Perception Matters

Today's Marketing Cookie highlights a choice about perceptions and reputation. Each of us is part of a family and a circle of friends we "know," which sits inside a larger circle of people who "know of us"—our social network. This applies to companies as well. Your employees are like family, your customers like friends, and everyone else who "knows of your company" constitutes your social network, including competitors, their employees, and their customers. Indeed, most prospects have likely been customers of a competitor at some point.

The collective impression these groups have of your company measures its reputation. Like public figures whose lives are watched by millions, a company with a large social network might find its reputation celebrated or subjected to criticism and skepticism. This can be likened to a friend of mine who built an engineering company from scratch, which was later acquired for a $100 million dollars. I remember him telling me, "People love to see an underdog struggle to win, but they don't really want to see you succeed."

That comment stuck with me through every struggle and success I faced from that day forward.

Like public figures whose lives are scrutinized by millions, start-ups and enterprizes alike also face scrutiny as they grow, expand or change. 

Every interaction and every piece of content that reaches a social network shapes an image, a reputation, and a brand that followers hold. Whether facing scrutiny or celebration, it is essential to look beyond surface judgments to understand deeper contexts and intentions. In essence, whether in personal encounters or business dealings, we can choose to see through people, or more constructively, see people through.