Attention is the New Currency

In today’s economy, the scarcest resource isn’t money. It isn’t talent. It isn’t even time. It’s attention. Here are a few quick ideas to make the most of your precious first few seconds. 

Transcript

“Welcome back to the 3 Second Selling podcast — I’m David Gee.

Let me start with a bold statement: in today’s economy, the scarcest resource isn’t money. It isn’t talent. It isn’t even time. It’s attention.

Think about it. Money can be saved, borrowed, invested. Talent can be developed. Time, while finite, can be scheduled, delegated, and optimized. But attention? Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There are no rollover minutes when it comes to focus.

And here’s the kicker: you only have about three seconds to earn it. That’s what we’re going to unpack today — why attention is the new currency, why so many people lose it right out of the gate, and how you can make those first three seconds count.”

🎶 Music fades out.

[Section 1 – Why Attention is Scarce 

“We are living in what psychologists call an attention economy. Every day, your audience — whether it’s a customer, a colleague, or even your kids — is bombarded with more information than they can possibly process. Emails. Slack notifications. Social media scrolls. Ads on top of ads.

The average human attention span online is less than eight seconds. Eight. That’s less than a goldfish, and you can’t even train a goldfish to buy your product.

When I was a TV news anchor, we knew this intuitively. If I didn’t hook viewers in the first 10 seconds of a story, they were gone to another channel. And once they were gone, they didn’t come back. It’s the same in business. You don’t just compete with your competitor down the street — you’re competing with Netflix, Instagram, and the ping of a text message.

Attention is scarce. Which means it’s valuable. Which means you can’t afford to waste those opening moments.”

[Section 2 – The Cost of Losing Attention 

“Let me give you a real example. A few years ago, I sat in on a sales pitch for a truly amazing piece of software. It streamlined project management, integrated with every platform you could think of, and honestly, it was a game-changer.

But here’s how the rep started his pitch: ‘Thanks for your time today. Before I get into our product, let me give you some background. Our company was founded in 1998, and over the last 25 years, we’ve expanded to 14 countries, won several industry awards, and recently moved into a brand-new headquarters with 35,000 square feet of space…’

And on he went. Minute after minute about history, buildings, awards — everything except the customer’s problem.

I watched the room. Within 30 seconds, phones were out. Within a minute, attention was gone. And when he finally got to the demo — which was brilliant — no one cared. The window had closed.

That’s the cost of losing attention. Great product. Wrong delivery. Opportunity gone.

Here’s the truth: people don’t buy when they understand you. They buy when they feel understood. If your first words don’t connect to their world, their problem, their stakes, you’ve already lost.”

[Section 3 – The 3 Second Selling Framework 

“So, how do we win in the attention economy? That’s where 3 Second Selling comes in. It’s built on three pillars: clarity, connection, and curiosity.

Clarity means stripping away jargon. If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. Instead of saying, ‘Our AI-driven SaaS platform optimizes cross-functional workflows’ try, ‘We help teams cut their project time in half.’ Clear beats clever every time.

Connection is about empathy. Lead with their problem, not your product. Imagine you’re talking to a CFO: instead of opening with, ‘We offer scalable analytics solutions’ say, ‘You’re under pressure to find cost savings. We’ve helped companies like yours uncover hidden expenses they didn’t even know were bleeding their budget.’ Now you’re in their world.

And finally, Curiosity. You don’t need to tell them everything in the first three seconds. In fact, don’t. Plant a hook. Ask a question. Say something that makes them want the next line. For example: ‘What would it mean for your business if you could predict which deals would close with 90% accuracy?’

When you combine clarity, connection, and curiosity, you earn the right to a longer conversation. You get them to lean in instead of tune out.”

[Section 4 – Practical Takeaways]

“So let’s make this practical. Here are three actions you can take right now to sharpen your first three seconds:

1. Rewrite your elevator pitch in 12 words or less. If you can’t, you’re not clear enough.
2. Replace one ‘we’ statement with a ‘you’ statement. Watch how it shifts the focus.
3. Craft one curiosity question you can drop into your next meeting or sales call.

Try these, and you’ll notice immediately how people respond differently. Because here’s the thing: attention isn’t stolen. It’s earned. And when you earn it, everything else gets easier.”

[Close – 1 minute]

“Let’s wrap this up. In today’s marketplace, those first three seconds aren’t just the opening act. They are the whole stage. If you win them, you earn the right to tell your story. If you lose them, the curtain closes before you’ve even begun.

Thanks for joining me on this episode of the 3 Second Selling podcast. If today’s message resonated, share it with your team, subscribe, and let’s keep learning how to master the art — and science — of earning attention.

Until next time, remember: you don’t need more time. You just need to make the most of the first three seconds.”