To celebrate his 50th birthday, the Vice President of Sales, who
was battling middle-age spread, bought a new convertible sports car. As
a finishing touch, he added a vanity plate with the inscription "18
Again."
When he pulled into the office parking lot with it for the first time, he parked in a different spot so he could admire his new possession, all day, from his office window. Life was good.
Moments later, the wind was let out of his sails and his ship of new found youth crashed hard into the shore of reality when one of his salesmen walked into the office and shouted: "Hey! Who owns the new car with the plate "I ate again?"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that you can't influence a prospect's opinion of you with new possessions. In fact, if during the course of a sale you sacrifice who you really are, just to get the deal.... Is it worth it? Remember, only you control your own personal brand every day. By your actions, your decisions, what you say, what you think; you determine where you will be positioned tomorrow. Don't let anyone else mess with your success.
"In less enlightened times, the way to impress women was to own a hot car. But women wised up and realized it was better to buy their own hot cars so they wouldn't have to ride around with jerks." -Scott Adams
When he pulled into the office parking lot with it for the first time, he parked in a different spot so he could admire his new possession, all day, from his office window. Life was good.
Moments later, the wind was let out of his sails and his ship of new found youth crashed hard into the shore of reality when one of his salesmen walked into the office and shouted: "Hey! Who owns the new car with the plate "I ate again?"
Moral of the story. True sales professionals know that you can't influence a prospect's opinion of you with new possessions. In fact, if during the course of a sale you sacrifice who you really are, just to get the deal.... Is it worth it? Remember, only you control your own personal brand every day. By your actions, your decisions, what you say, what you think; you determine where you will be positioned tomorrow. Don't let anyone else mess with your success.
"In less enlightened times, the way to impress women was to own a hot car. But women wised up and realized it was better to buy their own hot cars so they wouldn't have to ride around with jerks." -Scott Adams
