Intrigue

Grabbing your audience’s attention is the first step to getting someone to listen to your message.

You can do this by stimulating their curiosity.

To intrigue your listener or reader – to hook them, to reel them in – you first need to relate. Relating is connecting. To connect, we need to understand who they are by gaining insight into how they see the world, what topics grab their attention, and what issues concern them the most. We can do this by telling stories and taking note of which ones spark curiosity. We can ask questions to determine what knowledge gaps exist so that we can meet them where they’re at on the learning curve.

Next, you need to consider receptivity. Do you adequately understand why they hold their current views? Are your listeners ready and able to receive and process what you have to say at that point in time? You may also need to knock down some knowledge barriers before learning can occur.

The final step in the Intrigue phase is reciprocity. Beware the Curse of Knowledge at this phase. And, if you truly want to start on a fresh page, you must employ empathy/perspective taking and smash any assumptions you have about your audience

To learn how to intrigue your listeners, check out the FSG Conversation Toolbox workshop or follow our blog for tips and tools.