While coaching youth sports at the local rec center years ago I met one of the parents on an opposing team. He gave me his business card and a few days later I met him and his business partner for an introductory meeting. Nothing much came from it as they were just starting out with little to no money to spend. I promised to keep in touch.
About a year went by when I ran into Jeff at a local networking function. He said he and his business partner had split up, as there were differences in business philosophies. However he implied that he was now running the business much more successfully by himself. I invited him for a lunch meeting at a local sandwich shop (my treat, of course!) and he accepted.
The sandwich shop was in a strip mall. I liked taking people there to meet because it was quiet and reasonably priced. Over the years I've learned the chances of someone buying from me increase if I treat them to a meal or coffee.
Across the parking lot of the strip mall was a chain restaurant which was bit pricier and a bit too loud for a conversation. As is my luck, Jeff and I pull into the parking lot at the same time and he says, "Hey, can we go to that other restaurant instead?" I agreed knowing my debit card was going to be hurting afterward.
"Thanks for meeting with me," I said as the hostess walked us to our table. "I know you are pretty busy."
"Actually, I'm not that busy," he said. At the time I didn't think that much of it. Now, however, I am struck at how much this guy looked and acted like the down-on-his-luck character, Stuart, from "The Big Bang Theory". In retrospect, Stuart could have been based on Jeff.
When the server took our drink orders, I ordered water. Jeff, on the other hand, blurted out "I'll have a Sam Adams please!" Really?
Next he ordered one of the most expensive meals on the menu. I pretended to be happy for him and decided to start discussing my work with him. It was a business lunch, after all.
Before I could get a complete sentence out of my mouth Jeff interrupted. "Did I mention my wife left me? We're in the middle of a pretty bad divorce. It's affected my work so much that I'm pretty much destitute."
"That's horrible," I said as he asked the server for another Sam Adams. Admittedly, I was hardly sympathetic to his plight. He knew I was going to pay for his meal, including the handful of overpriced beers. And I knew that he was never going to be a client of mine.
When it was all said and done, the total cost of the meal was well over $50, mostly because Jeff drank a good amount of beers and, I assume, probably had not eaten a few days. (Again, Stuart) Any hopes I had of getting a monthly premium out of this idiot were gone and I was so angry I didn't even walk with him out of the restaurant.
There have been plenty of times when I have treated someone to a meal and the prospect didn't buy anything. In those instances, the other person doesn't take advantage of me. I promise to keep in touch and if all goes well, I may throw them a referral. Do yourself a favor - don't be like Jeff.
Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He's also the author of "You're Going To Be Great At This!", a humorous look at sales. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states.
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