How can I get your attention?

I saw an article that claimed with one phrase, this woman quit yelling at her kids.  I clicked on it.  I'll save you the click and bate and tell you the jist of it.  She would talk to her kids and they never seemed to listen until she finally yelled.  So, one day after repeatedly saying something to her child with no acknowledgment she said, "Child, I'm trying to talk to you.  What can I do to get your attention?"
The child said, "Ask, 'May I have your attention?'"
That cured it!  Now when she wanted to talk to her children she would first say, "May I have your attention?" and she never yelled again!
Today I was telling James something and he would not answer me.  I thought, "What the heck." and said to him, "James, I'm trying to talk to you.  What can I do to get your attention?"
"You could give me some chocolate chips."