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What does your Porsche say about you?

BenB91

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Joined
28 Dec 2014
Messages
495
Hi all, so I looked at my first 997 last night and I hope to purchase one soon.

One of my concerns is that it may attract too much attention. I'm soon to be 26 and I'm an Independent Financial Adviser, will my clients think I'm charging them too much if they see my car? Will it put off prospective clients?

The work car park has a brand new Range Rover, Audi Q5 and a Volvo XC60, which all cost more than the Porsche I am looking at, but don't attract any attention at all. To the average person, a 997 is a £50k + car and you have to be a higher earner to afford one.

To be honest, I think I could get away with it at work but will it draw too much attention outside my house? I live just outside Tunrbidge-Wells, Kent, in a nice area but not the best. Technically it would fit in my single garage but would be a very tight squeeze and not sure I would want to do it everyday or at all. I don't currently have off-road parking, may do in the future if/when I knock down a small wall outside the house. So it would spend most of the time parked on the street, which isn't a main road and can always park outside my house, as most of the other houses have off-road parking. One guy on the road has a 2013 Mercedes E-class, other than that most of the neighbours cars are hatchbacks/estates and are a few years old.

Any thoughts on this?
 
This might sound like double standards, but if my IFA turned up driving a Porsche, the first thing that I would be looking at would be the fees that he/she was charging me.... I'd want them working hard for my money!!

PS - hope you find a good 997!

:)
 
mikeluke said:
This might sound like double standards, but if my IFA turned up driving a Porsche, the first thing that I would be looking at would be the fees that he/she was charging me.... I'd want them working hard for my money!!

PS - hope you find a good 997!

:)

That's my concern. As we are not in London or a fancy modern office, our fees are actually very reasonable and lower than our competitors - not sure a Porsche reflects that though :(
 
The clients won't give a toss if you are getting them good results. In fact it would reaffirm that you know what you're doing that you can be trusted.
On a side note, I have a number of mates who would be considered high net worth individuals, and if you met them you'd never know. Proper wealth. On the other hand I've known people with the numerous watches, the the flash house and cars....endless bottles of Verve in the fridge. Holidays to Aspen etc. When the wheels came off, it was all a lie. Filthy rich in appearance, but couldn't rub to coins together in reality.
The book cover only tells a very small part of the story.
 
FZP said:
The clients won't give a toss if you are getting them good results. In fact it would reaffirm that you know what you're doing that you can be trusted.
On a side note, I have a number of mates who would be considered high net worth individuals, and if you met them you'd never know. Proper wealth. On the other hand I've known people with the numerous watches, the the flash house and cars....endless bottles of Verve in the fridge. Holidays to Aspen etc. When the wheels came off, it was all a lie. Filthy rich in appearance, but couldn't rub to coins together in reality.
The book cover only tells a very small part of the story.

Good points. I see this all the time with clients; some on paper are extremely wealthy but you'd never know it from material items or looking at them.
 
I did have a similar worry when I bought my 997 turbo. And tbh one of the reasons I went for the 997 was that it is a bit more subtle than something like the Gallardo I originally wanted. To a lot of people all Porsches look the same. Regardless of if they are a £1500 Boxster or a £70k 997 turbo. I leave my car on my drive and unless someone specifically knows what it is, it blends in with the VW Golfs, Peugeots and Fords the rest of my cul-de-sac has.

When I first rolled up in it, it did raise some eyebrows with my neighbours, who said how wonderful it was, but thats about it. I do occasionally get delivery drivers drooling over it and talking about it, but most people dont even notice it.

As a daily driver, you do notice you get a lot of looks from people who "know" what you are driving, but a lot of people dont even notice you. Dropping the kids off at nursery when I first got it, had all the teachers with their noses pressed up again the window looking at it and asking what it was, but after that it wasnt an issue.

With regards to clients, like you, I was worried about the impression, so typically I tend to park around the corner or use the train. I did turn up at on clients site the other month and their offices overlooked the car park. I parked outside and ive never seen so many blokes staring out of the window at me. I went in to my meeting and the first thing the client said was "err, what car did you turn up in as all the guys in the office wont stop talking about it".

Funnily enough im looking at having a house extension atm and when one of the builders turned up, he immediatley commended on my car. I jokingly said to him "you`ll double your quote now wont you". He said he wouldnt be he did end up coming in with the most expensive quote.....
 
