Perception More Important than Reality
October 5th, 2009
Something that many people have a hard time understanding is that to the masses there is very little difference between the perception of a situation and the reality of the situation regardless of whether or not that is the actual case. For the most part people on a large scale never take the time to truly get to know each other. The excuses can be numerous but the simplification of it is that very few people truly care. However that does not keep those same people from being judge, jury and in some cases the executioner of an individual they have known for less than a minute.
That makes the Image you project out to the world one of vital importance. This is something even well known people have a hard time understanding. There is a saying that “Press is press” or “Bad press is still press” but now that is not really the case. It is the case now that people are being more picky about everything from the money they spend to the people they choose to care about. This means that you now not only need to get “press” but it needs to be “good press”.
Now I am referring to the word press here because it is an easy way to describe the idea of presenting a broad story with multiple short judgements being made by a large group of people. However in the case of someone who is just in their own network there is a “press” and that is the broader group of people you come into contact with. As you deal with these people they are watching you. This not done maliciously, it is human nature. We are naturally a curious lot that is constantly looking and observing, hoping to see something new or be a part of something new.
So how do you control perception, you control perception by taking stock of who you are and what you are. You have to have self-confidence because it is that self-confidence that is going to make you stay consistent.
Now I don’t want anyone to miss understand this, honesty and reality matter. A fabricated image can only last so long before you begin to realize that something is not right and you start to rebel against yourself. That rebellion will kill all the Image and perception you have built up for yourself and you will have to start all over again. So if you are thinking that you are being perceived in a way contrary to what you believe is true about yourself, you need to ask what is it you are doing that is causing this perception.
Categories: Marketing, New Marketing, Personal Branding
