It was now the turn of the 10th candidate to speak that day. Unimaginatively, she began as most do, “My name is Jane Doe and I’m running for Assembly District 1,000.” Why don’t they try something different to stand out from the crowd? They don’t understand that no one is listening to their first words. People are programmed to tune out the first words of speakers because they are so often unnecessary pleasantries or, in this instance, not of interest to the listener. Their campaign team insists, “Begin with your name and what seat you’re running for and repeat it often.” They don’t realize, and are seldom open to the fact, that if you concentrate on connecting with your audience, they’ll make sure they know and remember your name and seat. If you don’t connect with them, you can repeat that information 100 times and they won’t remember.