Perception is Reality

Does reality actually exist? Or is everything simply our own personal perception of what is real, based on how we are conditioned, or “wired” to process information?

A colour blind person sees things differently. But for them their view is real as is yours. Someone who feels the cold, will at certain temperatures, have a different perception of comfort to someone who doesn’t. Give the same set of complex inputs or data to any group of people and you will receive a bunch of different responses.

The point I’m trying to make here is that our own personal understanding of any given scenario is likely to be somewhat different to everyone else’s.

Reducing risk

I cannot stress enough how important it is for business owners to accept that this is the case. But also to keep this thought very prominent whenever you work on any customer facing aspects of your business. This means everything. The way you and your employees dress. The language you use, the colours you use. Everything which forms part of your customer’s experience when they engage with you.

You can’t do anything about how an individual will react to the inputs you provide them. But you absolutely can control, precisely, what those inputs are to reduce the risk of a customer’s perception being very different to the perception you are trying to create.

Their reality is your reality

You may have the best service or product, offer the best return on investment, and be the easiest of companies to work with. BUT, if the perception is you’re a shabby organisation. Then that is for all intents and purposes the version of reality that matters!

Or, to put it another way, the perceptions that your prospects have about your company are your reality! And the only people who are fully qualified to say how your products and services appear to them are your customers and prospects.

So, why not survey your customers to find out how different their perception is to that which you are trying to create? Consider undertaking some market research about the perception in the marketplace of your company.

And act on the results. If the perceptions are not what you want them to be then you need to make changes.  Remember insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.