S/he always comes first.

“Attention is a resource; a person has only so much of it,” wrote Matthew B. Crawford in a 2015 New York Times column.

“Opportunities to sincerely engage people today are few and far between, and in order to make the most of those opportunities to engage…” you can’t forget that your listener has chosen to give you his/her attention.

If you consistently disappoint your listener, at some point, s/he will choose one of the countless options available today.

What are you saying that makes the decision to listen a win for the listener?

How are you engaging him/her? Challenge yourself every day. Be your own biggest critic.

How do your prepare for the few opportunities you’ve got today to actually break through and be heard?

Are you sharing stories compelling enough to remember?

Or are you reading liners and bloviating endlessly about yourself?

S/he has chosen to give you attention.

Say something to deserve it, before you lose it.