Perception is reality – we’ve all heard the phrase before. Right, wrong, or indifferent, perception is reality. Perception can create good will and positivity in a client/vendor partnership as well as facilitate growth in relationships, and be the catalyst for success. Yet other times, perception can taint experiences, it can strain relationships, and it can destroy partnerships. If left unchecked, false perceptions can be the bane of an organization’s existence. So what do you do about perception if it’s negative? Do nothing – leave it alone and let it fester? No. The answer, simply put, is to manage perception.
Managing, and even changing perception is a doable task and actually quite simple. Effective perception management can be accomplished through properly setting expectations. Ask yourself, how do customers reach certain conclusions and perceptions? More often than not you’ll find the answer to be poor communication along with unrealistic or unmet expectations. Even worse, sometimes the answer is no expectations. Manage customer expectations using these simple, yet effective points:
Deal with absolute truths – keep it black and white. Many times, issues get skewed because of perceptions, which sometimes can be false. Work the facts, and table the sometimes less crucial perceptions.
Get the expectation right the first time. While expectations can and do change throughout the life cycle of a project, getting it right the first time goes a long way towards building good will and customer equity.
Identify and correct any false or unrealistic expectations. They’ll usually present themselves in a timely fashion early in project stages. Make sure that they are identified and corrected in writing, and in a timely fashion.
Communicate the expectation – make sure all parties acknowledge and understand expectations. Operations works under a different mindset than sales, so philosophies in message delivery do differ.
Tough messages have to be delivered. Customers can be told ‘no’, but do it with tact and soft delivery. Always remember your audience.
When expectations are met, customer perceptions are positive. Perception may be reality, but Expectations Fuel Perception. Carry On.