On Saturday, my husband and I went car shopping all day. (That's why I didn't get "Dear Vonnie" posted...it will be there next week.)
Of course, as soon as you start going from car to car, a salesman comes striding from the building with a big smile on his face. He gives his name and shakes your hand and wants to know who you are, so he can start calling you by your name. He asks what you are interested in and then begins to show you what he has...plus others that you weren't even in your budget.
I found that some salesmen put me on edge and made me defensive, others made me feel quite comfortable and relaxed. As a writer, I tried to compare their characteristics to see why.
I found that the ones who tried too hard to be funny or professional turned me off. They seemed "fake" to me. One had eyes that pierced right into your soul as he looked straight into your face while he spouted all the great traits of the car. Another one's mannerisms were almost disgusting to me, as he joked about going to the Caribbean with his girlfriend. Maybe these men are good people, once you really know them, but I didn't feel inclined to find out.
Then there were the ones that made us feel like we were talking to an old friend. One salesman admitted that he didn't like cars! (I burst out in laughter at the irony of it, even though he was talking about the constant maintenance of them.) One man wasn't even a salesman; he was a previous customer, an old guy with suspenders, tattered hat, and whiskery face, that was waiting to talk to someone. He almost sold us a car! These all might have lives at home that would turn my stomach, but they gave a good first impression.
Another one was a young man who seemed humble, yet very knowledgeable. He had a sense of humor, but not a shade of sarcasm. There seemed a very wholesomeness about him. You had the feeling that he knew the Lord. There was a blending of the Spirit.
When someone meets us for the first time, do we make them feel "at home"? Do they feel relaxed and comfortable? Are our words and humor pure and wholesome? Can they trust us? Can they tell that we know the Lord?
(By the way, we did buy a car from the last fellow.)
7 comments:
Great thoughts! That first impression truly does make a big difference. Thanks for the reminder (and for the darling picture of your car!)
I totally agree with you on how some salesman's aggressive behavior makes you want to run the other way.
Enjoy the new wheels ;-)
Congratulations on the new car.
How funny those first impressions can be, and you painted them perfectly! LOVE your new car, Vonnie!
Whether it's fair or not, I also rely on first impressions many times with strangers. I need to remind myself to think of my own first impressions!
mama, the car is beautiful.
Great post, I never thought about it that way but it's true. There have been some that really make me uncomfortable, and then the one I bought from treated me like true family. I looked around and saw the place adorned with Christian verses around the dealer, and the salesperson refused to put the dealer ad as the license holder because I had a Christian one already on.
Hoping to be back tomorrow, I am working on Bible memorization!
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