Chances are pretty good that one time or another you’ve heard the expression, “perception is reality”. Perhaps you heard it while you were watching television or playing a sport. What about the business world?

The truth is that many people in business make their decisions and strategic choices based on perception of value as opposed to utility – time, place, form etc. And while utility is important, it is this perceived value that makes a customer happy, orchestrates a seamless transaction or ensures a successful merger. The truth is, intrinsic value makes people feel good, and the better you are at providing it, the more successful you will be. 

It’s As Clear As Day… Isn’t It?

As children, we were taught that 1 + 1= 2… These are facts. They drive us to make decisions every day. Bottom line, we understand the difference between fact and fiction and that is what is supposed to carry us through our business careers. But there is more. Facts are only as good as the perceptions they create. And in every industry, the facts can be displayed in such a way as to create the perception for mutual benefit, but perceptions colour decisions.

Perceived Value: Proving Your Worth To Your Clients

Often, perception isn’t fair. For example, when the consultant with the most name recognition or largest marketing budget is chosen for the job over the smaller, less visible consultant. In many cases, the smaller, unknown individual is a far better option. But without status – perceived value – they won’t get the chance. So how do you improve perceived value with clients?

Define the client’s value criteria. Start your engagement with your client or stakeholders by finding out exactly what it is they’re looking for. What are they hoping to gain from this experience aside from finishing the project on time and budget? It could be as simple as making them more successful in the eyes of their peers or superiors, or becoming the “lightening rod” for bad news. Find the hidden value proposition and use it to prove your worth.

Choose the Right Work Style

Another part of working through perception is finding and mastering the right work style. For example, there are different consulting styles. Some follow an authoritative approach – “it’s our way or the highway”. Others use what is called the facilitative style – a collaborative approach that allows people to have buy in, understanding, etc. This approach works best by using and developing resources that are already available to a client and helping them develop a sense of team. It’s the difference between consulting to you and consulting with you.

In some cases, the perceived value of an authoritative style is a benefit as as of the Big 5 Canadian consulting firms. They have the expertise and knowledge to share information that has already been refined, reorganized and perfected to create best practices. To a small business looking for advice, this is a valuable asset.

Other clients look for a facilitated approach that lets them grow and develop within the project framework. A facilitated approach often leads to discoveries or unexpected assets as in finding people who are “gems” or unexpected assets for your client. These are people with extraordinary capabilities or hidden potential that would under normal circumstances be overlooked.

Perception is indeed reality in the business world and will continue to be as long as people continue to look for value. The trick to handling it effectively is to confront it head on by understanding and proving your intrinsic worth to your clients. Know what it is they’re looking for and offer it to them; there’s no substitute for giving people what it is they want… fact or fiction.