chip bag; you want a way to keep chips fresh and intact.) Then
put the problem out of your conscious mind. If you catch yourself
brooding on it, send it back to the subconscious.
Step 3: Stay alert
Every student of advertising has heard the story of the fellow
who comes rushing into the tire store, clutching a newspaper in
his hand.
“This is amazing,” the fellow tells the salesperson. “Just this
morning I decided to buy four new tires for my car, and here’s your
ad in the paper advertising your prices. What a coincidence.”
No coincidence. The ad had been running in the paper for
years. The fellow just never saw it until he needed tires, and then
the ad jumped out at him.
Advertisers use this story to explain the need for frequency; if
you want your ad to be effective, you have to keep running it. But
it also illustrates a principle of selective perception. When your
mind becomes focused on a topic, you begin to notice material rel-
evant to that topic. A casual conversation overheard in the eleva-
tor, a remark made over lunch, a small item on the back pages of
the newspaper, a report on the evening news—suddenly the world
seems to be conspiring to feed you information to help you.
Along with the conscious research you may need to perform to
get ready for your “meeting,” stay open to information all around
you that may prove helpful.
Step 4: play with the possibilities
It’s time to think.
You’ve kept that appointment with yourself, keeping the calen-
dar clear despite all the demands made on your time. You’ve done
your best to make sure you won’t be interrupted.
M A K E T I M E T O T H I N K