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Casual Articles - Marketing Myth #3: Perception Is Not Reality
In creating "flow manufacturing" or just in time manufacturing the idea at Toyota was to make sure the flow was hardly ever broken or interrupted. After all the idea was to maximize on production and the way to do this was to keep an assembly line moving.For this reason a worker's main responsibility appears to be to work and not to think when they are supposed to be keeping production moving.However a worker on the plant floor has another much more significant role to play other than just “do the work”. They are also expected to be problem solvers and performance improvers.What this means is that when there is a problem on the assembly line, rather than jus
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside percep
Have you ever seen one of the signs regarding customer services that many places of business have hanging up? They say, "Rule Number 1: The customer is always right," and below that, "Rule Number 2: Refer back to rule number 1."Although that's a pointed oversimplification, the statement makes a valid point, and that is the customer is the reason for the business, whatever that business might be. The customer is what keeps the business fueled and running. Without the customer, there would be no business, and keeping customer happy and coming back is of the utmost importance.Though customer service truly can't be simplified into a one-rule overview and the truth i
It is vitally important that any one who has responsibility for growing a business or organization understand and embrace this critical tenet. It does not matter if outside perceptions are factual... because consumers behave based on decisions formed by attitudes founded on their beliefs, which are often subconscious. (If this sounds familiar, congratulations!)
This has particularly dangerous consequences when companies are forced into an undesirable place primarily because they fail to communicate their unique benefits. Thus, their “inside reality” is aware of their distinguishing qualities but “outside perceptions” are clueless.
In other words, the public may look at your business; your competitors’ businesses; and/or completely unrelated businesses and view them identically, good or bad. This means that they base their purchase decision solely on price or convenience. Why? Because they don’t have any other information!
Some companies can operate in this environment for a while but over time it gets them nowhere (except closer to extinction). Remember this, competing on price alone is the quickest way I know of to ensure that you will never be able to earn a substantial income… let alone, what you’re “worth”. It is a no-win situation and no matter how tempting, do not fall into that snare. And businesses will continue to compete in this way until they do something to alter their prospects’ perceptions!
Avoiding the Commodity Ambush
You must be willing to face and accept reality… and as my daughter-in-law is fond of saying, “and don’t pretty it up!” This is the first step in making sure you don’t get lumped into the commodity pot.
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside percept
Have you ever wondered if anything can get your employees to care about the work they're doing?Managers who are self-starters, who enjoy and are motivated by the work they do and the organization they work for, are sometimes puzzled by the perceived lack of motivation of their subordinates. The operative word here is "perceived", because they may, in fact, be motivated --- just not in the same way as you.If you think about it realistically, you don't necessarily want them to love the work, do you? What you expect is that they perform well on the job and contribute to the success of your department. They can do that without being cheerleaders, because everyone is mo
This has particularly dangerous consequences when companies are forced into an undesirable place primarily because they fail to communicate their unique benefits. Thus, their “inside reality” is aware of their distinguishing qualities but “outside perceptions” are clueless.
In other words, the public may look at your business; your competitors’ businesses; and/or completely unrelated businesses and view them identically, good or bad. This means that they base their purchase decision solely on price or convenience. Why? Because they don’t have any other information!
Some companies can operate in this environment for a while but over time it gets them nowhere (except closer to extinction). Remember this, competing on price alone is the quickest way I know of to ensure that you will never be able to earn a substantial income… let alone, what you’re “worth”. It is a no-win situation and no matter how tempting, do not fall into that snare. And businesses will continue to compete in this way until they do something to alter their prospects’ perceptions!
Avoiding the Commodity Ambush
You must be willing to face and accept reality… and as my daughter-in-law is fond of saying, “and don’t pretty it up!” This is the first step in making sure you don’t get lumped into the commodity pot.
