Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition

Meet the Enemy: Channel Overload Syndrome

Is your attention fragmented? I know mine is!

Channel overload syndrome happens when information is transmitted faster than it can be received. It's like those intense rainstorms that cause raging rivers, taking out everything in their paths. Instead of pouring down rain, bucket-loads of information are dumping on the brains of your customers and prospects. And simple umbrellas don't cut it.

As a result, people are retreating, shutting down, and seeking refuge from the information onslaught. People are literally tuning out!

Think about it: Your e-mail inbox is crammed with a never-ending stream of messages, you have billions of possible Web sites to surf and videos to watch, your physical mailbox is full of junk mail, and everywhere you turn you see and hear commercials. Let's not overlook voicemails, text messages, instant messages, tweets, and Facebook updates. And what about those stacks of dusty magazines and unread newspapers?

All these choices present a huge problem for any business. If your customers aren't receiving your messages, they're likely not thinking about your business either.

So what can a business do? What are the obvious choices?

One option is to try to communicate across all the channels. Another choice is to ignore how the world is changing and do what you've always done.

If you attempt to engage all the channels, it will cost you a fortune, and you'll never be able to keep up. There are just too many, and new channels ...