Perception verses reality BHM

Perception is defined as the process by which an individual selects, organizes and interprets stimuli into a meaningful and coherent picture of the world.

It is a cognitive process by which people attend to incoming stimuli, organise and interpret such stimuli into behaviour.

Stimulus is any unit of input to any of the senses; examples of stimuli (i.e. Sensory inputs) include products, packages, brand names; advertisement and commercials. Sensory receptors are the human organs (the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin) that receive sensory inputs. These sensory functions are to see, hear, smell, taste and feel respective.

The study of perception is largely the study of what we subconsciously add to or subtract from raw sensory inputs to produce a private picture of the world.

Sensation is the immediate and direct response of the sensory organs to simple stimuli and advertisement, a package, a brand name. Human sensitivity refers to the experiences of sensation.

Perception Meaning

The word Perception comes from the Latin words, “percipio” meaning “receiving, collecting, action of taking possession, apprehension with the mind or senses”.

Each individual has his or her own perception of reality. The implication is that because each of us perceives the world through our own eyes, reality itself changes from person to person. While it’s true that everyone perceives reality differently, reality could care less about our perceptions. Reality does not change to adapt to our viewpoints; reality is what it is:

Reality is fact.

Reality is truth.

Reality, however, is not always a known, which is where perception of reality comes in. While reality is a fixed factor in the equation of life, perception of reality is a variable.

When it comes to your company’s costs, perception is reality. About 72% of people say that the reputation of a company or product can impact their decision to buy or not to buy. Before buying, about 61% of consumers conduct some research online and 43% of those read online reviews and opinions. 4 out 5 consumers will reverse their decision based on reviews they read online.

How clients view you is everything, and consistency is key! Brand management is something you need to take seriously from day one and throughout the life of your event, venue or service.

All initiatives, events and marketing campaigns should align with your overall mission and vision. Everything from your website, to social media, to event setup should reflect what you’re about.

You’ve probably heard it said that a happy customer only influences a handful of others, while an unhappy customer will influence dozens about a negative experience they had with your event, venue or service. One of the best things you can do for brand management is to offer excellent and fast customer service. If a customer has a problem, apologize and fix it as quickly as possible.

When it comes to pricing think about the automotive industry. We expect an S Class Mercedes to cost more than a Ford Pinto. Why, because the perception and reputation of the two different cars is the buyer’s reality. Buyers will announce to the world, easier than ever before through social media, that they are thrilled or disappointed with their purchase regardless of the cost or the product or service. Now, irrespective of whether you target an audience that historically spends more or less for a particular product or service, you must ensure that your product, services and customer service is top notch based on their expectation. When issues arise, your response must be laser-focused and responsive to confirm with the client that your costs are worth every penny. If you have the luxury to offer multiple levels of products or services, you most uncover exactly what the client is trying to accomplish and ultimately who their audience will be. This should confirm that your offerings are accurately matched to their needs.

Despite the big overlap between our perspective client’s perceptions and reality, there is indeed a gap between them. We just have to look carefully to see it instead of jumping to conclusions based on some (but not all) available evidence.

So, how exactly do you untangle perception from reality?

1. First, uncover any issues or problems that your client has had and would like to avoid in the future. Really get to the heart of what’s bothering them and what they would like to shift or change.

2. Next, consider how they might be perpetuating the problem or issue (i.e. buying habits). Brainstorm as many of these types of contributing factors as you can, however small or insignificant they might seem. Pay particular attention to key words or phrases.

3. When you have exhausted all areas of their past experiences, ask if there are any other stakeholders that may be involved in making a decision and uncover their past issues or problems as well.

4. Then, evaluate their responses with your team and underline any uncovered issues that appear more than once.

5. Find as many ways to support their key needs and avoid past issues and illustrate in a cohesive presentation that the client will understand.

6. Once you and your team feel like you’ve got it and have the right solutions to perfectly match their needs, present your offerings with supporting testimonials, case studies, and references.

Perception Definition

A process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.

Stephen P. Robbins

Perception is an important meditative cognitive process through which persons make interpretations of the stimuli’s or situation they are faced with.

Fred Luthans

Perception in Organisation

Simply because people’s behavior is based on their perception of what reality is, not on reality itself. The world as it is perceived is the world that is behaviorally important.

For example, in appraising performance, managers use their perceptions of an employee’s behaviour as a basis for evaluation. One work situation that highlights the importance of perception is the selection interview. Perception is also culturally determined. Based on our cultural backgrounds, we tend to perceive things in certain ways.

Nature of perception

1. Perception is the process by which an individual gives meaning to the environment.

2. People‘s actions, emotions, thoughts and feelings are triggered by their perceptions of their surroundings.

3. Perception has been defined in a variety of ways; it basically refers to the manner in which a person experiences the world.

4. Perception is an almost automatic process and works in the same way within each individual, yet it typically yields different perceptions.

Characteristics of the Perceiver

Several characteristics of the perceiver can affect perception. When an individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret what he or she stands for, that interpretation is heavily influenced by personal characteristics of the individual perceiver.

The major characteristics of the perceiver influencing perception are:

• Attitude
• Motives
• Interest
• Experience
• Expectation
• Self-Concept

Attitude

The attitude and aptitude of employees influence perception formation. If they have positive attitudes towards the management, they directly perceive the stimuli given by management. In the case of negative attitudes, the employees suspect the management’s approach. Employees of high aptitude have a desire and attitude for growth. They behave positively toward the management of an organization.

Motives

The motives and desires of employees cause them to view stimuli differently as per their level and angle. Helpful motives of the employees will always assist the management. If they desire to develop themselves and the organization, they will perceive objects and situations positively. Employees having low motives will not work sincerely. The perception will differ depending on different types of motives.

Experience

The experience of employees results in different levels of perception. A young employee takes time to understand the object and situation. Experienced employees generally understand objects quickly and correctly. However, in contradictory situations, it is difficult to correct aged persons, whereas the young are easily moulded towards achieving the objectives of the organization.

Expectation

Expectations distort perceptions. People see what they expect to see. If they see the object and the situation differently from their expectations, they get frustrated. They are unable to modify their behaviour. The employees may expect more pay and so they perceive the management from that angle. The real stimuli are not properly perceived if expectations exist there on. The management has to evolve expectations for proper perception.

Self-Concept

Another factor that can affect social perception is the perceivers’ selfconcept. An individual with a positive self-concept tends to notice positive attributes in another person. In contrast, a negative self-concept can lead a perceiver to pick out negative traits in another person. Greater understanding of self allows us to have more accurate perceptions of others.

Sarvesh SJB Rana

PhD in Political Science

                 &

Honors in Literature