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside percep
“I’m tired of getting up each day so that Sally Sue and Bobby Ray get another widget in their closet! I want to do something meaningful with my life before it’s too late. You know, I’ve always loved bumblebees. I need to work at a nonprofit so I can save the bumblebees!”And so starts another career in the nonprofit world… maybe.Saving bumblebees, fighting cancer, educating children, or any number of other missions can be the best, most meaningful work in your life. But before you eagerly leap into the world of nonprofit work, you need to look at some of the myths that you may currently believe or encounter on your journey. Here’s the “dirty (half) dozen”:1.
In other words, the public may look at your business; your competitors’ businesses; and/or completely unrelated businesses and view them identically, good or bad. This means that they base their purchase decision solely on price or convenience. Why? Because they don’t have any other information!
Some companies can operate in this environment for a while but over time it gets them nowhere (except closer to extinction). Remember this, competing on price alone is the quickest way I know of to ensure that you will never be able to earn a substantial income… let alone, what you’re “worth”. It is a no-win situation and no matter how tempting, do not fall into that snare. And businesses will continue to compete in this way until they do something to alter their prospects’ perceptions!
Avoiding the Commodity Ambush
You must be willing to face and accept reality… and as my daughter-in-law is fond of saying, “and don’t pretty it up!” This is the first step in making sure you don’t get lumped into the commodity pot.
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside percep
Giving feedback in a constructive way is beneficial for everyone. Your employee values your experienced and focused input, thus improving their performance. You gain a better motivated team. And your organisation benefits from a gradually evolving skilled workforce, leading to a stronger culture of sustainable performance growth.Here are ten keys points which will enable you to get the best value from your workforce.1. Instill trust - criticism can be a bitter pill to swallow, so sweeten it by showing that you're trying to help the person, not looking to feed your own ego.2. Know your aim - work out what you want t
Avoiding the Commodity Ambush
You must be willing to face and accept reality… and as my daughter-in-law is fond of saying, “and don’t pretty it up!” This is the first step in making sure you don’t get lumped into the commodity pot.
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside percep
But the question is; do you really want to?At present, being employed and working from home with absolutely no commute to the office is generally unheard of. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 10% of the NSW workforce Teleworks. This is where they still have to venture into their office, however also have the opportunities to take work home. It may sound like they get a great lifestyle, however, in truth, they still are bound by employer agreements- they still have to ask to have holidays, they still only get paid what their employer is willing to give them etc.Co- Owner of Memories 2 Movies; Kelly Mouriliyan; says ‘the reality is that employment fro
The worst (or best?) thing you’ll discover may be that your customers and prospects do indeed see you as similar, or identical, to others. Once you obtain this vital information, you must identify specific areas where your inside reality does not match outside perceptions. For instance, you may need to do a better job of educating the public about your exceptional qualities (i.e. service, delivery, product benefits, etc.) or conversely, you may need to fix gaps.
Let’s assume that you’re the most knowledgeable, educated and competent financial advisor in your area, having earned and saved your clients much more than your competitors. At a networking event you give your business card to a qualified prospect in need of your services and you schedule an initial meeting in your office. However, when the prospect arrives the waiting room is bland and the sofa upholstery is threadbare; the rest rooms are in desperate need of cleaning; your receptionist is curt; your office is a mess and you can’t find the forms you need.
Then you spend the next hour reiterating the professional qualities you posses – careful attention to details, reliable service, thoroughly researched advice, etc. You’re convinced that you have the know-how and abilities to provide the very best financial advice to him or her, but they choose another company. Why? Because there was a huge gap between what you said and what they experienced. Your words said, “excellence and professional” and your environment and staff said “mediocrity and fly-by-night”! As the saying goes, “If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”
What does a dirty bathroom have to do with sound financial advice? In this case, everything… So you can either argue the point (i.e. one has nothing to do with the other) all the way to the poor house or do whatever is necessary to create an office environment that reflects your level of professionalism.
Alternatively, your customers may continue to choose you over a competitor because you consistently deliver more product or ser
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