Have you ever heard of “The Shiny Bauble Syndrome?” That is when a short attention span plays havoc with us entrepreneurs and we bounce, bop, and weave from project to project. It is a more sophisticated term for a short attention span.
You can’t allow your focus to drift away from the task at hand. Becoming distracted is often considered normal. You simply can’t be considered normal in this regard.
If your primary responsibility is to help people, then it is in your best interest to pay attention to the people you were trying to help. Reality, as well as my personal experience, confirms that our mind will wander at times. If you have a short attention span like I do, recognizing this as a possible shortcoming is 99% of the battle.
What you don’t want and can’t afford is to provide your prospect or customer with an opportunity to interpret your wandering mind as a sign of disinterest on your part. This could prove to be catastrophic.
Work on focusing on your prospect. Concentrate. Notice what they are wearing. What they are saying. How they are saying it. This especially is true when you are not within direct eyesight, like when you are on the telephone. Resist the temptation to plug the phone into your shoulder while you continue to open envelopes, write sales memos, click through computer screens, or straighten out your desk drawer. People on the other end of the line can hear this activity and you can be sure they will interpret it as a sign of disinterest.
Discipline yourself and let everything take a backseat when you are working with your customers. It takes too much effort and promotion to finally capture the attention of a new client. Why risk blowing it all at the point of contact?
Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
