The Secret Of Gaining The Interest Of People

The Secret Of Gaining The Interest Of People

Will you continue listening to people who keep on talking about themselves?

Unless the subject or the person involved in the conversation is a celebrity whom you idolize or admire, he will not get your undivided attention. If ever he does get your attention, it is most likely that the conversation will just be passing through your ears and nothing will be retained in between. This lack of interest in the topic is often times a barrier to effective listening.

So, what or who, is the most interesting topic for you? You’re right: YOUR OWN SELF.

YOU are the most interesting topic according to yourself. Anything about you will certainly get your 100% attention. This is especially true when the issues concerning about you touches on matters that have something to do with what others think about you, how they perceive you, or things that can make you feel important.

So how would this account for the pre-occupation about news that does not involve you? How would this explain the pre-occupation on bad news or intrigues involving other people?

A controversial incident is something that is uncommon. Being uncommon, it can either be good news or bad news. Let’s face it; bad news sells. It gets the interest of people even if they are not directly affected by it.

On the contrary, good news attracts only those who are directly involved in it. For others not involved, good news just passes them by and is easily forgotten. Good news about you makes you feel important and raises self-esteem. When you learn that people speak ill of you, you are somehow affected and you may react negatively or defensively.

Reacting negatively depresses your mood and might affect your day and the way you do your daily chores. Reacting defensively makes you feel angry and anxious to immediately counter criticize. This is a common reaction of most people.

However, bad news can be viewed in a positive light. You may react to bad news constructively. Bad news can be transformed into good news when you view it as an opportunity to improve yourself. Often times, it takes another person to point out what is right or wrong. It is quite difficult to find flaws within one’s self.

Always keep in mind that the most interesting topic for people is anything about themselves. Here lies the greatest secret of getting the interest and attention of people.

When talking to people, the best way to gain their interest is allow them to talk about themselves. Keep the conversation lively by keeping their interests in mind. Listen and give sincere and honest approval on their positive attributes. Keep them at the center of the discussion. You may not be the center of the discussion, but you are actually on the driver’s seat by being in control. Listen and learn from the other person’s point of view, become truly interested in them, and make them feel important and appreciated.

In the event it requires correction of other people’s opinion, do it in an indirect way by not publicly contradicting their views. Flow with the tide and let the tide carry your message across to the recipient.

There was once a consultant hired by a manufacturing company. He was hired to make employees follow company rules without resentment or without resorting to force. One of the things the consultant wished to impart was the simple discipline of keeping clean surroundings by discouraging indiscriminate throwing of garbage. Piles of garbage represented danger to the health of employees.

Instead of verbally telling the employees to refrain from doing it, he set an example. He, himself, picked up the garbage each time he saw an employee throwing it anywhere. At the onset, only one employee saw this. That single employee talked about what he witnessed. Then more employees saw the consultant doing the same act and felt his genuine concern and interest for their surroundings.

The message was very clear for the employees, and they took in the cleanliness discipline without resistance. What used to be a dirty surrounding became a model for cleanliness – all of this is simply because of one single act of concern for the employees’ well-being and health.