Between social media, news channels, chat rooms, newsletters, podcasts, texts, calls, zooms and even old-fashioned conversations, our brain gets exposed to so much information. Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the info or which side you typically land on, understand that your brain can only handle so much data. I think of it like your pantry and fridge – if you let it get full of food that’s not so good for you, then eventually you have no room left for the good stuff, the stuff you actually want!
This works the same way for what we allow in our minds and what we think about. I can remember some not-so-bright times in my life where I would watch all the NFL football on Sunday, then the recap on SportsCenter. Of course, that filled my brain with flea-flickers, puntarooskies (sorry Clemson fans), swallowed whistles, Hail Mary’s and of course the Immaculate Reception. Basically, I was filling my brain with junk food, or at least empty calories, one day a week.
Hopefully we can all understand that if we want to fill our minds with uplifting and useful information then we need to do it on purpose. This comes in the form of who we hang out with, what we read, what podcasts we listen to, what courses we are taking and especially how we curate our social channels. YouTube can be a great educator or a great distraction based on what you tell it to do. All of those examples are things you can direct and schedule to start to fill up your information tank before someone else does.
So where does “the look” come in? I have seen a certain look only a few times in my life and each time I was in a one-on-one meeting with extremely successful business people (one was even a billionaire!).
I remember that during our discussion at some point I got sidetracked and started yapping about something (like maybe the Packers-Bears game) while they were trying to vector in to figure out if I could help them with something they were working on. “The look” I saw in all three was a look of trying to appear interested just long enough to get back to the points they they were trying to get done. “The look” also meant they were dead silent while they waited my jibber jabber out – not to encourage more of it!
I learned my lesson – eventually – from these meetings with high achievers. They have a few things they are working on and they stay focused on those and they are able to block out most of the rest of the noise. Many others, including me at times, will substitute the lack of strong, meaningful goals with a smorgasbord of distractions led by Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and of course the NFL.
Take it from me – when you get your chance to talk to a heavy hitter, stick to the point and you may avoid “the look.”
And if you want to pull the heavy sled yourself, stay focused on your goal and avoid the internet buffet.
John Sterling is the Amazon bestselling author of “Sales for Noobs” and CEO of NOOB School, an online resource for new salespeople. Previously, John helped build and sell Datastream for over $200 million. He has trained and hired hundreds of sales reps globally. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for new sales content every week. https://noobschool.org
