Persona strategy becomes crucially important in our changing world. We have analyzed five major trends in the world socio-economic structure that make Persona indispensable to your success. These trends will strongly affect the businesses of the future. They are important because of Persona Code 24, Code of Collective Conscious. Fighting trends will result in disastrous defeat. You must learn, appreciate, and use the trends of the next millennium.

Our new century will be defined by its trends. We can expect it to be characterized by the Five Ages.

This is not an exaggeration. This is not hype. The idea that image is more important than substance has been recognized since mankind became civilized. Even tribal societies wore trophies of their hunting conquests to show their prowess to other members of society. It is not enough to be the greatest hunter in the village. The entire village must know it.

In 1819, Washington Irving wrote, "In civilized life, where the happiness, and indeed almost the existence, of man depends so much on the opinion of his fellow man, he is constantly acting a studied part." The Persona Principle takes this concept to the ultimate conclusion. We have turned an intuitive art into a mathematical science. This science does not depend on trends or changing morals. It is based on two unchanging human truths:

• Image has more value than reality.
  
  
• To last, image must be built only on truths.

It is not enough to be visible. To last is to succeed. And to last, Persona is the most effective weapon in your marketing war chest. The top five advertisers have been leaders for decades:

#1 Brand: AT&T telephone

#2 Brand: Ford cars, trucks, and vans

#3 Brand: Kellogg's cereals

#4 Brand: Sears stores

#5 Brand: McDonald's restaurants

Not surprisingly, these brands lead in spending. But they started from modest beginnings – using many of the principles outlined in The Persona Principle – to become the giants of today. Although McDonald's spent $208,992,400 in 1994, this figure is only a small percentage of its extraordinary revenue. In fact, as a percentage of revenue, McDonald's spending is below average. Spending may seem the main rule of success for these big brands, but of more importance is image. Even an exorbitant level of spending would not have built McDonald's into the number one fast-food chain without a clear and consistent persona. Without image – corporate culture, advertising character, restaurant decor, all of which must appeal to the specific target audience – no amount of spending would bring McDonald's to the top.

McDonald's controlled every ad and expenditure in marketing to maintain a consistent image. The McDonald's persona is the true secret to its success. Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar have been so consistently promoted that they are a part of the North American culture. The credibility message "billions served" has been a cornerstone of McDonald's persona-building for decades. Such consistency of message and image is crucial to any persona success story.

All brand leaders have something in common: they all value long-term image. But how did they become these giants that practically every citizen of the United States and Canada knows by name? Without exception, Persona leaders had humbler beginnings. They followed the most important codes of the Persona Principle:

• They invented or refined their product to be different from any similar product (see Persona Code 53, Code of Invention).
  
  
• They made credible claims (see Persona Factor 4, the Credibility Factor).
  
  
• They never compromised, treating their persona as an inviolable culture (see Persona Factor 5, the No-Compromise Factor).
  
  
• They allowed their persona to become a distinct, almost living, entity, complete with unique characters, names, logos, and styles (see Persona Factor 8, the Independence Factor).

It is difficult for the average start-up entrepreneur to relate to these giants. Yet these were once small ventures. McDonald's began humbly as a single restaurant and then a handful of unknown restaurants. Finally, McDonald's was bought by a shrewd entrepreneur who developed the McDonald's culture. This culture became an empire. Every code and factor of the Persona Principle is feasible, applicable by ventures of any size, whether young start-up or McDonald's. If you use the codes, your Image-Equity will grow (see Persona Factor 6, the Growth Factor). Your venture could become a McDonald's or a Kellogg's with steady, precise, uncompromising application of the Persona Principle.

This Tip By—

By Derek Armstrong

Author of
• Blogertize: A Leading Expert Shows How Your Blog Can Be a Money-Making Machine
• The Persona Principle
• The Game, An Alban Bane Thriller
• MADicine, An Alban Bane Thriller 
• The Last Troubadour, Book 1 Song of Montségur
• The Last Quest, Book 2 Song of Montségur 

Jerry Hind Buys a Mercedes and Closes the Deal — A True Story

 
For eight years, Jerry Hind tried to close the annual $2 million contract with Western Ducting. Every year he bid. Every year he lost.

Jerry was friendly with Henry Malone, vice president at Western, but the contract always went to Jerry's main competitor. Jerry phoned Henry weekly, sent him postcards from wherever he went, never forgot a Christmas gift, and even got to know Henry's family. He joined Henry's club and always let him win at tennis.

Competitive Bidding Didn't Win The Deal

Jerry was frustrated because he knew that his company was better and more competitive than the firm that was selected each year. After three years – exasperated by his lack of success – Jerry cornered Henry at lunch and asked him why he never won the contract.

