We are still amid a crisis, however; one pandemic I’ve become witness to recently is known as SAD.
It’s unfortunate but many are suffering from Social Attention Disorder or commonly known as SAD.
It’s a rampant epidemic brought about by empty suits, facades and narcissistic digital behavior.
Self-absorbed with themselves, they love using the words “I” and “Me.” Folks, it’s not about you!
Sales professionals are not consumed with winning the academy award for best social actor.
They are consumed with capturing the hearts and minds of their clients. They are consumed with helping their clients do better business. They are consumed with placing all their attention on their loved ones, their clients.
Social Attention Disorder is a Disease
Social platforms have become the hot spot for distortions, where the real versions of who we are remain backstage. We take selfies, photoshop, curate and upload the best we’ve got.
Then we hold our breath and pray for some attention.
There’s a name for this mindless, self-serving appetite for attention and validation. It’s called Social Attention Disorder. Others may call it digital narcissism.
Zoe Williams wrote a piece in The Guardian titled “Me! Me! Me! Are We Living Through A Narcissism Epidemic?” that includes, “the narcissist’s failure to achieve intimacy with anyone — as the result of them seeing other people like items in a vending machine, using them to service their own needs, never being able to acknowledge that others might have needs of their own, still less guess what they might be.”
Let’s all stop and think for a moment…are we serving our clients own needs or fulfilling our own social egos?
Attention to all the social emperors and “grow my list” egomaniacs who promise to help grow your audience and your sales by buying their killer course for $299, what are you really doing this for? Are you really doing this because you care? Are you doing this because you love, appreciate and have compassion? Or, are you fulfilling your ego, pride and wallet?
Authentically Connect
The antidote to digital narcissism or social attention disorder is authenticity. Rediscover who you are, commit to yourself in improving your career instead of endlessly tweaking your online persona in hopes of winning the social academy award.
Conversations, whether that be online, face to face or on the phone are the strongest sales tool you have in order to effectively build credible relationships between your clients, your prospects, your brand and your company.
When’s the last time you had a conversation and heard this: “Wow, this was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had!”
Conversations build relationships, and relationships build businesses.
What do your clients care about? What does your marketplace care about? They don’t care about your canned pitches, outlandish pattern interrupt videos, and braggadocious all-about-me messaging. Nobody cares that your sole intent is to win the social academy award.
Stop pitching and puking social crapola and start opening a human connection and conversation.
Put in the time to create truly, authentically connect. Remember the humanity in others.
Connect at the heart level. Connect on a real, relatable and relevant level.
A true sales professional knows their identity is not attached to winning the social academy award.
Imagine for a moment, if more ditched the empty rhetoric of the Internet and invested in their own personal and heartfelt growth, there wouldn’t be as many empty suits and digital narcissists.
Final Word
My question to all of you…what has happened to authenticity?
When you prance around as social painters, painting the social canvas with crap as many of you are jockeying for position to win the Oscar for best social picture, remember the person you’re in front of may be saying this to themselves:
- Do you see me?
- Do you hear me?
- Does what I say matter to you?
Allow me to leave you all with this…would you live in the social house you’re creating?
