May I have your attention please?
I remember my dad telling the story of how he and my mom were attending a convention in Banff around 1980.
They were staying in the historic Banff Springs Hotel and the lobby was packed with tourists.
My dad got up on a bench and started waving his hands above his head and loudly called out to everyone in the lobby, “May I have your attention please? Excuse me! Can I have your attention please?”
When the lobby fell silent and all eyes were looking at him he said, “Thank you, I just love attention.”
Wow, crazy right? What kind of person does that? Ike de Jong does.
Does that say something about my dad being totally secure in himself that he didn’t care what other people thought so he thought he’d have some fun in the situation? At the risk of possibly being embarrassed in front of a room full of strangers, he took the risk of doing something silly just to get a laugh.
Yes, it says that he understood that it doesn’t matter what a bunch of strangers think. He was there with some old friends and new friends and a bunch of strangers. He made a bunch of people laugh and made my mother groan.
Listen, there is only one truly effective way of getting attention. Would you like to know what it is?
It’s the exact same thing that my dad did, what I do in my YouTube videos, and what influencers do all the time. It’s the same thing you do when you ask someone out on a date or try to change lanes on the highway.
You signal.
Do you notice that the root of the word signal is sign?
The word sign is derived from the French word signe, which means making a gesture with the hand. Signe however, has an even earlier predecessor: the latin word signum, which carries multiple meanings such as symbol, mark, and indication.
If you want attention, you have to put a sign out there. But you already know that don’t you?
That’s why you have a sign on your building, and graphics on your vehicles. You actually carry small signs in your pocket – it’s called a business card.
You have an online sign called a website.
Signe is also a word in Norwegian. It’s a name. It means “new victory”.
I think that’s pretty cool because if you want your signal to be a new victory you need a clear, effective sign.
But really, I see a lot of signs that suck out there.
I can help you get found online and on the street.
Give me a call and I’ll do a complimentary forensic analysis of your logo, signs, website, and Google Business Profile.
John de Jong
Founder iGetYOUfound.com
800+ Google reviews
Google Guide level 8 and Google Expert
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