Jerry didn't like the answer. Henry told him that the contract was too big to give to a friend. He said that the stakes were too high to trust a small company. Angry, Jerry demanded to know why Henry thought they couldn't handle the deal. He was shocked by the answer. Henry commented on their small, inaccessible office and even on Jerry's taste in clothes and cars.

A Risky Decision

Jerry limped home to his nice suburban postwar bungalow in Scarborough. He told his wife the whole story, hugged his kids, and didn't sleep all night. He sat at his desk and thought about all the deals he had won and lost. By morning, he had made a risky decision.

Jerry went out and leased a brand-new Mercedes with payments he couldn't afford. He also bought an Armani suit – with the last of his savings. He stopped inviting clients to his company's simple office and made sure all his prospects saw his shiny white Mercedes. He stopped wearing the inexpensive watch his daughter had given him, even though he couldn't afford a better one. He also stopped going to Henry's club.

A Half Million Dollar Deal in Six Weeks

Six weeks later he closed a half-million-dollar deal with Air Conditioning Systems United and renewed a long-term contract with an old client. Client attitudes started to change.

It wasn't until six months later that Henry called Jerry and asked why he hadn't been to the club. Jerry spoke in a voice that was friendly but nonchalant as he told him he was too busy closing a big deal in Boston. He even turned down an invitation to play tennis. Jerry knew that Henry felt something important had changed. Three weeks later, while back in Boston closing a deal on a referral, he sent a postcard to Henry: Sorry about the tennis. I really was busy. But how about next Tuesday? Best, Jerry.

The Mercedes Factor

Jerry showed up at the club in his Mercedes. He was wearing a designer shirt and had a fresh haircut. He knew Henry was always prompt, so he arrived early and sat in the main driveway of the club with his engine idling. Five minutes later, Henry pulled in. Jerry opened the door of his new car as if he were just arriving and handed a twenty to the valet, making sure Henry saw him.

Jerry still let Henry win at tennis, but every time Henry asked him about business, he just smiled and changed the subject. Over the next month, they played only two more games. Finally, two weeks later, Henry told Jerry he was giving him the contract.

Jerry remained calm – until he got home. As soon as he closed his front door, he jumped up and down and hooted until his wife thought about calling the police. His new Persona image and Persona technique of playing hard to get had won the biggest contract of his career – with more than enough commission to pay for his expensive new car.

Sales Credibilty Marketing Tip

Salespeople face many of the same issues as the start-up entrepreneur. Unless they work for a well-established blue chip company, they have to prove their cases and establish their credibility with each prospect. Often, this is the most discouraging aspect of the sales profession. You must always start at the beginning, patiently cultivating new prospects who do not want to believe you. This is why high-pressure sales techniques no longer work. In today's climate, soft selling and quiet professionalism work best in this demanding profession - regardless of product or service. A pushy salesperson loses credibility immediately. An overly friendly salesperson suffers the same loss. Only the professional, nonthreatening, sincere salesperson who attempts to solve the prospect's genuine problems with genuine solutions can succeed over the long term

Image Factoring Techniques
There are six keys to a successful sales image:

• Image must be anchored in truth.
  
  
• Your projected image must be unique and differentiating.
  
  
• Never stop reaching your audience with your image.
  
  
• Only show those aspects of your image that support your persona.
  
  
• Never show weaknesses.

Definition
Even though "the image of success has more value than real success," your image must be built on a solid foundation of truth. No brand can survive beyond the first purchase and no relationship can survive past the first meeting, if there is no substance behind the image.

Truth is the most important foundation of the Persona Principle. Without truth a persona will collapse. Quality can not be a whimsical concept. You may be able to convince your prospect to try you once based on your image promise, but it won't happen a second time unless you have the quality to back your claims.

Without knowing your strengths – and equally important, your weaknesses – you cannot build an image based on truths that are meaningful to your audience. Without truth you cannot build credibility. Without credibility, your image is worthless.

Reality Factoring Techniques
You must find your unique truth. Every venture or person can claim to be the best at something. Find your truth first, then find a way to make people believe it. To use Reality Factoring, it is important to follow these tips:

• Never claim the same truth as an established competitor, even if you are better.
  
  
• Study your audience and understand the truths they value.
  
  
• Inventory all your truths.
  
  
• Abandon those truths that do not seem credible.
  
  
• Tone down any truths that are hard to prove and do not emphasize any truth that cannot be proved in five words.

Rely on the very best image doctors and consultants. Any skill that you do not possess at the highest levels, you must acquire. It is less expensive to acquire specialized expertise through consultants than through internal development. Hire only the best ad agencies, programmers, marketing consultants, accountants, doctors, and lawyers. You deserve the best advice possible - and it is almost always worth the price. The Persona Planning Process will allow you to save considerable time and money through self-help research and analysis. Execution of your plans, for areas outside of your normal expertise, are best handled by specialists.