If we are paying very close attention to one thing, we often fail to notice other — even very obvious things — in our field of vision.
Research physiologists, Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons, explain this phenomenon as “unintentional blindness” in their book, The Invisible Gorilla.
For example, when searching for reading glasses, we become so focused on the search, that we fail to notice that the glasses are on our head. Or that our car keys are not where they are usually placed. We overlook them in obvious places because we are not expecting to find them there.
In marketing, it is possible to become so fixated on the problem (or, more likely, a derivative of such problem), that we fail to notice the most obvious solutions or routes.
The antidote for unintentional blindness is intention.
When you realize that you may be blind to a solution, take a breath. Take a walk. Talk about the problem out loud. Ask someone else how they would do it.
Usually, the gorilla is pretty easy to spot once you open your mind.
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About the Daily Marketing Minute
The Daily Marketing Minute is my project for the last quarter of 2014. Each day, I will deliver bite-sized, fat-free nuggets of sales and marketing insights.
In an increasingly noisy sales and marketing world, it is easy to lose track of why you do what you do. Ultimately, I believe that relationships will transcend the daily grind we face in sales and marketing. Every day, I’ll share insights and tips to grow your business and connect with your customers in a better (and more human) way.
Thank you for sharing your precious time with me.
Shaun
