The Science of Listener Attention

Marketing Playbook: has a quote from the Toby on the West Wing that I was just watching on my sickbed,

“Was watching a re-run of West Wing and was struck by some stuff that my favorite character, Toby Ziegler said about oratory. He called it the Science of Listener Attention.

‘You want the benefits of free trade? Food is cheaper. Food is cheaper, clothes are cheaper, steel is cheaper, cars are cheaper, phone service is cheaper. You feel me building a rhythm here? Thats cause Im a speechwriter and I know how to make a point. It lowers prices, it raises income. You see what I did with lowers and raises there? Its called the science of listener attention. We did repetition, we did floating opposites and now you end with the one thats not like the others. Ready? Free trade stops wars. And thats it. Free trade stops wars! And we figure out a way to fix the rest! One world, one peace. I?m sure I?ve seen that on a sign somewhere.’

Sounds like the art of persuation or marketing to me. Repetition sounds like what we call the Rule of Three (keep your benefits/claims to just three – awesome, awesome, not screwed up). Floating opposites sounds like what we call the Rule of Pardox (e.g. Tastes Great, Less Filling). “