Silumtaneous Usage TV and Digital and TV and Audio

How often do you watch tv and work on your computer at the same time? I’m doing it right now. According to Nielsen’s 1918 Q2 Total Audience Report, 45% of viewers are always or very often using another digital device while watching tv. Only 6% of tv watchers are using an audio device while watching tv.

Why? Because we LISTEN to our tvs as well as WATCH them!

TV commercials NEED SOUND! We consumers don’t just watch tv, we listen to tv; we HEAR a message. As the old adage goes:

YOU CAN’T SHUT YOUR EARS!

Seldom does the TV screen have our 100% attention visually. In addition to the 45% that is not 100% engaged, another 28% are also looking at a second screen. And, many of us are also on our cell phones! Are you getting the stats?!

We are not WATCHING TV, so every time a commercial comes on and THERE IS NO SOUND, WE DO NOT GET THE MESSAGE. TV ads that flash words on the screen without a narrator reading them OUT LOUD are wasting money and an opportunity! Politicians—can you hear me?!

Almost ALL of the political ads right now have video clips of Donald Trump telling lies. They play his words over and over again and on the screen image they flash the world “lies.” BUT NO ONE IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WORDS ON THE SCREEN. If you are listening but not watching, the ad reinforces Trump’s message. There should be a narrator saying the words OUT LOUD!

Narrator: DONALD TRUMP IS LYING.

Then the narrator gives the CORRECT INFORMATION OUT LOUD! So people can hear it if they happen NOT to be watching. Which is the majority of us.   

Conduct your own experiment. You watch tv, right? Contrast these two videos:

Eleven Films does it right. Although they don’t use a narrator, each clip includes AUDIO that tells the story. This 2:00 video calling Trump out for his Coronavirus incompetence is easy to understand even if you aren’t watching but only listening.

“You can’t trust this President to do the right thing,” says a person in a voice-over of a picture of EMTs rolling away a body. Then next clip shows Trump calling Coronavirus “the new Democratic hoax.” On comes another visual of people being screened by emergency personnel with the voice-over, “not for the sake of our country.” EVERY important point is emphasized with visuals AND AUDIO.  

WATCH AND LISTEN to this video from Eleven Films. They are on a mission to save Democracy. Subscribe to their Youtube channel and #Resist! And Democratic candidates—please hire Eleven Films to get your message out!!

BREAKING: the American Virus: We Will Prevail

Contrast that with this commercial from The New York Times: The Truth Can Change How We See the World

New York Times: The Truth Can Change How We See the World

The commercial begins with ocean scenery and Janelle Moonaea, a beautiful African-American woman, telling the story of 20 enslaved Africans being delivered to the shores of Virginia and sold to the Colonists. “America was not yet America,” she says, “but this is the moment it began.”

THEN, NO MORE SOUND BUT THESE WORDS COME ON THE SCREEN

“Words from

The 1619 Project: How Slavery Shaped America

The truth can change how we see the world.

Truth is worth it.”

Then the New York Times’ logo appears.

LIKE WE SAW OR HEARD THAT!! A beautiful ad by the New York Times, apparently one in their “Truth can change how we see the world” campaign. Great campaign, but here’s the BAD NEWS.

NO ONE IS GETTING YOUR MESSAGE. YOU GOTTA SAY THE WORDS OUT LOUD!

According to a random ppt presentation I found on LinkedIn, people remember:

10% of what they read

20% of what they hear

30% of what they see

50% of what they see and hear

80% of what they say

90% of what they say and do

So, if you want people to remember what your tv commercial “says,” you’ve got to help your audience SEE and HEAR your message. If you can get them up doing the hokey-pokey and singing along, even better.

#LoquaciousLindee

A Conduit with a Can-Do-It Attitude

   A conduit is a “means of access, communication” states the World Dictionary. It doesn’t list examples or show pictures, but if it did, I’d be there, you’d be there, we’d all be there. Isn’t communication, after all, an essential part of who we are and what we do as living, breathing human beings on the planet?

   Aren’t we all conduits of some sort, passing information from one person to another, one situation to another?  When problems arise it’s because communication breaks down, which usually means a “conduit” has been mocked, ridiculed, or chastised in to silence. Don’t let that happened! 

