I Think They Have a Lot of Money!

     While visiting with a business owner the other day, we were discussing a variety of matters.  As we talked about some folks who lived in a certain neighborhood,  he mentioned that he “Thought That They Had A Lot of Money.”  Now, not knowing anything about the neighborhood, I had to explore that idea more thoroughly.
     My first idea was how one can think that “They Have a Lot More Money?”  Is it the car they drive, the neighborhood they live in, the watch,clothes and shoes they wear?  Having been a student of human nature for many years, I have come to the conclusion that “You Cannot Judge a Book By Its Cover.”  The same is true for human beings.  What you see externally may have no bearing or relevance to anything.
      I met with an insurance broker the other day and he talked about “Faking It Till You Make It.”  We were talking about new cars– the insurance broker said that he was going to buy an expensive foreign import car to show how successful he has become.  I mentioned that was a great idea, however, I would stay with my domestic made car, because if some mechanical breakdown occurred, I could probably get it fixed easier than owning a fancy foreign import car.  The truth of the matter is that the foreign car would be nice, but, if broke down out in the middle of Montana, it makes no difference– you are not going anywhere fast!  A domestic car at least has some chance of repair in the middle of state.
     Car salesmen are taught never to judge anyone who comes to look at a car.  An individual who wears a pair of old overalls with a gimme hat may be a multi gazillionaire, while a well dressed, flashy dresser may be one paycheck away from the poor house. 
      The key point here is that appearances can be very deceiving.  As a business owner, if someone wants to buy your product or service, don’t make any judgements about anything.  Identify how much the product is going to cost and how your payment terms work.  If someone is seriously interested in purchasing, they will continue the discussion.  If an individual does not have the fiscal resources to continue the transaction, they will walk away.  If someone walks away, you know that either you did not have the right product or they could not afford it at this time.  Either way, you did not waste any more time on a client that could not purchase today.