The most basic way to get someone's attention is this: Break a pattern.
Anger prepares us to fight and fear prepares us to flee.
To make our communications more effective, we need to shift our thinking from "What information do I need to convey?" to "What questions do I want my audience to ask?
The first problem of communication is getting people's attention.
The Curse of Knowledge: when we are given knowledge, it is impossible to imagine what it's like to LACK that knowledge.
People tend to overuse any idea or concept that delivers an emotional kick.