I'm an attorney at a law firm here in Northern VA, and I recently had a very interesting conversation with my boss. Wewere talking about cars and other things that an attorney might own that impacts the image and perceptions people have.
My boss had recently purchased a Mercedes E350 4matic. It's a very nice car and I liked it. We were driving to court in D.C. and we saw some cars on the road. We started talking about different model cars and what not, when he told me that he was rather indifferent about his new purchase. I was pretty surprised, so I asked him what he meant. He told me that he didn't buy the E350 because he wanted an E350. He thought it was a nice car and everything, but he bought it more for how it impacted people's perceptions. He sometimes has to pick up clients and take them to court, and he regularly meets them at business sites. He would be happy driving a less expensive car, but his clients (& potential clients) would feel more comfortable seeing their attorney driving a classier, more expensive car.
Why? Because they want to know that their attorney is successful at what he does. He explained to me that he felt it was a sad reality that people will equate his success in legal practice with what he drives, where he lives, and the suits he wears. He doesn't agree with this method of measure, naturally, but it's the truth. If the average person had to choose between two lawyers, he would pick the one driving the Benz over the one driving a Camry. Now, the Benz driver may be dumber than a pile of bricks, but the average joe's perception would be that because the lawyer drives an expensive car, he must know what he's doing and is probably quite successful.
So, this really got me thinking. I have been interested in buying a Pontiac G8 GT for a few months now. With 0% financing available and GM in dire straits, this would make an opportunity for me to get a killer deal. What bothers me is that I'm actually thinking about image now, something I swore I would never do. I was always confident that I would never play into the "status game" and buy something based on others' perceptions of me. But don't we do that anyway? The clothes we buy, the hair styles we get, most of our possessions...don't we want to portray an image of success and confidence? Doesn't "getting ahead" require at least a little pandering to people's perceptions and image of you?
If I were to pick up a 2005 BMW 545i 6speed or a 2005 Mercedes C55 AMG, the cost would be about the same as a brand new G8 GT, but I definitely wouldn't get 0% financing on a used BMW or Benz like I would on the G8 GT, so they would ultimately be a bit more expensive in the long run. But the image of success or prestige that comes with the BMW or the Benz really wouldn't be there with the G8 GT. How important of a factor should this play? If I go for the BMW or Benz, would I be "selling out"?
Would you be comfortable with a lawyer who drives a G8 GT? Would you feel any better about your lawyer if he/she drove a BMW or Benz?
Be honest!
My boss had recently purchased a Mercedes E350 4matic. It's a very nice car and I liked it. We were driving to court in D.C. and we saw some cars on the road. We started talking about different model cars and what not, when he told me that he was rather indifferent about his new purchase. I was pretty surprised, so I asked him what he meant. He told me that he didn't buy the E350 because he wanted an E350. He thought it was a nice car and everything, but he bought it more for how it impacted people's perceptions. He sometimes has to pick up clients and take them to court, and he regularly meets them at business sites. He would be happy driving a less expensive car, but his clients (& potential clients) would feel more comfortable seeing their attorney driving a classier, more expensive car.
Why? Because they want to know that their attorney is successful at what he does. He explained to me that he felt it was a sad reality that people will equate his success in legal practice with what he drives, where he lives, and the suits he wears. He doesn't agree with this method of measure, naturally, but it's the truth. If the average person had to choose between two lawyers, he would pick the one driving the Benz over the one driving a Camry. Now, the Benz driver may be dumber than a pile of bricks, but the average joe's perception would be that because the lawyer drives an expensive car, he must know what he's doing and is probably quite successful.
So, this really got me thinking. I have been interested in buying a Pontiac G8 GT for a few months now. With 0% financing available and GM in dire straits, this would make an opportunity for me to get a killer deal. What bothers me is that I'm actually thinking about image now, something I swore I would never do. I was always confident that I would never play into the "status game" and buy something based on others' perceptions of me. But don't we do that anyway? The clothes we buy, the hair styles we get, most of our possessions...don't we want to portray an image of success and confidence? Doesn't "getting ahead" require at least a little pandering to people's perceptions and image of you?
If I were to pick up a 2005 BMW 545i 6speed or a 2005 Mercedes C55 AMG, the cost would be about the same as a brand new G8 GT, but I definitely wouldn't get 0% financing on a used BMW or Benz like I would on the G8 GT, so they would ultimately be a bit more expensive in the long run. But the image of success or prestige that comes with the BMW or the Benz really wouldn't be there with the G8 GT. How important of a factor should this play? If I go for the BMW or Benz, would I be "selling out"?
Would you be comfortable with a lawyer who drives a G8 GT? Would you feel any better about your lawyer if he/she drove a BMW or Benz?
Be honest!
