Driving to Success?

What we drive speaks volumes about us. Sometimes it might not be what we think it is.

There was a mildly successful salesman whose territory was in the country calling on various types of manufacturing plants. After 10-15 years calling in this area, he took an opportunity for a partnership in another part of the U.S. The salesman who took his place found out that while customers respected the previous man's knowledge they didn't feel that he needed their business.

A gentleman with an HVAC business had an appointment to visit a friend to price out a new central air conditioning system. The job almost didn't happen for him.

A salesman for a very high grade tool company was barely successful. Some of his customers weren't sure of his capabilities despite being given good service.

In the first two cases, the customers felt that volumes were being spoken by the salesman's respective cars: "I Don't Need Your Business!" . The industrial salesman was driving a top of the line Mercedes and the HVAC guy was driving a Porsche. I don't know what the industrial salesman drives today but I know the HVAC man ONLY drives his service truck for any kind of job now. In the third case, the tool salesman was driving a 15 year old compact car that looked ready for the junkyard. Nothing about the car said "success".

What does your car say about you? Is the image that you want to project being sent AND received? Is your office on the road clean - inside and out? Are you able to transport a customer on a moment's notice without embarrassment? Are you driving a vehicle that suits your business?