People around you use a variety of techniques to have their voices be heard. Some speak louder when others’ attention falters, and others rely on subtlety to entice those around them to listen more attentively. This article is about one method in attaining the attention of those around you. The more methods of garnering attention that you study, the higher your chances of being heard will be.

The method presented in this article will revolve around strategically omitting information when delivering any sort of news. The information you omit should be information which entices others to lose interest in what you say. For example, your child may come to you and exclaim that they’ve fallen off their bike. Instantly, your attention would be demanded, and you would inquire into any injuries which resulted from the fall. The information your child may be omitting however, is that they fell off the bicycle while it was stationary, not while it was racing down the street. They may have caught their foot on the seat while getting on the bike, and crumbled onto the ground with it as a result.

Omitting information, such as in the simplified example above, can be powerful in initiating attention amidst a situation when others are preoccupied with other matters.

Voice the Most ‘Surprising’ Point and Then the Details

The first thing you should focus on when utilizing this method is to analyze which aspects of the news you want to spread are most surprising to unsuspecting ears. What is the soundbite to what you’re going to say? What would you title the dialogue you’re about to present if you wrote it down into paragraph format? Be in tune with what those around you will react to in your presentation of news or ideas, and court their attention by being direct with those surprising facts.

Be careful of exaggerating or making up falsehoods, omitting information is a sensitive undertaking and adding falsehoods onto the existing information is a dangerous pursuit. Omit the more uninteresting information you’re attempting to present only until you acquire the attention of your listener. Once you’ve courted the attention of the ears you want to listen with surprising points, go on to present everything in full. Going back to the example above: once your child has courted your attention by saying that they’ve fallen off the bike, they will then expose the fact that the bike was stationary. They’ve successfully courted your attention and then voiced the truth of the situation once your attention was directed at them.

Fill the Gaps in Once You Have Their Attention

Filling in the gaps can be uninteresting to those who listen, but the totality of what you present should be heard. Do not allow others to end their understanding of a situation for which you’ve only presented the shocking points. Omitting information is not the same as ‘crying wolf’, ensure the information you use to court attention initially is factual and honest by nature. Simply save the boring, more detailed dialogue for when you’ve successfully attained their focus. Be quick in filling in the blanks you’ve omitted in the news or information that you present. Deliver what you aim to deliver quickly when you have somebody’s attention, as attention is a commodity which should be respected.

Some people will feel let down by the context you present after you garner their attention. This fact should make you utilize this method with care. Ensure that what you’re trying to spread into the world is worth disappointing some who get their hopes up during your initial attempts to court attention. It is critical that as you’re attempting to turn heads and raise eyebrows, you simply state the most catchy, surprising, pieces of the dialogue you aim to expand on without any exaggeration. Start with exactly what others need to know, and expand on those points when they’ve loaned you their attention.

Read our analyses of current events by becoming a Patron.