For today’s Style Inspiration I have a funny story for you…(you may have heard me tell this before but I was reminded of this again today). It’s about someone I call the Bird Shit Lawyer.
A few years ago, my husband and I refinanced our home. The attorney we used for this showed up at our house to complete the paperwork. He parked his car in our driveway and within the first few seconds of seeing it my perception of him was formed.
Right then and there I was skeptical of his expertise, I knew I would never use him again, and I was certain I wouldn’t refer him to anyone. And there was only one reason why.
His car was completely covered in bird shit. You’ll have to pardon my French but a car covered in “poo” just doesn’t have the same impact.
It’s not every day that someone arrives to your house with a car that looks like it’s been attacked by pterodactyl poop—so I had to know why.
The story goes that there is a tree in his driveway where a ton of birds live and poop on his car on a daily basis. Sure that sucks…but here’s the thing, there are at least 3 car washes within 5 miles of my house. It would have been pretty easy to run through one of those before meeting with a new client. And if he had, I would probably remember his name, the firm he works for, and might actually send more business his way. Instead, I only remember his car.
This guy didn’t take the time to attend to a minor detail—which has nothing to do with whether or not he’s a good lawyer. But because of that I can’t imagine that he’s going to take the time to attend to the details that will make him a good lawyer for me.
This is the power of first impressions.. It’s super easy to wash your car in order to form an impression that’s going to create a lifelong client. It’s also super easy to dress in a way that makes you feel authentic and attracts the right clients. The best part is that it’s just a decision. You decide to put on what feels comfortable—or you can put on what feels confortable, looks great and gets you business! I vote for the latter! 🙂
The bird shit lawyer chose not to pay attention to a small detail like his car. It’s my hope that this story gives you a little giggle and inspires you to ask what perception do you create when you meet a new or potential customer. Are they clamoring to know more about you and how you can help them? Or, are they never going to remember your name?
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