Aristotle, one of the most respected and honored Greek philosophers in history, first discussed the effect that a person’s perception has on decision making in his book Rhetoric. He proposed that in order for any individual to be convinced by an argument or persuaded to enter into an agreement with another that three key factors must be first addressed to satisfaction: ethos (trust), pathos (emotions), and logos (logic). Simply stated, trust must first be established before a person will allow their mind to reconcile the emotional and logical connections when making a commitment. Aristotle stated that these modes of persuasion were essential components of a person’s conscious and even their subconscious decision-making process.
Think about the dynamics involved the sale and finaicing of an automobile. Not only are we challenged by an increasingly competative sales environment, we must contend with the effect that competition has on the trust, emotion, and decision-making process of our customers.
Our customers see, sense, and feel the culture of our dealerships. They define the environment’s ethos based on thir perception. – You see, ethos is defined by the recipient not the speaker; this means that ethos is perceived rather than dictated. The old expression that “perception is reality” has never held more true.
As leaders, it is our responsibility to develop the culture of the dealership. But this can be difficult, since shaping perceptions is based on actions more than words.
Focused Action 
What do you think?