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What our clients are saying......
"AboutPeople has a tremendous breadth and depth of knowledge about really connecting with people, and we all know this is a relationship business. They bring to the table resources, solutions and accountability that help you succeed in business and in life."
-- Steven Neff, Principal, Signia Capital
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How Your Clients & Prospects Really See You
Understanding the hidden messages you communicate
through your language and behavior
Do you know what your clients and prospects actually think of your company, your products, and you? Chances are the answer is No. Even companies that think they know are often surprised to learn the real truth.
We humans tend to see ourselves one way, while our prospects and customers see a completely different picture. How does that happen? Mainly, it's because people do not notice the specific things that influence their perception – which is everything we say and do, both as companies and as individuals.
Everything you say and do gives other people intel about you. Every communication, whether written, spoken, nonverbal, formal or informal broadcasts who you are and what you believe to be important.
I'm talking about marketing materials, and also internal communications, annual reports, recruiting materials, contracts, keynotes, seminars, phone conversations, Power Points - literally every communication. The words you use and the way you use those words gives other people a clear picture of your "hidden identity." We have to ask: what are you unwittingly saying about yourself?
You are what you do
Regardless of what your marketing materials suggest … Regardless of what you claim in your mission and vision statements … Regardless of what you actually believe, actions speak much louder than words. People respond to evidence more than they respond to talk.
In order to be perceived as credible, in order for people to trust you, you must actually prove yourself as trustworthy and congruent. In other words, you must walk the talk.
Think of a time when you heard a company claim, "Our people are our most important asset." In our research, it's been easy to see those words coming from firms with high turnover among both employees and suppliers. That's incongruent.
If your business hasn’t jumped to the next level of success, perhaps it's because there’s a disconnect between who you think you are and what your customers and prospects believe you are.
The Pieces of the Puzzle
Clients and prospects form a picture of you and your company in their minds. This picture forms over time and is influenced by a number of factors. Here are a few of the most important factors:
- Every communication: annual report, your website, mail and email, your business objectives, job descriptions - all provide clues as to who you are and what you believe. That's how people decide to hire you, or not.
- How you treat your employees, your suppliers and virtually everyone you come in contact with is a reflection of who you are. It’s not enough to say people are important; you have to prove it through your real-life interactions with employees, customers, vendors and strategic alliance partners.
- Your internal processes, your management style, even your office environment, dress code, and the kind of music you play, all say something about your company and its values. For example, what is the message from a bank that opens at 9:00 and closes at 3:00 or an airline that routinely overbooks flights? What are they saying about how they value customers?
- In a very real way, the people who answer your office phone determine if your company is perceived as friendly – or not. Are they natural communicators who build relationships for you, or are they annoyed at doing a job that's beneath them?
- Every association or relationship – everyone you do business with and associate with becomes a part of your identity.
- How you respond in a crisis provides key insight into who you are. Do you take responsibility? Tell the truth? Can the public trust you do the right thing?
In Conclusion
This topic is not a simple one. After all, it's the essence of communication psychology. We've developed a short report that gives several real-life, highly effective ways to solve the problems pointed out above. It's titled: "Six Things You Can Do to Enhance Your Credibility." If you want a copy of the paper, just send me an email (michael@aboutpeople.com), and include this paragraph. Because you're an Inner Circle subscriber, there is absolutely no charge. Consider it just another example of AboutPeople reaching out to you.
-- Michael Lovas
michael@aboutpeople.com