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Showing posts with label Attention Spans Gone Wild. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Attention Spans Gone Wild. Show all posts

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Attention Spans Gone Wild! In Need of Some Valentine Heart! (and HELP)

For some, this blog-posting is going to read like my brain has gone soft - Ok,… mushy .... perhaps it has.  I'm actually sounding sensitive - taking some time to be wise and intuitive  ... who knows what it is?! ... I'm kind of unclear myself, but it's my blog so I can say what I want, right? 

For the past 20 months I have been frustrated beyond belief with my day-job (now defined as my 24/7 ‘job’)   I never imagined after years of dealing with the inattentiveness of my darling children that I would find this to be the case in the business world today.

It seems in professional life, most people are suffering from major inattention problems ...It's like ADHD is now the new pandemic outbreak and it's EVERYWHERE!
Everyone has a flurry of things swirling around them .... emails, constant texting,  VM, responsibilities, endless pressure,  a continuous barrage of noise, interruptions .. etc.. etc.. it's no wonder that SLEEP has become America's new favorite past time.

To compound things, the working job market is so scary now that 'survival-mode' can also be added to the list. Life is now lived in dog-years. (woof, woof)  No time for anything! Presentations to get someone's attention  are now 140 characters with Twitter and a graphic 'presentation' is like flash-cards for kids. 

Can we say 'life rage' here!?  Basic manners; like just paying attention erode  kindness, compassion-- even old friendships have hit the skids for many.  'Help' for someone other than yourself has become an old fashioned verb.

For Public Relations activities like mine... ‘new useful material for content’  has been blurred with advertising investments to the source (because of our rotten economy) breaking the cardinal rule I've always known, of sacred credibility shhh....(it's  a dirty little secret).   Small entrepreneurial companies (with limited budgets)  which are the engine of our economy find themselves stuck in this quagmire.  So for me, a 'Marketing Professional'  I'm deep in this chasm along with attention spans gone wild, I very quickly compare  this to beating my head with a hammer on a daily basis.
Bloody and stubborn from years of experience with this problem  though my own kids, I continue to prevail -- another day --- just ONE MORE DAY thinking that a reporter or writer that I may have contacted will have the attention span (or common courtesy)  to answer my inquiry to then take action.   

I know how busy everyone is... SURPRISE....  I also fall into that category, but I can honestly say, I follow-up when someone writes me I answer them back (what a concept!) and I return phone messages.

In my situation, it's the people who have received free samples that really scar me the deepest ... Many of those,  who have CONTACTED me - to then not fulfill their obligation to write something about our brand – just anything! We'll even take a FB 'like'.  Here's another 'surprise' - although the world needs saving... I'm not a missionary for giving away product treats!... I honestly don't get that! Then, the nightmare process for me begins to follow up to be ignored ... and then repeatedly ignored ... some days I feel like I have 'email halitosis' and a bruised head!.... no manners, no heart it's the simple delete button... tsk, tsk.   What's up with that? 
  
If anyone in blog-land has any ideas … I am all ears - please connect with me!  I would be actually elated to hear from anyone about this subject! Am I alone?
.....   And for those who are contemplating starting a business… I recommend that you give my words (directly from the trenches of business) serious consideration.  It is extremely difficult to breakthrough the clutter of information and if you have a brand that needs exposure you will find this to be your biggest obstacle.  Then again, if you like banging your head with a hammer... go for it!   
So in the season of Valentine’s Day perhaps I can change the mind of just one person to give a pinky finger effort of a helping hand – just a teeny attempt in the 'manners department' to help people.  Try to actually take the time to read an email instead to hitting the quick delete button…or even more novel return a phone message. I'll bet there is someone in your world in need of some help.   You never know when you may need this person…and as most know, Karma can be a real bitch.  

Thanks to all my readers... lots of appreciated support!
xo
The International Laundress