Perception is reality.

I was asked recently what my all time favourite marketing quote is. I love a good quote, so it was hard to narrow it down. But I think 'perception is reality' would have to be it.

Lee Atwater is credited with coming up with the quote. He was an American political strategist who was an adviser to US presidents Ronald Reagan and George H W Bush.

Thanks Lee!

It was first shared with me when I was working with XXXX. Talk about 3 little words to change how I see the world. My boss uttered the quote and I immediately was thrown back into year 12 Film and Television class and learning about story telling, framing and the importance of what's in the frame, as well as the importance of what's left out of the frame. Hearing about it from my boss was the first time I saw the business application of my year 12 classes.

The very notion that as business leaders we need to get out of our own shoes and into the shoes of our customers is grounded in almost every part of my work. Is it the thought of new shoes I love? Or just the idea that I need to look at something from another angle. Secretly, I think I love the adventure of getting to know a client's business from different vistas.

The lesson from the quote resonated with me this way: It doesn't matter how we see our business. It doesn't matter how we want our business to be seen. What matters is how our customers perceive our business. Their perception, their framing, their experience becomes their reality. 

That's it. 

Deal with it.

Own it.

Now work your butt off to make sure it is perceived in a manner you're proud of. 
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This post has been written by
​Roxanne Grey
Partner
Grey and Grey