In his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote, “Do not forget that an individual’s name is to that particular person, the sweetest and most vital sound in any language.” Being in the middle of our own world,we do prefer when people, things, and events revolve around us.

Split-Second Attention

As a marketer, you only have about 10 seconds to grab somebody’s attention with the header of your electronic mail, weblog headline, newspaper ad, or other written words, especially if the subject matter is lengthy. If you run a TV or radio advertisement, you may have a few seconds longer before they flip the channel. In a face-to-face meeting, you may have as long as thirty seconds! This is a fascinating fact: did you know that on average, an interviewer decides whether to hire someone within the first three minutes of an interview? They spend the rest of the time gathering info to support their own decision, for better or worse.

Imagine that – three minutes assessing the destiny of another individual’s career – three minutes to figure out whether this person will add worth to a company or not. If skilled interviewers make those types of decisions within three minutes, think about what kind of attention your prospects are paying to you and your advertising!

What is the Solution?

Firstly, make sure you are advertising your home business to the right people, a targeted and pre-qualified audience. If you are, your prospects will be more receptive to your message because they are “warmed up” and your product, service or message may be the perfect solution to their problem or need that they have been searching for.

Secondly, do not waste people’s time; make sure you have something useful or informative to say. Do not attempt to get their attention, except when you have something relevant to offer that will satisfy their needs. There are far too many emails, websites, blogs, and articles simply churned out using meaningless and uninformative words, in a vain attempt to boost site visitors and distort advertising costs.

At the end of February 2011, many internet users were delighted when Google rearranged its algorithms to expel some of these piles of garbage, and many iffy internet marketers shot themselves.

Thirdly, focus on the customer, his needs and his problems, and give him what he wants. Many home businesses and budding entrepreneurs are unable to grasp the idea that marketing should focus on the customer, not on the product, not on the owner, not on the company but the customer. Only much later during the sales process will the company and the product become factors.

Concentrate on your prospective customer and make him feel like his satisfaction is the most important thing in your life, even if it is just for a few minutes.

Lastly, the saying “promote the sizzle, not the steak,” applies to all aspects of sales. You are not selling your potential customer a car; you are selling the high tech engine, the safety features, and the comfort and all the added toys and advantages of owning that vehicle. It is the same process with any product, be it a widget or a washing machine.

You only have a few seconds to grab your prospect’s attention, so use those few seconds wisely.

Jim Monk and J.W. Byrd combined their vision for Creating Yourself at the Top, a resource website for emerging entrepreneurs, and a portal to communicate with those who wish to work from home.