Perception is crucial in business. And it’s NOT the way you dress that matters.
The way an ideal client or customer sees a business, the owner and the products or services offered, will decide if they will purchase anything from that business or not. It may be shallow, but it’s reality and no business owner can ignore this aspect. Perception can make or break a business or your career as a consultant, trainer, or coach. It’s one of the 5 things that can make or break your business.
Here are four ways in which perception is impacting businesses and what to pay attention to.
Perception Influences the Buying Process
Imagine that you want to buy a package for your holiday. And you see two offices of travel agencies. One is very familiar to you – you’ve seen ads run by it in newspapers, on TV, you saw articles featuring the CEO, you’ve seen destination guides written by this agency and featured in some magazines that you read. You don’t know the other agency. Which one would you choose? (Yes, most people go with the familiar agency!)
The buying decision is influenced in many ways by perception. It’s called the customer perception, and it is influenced by a number of factors. From pricing – what do you think of really cheap laptops or smartphones or free services and what’s your opinion on expensive wines or smartphones or laptops? – to packaging, branding, customer service, and the quality of the product or service provided, everything influences the buying decision. Moreover, it has been revealed that almost half of Americans don’t trust brands. And I’m pretty sure that the percentage is in the same vicinity in many countries across the globe. Therefore, every business needs to pay attention to perception.
This applies to freelancers or solopreneurs as well. Consultants, trainers, coaches, it’s the same for everyone. Yes, no one escapes. We are all in the same bucket.
Let’s say that you need a public speaking coach because you are having some struggles with the presentations you need to deliver. You have the option to choose between a known public speaking coach, who’s been visible in the media, writes a lot of articles, and is active on social media, but has high prices, and another public speaking coach who is not that famous or visible but who has lower prices. In reality, both coaches have the same experience, work just as hard, and provide the same results. If price is not an issue for you and if they are both within your reach, which one would you choose?
Most people would go with the famous coach. And it’s all based on perception. You think that he has more experience because you’ve heard of him more. And the perception is and continues to be reality, because that public speaking coach will add another client with roster and will be able to emphasise that in the future.
Perception Influences Investors and JV Partners
Perception has an important impact on investors as well. If a product or business idea is well presented it has a big chance of it being funded. But an unprofessional presentation, made in a hurry, with low quality photos, no clear text, would not attract investors.
Also, if a business or it’s owner have been involved in press scandals, then that perception would influence potential investors.
It’s the same with joint venture (JV) partnerships. These are a great way to find new audiences for your services. Many coaches/trainers/consultants use them. But the perception that the potential partners have of you will influene whether they will consider your offer or not.
Perception Increases Customer Loyalty
Almost any business wants clients or customers that would buy again and again from it. Loyal clients are not easy to find, and perception can influence someone when they decide if they word keep buying from a given book company or keep working with a specialist or consultant or coach. A loyal customer will be hard to be convinced by a competitor to switch providers.
Perception Influences Customer Trust
No company or professional wants to have a crisis. But sometimes things happen and there is a hard period for that company or in that professional’s life. A client/customer who trusts the company or the coach/consultant/trainer, who used it’s/their products or services in the past, is more likely to at least want to hear the company’s / the professional’s position as well. It’s also very likely that such a loyal customer or client will believe the company and remain loyal. Sure, how the company or professional manages the crisis has a huge impact on if the existing clients are customers remain loyal, but the fact of the matter is that perception influences customer trust.
More about how to influence clients’ perception and the 5 crucial things you need to know to have a Thriving Coaching Business here:
These are the most important areas in which perception is affecting companies and professionals worldwide. Perception matters, and you should pay attention to how are your clients, potential clients, competitors, and potential investors seeing you.
Learn the foundations of a thriving coaching business, how to create program and courses that sell, how to create impactful marketing strategies, become an authority in your niche, and which sales funnels is the best for you from this program: How to go from an unknown coach to a client magnet
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