The 5 Second Rule

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

How to get the most out of customers’ limited attention span

Have you ever heard about the 5 second rule? That ‘silly’ rule about picking up food that’s fallen on the floor. Well, it applies to business too.  Corporations have 5 seconds to draw customers’ attention, otherwise, they will walk.

People just don’t have the time, nor the patience nowadays to listen to your lengthy sales pitches. They want instant gratification. If you cannot stimulate their curiosity within the first few seconds, you never will.

“Get to the point in 5 Seconds. Sounds brutal. But it’s true. That’s how much time any business or professional has to hook a potential customer. 5 Seconds. So you better be concise, exact and smart in how you use those precious seconds”, says Business Strategist Joel Goobisch. “Dont believe me? Just go to Youtube and click on any video. It takes 5 seconds before you can skip those pesky ads.”

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

Attention Catchers

How to get the message across without losing people’s attention is a tricky question for companies. Let’s face it, paper ads and product sheets are passé.  No-one has time to read your short synopsis. Even a verbal pitch is no longer an option, because who can explain their whole advertisement campaign in mere seconds?

Customers want to see, hear and be convinced about what you have to offer in 5 seconds or less or they press their internal Skip button. That is why the message needs to be short, but most importantly it needs to be visually grabbing. Images, graphics or even videos tell your story a lot quicker. On top of that, eye-catching content is much better at drawing and maintaining your audience’s attention.

The Solution

What if you could quickly and effectively convince people about your services or products while they do have time, like for instance customers that are waiting in line at the bank? Wouldn’t it be nice to show them an attractive visual about your latest insurance policies or saving accounts?

Just by placing screens, displaying your ads, in the lobby, you can easily and effectively reach your customers.  Your message can even appear on ATMs. In the blink of an eye existing and potential customers will know what your service or product is all about.

More so, according to the Economist, studies show that seven out of ten purchase decisions are made while the customer is in the store. On top of that almost one-third of shoppers who see an in-store display make purchases. As a result digital signage has been shown to increase sales between 15 to 60 percent!

But it doesn’t need to stop at waiting lines or stores. What about drawing people’s undivided attention in elevators, trains, busses, …?

Contact one of our Attention Management experts to see what we can do for you.