Perceptions are a funny old thing.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can see the same world in so many different ways.

Take two people on a visit to Bristol, a growing city in the south west of the UK.

One of the pair might say Bristol is bustling, alive and full of energy. The other might disagree and say they find it congested, noisy and stressful.

One might say the harbour side provides an historic and interesting circular walk. One might say the river is dull, with ugly dredged banks in places. Hardly inspiring.

One of the people might say it is bicycle-friendly. The other might say “Yes, but it’s a nightmare to drive through if you have a car”.

One might say Clifton Suspension Bridge is an amazing sight and an incredible feat of engineering. The other might say “Yeah, but it’s no Golden Gate Bridge”.

One of the two might say being a university city there are lots of younger people who add to the mix and make the place more vibrant. The other might say students take up all the cheap accommodation so others are left to fight over properties with much higher rents.

One might look at the street art on the side of the building pictured and think “Wow, that’s cool and brings a plain building to life”. The other might say it’s vandalism, entirely out of place, pointless.

Neither of the two is wrong. They’re just talking about their own individual perceptions.

However, both are important.

Because people think, act and spend based partly (some might argue ENTIRELY) on their perceptions.

What people believe about Bristol (whether they have visited or lived there, or not) affects their attitude towards the city. It affects their decisions about the city. It affects whether they would spend in the city (and how much).

And it’s no different for a business.

What do people make of your brand?

What do people think about your products or services?

What perception do they have of you?

How highly do people rate your customer service?

What do people think of your prices?

How do people compare you with your competition?

All of these factors play a part in the decisions of prospects and buyers. Your clients. Your customers.

It affects your production.

It affects your delivery.

It affects your enquiry levels.

It affects the ease or difficulty with which a prospect becomes a buyer.

It affects your sales.

It affects your marketing.

It affects your customer service.

It affects your strategy, tactics and follow-up.

It affects EVERYTHING in your business.

That’s perception for you.

What are you doing to ensure the view people have of your business is the view YOU want them to have?

Need some stronger marketing?

Want a second opinion on your current marketing?

Need a copy critique or something more persuasive written?

Maybe I can help. You know where to reach me.