Hang on now! Put your pitchforks down and just hear me out.

Have you noticed the general public’s obsession with gadgets? Does it seem like smartphones are a natural extension of people’s hands these days?

Take a quick survey the next time you are out in public. How many people are looking down, constantly checking their phone? Or posting the slightest move on Facebook or “instagramming” every meal? What about the ear mullets – you know, people wearing their Bluetooth headsets and talking to the air like a crazy person?

And coming soon…Google Glass. Skynet is about to become self-aware.

Many people are addicted and have Impulsive Digital Isolationist Obsessive Tendencies (IDIOT). Now do you see where I am going with this?

In 2008 a study coined the phrase Nomophobia, which encapsulates the fear of not having your mobile device.  I know what you’re thinking. “Uh oh…sounds familiar.”

In fact, many of you reading this suffer from the exact same symptoms—checking email while you’re in bed or looking at your iPad in the bathroom (gross) to see if anyone liked your update. And the list goes on.

Now that we recognize what we are up against, we need to find ways to cut through the clutter, so we can capture and hold the attention of customers who struggle with this obsession.

Here are four ideas that you can use today to connect with IDIOTs:

1. Think like an IDIOT. If you aren’t already a user of all of these platforms, sign up and play around on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Or at least, have someone show you what’s up so you don’t feel like an idiot (lower case!) when people talk about it.

2. Turn off your own filter. Example: You may hate texting back and forth. It’s impersonal, you say. Just email them, right? Why can’t they talk on the phone? Well, it doesn’t matter what form of communication YOU like. You have to follow the path of the least resistance (Hint: That’s the one what THEY use the most). You may need to give those thumbs a workout if you want to connect with your customers on their playing field.

3. Increase frequency. Crowded and distracted  = reach out more. One call and one email are NOT going to cut it. “But that seems too pushy” you might be thinking. Really? Well, you will quickly discover when it becomes too much for them, because your customers will ask you to back off. If they haven’t done so, you’re probably not communicating enough.

4. Change it up: Proper lead nurturing requires a variety of communication methods. Sending the same email to a prospect every two weeks IS NOT lead nurturing. That is lead distancing. Think about it: If you pass the same billboard every day, how long does it take till you just don’t notice it any more? Use the phone, text messaging, email, video emails, etc. and grab their attention.

You may be an IDIOT, too…and that’s ok. Remember, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem.