Does Perception Play A Pivotal Role In Your Clients Reality?

"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception."

Aldous Huxley

Through the doors of your clients perception, lies their reality about you.

I believe that perception becomes a huge influencer in how your clients interpret and understand their reality. Their perception shapes their beliefs, emotions, and ultimately their decisions. 

As a result, perception significantly impacts their experiences and interactions, both personally and professionally. By understanding and respecting their perception, this helps you become more effective in supporting, guiding and building trust.

Their perception, their reality. Change their perception, change their reality. 

Perception is your perspective, which is based upon your experience. Perception as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “a result of observing”, it is “a physical sensation interpreted in the light of experience”, while perspective is “a mental view or prospect”. 

These definitions underline the way you view things, and this is based upon your past experiences. Your reality is comprised of a series of experiences that shape the way you see things.

Perception molds, shapes, and influences our experience of our personal reality, says Linda Humphreys, PhD, a psychologist and life, relationship, and spirituality coach. Perception is merely a lens or mindset from which we view people, events, and things.

Dr. Humphreys says that our past experiences greatly influence how we decode things. Certain people, things, and situations may trigger someone to interpret things through a positive or negative lens based on those past experiences.

Now, let's tie all of this into how salespeople are perceived within the sales world... Need I say anymore?

This might be the mirror moment for many of you... 

When was the last time you've asked any one of your clients what they thought of you? 

When was the last time you've asked any one of your clients the words, they'd use to describe you and how you've been taken care of them?

I'm deeply concerned that many in the sales world have taken their clients for granted. They've flat out failed at building, nurturing and growing their relationships.

Next time you have a conversation with one of your clients, ask yourself this question:

Am I being viewed as a sales rep or a sales professional?

PERCEPTION... IS THIS YOUR CLIENTS' REALITY?

"When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective."

Stephen R. Covey

It saddens me just how much rampant mistrust there is within the sales world.

Unfortunately, a stereotypical mindset runs wild throughout our society when it comes to salespeople.

Perception is in the eye of the beholder, and in the sales world that would be your clients.

I strongly believe that perception feedback is necessary for relational growth.

Relationship and promise bridges collapse as moments of being let down are all too fresh in many of your client's mind.

Busted dreams and broken hearts have left many feeling abandoned and neglected.

This places a damper on sales professionals who place their clients on a pedestal, placing their needs above their very own. They are faced with widespread prejudgment that they must overcome.

Allow this one to sink in for a moment... 

How well do you truly know your clients and how well do they truly know you?

I'm here to inform you that you must gain a true understanding of your client's mindset and perception of how they view salespeople.

Please realize, what you say, what you do and how you approach problems with your clients will have an immediate impact to your success, and their perception of you.

CHANGE THEIR MINDSET, CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTION

Cold doses of unfiltered feedback are necessary to grow. 

Feedback from your clients become the vitamins and minerals needed to build a meaningful relationship.

I'm bringing this to the surface because there just might be a monumental gap between what your clients think of you versus what you believe it to be. 

How your clients perceive you just might be the key that unlocks the door to exponential sales growth.

• How many of you right now, at this very moment, understand the impact this has to you?
• How many of your clients see you as being available and helpful to them?
• How many of your clients view you as being heartfelt, caring and trustworthy or inconsistent, blasé and just like all the others?

If you desire to be viewed as a sales professional, and change one's perception of you, then you must be willing to become someone who serves.

Start serving with every conversation and every interaction. Become that person who leads with their heart and watch what starts to happen next. 

Will you commit to taking massive action and put in the necessary time, energy, and heart to better understanding your clients? I promise, if you do so, this will rapidly open the human window within your relationship.

"The secret of success is to understand the viewpoint of others."

Henry Ford

Many of you may find all this exhausting and you know what, it's Ok. We all have choices, however; those sales professionals who lead with their heart and seek to serve their clients, immediately change how they're perceived, guaranteed!

A servant led sales mindset takes a conscious effort by committing to:

• Intentional and active listening
• Empathy
• Stewardship
• Building Community
• Fellowship

Serving is about building meaningful relationships. It's not a light switch you turn on then off. It's the emotional connection, the human connection and the heartfelt connection you make with each one of your client's that will soon start to change how they view you.

Learning to serve becomes the perception game changer.

• A servant has a sincere, genuine and burning desire to serve.
• A servant digs in deep.
• A servant is laser focused in on serving the needs of the person sitting right in front of them.

A servant minded sales professional gives a rip!

I can't think of a greater return on investment than to serve.

A servants mindset:

• I want to please you.
• I want to make you feel special.
• I want you to know I love having you as a client.
• Making you happy, it is my purpose, it's my pleasure.

GIVING A RIP CHANGES THEIR PERCEPTION

"People don’t care what you know until they know that you care."

Theodore Roosevelt

Sales is serving and serving is sales. To serve is to care. It's caring deeply about your clients, the people who buy what you have to sell.

Again, perception is reality and so is their viewpoint around how you take care of them.

If you're looking to increase your sales results, then I encourage you to capture the hearts and minds of your clients.

You must truly give a rip and care about helping to solve your client's business challenges, goals and concerns.

Caring is about being human, being real and being your authentic self, every step of the way.

Caring for your clients, it is not hard. It's looking them in eye and saying, "I'll be here for you at all times. I have your best interest at heart."

I encourage you to deeply invest and genuinely care about the experiences you provide to your clients. When this happens watch relationships skyrocket and sales results soar.

CHANGING PERCEPTION, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

I believe you must make it a point to understand how your clients perceive you. Not knowing, places you at risk of being replaced.

As a professional who's focused on long-term success, your main responsibility is to profitably serve your clients.

We all have choices in life. In sales, you can choose to be a sales rep, or you can choose to become a sales professional.

This is why unpacking your clients' perception of you becomes a significant factor in how you interact with their reality. It's not just about the objective truth but how they interpret and make sense of their experiences, circumstances, and the world around them. 

Mindset, heart set and skillset; this is the trifecta in turning your client's viewpoint into reality.

Originally published on Larry Levine's LinkedIn.