Perception is fact!

May 7, 2018

As business owners we can tend to fall into a big trap when we assume our customers will accept our word that our service is excellent and better than every body else’s.

The whole area of brand perception really needs to be understood better these days.

You see just because you say it doesn’t mean I (as the customer) will believe it. I need to try it out before I will take your word for it.

Why? Simple, because I along with every other customer or consumer out there have been feed the whole “we look after our customers” line so many times that we just don’t believe it any more.

 

What a lot of businesses do is they make the mistake in assuming that they can change someone’s perception by using fancy marketing ploys.

You see my perception of your service and your business will become fact in my head. If you say you care about me in your advertising and I then experience the opposite, then all of that money spent on attracting me to your business has gone down the drain.

This is why it is so important why the owners or the managers of the business need to ensure they have their fingers on the customers pulse and not on what they want the customer to believe.

 

You need to make sure you see what the customer sees and experience what the customer experiences.

When was the last time you had a real hard and thorough look at how your staff are servicing your customers or clients and what the reaction of that service is from your customer’s perspective?

Too many times we just assume everything is going well if we don’t get any negative feedback from the customer. But the customer has choice these days in taking their business elsewhere so most of the time you won’t even hear about a complaint as the customer will just leave and say nothing.

 

The best way you can change your business to be in line with what your customers want is to listen to them. It costs you nothing!

You need to understand what the perception of your business is in your customer’s eyes, or you will constantly miss the mark with them. You will spend a lot of wasted time and money on nothing.

So what do you think you have to work on in your business?

Are you too busy trying to get your customers to accept your brand of service as the way it is going to be, or are you open to listening to their perceptions of what they actually experience?

Because don’t forget, the customer’s perception is now fact to them. It is your job to change their perception if it is a bad one to one that is now positive.

The only way you can do that is by understanding why they have the perception that they do.

Let me explain. If your brand is all about vibrant, fun and class but the experience the client actually gets is rushed, disconnected and impersonal, then your brand is perceived as incorrect from the client’s perspective hence solidifying that in their heads.

That is why it is super important to constantly do a brand stock take to make sure what you are telling everyone you are is exactly what they receive. This can be done quite easily but make sure you look at all aspects and facets of your business. Your staff would be the greatest brand builders you have going for you but also can destroy your brand perception if something goes wrong.

Do your staff know exactly what your brand stands for?

Are they adding to the brands perception in a positive way every day with every client?

Just remember… The better the experience….. The better the referrals by your clients

Click here to contact us to see how we can assist your staff in becoming better employees for the business.

About Justin Herald

At the age of 25 with only $50 to his name, Justin Herald set about changing the course of his life.

Justin created Attitude Inc, a clothing brand that became an international licensing success that turned over in excess of $20 million per year.

Justin’s success was so well noted that he was named the “INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR” for 2005. He recently was also awarded the Future Leaders Award, which recognises him as being one of the 50 most influential leaders of the next generation in Australia.

He is also Managing Director Customer Culture, one of Australia's leading customer service training companies, that not only teaches staff around the world “how” to give great service, but more importantly, “why” it is needed. This has proven a game changer with the companies that engage Justin and his team.

His website justinherald.com receives thousands of hits a month. He also is the author of 8 international bestselling books. He also personally mentors over 100 business owners each year

Justin is regarded as one of Australia’s most sought after speakers with engagements booked all over the country and overseas speaking in front of 150,000 people each year.