MODERN ENTREPRENEUR
This is true whether you want to become a marketing maven , entrepreneurial genius or super mate . No matter your goal , it is imperative to be imaginative , or to push the window of conventional thinking , as suggested by Einstein , in order to build a brand or make a mark in the world . How do you accomplish this ? Stop trying to conform and to be so correct you can ’ t be innovative .
How do you create a personal brand ? By looking , dressing , acting , and speaking as if you were in that role . Walk into the restaurant like a person of class and you will treated as you are seen . Try it . It works . Walk in like you just fell off the turnip truck and you will get seated next to the kitchen . Act like a nerd or wallflower in approaching an attractive member of the opposite sex and you will be treated in the same manner as you are perceived whether that image is valid or not . Brand yourself as you care to be treated by the masses , and that is precisely how you will be perceived and treated .
Personal Packaging – We are Not All Equal Act as if your products are deserving of success and they will be . The persona is crucial . Do you have a cheap Plymouth or a hot red Ferrari packaged in that box ? The Plymouth gets you treated as an also-ran . A Ferrari image gets you treated with great respect . Neither may be correct or deserving but that is the nature of life . Show up at the area ’ s hot eatery in a hot Ferrari and you will be immediately taken to the VIP section of the restaurant . Drive up in an old Buick and you will find yourself far from the VIP section !
You may argue that such treatment isn ’ t fair . You are right , it isn ’ t , but it is right for the one making the decision and that is all that counts . Rightness and equality only work in bureaucracies , since we are not all equal in any way . Some of us are short and stocky and not suited for an NBA career . Others of us are not smart enough to invent new electronic widgets . C ’ est la vie !
Image Pervades All We do and Become Image pervades everything we do and say . It is not an accident that bankers wear white button-down shirts , conservative ties , and drive Buicks . Or that Madonna walks on stage wearing a bustier . Each has their agenda and the attire is part of creating that image . The Buick and puritan image will not get you a date with a high profile acquaintance on Rodeo Drive or Worth Avenue . But they can insure you of beating out the competition for the investment banking position on Main Street .
Pick your goal and brand yourself in the identity required of your future success . If done effectively , you will become that caricature or persona . In her autobiography , Estee Lauder lied about her lineage and upbringing . But it is quite telling that the lady entrepreneur transformed reality into her fantasy , and she ultimately became her lie . Lauder was so obsessed with becoming a Grande sophisticated lady of society she dressed , spoke , and acted the part and turned herself into her dream image .
Public Relations Pays ! Find Out What They Want & Give It to Them . The unfortunate truth of life is that landing a good job , selling a work of art , or getting the seed funding to launch your new business : decision-makers , including CEOs , investment bankers and Asian production facilities , buy dreams and concepts aimed at their best interests , not the best interests of those they are hiring or promoting . People and products are only
June 2016 ModernBusiness 17