Perception Is Truth

December 14, 2023

By: LaToya Bines

There are no greater rivals than the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys (ok, maybe a few). But Philadelphia fans are a passionate fanbase, especially when it comes to their beloved Eagles.  It is no secret that I’m not an Eagles fan. I root for the other Pennsylvania team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose record doesn’t need to be mentioned.

Back to the matter at hand, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Dallas Cowboys during week 9 of the 2023 NFL season at Lincoln Financial Stadium.  Prior to winning this game 23-28, the Eagles were the number one seed.  However, after their matchup at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas during week 14 the Philadelphia Eagles were no longer in good standing. 

During week 13 the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 42-19. In week 14 they lost to the Cowboys, 33-13.  After losing back-to-back games, the Eagles lost their status as the NFC number 1 seed. Fans took to social media and began expressing their frustration by pointing out the flaws of the coaches and the team.  Some expressed how the team has not been playing up to their full potential and has been lucky thus far.    

The way that we address our adversaries can alter how others see us.  As entrepreneurs we are not only judged on our performance and quality of our work, but how we are perceived. We thrive on word-of-mouth; however, we should be mindful that word-of-mouth works both ways (favorably and unfavorably). So, what should we do if we are faced with our adversary?

Excluding the fact that sometimes we are our worst enemy (topic for another day); hopefully in our journey of entrepreneurship we have gone through the process of renewing our mind, making better decisions, and placing value appropriately. With that said, let’s remember that while we may have an ideal client our client is not always ideal.  Here are a few tips that we should consider when our adversary wants to become our client. 

1. Address The Elephant in The Room:

   1. We all come with a past, some more pleasant than others. Best practice is to identify the root cause of past concerns, unfavorable interactions, or conflict.  Express lessons learned and improvement made since and set clear expectations for communication and interactions moving forward.

2. Focus On the Client:

   1. Apply a customer-centric approach and remain steadfast on delivering value to the client. This approach will create positive experiences and increase the chances of building a long-term professional relationship. The best practice is to provide each client with the best solutions to address their needs while making them feel valued; this practice will help increase customer satisfaction.

3. Maintain Professionalism:

   1. While working together, use professional and respectful language, practice active listening, and be open to feedback. Avoid acting or reacting on impulse instead stay composed and focus on finding solutions. Best practice is to demonstrate integrity in all interactions while upholding business values and principles.

These key points will help build our brand perception. Keep in mind that perception is truth.  How our prospects see us, and our businesses, is the preponderant factor in our business’s success.