you point about Starbuck and Apple. It’s true people like being with people who have the same interest or who have had the same life experiences. As a result of my experience in church I,m in the process of adding a page on my website where people can discuss their struggles and successes over coming money problems and offering helpful articles on controlling debt and financial planning.
http://www.notewiseconsultants.com Yvonne Lucas

See reply above

Note Wise Consultants
http://www.notewiseconsultants.com
http://www.surefirewealth.com Jeremy Gislason

Good food for thought Rich,

Lots of things to do but like you said, even if you capture their attention, how do you keep it?

Best thing to do is get them to opt in to something you have so you can have the opportunity “grab their attention” again in future correspondence, updates, special offers, etc.

We do several things such as asking them to sign up for free memberships, free courses, watch videos, sign up for free demo versions of software, subscribe to our RSS feeds and link back to us.

I’d say videos work the best to grab attention as you are using both your visual and audio senses at the same time. Problem is too many videos get long and boring so holding your attention with a video is hard. Keep them short like 3-5 min, 10 min tops. If you have an hour of videos, break them up into a series of short 5-10 min videos.

Get people to watch 1 or 2 then opt in to watch the rest.

Once you’ve built a loyal following, like you mentioned Starbucks and Apple, then you can keep expanding and get the word of mouth/viral advertising effect going.
http://www.golftrainingaidsreviewed.com Colin Goehring

Hey Rich,

I just read in the news today about a very interesting Joint Venture that Apple and Starbucks have put together: You can now buy music online at any Starbucks location through the new iPhone – completely wireless.

Thought it was timely that you had put the two giants together.

Cheers

Colin Goehring
Olga

Besides the great Food for Thought, which Rich introduced I enjoined the comments immensely.I am new on the Internet and I feel quite lost but to day I felt quite comfortable among the humans.
Thanks Rich for making this “get-together” possible.
http://www.careercurry.com Sunil Bhatia

My website contains content on career and self help material. I usually ask my members on what they would want to read or know next. Are they facing issues that they seek answers for… I use that information and write articles on those topics, because those are burning issues with my members… I have seen a lot of appreciation for content which is especially directed towards them.
http://www.bayviewconstructioncompany.com Peter Migner

Rich,
I think you did it here alone. It’s a 3 part strategy! 1. Be creative with phrases and works like this posting of yours. 2. educated and share info and educate your base so they trust you. 3. Don’t give the whole prize away right from the beginning. We need to hold back the best for the sale. We are finding using video e-mail to be a hugh attention getter over traditional e-mail, but attention without retension becomes tension. Thanks for the inspiration!.

Peter M.
http://www.welcome2mybizspace.com Dianne from NZ

Hi Rich, & Everyone else,

As usual Richs’ emails always get my attention straight away… :) I have a site that usually gets re-visited, at least by people that know me,LOL, I add things on a constant basis, Still have a lot to do, but the pic on the front page is what most people can relate to at some point, if you have been online for any lengh of time, I am having some fun with it though..

I liked the idea about the quiz thing too, will have to get on with that idea..+ a few other things, but will get there!

I add things regularly to the humour link on the left, (NZ spelling there! -humor for you guys in the U.S)

Thanks Rich & Everyone else, great advice in here, as usual.

http://www.welcome2mybizspace.com if you need a laugh for the day, hit the humor link on the left.

Cheers & good luck to everyone :)
http://www.miningmarketing.com Mining Marketing

I have found that if I get the person’s attention with the first line on my website page, then “draw” the person further into that line, that I get great response.

44% Opt In Rate!

That is what I get at http://www.miningmarketing.com

How do I get their attention on the first line?

Simple. I think of the most pressing issue for my audience and put it at the very top.

I then expand on that line through my page, and the results speak for themselves…

Calvin
Mining Marketing
Opening Doors to the Mining Industry
http://www.justlovinglife.com/ Paula

I think you are spot on when you talk about the personal approach. We have just revamped our website at http://www.justlovinglife.com. We included a photo of ourselves in the top right hand corner and changed the focus of our posts to make them more personal.
http://399retouch.com/ Miles

My photo retouching business (http://399Retouch.com) is inherently very personal. A client wants us to remove or hide aspects of their visual image that they don’t particularly like…weight, age, skin blemishes, tattoos.

We send them back the retouched image and usually they are very pleased, sometimes almost ecstatic, that the “bad” thing is gone. We frequently receive some very personal thank-you’s from clients, and that feels good.
http://www.thecircleofmoney.com Brian

My success to date has been totally attributed to referral’s from satisfied clients. Everyone is interested in making more money therefore I am finding it is simply a matter of communicating and convincing the client that he is actually able to trade options, because most people think they can’t do it. http://www.thecircleofmoney.com
http://www.charlesyang.com Charles

I kind of agree what Rainer said, that

“Bells and whistles catch peopleâ€™s attention, but the functionality holds it.”

