How to Assess How Your Business is Perceived

Perception is reality in the mind of the beholder. You might think that you have a great business but if just a few of your customers, suppliers or employees don’t believe that you could be in real trouble! It takes years to build a reputation and minutes to destroy it.

But do you know how people perceive you and your company? If not, you need to find out and you can do that by asking. Here are 6 ways you can assess how your business is perceived.

• Customer satisfaction survey (CSS)
• Non-customer and competitor perception research
• Percentage of repeat purchases and trends up or down
• Percentage of customer recommendations and referrals; up or down
• Your standing within the industry. This can be judged on a variety of things such as:
  • trade rating tables
  • are you asked to chair conferences or be a speaker?
  • are you asked to comment in the media?
• Complaints log, taking into consideration:
  • frequency
  • solve rates
  • repeat problems
  • customers retained
  • Consumer rating web sites, including Tripadvisor.com, Shopzilla, Feefo etc…..

All of these are great but a client needed a quick ‘dip test’ so when they talked to clients they asked them to describe the business in 3 words. In general, the words were similar but there were a few stand out ones – some good some not so good. ‘Competent’ was one word that disappointed the client because their positioning is ‘expert’. A few more questions and their client told them how they could improve – and as a bonus just by talking to the client they were able to start that poor perception.

So here is an action point for your to do list – Ask your clients what they think of you. Better to find out now instead of wondering why they stop buying from you.