"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception."

Aldous Huxley

As you think about your clients, allow this quote to serve as a thought-provoking reminder around the complexities of knowledge and perception.

When it comes to perception, I encourage you to remain curious and open-minded, to seek out new experiences, and to challenge your understanding of what is known and unknown, especially when it comes to your client relationships.

Do you believe your perceptions shape your understanding of reality? For those who answered yes, now, I would like for you to think about the perception your clients have about you.

Need I say more?

All of this raises questions about the truth and how subjective experiences influence our views.

In our time together, we're going to apply how wrapping your arms around perception, can positively impact your sales results.

Through the doors of your client's perception, lies their reality about you.

I believe that perception becomes a huge influencer in how your clients interpret and understand their reality. It's their perception that shapes their beliefs, emotions, and ultimately their decisions.

As a result, perception significantly impacts their experiences and interactions, both personally and professionally. By understanding and respecting their perception, this helps you become more effective in supporting, guiding and building trust.

Their perception, their reality. Change their perception, change their reality.

Perception is your perspective, solely based upon your experience.

Perception as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a result of observing, a physical sensation interpreted in the light of experience, while perspective is a mental view or prospect.

These definitions underline the way people view things, and this is based upon past experiences. Your reality is comprised of a series of experiences that shape the way you see things.

According to Linda Humphreys, PhD, a psychologist and life, relationship, and spirituality coach, "Perception molds, shapes, and influences our experience of our personal reality. Perception is merely a lens or mindset from which we view people, events, and things."

Dr. Humphreys mentions that our past experiences greatly influence how we decode things, as certain people, things, and situations may trigger someone to interpret things through a positive or negative lens based on those past experiences.

How about we tie all of this into how salespeople are perceived within the sales world, and do I need say anymore?

Your first mirror moment:

When was the last time you've asked any one of your clients what they thought of you?

When was the last time you've asked any one of your clients the words, they'd use to describe you and how you've been taken care of them?

I'm deeply concerned and quite saddened that many in the sales world have taken their clients for granted. They've flat out ignored the importance of building, nurturing and growing their relationships.

In your next interaction that you have with one of your clients or future clients, ask yourself this question: Am I being viewed as a sales rep or a sales professional?

PERCEPTION, YOUR CLIENTS' REALITY?

"When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective."

Stephen R. Covey

Building trust is about fostering effective communication. I encourage you to focus on building and maintaining trust through:

Consistency: Be massively reliable in your actions and words. Think about one word, congruency.

Transparency: Share information openly and honestly.

Empathy: Show and true understanding and consideration for others' perspectives.

In banking terms, when you think about a trust account, think of deposits and withdrawals.

Each positive action (a deposit) increases trust, while negative actions (withdrawals) decrease it. Maintaining a healthy trust account becomes mission critical for effective communication, healthy client relationships and your sales sustainability.

It saddens me just how much rampant mistrust there is within the sales world.

Unfortunately, a stereotypical mindset runs wild throughout our society when it comes to salespeople.

Perception is in the eye of the beholder, and in the sales world that would be your clients.

I strongly believe that perception feedback is necessary for relational growth.

Relationship and promise bridges collapse as moments of being let down are all too fresh in many of your client's mind.

Busted dreams and broken hearts have left many feeling abandoned and neglected.

This places a damper on sales professionals who place their clients on a pedestal, placing their needs above their very own. They're faced with widespread prejudgment that they must overcome.

Allow this one to sink in for a moment...

How well do you truly know your clients and how well do they truly know you?

I'm here to inform you that you must gain a true understanding of your client's mindset and perception of how they view salespeople.

Please realize, what you say, what you do and how you approach problems with your clients will have an immediate impact to your success, and their perception of you.

This shift in perception can lead to increased referrals, repeat business and long-term sales growth.

Will you support me in the upcoming release of my new book? Click here to learn more.

CHANGE THEIR MINDSET, CHANGE THEIR PERCEPTION

Extreme cold doses of unfiltered feedback are necessary to grow.

Feedback from your clients become the vitamins and minerals needed to build a meaningful relationship.

I'm bringing this to the surface because there just might be a monumental gap between what your clients think of you versus what you believe it to be.

How your clients perceive you just might be the key that unlocks the door to exponential sales growth.

Your second mirror moment:

• How many of your clients see you as being available and helpful to them?

• How many of your clients view you as being heartfelt, caring and trustworthy or inconsistent, blasé and just like all the others?

Gaining a true understanding of client perception becomes the key to unlocking exponential sales growth.

If you desire to be viewed as a sales professional, and change one's perception of you, then you must be willing to become someone who serves.

Start serving with every conversation and every interaction. Become that person who leads with their heart, not their wallet, and watch what starts to happen next.

Serving is about building meaningful relationships. It's not a light switch you turn on then off. It's the emotional connection, the human connection and the heartfelt connection you make with each one of your client's that will soon start to change how they view you.

By focusing on these areas, you can create a transformative experience for your clients that not only enhances their perception of you but also enriches your professional life.

The relationships you build today will lay the foundation for your success tomorrow.

Learning to serve becomes the perception game changer.

• A servant has a sincere, genuine and burning desire to serve.

• A servant digs in deep.

• A servant is laser focused in on serving the needs of the person sitting right in front of them.

A servant minded sales professional gives a rip!

Will you commit to taking massive action and put in the necessary time, energy, and heart to better understanding your clients?

I promise, if you do so, this will rapidly open the human window within your relationship.

"The secret of success is to understand the viewpoint of others."

Henry Ford

Your sales growth and success just might be rooted in your ability to understand and appreciate the perspectives of your clients.

Empathy and perspective-taking skills becomes a 1-2 knock-out punch when it comes to growing your sales. This enhances your relationships, improves collaboration, and ultimately leads to sales sustainability.

GIVING A RIP CHANGES THEIR PERCEPTION

"People don’t care what you know until they know that you care."

Theodore Roosevelt

Sales is serving and serving is sales. To serve is to care. It's caring deeply about your clients, the people who buy what you have to sell.

Here at Selling from the Heart, we simply call this Giving a Rip.

If you're looking to increase your sales results, then I encourage you to capture the hearts and minds of your clients.

You must truly give a rip and care about helping to solve your client's business challenges, goals and concerns.

Caring is about being human, being real and being your authentic self, every step of the way.

Caring for your clients, it is not hard. It's looking them in eye and saying, "I'll be here for you at all times. I have your best interest at heart."

I encourage you to deeply invest and genuinely care about the experiences you provide to your clients. When this happens watch relationships skyrocket and sales results soar.

UNLOCKING YOUR SALES POTENTIAL, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

You must commit to gaining a thorough understanding of how your clients perceive you. Not knowing, places you at risk of being replaced.

As a professional who's focused on long-term success, your main responsibility is to profitably serve your clients.

We all have choices in life. In sales, you can choose to be a sales rep, or you can choose to become a sales professional.

Unpacking your clients' perception of you becomes a significant factor in how you interact with their reality.

It's not just about the objective truth but how they interpret and make sense of their experiences, circumstances, and the world around them.

Mindset, heart set and skillset; this is the trifecta in turning your client's viewpoint into reality.

Originally published on Larry Levine's LinkedIn.