Grab Your Audience’s Attention With These 5 Crucial Steps

This expert opinion by Andrea Wojnicki, executive communication coach at Talk About Talk, was originally published on Inc.com.

In 2025, attention may be our most precious commodity. With endless notifications, AI-generated content, and information overload, capturing and maintaining focus has become a significant challenge.

For leaders, entrepreneurs, and communicators, mastering the art of earning attention is crucial. Drawing from research and the communication principles that I share with my coaching clients, here are five science-backed strategies to ensure your message commands attention.

1. Start With A Bang: Capture Attention Immediately

Suspense is great for novels and movie theaters, but overrated for presentations. Start with a bang. If your audience starts engaged, they’re more likely to stay engaged.

Our brains are wired to notice novelty and surprise. Beginning with a compelling story, startling statistic, or provocative question can instantly grab attention. The idea of using a hook aligns with the Premise component of the “Five P’s” framework introduced by Matt Abrahams at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

I use this premise when I’m pulling together a workshop. I make sure participants are engaging as soon as possible.

2. Make It Personal: Establish Relevance

This seems like an obvious one, but it’s amazing how many meeting leaders and presenters seem to forget this tenet. If we’re going to give you our attention, you first need to explain, “Why should I care?”

People pay more attention to messages that resonate with their personal experiences or goals. Before you get into your material, set it up so your audience understands how it’s relevant for them.  Tailor your message to address your audience’s specific needs and interests.

Here’s a pro tip that’s backed by research: Speak in second person. This is what I do in my podcast episodes. I use the word “you.” It’s like I’m speaking directly with that one individual listener who has me playing through their earphones. Make it personal.

3. Structure Your Message: Use The Audience Memory Curve

Have you heard about the primacy effect and the recency effect? Studies on the audience memory curve reveal that people remember the beginning and end of an event or a presentation more than the middle.

The prescription here is clear. To command attention and leave a lasting impression, organize your content with key points at the beginning and end.

4. Engage Emotionally: Tell Stories

According to neuroscience, stories command attention and recall because they evoke emotion. Want to make an impact? Tell a story.

It doesn’t have to be an epic narrative. It could be a quick anecdote or even a metaphor. Yes, just like how attention is a currency that you must earn. You’re well on your way with cash in the bank. 

5. Vary Your Delivery: Maintain Interest

They say that variety is the spice of life. Variety is also key to maintaining attention. Monotony, on the other hand, leads to disengagement.

When you’re speaking, vary your cadence, your volume, and your tone. Vary your energy. Pause. When you’re writing, include a combination of short sentences and paragraphs as well as longer ones. Use headings and add lists.

Remember: Variation combats habituation, where your audience may become desensitized to repetitive stimuli.​

In the attention economy of 2025, your ability to capture and hold attention is a vital skill. Think of these five strategies as your attention-earning checklist. When you apply them, you’ll earn attention, compound your credibility, and grow your career capital.