Prospecting is Not Prejudging

My son Michael is 19 years old. Last May, after completing his first year of college, he decided to take a year off and work full time, which he’s been doing since June ’06. Right now he is working as a delivery driver for a local pizza parlor.

The other night he came home with a story about one of his customers that points out the problem of not only prejudging prospects, but judging people by such things as appearance, age or job.

Michael had just delivered $300 worth of pizzas to a local BMW dealership. As he drove up, he said two salespeople were hanging around outside. Neither one even bothered to acknowledge him.

After he parked in front, he now had to bring the pizzas into the dealership. Michael had to put the pizzas on the ground because nobody was even willing to hold the door for him.

Once inside he was barely acknowledged. The manager, who has seen Michael quite a few times on subsequent deliveries, couldn’t even be bothered to say hello.

It’s obvious to me the salespeople at this dealership look at Michael and see a teenager, dressed in shorts and a tee-shirt, working a low-level job, who couldn’t possibly afford to buy a BMW today. So why even bother to give him the time of day, let alone be courteous? But let me tell you what I see, and what they might have if they bothered to find out.

I see a young man driving an Infiniti. Yes, it’s a used Infiniti, but if someone would have taken the time to ask they would have found that it is Michael’s and he paid for it. So now we know he owns his own car. That dealership sells used BMW’s; hmm, blown opportunity for a possible trade-in.

I see a young man working a full time job, who’s been working since he was 15, making his own money and if someone would have asked, they’d have found out that he makes around $500 a week, has saved over $8,000 in the last 8 months and is planning to go back to college in the fall.

There’s no doubt that someone like Michael, over the course of his life, will probably buy around 10 cars, if not more. He might also get married one day and I’m sure his wife will buy cars. How about his kids; do you think at some point in their lives they’ll buy cars? What about Michael’s friends; do you think they’ll ever have a conversation about cars and the best places to buy one? Guess who’s not going to get any of this business?

I don’t know about you, but I’m not psychic. I can’t determine how much a person can afford or whether they’re a good prospect just by looking at them. Well, let me ask you: what does a millionaire look like? Have you ever known anyone who dressed like a bum and had millions? I know I have. On the other hand, I’ve known lots of people who look like a million yet couldn’t rub two nickels together.

I also know that teenagers become adults. Young people in low paying jobs get raises and better jobs as they get older. But most of all I know that I don’t know a thing about you until I take the time to talk to you and ask questions.