Fellow Business Builder,

I want to introduce you to two people today.

One of them is real, one is entirely fictional.  Both of them are
highly successful, and pull in hundreds of millions in revenue per
year.

The best part?  They use completely different approaches to grow
their thriving empires.

The main reason I wanted to talk about these unique business models
is that they are both thriving in the downturn.

They both sell higher priced clothing.   And they both target a more
affluent type of buyer.

>> (whether you sell clothes, houses, or computers, the same priniciples
apply to you and your business… guaranteed)

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First, meet Harry Rosen: http://www.harryrosen.com/
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Harry Rosen is a Canadian Icon with 55 years in business.  Harry has
turned his initial $500 investment into a $250 Million dollar empire
and continues to thrive in the current economy. Harry Rosen now
proudly owns 35 percent share of the national market in high-end men’s
wear.

One of the BIG reasons Harry has done so well?

“Most companies are faceless but I’m the face. Like me or dislike me,
it’s what you get,” he says.

Direct from the master: you MUST have a face in front of your
company.

Simple… yet ignored by 99% of businesses out there.

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Do YOU put your name and face in front of all your messaging?
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Do you make sure people understand that you are there for them, and
that you will make sure they get the attention they crave?

It is one of the most critical skills to master in a buying
environment like this.

People are desperately seeking out companies who are different.
Companies who have something unique about them.  Companies that give
them a good story they can share with their friends and associates.

Harry does this.

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Guess how Harry Rosen got his start?
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A little know fact about Harry is that he was an outstanding
copywriter who hand wrote out long “quirky” little letters to the
top CEOs in Canada.  He would hand pick who he wanted as a buyer, get
their address and hand write out these “odd letters”, as he called
them in an interview.

Despite what many people think: those executives not only received
and opened his mail; they read it top to bottom and came in to order
some finely tailored suits and clothing.

Hand written… long copy… no photographs.

The TOP business leaders would respond with credit cards in hand. (I
did ask him if he kept copies of them… unfortunately he said no).

They continue to sell to the affluent professional.

The up and coming executive who must make the right first impression.
The new manager who needs to look good in the boardroom, as well as
after hours at the company party.

While Harry no longer hand writes those letters, they still continue
to use advertising campaigns that bring people in the door.

One way they do it is through their Ask Harry Column.  It all started
with an ad they ran that told this story…

“This is Harry. Harry has a store. Harry sells suits. Harry’s suits
are all naturally tailored. Harry calls this lean, unpadded styling
the Cambridge look. Harry specializes in the Cambridge look. If you
like the Cambridge look, remember his name, Harry.”

“Right from the moment it ran, it was very successful,” Rosen says.

“We had customers coming in from outside of Toronto, from around the
country, in fact. That was the beginning, although I didn’t understand
it at the time, of the branding of Harry Rosen.”

Anyone could ask Harry any question they wanted about clothing,
dressing the part, or even how to act in social situations they are
involved in.

You can ask Harry “Can you wear a French-cuffed shirt and cufflinks
with a sports jacket, or only a suit?” and get an answer.   Some of
the random things Harry helps men understand through his Ask Harry
column:

* Changing trends in the men’s fashion world -

http://www.harrymagazine.ca/en/notebook

* How to pick a wine with confidence

* How to tie a tie – also one of the top applications on Apple’s
iStore

* How to pack a suitcase

* How to choose and wear your denim

Harry still spends every Saturday in his flagship store with a tape
measure and piece of chalk in hand. He does the same thing at his
other stores across the country at least a couple of times a year.

This is a man who has become a Canadian Icon in the business world,
and a major success in the world fashion scene.

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His new breakthrough advertising campaign
features prominent Canadian Business Men in their element.
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Each ad is like a case study with the customers photo, their name and
credentials, and their story of how they became a devoted Harry Rosen
fan.

Some of the titles he gave his customers:

The Influencer
The Guru
The Entrepreneur
The Visionary

To see how the ads/story lines look, you can look at

http://thenewconfidence.squarespace.com/confidence-interview-rob-gue/

(the actual ads have more copy than on this picture though)

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How did Harry continue to thrive in an economic disaster?
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They introduced a new campaign: “Welcome to The New Confidence”

“Our experience has been that the surest way to bolster the economy
is to inspire confidence, the kind of confidence conveyed by dressing
in a manner that underscores the fact that you are the right leader
for the task at hand. Your personal brand is your biggest asset
today.”

Harry Rosen is an exceptional business man and his use of his photo,
his name, and his values in their marketing is one of the big reasons
they have done so well.

