Daar bestaan ‘n persepsie onder sportliefhebbers dat die Proteas chokers is. En dalk ook die Stormers, want hulle kom só naby, maar net nie tot by die beker nie.
Immediately I hear you say but it’s only someone’s perception. When you do this you unfortunately dismiss the other person’s perception and in reality that perception is their reality at that moment in time. Perceptions can only be altered when an individual is provided with new reliable information that compels them to change their perception.
All this got me thinking about schools and businesses that struggles daily with how their customers perceive them. You can ignore these perceptions or you can take a brave step back and look at your organisation through your customers’ eyes. Which ever way you choose, remember that perception is so powerful that it can make or break you!
Hoe dan nou gemaak met hierdie choker necklace wat ons manne saamsleep? As ek Graeme was, sou ek minder verskonings maak en meer probeer uitvind waarom die mense dink ek en my span op kritieke oomblikke nie die wa deur die drif kan trek nie. Omdat ek graag sal wil hê die mense tuis moet op Vrydae ondersteunershemde dra, sal ek probeer uitvind waarom hulle dink dat ons chokers is. Die naakte waarheid is dat hulle persepsie die enigste is wat regtig saak maak.
A customer or supporter’s perception of you or your company, team or family evolves from a variety of sources:
- Their experience with you in the past
- Their experiences with others that offer what you offer
- The actual experiences of their friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances with you or your competition
- Their interpretation of the experiences of their friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances
- Their interpretation of what your policies and procedures actually are
- Their opinion of what your policies and procedures should be
- Their translation of what you have told them (The Training Bank).
Believe it or not, it’s a person’s perception that affects his behaviour. Each person uses past experience and processes current communication in making decisions and acting accordingly. Expectations are developed regarding a situation, service or product.
In order to influence a change in someone’s perception, eventually in the hope of affecting his/her behaviour, you first need to have a clear understanding of that perception. What does the person believe is true? Once you know that, you can work to influence change in thinking.
Of jy nou ‘n skool bestuur, produkte verkoop of ‘n krieketspan aanvoer, dit gaan nie help om stroomop te swem nie. ‘n Sinvoller oplossing is om uit te vind wat jou ondersteuner/kliënt se persepsie van jou is. Méér nog, om te begryp dat hulle persepsie vir hulle die enigste werklikheid is. En dit is met hierdie werklikheid, reg of verkeerd, waarmee jy moet handel. Miskien moet die woord eerder wees, onderhandel?
As jy verstaan waar persepsies vandaan kom en wat hulle ‘n werklikheid maak, kan jy hulle volgende keer oor die grens moker. Maar as jy dieselfde persepsies ignoreer of as onbenullig afmaak, mag jy paniekerig raak en op die kritieke tydstip been voor paaltjie betrap word.
Image: Ambro