YOUR PERCEPTION IS YOUR REALITY

Have you ever heard someone (or said it yourself) say that they don’t care what people think of them? If you know or are this person, you had better hope that someone will throw you a life preserver. There’s increasing evidence that your personal and professional success is directly tied to the perception that those around you might have of you.

Do you have any idea of your perception? And, as I’ve pointed out before, do you have any idea as to what it should be? Like it or not, reality doesn’t mean much anymore. There is no reality, only the perception of it. The proof is all around us. In advertising, in politics, in personal development, in sales. Whether someone buys something from you or not will be significantly based on their perception of you. 

Perception begins with the image that people see of you. Someone is always watching. They watch how you walk, the tone of your voice, your body language, how you smile, eat, sit…all of it. Your perception is already being established. 

In our digital world, consumers have more choices than ever before. The reality is that if you don’t have a strong, positive perception, a prospect or client will drop you like a hot potato and replace you within two minutes. And it can happen so easily. Perceptions can change in a nanosecond. Today, we don’t get many second chances. People want to deal with others they like and feel comfortable around. They want to deal with people they perceive as trustworthy, non-salesy, honest, open, thoughtful, and empathetic. Everyone is looking for a trusted advisor. 

Look, I am a card-carrying, fanatical, evangelistic believer in the idea that the quality of your product or offering, or the breadth of your knowledge of the size, shape, and color of something, is less important than whether people actually want to do business with you!

I’ve been observing this for a long time. As a Master Business Coach, I also see it every day from my global client base. If people don’t have a strong positive perception of you or your business, they will avoid you as if you have cooties. 

All I want you to understand is that I believe you can change your life and achieve unmanageable success simply by being aware of the perception you create. Start with these ideas: 

• Walk with confidence, no matter how bad things might seem. Confidence attracts success seekers
• Speak with a POSSIBILITY vocabulary. Replace words and phrases like “let’s give it a try”, “maybe”, or “I hope” with possibility-based terms like “Let’s do it”, “We can get that done”, or “YES”. 
• A groundbreaking study shows that 93% of all effective communication is based upon body language and vocal tone. Be aware of how you sit and how you express yourself. And yes, this means that only 7% of effective communication depends on the words actually said. It’s all about a person’s perception of what you said. 
• LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. Quit telling and start listening. You will be amazed at what people will say to you if they perceive that you are actually listening to them. It is the lost art of business and personal communication, globally
• Be Hopeful. While others are declaring or predicting gloom and doom, you can be a bright, shining light that is always looking for possibilities. Remember that during the Great Depression, when people were in hiding waiting for the end, those times also produced the most millionaires in history. While others were looking for the worst, others were looking for the possibilities and potential. 

This list can go on, but I sincerely hope you get the message. Your perception is the beginning of unlimited success or failure. The good news is that we can continually adapt. 

Apply the basics and develop your own, always keeping in mind how easily you can be replaced.