If I told you that I had a secret and was willing to share it with you, would you be interested? If I told you that I knew something big was happening, is it possible you might want to know what it was? If I told you I knew a certain place where they are handing out $10 000 to any one who shows up, is it possible that your curiosity might be piqued.

Now you may say oh it’s not possible! Or its too much effort, however deep down is there that spark of curiosity that just might have you listen that little bit longer when I started to tell you that you would need to walk three blocks down davy street and then turn left…

So what is this curiosity and how will it help you in business?

In essence, “curiosity” is a term that describes an unknown number of behavioral and psychological mechanisms, which have the effect of impelling beings to seek information and interaction with their natural environment and with other beings in their vicinity. Curiosity is most likely a natural instinct developed by evolution; curiosity confers a survival advantage to certain species, and can be found in their genomes (see Behavioral Genetics) Wikipedia definition

When introducing a perspective customer to your product if curiosity is used as part of the introduction you will be using built in human mechanisms to keep your customer interested in what you are going to do for them. It is part of the survival instinct that keeps them looking further into how you can help them survive better.

It is at this stage when you have stimulated your client’s curiosity enough and their trust has been won that they are ready to be sold to.

So how is a person’s curiosity stimulated?

Much of the marketing and media all around us uses curiosity very well. Because it is the first step in the selling process it is found in the headline! On the bill board! It is the catchy phrase or news head line that pulls, enticing a curiosity that wants to know more.

Here are a number of headline styles that use curiosity as its main ingredient.

“HOW TO” - . (i.e. – “How to End Your Money Worries Forever.”/”How to Win Friends and Influence People.”)

“The Big Benefit” - (i.e. “Earn $5000 Next Weekend Without Leaving Your Easy Boy Recliner”/”Pay Zero Taxes Next Year!”/”Lose 40 Pounds in 7 Days Without Dieting!”)

“The Anxiety Headline” - (i.e. – “What Will You Do When Your Personal Assets are Seized to Satisfy a Judgment Against Your Cooperation?”/”Do You Make These Mistakes in English?”)

“The Question” - (i.e. – “Why is Your Dog Eating Dirt?”/”Tired of Making the Boss Rich?”/”Do You Close the Bathroom Door When No One Is Home?”)

All of these play on curiosity; they pose a question a problem a thought that creates in the reader the desire to find out more.

The internet is no different. In fact it is even more vital that the headline being used is using all the advantage it can to keep the site visitor engaged. Surfing the internet allows visitors to click onto your site and with as much ease click away again.

A window of opportunity of hundredths of a second is what is available to stimulate your visitor’s curiosity. To entice them to read further and allow you the opportunity to win their trust and tell them what you can do for them.

When you are designing your sites headline, shop around and borrow from other headlines that you have seen. However always keep in mind that the headline objective is to engage, pique and massage your visitor’s curiosity.

“Only barbarians are not curious about where they come from, how they came to be where they are, where they appear to be going, whether they wish to go there, and if so, why, and if not, why not.”
Isaiah Berlin