Sorry Oprah, No Purse For You!

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in selling is to prejudge your prospect and assume they cannot afford what you are offering. You may have heard that while Oprah was in Zurich to attend Tina Turner's July wedding, a clerk refused to show her a $38,000.00 purse. The clerk assumed that she could not afford it. It is estimated that Oprah's earnings in the prior twelve months exceeded seventy seven million dollars. While the store denies racism, they cannot deny that they failed at doing what they are in business to do, sell merchandise. The clerk made a big mistake and lost a huge sale. Dan Miller recalls a great story while selling cars in southern California. A guy walked on to the car lot, yes, I said walked. In the eyes of most car salespeople, this is a bad sign, but not for Dan. He treated this gentleman with respect and consideration. Just as if he drove up in a Mercedes wearing a thousand dollar suit. That gentleman bought a car from Dan that day and paid cash. Subsequently, Dan sold cars to several members of that gentleman's family over the next several months. The term prejudge is defined: To judge beforehand without possessing adequate evidence. Prejudging can cost you income, credibility and future business. You never know who you are turning away. Remember to serve people and the Golden Rule is always the best policy; Treat people the way you want to be treated. Have a great week! Pierce