 

    It’s the steady flow of information that keeps people on task, projects on time, and the world spinning reliably on its axis. A person with a passion, purpose and a “can-do” attitude will continue to relay information because that’s what conduits do. Especially after a communication breakdown!

 

   We are all conduits for each other. It’s our job to keep the information flowing, like a global game of the kids party game, Telephone, except today we have cell phones, text messaging, email, and the social platforms to help in our quest.

 

   What can you do to keep the information flowing? Be a conduit with a can-do-it attitude. 

Quantum Surprises begin by Breaking the Habit   Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself

by Dr. Joe Dispernza.

 

Dr. Joe’s a master at simplifying quantum physics so we can understand HOW energy creates our realities. I’m half-way through the book and I’m excited to get to the “how to” exercises. (There are a few realities I’m planning on creating.)

 

As Yoda would say, “You must unlearn what you have learned.” Breaking the Habit is teaching me why my heart, mind, and body hang on to past experiences—especially the hurts—and continue a feedback loop of stinkin’ thinkin’ that cripples my progress forward. Dispernza refers to it as “re-mind”; when your mind plays the same story again and again.

 

“The difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.” Who said that?

 

Dipernza’s view is that change creates quantum surprises. And quantum surprises are the Universe’s way of honoring your intention. But you can’t be too specific. You have to anticipate in thought and with feeling specifically what you want, but then you have to let the Universe fill the need.

 

Break the habit of old thoughts, become very clear in your intent, and stand back and let the energy fall together.

 

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might get what you need.” That was Mick. J

“What the Hell” is Always the Right Answer

 

‘Ever notice how “what the hell” is always the right answer?”

                                                  Marilyn Monroe

 

And why not? The answer begins with the question and comes full circle.

 

“What the hell” is an open-ended question. The intensity of the expression implies a breach of belief has already occurred: you witness something for the first time, someone shares a confidence and changes your perspective… “What the hell?” translated is: I need more information.

 

What the hell? As in, ‘what the hell just happened?’

 

What IN hell will also suffice as an appropriate question. Again, a request for more information. (Don’t worry your mind with where “Sam Hell” is for now.)

 

The challenge is to embrace the “answer” with the same enthusiasm as the question. Believe it, open to it; assimilate, alter, and adapt the information you get from the question into your consciousness and use it to make decisions—stronger decision, now.

 

“What the hell” is always the right question…and when a logical answer alludes you, “what the hell” is always an appropriate response.

 

No need for a “right” answer. No need to avoid a “wrong” answer. No need to take sides or play favorites. Do as Marilyn did–go with an ubiquitous response. Play ‘open and in need of convincing.’ Go with “what the hell.” 

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PsychoGeometrics: Social Media Shaping UpFace-to-face communication is tricky business, but when you’re standing toe-to-toe with someone, chances are their physical presence, facial expressions, actions, and tone of voice reinforce the true meaning behind their words. With the written word, the reader is at a disadvantage. The words carry all the weight—or do they?

The Social Media platform that a person selects to relay a message is a clue to their communication style. When you consider the 4 major social media platforms (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) and cross-reference that with the 4 major communication styles (Squares, Triangles, Circles, Squiggles), you get a few clues to understanding.

Triangles are fast-paced project people. They’re driven by accomplishment and the need to get things done—quickly! They love to delegate but are sketchy with details. The 140 character limit makes Twitter an excellent tool for Triangles. In addition, Triangles thrive on leadership and recognition so they’ll have a strong presence on Linkedin. Triangles are quick to embrace new technologies once they understand the benefits to the bottom-line. But Triangles are slow to switch from email to social media not wanting to tackle the learning curve until absolutely necessary. Once they make the leap, though, they expect you will too.

Squiggles are fast-paced people people. They are independent thinkers and visionaries. They thrive on crafting, creating, and developing. They’re emotional and spontaneous—and a perfect match for the real-time audience of Twitter. Squiggles are animated and theatrical so YouTube offers unlimited possibilities as well. They’ll maintain a limited profile on Linkedin for professional reasons but will gravitate toward Facebook for lengthier conversations.