Rich, you did capture my attention with your trademark presentation slide that showed “YOU” in the centre of a hundred internet-marketing tasks in the Google video, but what retained my attention in your emails was consistent delivery of information that had REAL value.

Plus, your information keeps getting better and better. At least that’s what I am perceiving.

Internet marketers who tell me about their personal lives in the emails but seldom give something that is valuable to ME have never retained my attention. That’s why you are only one of two gurus whose email I read. I simply skip all the rest most of the time.

An Apple Mac is desirable to me, but I now still choose the PC because of its functionality and flexibilty – most software and games still run solely in Windows, and I can upgrade my PC hardware easily, anytime.

An iPhone is cool, but touchpad buttons can never replace the traditional buttons simply because …a little about ergonomics here… humans need to have the sense of touch to type messages efficiently. Or else the “touchpad keyboard” would have replaced the tradtional keyboard a long time ago.

I have an iPod, and I bought it not just because it’s a “cool” thing to have, but more so because of its functions – the ease of using the scrollwheel, portability, etc. These were the factors that got Apple my money.

Starbucks? I’ve only been there thrice (reluctantly) with my friends. I prefer the coffee at Coffee Bean.

So in my opinion, FUNCTIONALITY and consistent delivery of VALUE THAT MATTERS are the factors that retains attention.
http://easyhealthandwellness.com Britt

Wow! I spent a good part of my day reading this post and most of the comments. Attended some of the websites mentioned. Had a great ride!

As a newbie and working on putting up my blog and work on advance posts I have gathered important and surely effective ammunition to do justice to my XanGo nutritional health juice and my excitement in being involved with it.

Thanks to Rich and all the above commenters to educate me.

Incidentally, even though my own coffee tastes just as good, I have thought about investing in a cup and sitting in a Starbuck’s with a bottle of XanGo in front of me arousing people’s curiosity. You think that would work?

I do think arousing people’s curiosity is a good way to hold their attention.

Thanks, guys!

Britt
http://www.wtpowers.com Tracy ‘Power Gal’ Monteforte

Hi Rich,

Well, obviously you’ve done a great job yourself of creating an online culture….just look at how many comments you have to this article. It’s all about capturing attenting and then getting people involved!

One great way we’ve found to keep people involved once they are Members of our monthly membership program is via contests. We’ve done everything from giving away a free cruise based on bringing in new members, to writing the best “bad” poem for our leads sale. People like to feel involved, they like to have fun and they love recognition and prizes.

I love the quiz idea too mentioned by Fran, comment # 3 above. Funny thing, we’ve been working on a quiz for our site for the past 2 days. People love to see how they measure up!

Thanks for the thought provoking articles, Rich. You’re awesome!

Tracy ‘Power Gal’ Monteforte
Co founder
http://www.wtpowers.com
http://www.thepowerline.typepad.com
http://www.TroyDooly.com Troy Dooly

This is an excellent post. I have studied Starbucks, Apple and the old A.L. Williams (Primerica) company, and you are correct. These companies not only grab the attention of people, they capture their heart.

Their branding message goes deeper then most companies ever try to go with their customers.

Again, excellent post, and some great comments.
http://www.ourbeautifulvalley.co.za Kes

Thought provoking topic and 1 central to building websites. Just love the “psychology of web culture” but its the ability to take all this information and apply it appropriately that counts.
I have just published a community website with the intention that the “community” takes “ownership” of the site via input, in that I have made it very local and personal. Its a work in progress and now has to grow. Take a look http://www.ourbeautifulvalley.co.za
Melanie Simpson

Hi Rich and readers,
I have just given the ok to have a web site designed for our business, which was started in 1990 so this website is a long time comming.
Your comments and the reply’s people have posted couldn’t have come at a better time for me,and has really given me food for thought. Thanks Rich for giving us the opportunity to be part of this discussion, so I will keep learning to make sure I can have a web-site that people will say is easy to use, fun, get people to take action and dare to be a little different, because I think I am different in this business of ours.
Good luck to everyone in their efforts
Melanie Simpson
Director
Classic Blinds & Awnings
http://www.ropeysoles.com Mike Kingdom-Hockings

Our experience at RopeySoles (we sell French espadrilles and berets) corroborates your claim. Michael Hibbit’s adress and phone number are in the footer of every page on the site. We get phone calls every day. Some are from people who would rather let him type in their address and credit card details than do it themselves (they worry about what might happen if something went wrong halfway through). Others are asking for special service, like “We’re running a development course next Monday and I need 30 purple berets – can you get them to us on time?”. We can’t always satisfy their needs, but just having a sympathetic shoulder to cry on seems to help. They tell their friends.

One problem – we’ve only been in busines for 13 months, but it’s already time to think about how to retain that personal touch when we have twice as many (and later 10 times as many) customers.