‘Perception’ is a weird concept isn’t it?
It’s weird because two people can have the same exact experience, yet have two completely different interpretations.
And your perception has a massive influence on your life, and your business.
So how we see things is pretty important.
Table of Contents:
The Tony Robbins Model
A few years ago I watched a video by Tony Robbins, and survived.
He spoke about perception and it rang true with me. He explained a model, a way of thinking that I applied to various aspects of my life, including my websites.
Up until that point I’d never paid much attention to Tony Robbins, but I’ll show you what I’ve learned, how it improved my business and how you can replicate it.
This model makes sense to me.
So if you want get different results, it all starts with changing your perception.
Here’s my recollection of the diagram:
You see, according to Tony Robbins, our perception is made up of beliefs. Then our beliefs influence our actions. The actions we take influence the results we get.
The results we get influences our perception.
And so the feedback cycle continues.
I believe you can apply this logic to all areas of your life, so I applied to my business – customer service in particular.
Influencing Customer Service
You wouldn’t believe the amount of books I’ve read about customer support. It’s a skill that I’ve spent a long time thinking about and (hopefully) honing to a pretty decent standard (but you be the judge).
And I think the model that Tony Robbins shared all those years ago, works very well here too.
Let me ask you a question…
When you hear the word ‘customer’, what do YOU think of?
If you’re like me, your perception of what a customer is, is probably of somebody who’s spending money – hopefully on your products.
The problem is, when you see people as ‘customers’, the whole process is about you.
The transaction is about money. It’s about what you can gain from them.
And what’s the typical sequence of events you want a customer to take?
To visit your website, opt-in to your mailing list, and buy your stuff.
End of story.
But what happens if we change our perception?
What happens if we stop viewing them simply as people with money to spend, and instead start looking at them as students?
Customers vs Students
When you replace the word ‘customer’ with ‘student’, something amazing starts to happen.
You become their teacher.
And as their teacher, there’s a degree of responsibility to make sure they have what they need, when they need it.
Your students are on a journey. They have a mission, they want to improve some aspect of their lives. And it’s your job to help them achieve it.
And almost everybody on the planet is a student of something. We’re all still learning. Personally, I hope to never stop.
When you shift your focus from what you can get from them (money), and onto what you can give them (support), the shape of your business transforms for the better. Mine did, anyway.
And here’s the thing; your customers students are happier. They tell more people about you because they know you’re on their side. More people are drawn to your business, and your reputation increases. So does your authority, because you’re the real deal – and people can easily recognise it.
Set Yourself Apart
Think about it, ok?
From the moment you wake up in the morning to when you set your phone to recharge at night, pretty much everyone online is trying to sell you something. They’re all pitching to you in some form or another.
They’re asking you to ‘like’ their Facebook page, they’re asking you to subscribe to their email list, their YouTube channel, to buy their stuff.
All day, everyday, you’re bombarded with adverts, blatant calls to action and people demanding your attention – usually for their own gain.
But every now and then somebody comes along that you actually listen to.
You engage with their message, you share their posts, you subscribe to their email list, you get involved with them – all without much hesitation.
Why do you choose to follow those people over the others?
Because they’ve given you something you can’t easily find elsewhere.
They’ve put you, and your needs first. They don’t really care if you buy from them or not, and they’re giving you a decent education for free.
Sure, you can get buy their products and get an ever better education if you want to, but all that stuff feels like a secondary concern to the guys creating the awesome content you consume.
Its almost like they have a higher calling, that goes way beyond just making money.
They want to change peoples lives.
And I don’t know about you. But these are the people I tend to follow. They’re also the kind of people I become usually friends with.
So be like those guys, find your desire to teach and put that first, while your desire to sell becomes secondary.
When you do that, your website no longer becomes a boring pitch-fest like almost everyone else but a resource that becomes attractive and valuable to your ideal audience.