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Next, my friend Tommy Bahama

http://www.tommybahama.com/

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I say friend because I feel like I know Tommy, even though he is a
fictional character.  I am actually wearing one of Tommy’s shirts
right now… and I love Tommy’s clothes.  They are right up my alley
(an ex-suit who despises wearing a tie anymore… I was a Harry Rosen
Shopper and have now moved to the Tommy side).

It is very interesting to me that both Harry and Tommy target similar
demographics… upwardly mobile more affluent type of buyers.

Yet their clothing styles are dramatically different. The sales
approach they use is even more different. Harry sells you on looking
good and knowing how to act in a professional situation.

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Tommy sells you on the way of life that many of us strive for.
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From their site:

ABOUT TOMMY

There is a warm westerly breeze rustling the palms, the lulling roar
of crashing waves – it’s a celebration of island living, courtesy of
Tony Margolis, Bob Emfield and Lucio Dalla Gasperina.

In 1992, our fictional Tommy Bahama character became the inspiration
behind the experience of traveling to exotic locales where the food is
good, the beaches are hot and the mood is relaxed.

Tommy Bahama and his tropical adventures command the finer things in
life: casual, comfortable sportswear, golfwear, swimwear, footwear and
accessories for men and women.

As the purveyor of island lifestyles, Tommy Bahama, has created a
world where life moves at a more relaxed pace, where the enjoyment of
the good life is the norm, rather than the exception.

Not sure about you, but I can hear the waves, and see myself there on
that beach.  It is what I strive for… and there are a lot of people
out there who have a dream just like that.

And the Tommy character is just what the doctor ordered.

For the beach lovers out there… you can visit Paradise Nation and
travel to exotic locations with Tommy

http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/ParadiseNation.jsp

They have also expanded into the restaurant business now, and,
although I haven’t had the privilege of frequenting one yet, I know
people who have and they absolutely loved it.

Tommy Bahama also knows that those who aspire to an island lifestyle
want more than just the nice comfortable clothes to go with it; they
want to completely immerse themselves in everything to do with the
beach bum life.

They now sell luggage, furniture, bathroom accessories, bedding and
bathroom goods, rugs… even ceiling fans.

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By the time you are done with Tommy’s store,
you are completely decked out from head to toe
and from doorway to bedroom.
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You can even pick up a bottle of Tommy’s finest Tropical Rum for
your afternoon cocktails out on the patio set you bought from Tommy.

You ARE living the Tommy lifestyle…
exactly what you wanted.

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So what does all this have to do with you and your business?
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Pay close attention to these two businesses.

They both use a personality front and centre. One of them is a real
person, the other is fictional (but real in the customer’s mind).

The personality is used everywhere, and it becomes the main reason
why people buy… they aspire to be just like that person they hear so
much about.  They want to live the same lifestyle… look the part…
be that person.

This is a secret of success that is soooooo rarely used.

For example, a new client has just come on board.

He has a successful business in the horse training business.  He
lives on a ranch in the middle of no where.  And people from all over
the world seek him out to get lessons with their horses. They fly him
all over the world to teach his classes.

And he wants to take his business to the next level.

How would he do it?

He would model what Harry and Tommy have done.

He would give his clients an insider’s view on what it is really
like to be a cowboy.

To work with horses day in and day out.

To ride deep into the mountains on a 3 week trip.

To be at one with nature and live off the land like real cowboys used
to.

And we build his personality into everything that he does.

I will share with you what happens as we get this rolling.

Much like the Lobster story I have shared here, the key to success in
business today is giving people a unique story they can tell their
friends and family.

The lobster brothers send out dvds with every product shipment.

Pop the dvd in and watch your dedicated lobster fisherman telling you
about their family, about how they catch your lobster, and about how
it is working on a fishing boat for a living.

Those brothers built a million dollar business in just a few months
using their personalities as the main selling point.

In a business that was traditionally a price-based decision.

No longer.

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So the question for you is…

…do you want your customers to think of you like a Tommy?

…or a Harry?
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Both work.  One is more wild and free… living the ultimate
lifestyle many of your customers aspire to.  The other is a
professional… works hard and plays hard.

Do your customers want to:

“Escape the troubles of the modern world in favour of a place
that’s relaxed and worry-free… where life is one long weekend.

Or

“Live in their own New Confidence in a New Economy?”

Which person are you targeting?

How are you giving them what they want?

How can you?

What can you do to give them the lifestyle they want?

How can you tie your personality into it so they will NEVER forget
you?

What one thing could you do in the next month that would get them
talking about you to their friends, family and associates?

I would love to hear your ideas.

Thanks again.

To your success,

Troy White

PS: This was originally written for Clayton Makepeace and The Total Package.

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