Expectations

Expectations are interesting. Although I am a published writer, most people have their first encounter with me as a car salesperson. Yes, I’m a starving writer and have a day job. I have a list of honesty and ethical ratings pinned up on the bulletin board in my car selling office. It ranks professions from perceived honesty and ethics from top to bottom. At the top are nurses. At the bottom are car salespeople.


During the process of helping customers with a vehicle purchase, I try to slip in that I’m an author. When I do, the reaction from the customers radically changes. I move from the bottom to the top of the list in an eye blink. Although writers aren’t on the list, I’ve had customers who wouldn’t even give me their last name, pull out a business card and hand it to me when they discovered I was a writer.

It amazes me how quickly and radically their opinion, attitude, willingness to provide personal information, and much more changes. They ask about my writing. They ask about the process of becoming published. They tell me about that book they always thought of writing.

When we move the conversation back to vehicles, they trust what I say, drop any defensiveness and remove that wall they held between us until then. It truly amazes me.

Do I take advantage of the change? No, for many reasons. I didn’t change. I began the interaction trying my best to provide information in a factual, cordial, honest and helpful way. That would never change.