Circles will find their Squiggle friends on Facebook and probably spend the majority of time interacting with other Circles—also on Facebook. Circles are slower-paced people people. They are dedicated team players tapped in to the grape vine. They nurture those around them by investing their time. In addition to Facebook, you’ll find them on YouTube. Linkedin won’t provide the social stimulation they’re looking for—too professional, but a smaller social network, Flickr for example, provides in-depth relationships.

Squares, the slower-paced project people, will take the time to learn the social media platforms but see little reason to use them away from work. Squares will have a strong profile on Linkedin but not spend much time interacting. They might use Twitter to relay short burst of info to a team member but prefer email where their correspondence is private (relatively) and allow for lengthy explanations. They appreciate the teaching/training role of YouTube and will spend time educating themselves.

As the social media platforms continue to evolve, the Triangles and Squiggles will adapt quickly. Circles and Squares will join hesitantly but enjoy the camaraderie and ease of operation that only social media can bring.

If you’re new to this information, you must visit Dr. Susan Dellinger’s site. The lights went on the day I heard her  explain the different communication styles and their corresponding shapes. Things made a bit more sense; people made a lot more sense. I had a tool which helped explain why people said and did what they did. It explained human behavior to me in the most elementary of mediums: shapes. I’ve used this theory, psycho-geometrics, every day of my life since. Learn it from my textbook mentor, Dr. Susan Dellinger.

Spring

Me: I feel like a spring.

BF: You mean like water?

Me: No.

BF: Like the season?

Me: No.

BF:  Like a twisty metal one?

Me: THAT’s the one.

It was late, my boyfriend and I were driving home from the airport. He’d picked me up after a short two-day jaunt to Kansas City to visit one of my clients. I was wired all right–twisted up tight with excitement. I’d just been through orientation with National Seminars–the premier training company for corporate employees, government workers, and individual entrepreneurs. I trained a number of topics for them from 2003 through 2006: How to be a Great Communicator, Effective Business Writing, The Grammar Guide, Creative Marketing Conference, The Women’s Conferences.

Beginning early April, I’ll be training National Seminars’ newest seminar, Social Media Marketing. Communication has taken a technological turn and the world has been united. Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, You Tube, and countless other sites) are changing how we talk to each other, our customers, and the world.

According to Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks, “Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.”  Given my soc and psych background, it’s a revolution I want to be part of–and National Seminars is on the cutting edge, letting me lead the way.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could take all words at face value? Fortunately we know that words are only one portion of the underlying message. Inflection, intonation, and body language also help us interpret and translate hidden meanings.

Take extra care and truly tune-in when you hear these words:

(1)Fine. Fine is most commonly used in two contexts, the first often in response to the question–how are you? Humorists would have us believe fine stands for: Fussed up, Insecure, Neurotic, and Emotional. To self-help gurus, “fine” is the status quo and they suggest we respond with “great,” or “terrific” as opposed to “fine” to increase our energy and vibration. Fine has also come to symbolize the end of a conversation, usually when both or all parties are at a standstill. According to a recent funny email I received in reference to communication between the sexes,the author suggested “fine” is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you (men) need to shut up. It was attributed as a female response, but I’ve heard men fall back and punt with “fine” as well.

(2)Nothing. I often default to “nothing” when I just don’t have the energy, stimina, or patience to explain what’s going on inside my head. For example: what are you thinking? Nothing. A better response might be “it’s too complicated to explain.” John Gray, author of Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus, states men and women have very different uses for this word. Women can use it as a diversionary tactic. Men really tend to be thinking of “no thing–nothing.” “Nothing” is like a safe, mental box for men. The email I received said, when women use the word, “nothing” is the calm before the storm. Nothing really means something, and you should be on your toes if you hear it. Arguments that begin with “nothing” usually end in “fine.”

(3)Whatever. I hate to be “whatevered,” and I use the word rarely, and only with great frustration with even greater trepidation. “Whatever” is a dismissal, it means you are no longer listening to, honoring, or respecting the other person’s viewpoint. It symbolizes a communication breakdown or lack of interest in continuing the conversation. According to the email, it translates to “you’re an idiot and I’m not listening to you.” Use “whatever” cautiously. Interpretation will be up to the listener.

Avoid these common “watch out” words and enjoy smoother communications.