A marketing friend of mine recently met a really interesting lady who asked her three very personal questions!The first was ‘What car do you drive?’ followed by ‘What type of house do you live in?’ and then ‘What type of holidays do you enjoy?’. But, before my colleague, was able to answer, the lady put her finger to my friend’s lips and silenced her. “Before you reply,” she added, “I am going to attempt the three answers myself”. She proceeded to do so. Did she get them right or not? Well, quite honestly, that’s not the main point of this blog. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t.The exercise was designed to look at how we perceive people, what we ‘think’ they are really like based on the superficial things our eyes see. My friend and I decided to repeat the exercise. Based on the fact that I was MD of my own company and the owner of a ‘beautiful suit’, she concluded that I drove a brand new Audi. I don’t, I drive an old Toyota Corolla which I bought at the car auction. It allows me to carry lots of old tools without fear of damaging my vehicle, and that means I can attend to my property portfolio without fear of scratching the bodywork! She said I lived in a four bedroomed detached house…..I live in a small, two bedroomed terrace house because I am single, and have no need for a huge family home. And my holidays? She said I probably wanted something wild…….I go back packing to places like Everest Base Camp and am an adventurer at heart. Three incorrect perceptions.I can only speak for myself but, personally, ‘stuff’, ‘things’ and ‘material objects’ have never been important to me. I have success because I am motivated by the need to climb mountains (metaphorically speaking!), and success usually comes from doing that well. However, not everyone is motivated that way. Some folk must have the latest brand or the biggest car and, guess what, they often have little in the bank but great ‘front’. Some people call it fur coat with no knickers!So, next time you are with a friend or colleague, try the exercise and see what results you get. Oh and one more thing, the point of this blog? Never judge a book by its cover because, if you do, you might overlook someone who can make one hell of a difference to your life.
