Digital Distraction
By Beth Standlee, CEO, TrainerTainment
As the author of People Buy From People, I’m concerned, curious and confounded by the amount of doom scrolling that happens everywhere. My guess is that you, like me, have been out to eat recently and witnessed people NOT talking with one another but instead burying their faces in their phones! I’m just as guilty at times. Who’s going to party when they can get all the attention they need from online “friends”? It’s a problem.
This whole subject came up recently as Candi, my CEO, and I were planning our IAAPA booth. We had this long conversation about whether to have a monitor in the booth showing pictures and propaganda of all the things we can do to help clients grow. After careful consideration, we both agreed that the digital distraction of whatever scrolls on the monitor might interrupt a perfect opportunity to have a “real” face-to-face conversation with our friends and potential new clients. After all, people do buy from people!
I get it that messaging and marketing must tell the story of what brands can do to make the lives of their buyers better. And I get it that much of the storytelling happens in a digital format. But eliminating the “real” connection of talking with guests, clients and buyers is a mistake.
Over and over again, I see sales teams hoping email marketing, social posting, brand awareness and indirect communication will do the heavy lifting of sales. Reaching out and having real conversations is happening less frequently. I hesitate to say this type of reach is a cop out. I also use email, digital, text, social media, etc., but I don’t use it exclusively and I understand the indirectness of the approach. When you’re dealing with sales, more meaningful conversations happen in a two-way, back-and-forth, direct way rather than a one-way indirect approach.
Call me old school. I’m used to hearing it. And when my approach quits working, I’ll back down. Until then, I know when I’m able to talk with someone, I have a much better chance of creating a relationship and closing the sale.
So, what do we do about digital distraction? ANYTHING ELSE! It feels as if we need our brain in scroll mode all the time.
What interactions do we give up when our head and mind are devoted to the scroll? For me, I notice little to no eye contact. Eye contact is necessary if you want to have a conversation, or even start slowly with a smile or a hello. This concept is so important for every member of your team – young and old. I’ve noticed people are opting for text conversations, even when they are in the same room. Really!
Make a Change (or 5)
I offer you five simple steps to eliminate some digital distractions:
1. Try leaving your phone at home the next time you meet someone for a meal (or at least leave it in the car during the meal).
2. Practice making eye contact with at least 10 people per day. A simple nod, smile or hello can suffice for interaction.
3. Put your phone on grayscale mode. There is science that suggests that the addiction is tempered when the colors are muted.
4. Turn off all the beeps and buzzes that take you away from what you are doing to check your notifications.
5. Begin to practice Yin Yoga. I am driving all my friends crazy with spreading the gospel of Yin Yoga. My friend, Bob Cooney, said it best: “It’s where exercise meets a nap.” He is so right. I’m not all that good at other forms of yoga, but I can lay on the floor and stretch! It’s wonderful and for every minute I’m doing Yin, I can promise you I’m not digitally distracted.
The WHY of This article
As we prepare to be together this fall, my hope is to keep my head up and “really” engage with as many people as possible on a personal level. Listen, I love digital interaction – Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections and Insta reels (although I don’t know how to make a cool reel on my own). I really love connecting with others in every way. However, we are in the hospitality business. In a world of AI and social distraction, I worry about isolation and disconnection with people. If there’s a real party, I want to be invited and to show up in a way that honors others and makes me happy to be there.
I’m interested to know how you feel about this topic. We move faster and do more with digital and AI but to what end? Old school, curious minds want to know!
Beth is the Chairwoman of TrainerTainment LLC and the GrowthPro Group, a coaching company devoted to the family entertainment and hospitality industries. Beth and her team are focused on helping the companies they serve make more money through sales, service, and leadership. Her company provides books, online products and courses, and onsite, online and ongoing training and business coaching to help teams and businesses grow. Beth is also president of AAMA, a sought-after keynote speaker and the author of People Buy from People. Visit her company’s website at trainertainment.com.