Internet Overwhelm? Are we becoming swamped by emails, posts, articles, newsletters, offers, opportunities?
My recent blog referred to the various comments I had received regarding how business attitudes appear to be changing. After writing that, I had further conversations relating this specifically to the internet.
Apparently, some feel they are being overwhelmed by the level of communications coming to them online. It appears that they receive so many communications, instead of filtering, deleting or otherwise blocking, they are selecting only the shortest or most brightly-lit (attractive) reads.
Then it occurred to me, I think I have developed a similar habit. It seems I tend to ignore some emails or posts, depending on the subject matter, headline or length.
Unfortunately, this can apply before I have checked out if it might be useful.
I have found that long-standing contacts are also doing the same. I have sent an email outlining the status of a project and just one of the four recipients has actually read it. ‘Must have missed it’ is a popular reason given. Is this a subconscious filter in action?
Is the internet now so overwhelming that we are losing our discipline in filtering and selecting the most useful communications, favouring instead the ‘easiest read’? Are we ‘saving it for later’, but never actually returning to it?
I suspect we are now moving so fast that we are forced, consciously or subconsciously, to be selective in our attention. Could counteracting this experience of internet overwhelm be as simple as slowing down to consider more fully, or forcing ourselves to read rather than scan a written document or article?
Is it simply a matter of slowing down?
What’s Next?
At Salient Sales & Training, we provide team and 1-to-1 sales and technical sales training. Get in touch today, what are your goals?