“Don’t Judge a Book By it’s Cover”
We’ve all heard the saying a million times, but more than ever, I’ve realized that in business this cliche’ is so important. You never know what someone’s worth could be, and you certainly can’t assume you know by their age, sex, or how they dress. I’ve seen and experienced this first hand time and time again.
Many of you know, that I’m not only a sales specialist, but I’m also an entrepreneur. I take risks and I invest in what I believe in. Not only do I sell Lamborghini’s but I have my own media company, production company and record label. I recently decided to sign my first act to my record label “Cool Cat Records”. It’s a new venture for me, but I’ve been planning to sign an act for a while now. I’m very excited to develop new talent. It’s a passion of mine and I can’t wait to pass on my experience to someone else.
When I approached the act in mind, I told them that I’d like to invest some time and money into their career and they were shocked. I guess to them, I didn’t look like the type. They expected an older man who maybe looked like a “record exec” type. I was dressed pin up at the time, curly hair, red lips and of course my high heels. I’m sure this combo and the obvious fact that I’m woman made it slightly hard to grasp. They then proceeded to ask my accountant behind my back “If I was real”. I find this funny because so many times early on in my sales career, I thought the same thing about client’s trying to purchase a Lamborghini from me. They looked so young or even poor. They would show up in their pajamas and flip flops. Their hair would be a mess and they’d have a cigarette dangling out of their mouth. I often found myself questioning whether or not THEY were for real.
I assumed when I started selling luxury vehicles, that the clientele would be older and dressed in a certain pristine manner. But the longer I’ve been doing business, I’ve realized that client’s are all over the place and most of the time, they prefer to dress casual. They are often eccentric and they’ve made their money in unconventional ways. Rarely do I have someone show up in a suit to buy a luxury vehicle. If you think about it, it makes complete sense.
The people that can afford luxury items don’t have to wear a suit, so why would they? They can dress however they like and most of the time they prefer to be comfortable and allow their personal style and personality to show. Some of them are spending their parents money but most are online entrepreneurs who have successfully made millions early on, and therefore you cannot judge them by the way they look. I recently delivered an Aventador to an 18 year old Asian Female. She had an incredible head for business. I was pleasantly surprised at our conversations about business and her future goals. The day of delivery, she showed up in a half top, cut off daisy dukes and flip flops. Nobody in their right mind would have thought she could afford the car. Granted, I’m sure she had family help, but at the end of the day, she bought a very expensive car. And I’m in business to sell, not to judge. It was definitely a reminder to always keep an open mind.
My point is….no matter what your business…try not to judge. You’d be surprised who could change your life at any given point. Sometimes the person you least expect could become your best client or even partner. Try to keep an open mind, give people the benefit of the doubt, and see doors begin to open that you didn’t even know existed!