CHAP T E R TW OIM PORTANT FA CTORS I N ATTRACTING ATTE NTION
Th e nature o f attention. In th e p rece ding
ch ap t e r w e likene d th e mi nd of th e b uye r to
a s tream c onsta ntly i n moti on a n d hi ghly
c omplica te d. W e form ul a te d o ur purp ose : to
desc rib e a nd explain th e st rea m in its flow.
Th e m e th o d : to c u t c ro ss- sec ti on s a t va ri ous
imp ortan t sta ge s an d to a nalyz e th em unde r
our p sych ol ogi cal mic roscop e.
Th e fi rst sta ge th a t we shall a nalyz e i s a t
te n tion. To sec ure th e at te ntion of th e b uye r
i s th e selle r’s fi rs t task. I t i s ofte n fra ugh t
wit h diffic ul ty. F o r th e b uye r’s m en ta l
s trea m is fl owi ng along placidly, ch a rge d with
t h ough ts rel atin g to hi s p e rsonal affairs. Th e
sell er, wh o b rings forwa rd a. new a rticl e,
forei gn, p e rh ap s, to th ese affairs, i s b oun d
to enco un te r som e diffic ul ty i n th rustin g i t
in to th e stream. His ta sk i s more diffi c ul t
from th e fac t th a t h e m us t plac e hi s co m
mo dity no t merely a t th e e dge o f the stream
wh e re i t m ay remain p ractically u nno tic e d.
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