Boring Definitions – Stay with Me

Perception –
1. The process, act, or faculty of perceiving.
2. The effect or product of perceiving.
3. Psychology
a. Recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli based chiefly on memory.
b. The neurological processes by which such recognition and interpretation are effected.
c. Insight, intuition, or knowledge gained by perceiving.
d. The capacity for such insight.
4.
a. Insight, intuition, or knowledge gained by perceiving.
b. The capacity for such insight.

Reality –
1. The quality or state of being actual or true.
2. One, such as a person, an entity, or an event, that is actual: “the weight of history and political realities” (Benno C. Schmidt, Jr.)
3. The totality of all things possessing actuality, existence, or essence.
4. That which exists objectively and in fact: Your observations do not seem to be about reality.

Intent –
1. A course of action that one intends to follow.
2.
a. An aim that guides action; an objective.
b. intentions Purpose with respect to marriage: honorable intentions.
3. Medicine The process by which or the manner in which a wound heals.
4. Archaic Import; meaning.

Perception Is Reality?

Perception and reality can trump one another, can’t they? If we take Perception definition 2 it trumps Reality definition 4 because how can we know something exists objectively if we do not observe it or the evidence of it? Reality 1, 3 & 4 can be thought to trump perception 3 because all are based on the fact that things are real whether they can be observed or not and the definition of perception is that we must be able to perceive through our senses that something is real.

American Idol Is Full Of Good Intentions?!?!

It is said that everybody believes their intentions to be good and right. There is evidence of this every week on American Idol – where people who truly believe and intend to prove that they can sing, fail miserably. We know they fail because our perception causes us to cringe when we hear the first few notes.

So, we can ask, which is correct, the reality or the perception? Whose reality is correct, and whose perception is correct? Are they the same thing? Does it depend on our point of view?

Philosophers, Theologians and Scholars have spent years and lifetimes wrestling with the differences between perception, reality and intent. My point with regards to affiliate marketing, simply put, is this. Remembering the client is ALWAYS right we must allow our target audience the ability to perceive correctly the reality of our intent.

Courage, Courage, Courage

We must have the courage to admit our site design is not working and change it to fit the ability of our potential clients to perceive our intent

We must have the courage to admit that our current affiliate program is not converting correctly because they do not get how to allow clients the perception of an honest and safe transaction.

We must have the courage to make the hard decision to admit that we do not have the ability or the time to sing the whole song (design and write content) by ourselves.

What The Heck Does Simon Cowell Have To Do With It?

We should be the creators of the idea behind the work, not the actual laborers – Heck, as I understand it Simon Cowell cannot carry a tune to save his life – but he understands his audience and their ability to perceive what they like, and he GIVES it to them…

The Nuts of the Article

As affiliates, let’s have the courage to make the conscience decision to marry the perception of reality with our intent to present ourselves in a way that allows our current and potential clients to clearly perceive our intentions.

References:

American Psychological Association (APA):
Perception. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Perception

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
Perception. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Perception (accessed: February 21, 2007).

Modern Language Association (MLA):
“Perception.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 21 Feb. 2007. dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Perception