It's a fact of life that people do "assume" that if you are driving a fancy car that appears to be expensive, (even if it's a 2005 £20k 997) they will also assume that you must have all this wealth by charging expensive prices. Some (like us) realise that it very often takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get to that position. e.g. I didn't get mine until I was 60 !

In the early 90's a work colleague of mine used to use his own XJ6 Jag (paid for by allowance instead of company car) to visit customers. The boss at work had "several" calls saying he must have been paid too much, ergo the company must be charging too much.

Can you not have a run around for work and keep the Porsche for leisure use?
 
A very very successful and very wealthy businessman I knew once said to me that all through his working life he had driven the nicest most expensive car he could afford these were mainly sportscars . his view was people like to do business with someone who is successful, as it generally means your good at what you do . would you want to do business with an FSA who showed up in a banger.
I expect you to get the odd comment to which my reply would be I am financially astute and this is my only car . unlike many who will turn up in a merc but can afford to have a string of exotics just for weekend use tucked up in the garage now those are the guys you need to be worrying about lol.
I say to people it costs no more to run than any german saloon but is a lot more fun and is a good ice breaker as it prompts conversation
And Mr/Mrs customer these cars dont lose value unlike most other cars so infact its a wise financial decision to drive one. So as you can see with some thought you can actually build it into your pitch and leave them thinking your a wise financial thinker and as you tell them these things their trust in you is going to build . got to be better than turning up with nothing to start the conversation other than to throw numbers at them trying to convince them your an astute financial adviser . That's the positive cup half full answer learn to use the "oh we must be paying you too much " statement as a tool to open dialog and build a rapport. I say things like well come on then I will take you for a spin and lets grab some lunch . usually followed by I would be happier if you were a cute girl in a short skirt but what the hell I will buy you lunch anyway . :grin: :grin:
 
benbuhagiar said:
One of my concerns is that it may attract too much attention. I'm soon to be 26 and I'm an Independent Financial Adviser, will my clients think I'm charging them too much if they see my car? Will it put off prospective clients?

............ To be honest, I think I could get away with it at work but will it draw too much attention outside my house? I live just outside Tunrbidge-Wells, Kent, in a nice area but not the best .....

If I employed a 26 year old Independent Financial Advisor I'd be happy to see him turn up in a 911 as it would seem he knows what he is doing. I'd say :thumbs: - go for it.

I bought my first Porsche at 27 (an 8 year old 924, so the equivalent of a 2009 Cayman now) and it cost me about the same as all the other newer but ordinary cars owned where I lived. Mine got far more attention but most people accepted that I'd made a choice by going for an older prestige car over a newish ordinary one.

I can't see why attitudes would have changed over time although I would suggest you keep the original registration number rather than putting a private plate on it. :D
 
If you turn it around, and rock up at a client site in a shed - maybe something like the Rover 75 from Pistonheads last week - what are your clients going to think? Some may not give a toss, others may be concerned that you're not successful enough.

My view, drive the 911, and then assess for yourself whether it had an impact on your business. If in 12 months it sucked, you can then get a shed with which to punish yourself for the sins of driving a sports car.
 
997

My cousin married a guy who sold surgical instruments and he used to run Audi A4 repmobiles and one day I was visiting in the 993 and the subject of company cars came up and he said his company would not allow him to have a lease Porsche as it sent out the wrong message!
 
My point was here that you are a Financial Advisor, and some folks might be very sensitive around the subject of fees and what you are getting for what you pay.

I have a good mate who is an IFA - his kids went to top private schools and he has a holiday house in Spain - so I know he is raking it in - however, he always turns up for meetings in a small 'runabout' as he does not want to openly advertise to his clients how well he is doing.

Only you can know how your clients might react - car nuts will know that a 997 is not THAT expensive and is an astute purchase - others will think that you are a flash git and jealousy will kick in.
 
If your surgeon or lawyer rocks up in a Porsche then you think...this guy knows what he is doing and is clearly "top dog". Confidence inspiring.

If your builder rocks up in a Porsche you think....robbing bastard, won't be using him.

That's why I have a Vito Van! :driving:
 
Do it - it speaks of success!
 

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