Less Clutter, Less Noise #2

Years ago Brenda and I bought a burgundy, Chrysler, Town and Country van. Up until that time we hadn't noticed that there were other vans of same make, model and color on the road but after making the purchase and feeling like we had a great van that was perhaps "special" we began to notice that there were many other vans just like it on the road. Okay, so our van wasn't that special after all...the point is that once we had a "felt need", which in this case was less need than awareness, we began to notice and tune into the information that our brains said we needed.

Kem Meyer, author of Less Clutter, Less Noise, says she experienced the same thing the day they decided that their daughters needed a kitten. Suddenly, she saw signs for Free Kittens, Kittens for Adoption etc...everywhere, she even began noticing stray cats. What made the difference from the day before? On that day, she "needed" a kitten for her kids.

The fact is people's needs drive what people pay attention to. People usually only notice what will benefit them in some way. That's the definition of a felt need - anything people consciously lack, desire or need help with (time and money management, relationships, stress, pain, etc.). Connect with a felt need, and you will connect with an audience. On the other hand, if you share information without wrapping it around a felt-need, it is almost impossible to make a connection. Remember, it's easy for people to miss what they're not looking for.