This post is about the age old adage”don’t judge a book by its cover”. I’m not saying to never judge something by how it looks, if it looks unsafe it might be. The topic I want to focus on is business.
Recently I chatted with a lovely human about a problem we were both having, ordering motorbike parts. There are 2 stores close to us that can order parts and fix motorbikes. One of these stores is a store that society would tell us to trust, shop is on the main street, it has a beautiful showroom and has an abundance of staff. This is what we should trust IF we listened to society. The other store is on a smaller street not in the main part of town, a tiny showroom and select few staff. Guess who got the correct parts 10x quicker and had lovely accommodating staff?
If you guess the smaller back street business, you were correct! I was once asked at a conference I went to if I would trust a well dressed, clean shaven business man or a scruffy (their words not mine) human in jeans and a t shirt? My response? “Whoever is smiling”. I care not for the professional look but the openness, and willingness to help.
I am aware that not everyone can be taken at appearance (some people appear open) and that it is still judging by appearance, but you have a better chance of getting what you need from people that are open. Humans that are open are usually more open to help, helping you and not mucking around!