7 triggers to grab people’s attention

Effective managers and employees are able to use these seven techniques to successfully spotlight ideas, projects and teams.

1 Automaticity If somebody fires a gun in the air, you're going to turn your head. Sensory cues like these to direct our attention automatically. Next time you are trying capture someone's attention, think about subtle ways to play on people's instincts: for example, try giving a star prospect or client a hot cup of coffee or tea.

2 Framing Our view of the world is shaped by our biological, social and personal experiences and biases. These frames of reference lead us to embrace and pay attention to some ideas and to ignore others entirely. To leverage this trigger, you have to either adapt to your audience’s frame or change it.

3 Disruption We pay special attention to anything that violates our expectations. The more disruptive something is, the more interesting it becomes. To get the attention of your bosses, clients and colleagues, try surprising them in a positive way: ask an unexpected question, beat a tough deadline or invite them for a walk instead of a coffee.

4 Reward Your goal as a manager should be to identify the incentives that most appeal to your employees, colleagues and bosses and to make them more visceral in their minds. Rewards we can touch, experience or even just visualise have a greater impact on our attention. For example, when you are offering your team an off-site retreat at the end of a big project, don't just tell them about it – send them pictures and make them salivate.

5 Reputation Consumers consistently rate experts as the most trusted spokespeople, more than chief executives or celebrities. So if you are trying to capture the attention of people who don't know you, feel free to lead with your credentials, establish your expertise and cite others who are most knowledgeable on the topic at hand.

6 Mystery Ever wonder why we're unable to put down a good book or stop binge-watching shows like Lost? Our memory is fine-tuned to remember incomplete stories and tasks. Say you are meeting a prospective client or recruit and you would like her to come back for a second meeting. Tell her a story or assign yourself a task that you will complete when she does. Her compulsion for completion will nag at her, which means you have got her attention.

7 Acknowledgement Dr Thomas de Zengotita, a media anthropologist and author of Mediated, believes that acknowledgement – our desire for validation and empathy from others – is one of our most vital needs. Key to this is a sense of belonging to a community that cares about us. Create that feeling for anyone whose attention you would like to capture and they will repay you. – Copyright Harvard Business Review 2015