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Nov 12, 2008 
The new James Bond .007 “Quantum of Solace” opens this weekend in the US, and all indications are that it will do very well…
This despite the fact that most people haven’t a clue what a “Quantum” or a “Solace” is. How can that happen?
Because the people who make James Bond movies have been able to create an authentic, memorable character that the target audience identifies with and wants to connect with. And. remarkably, they have been able to create this character over more than thirty years with numerous actors taking on the lead role of James Bond.
When you go to a James Bond movie, you know that you will get fast action, unbelievable plots involving world domination, pretty scenery and stunning women, and a glimpse into a sophisticated lifestyle. We know all about his quirks and we expect to hear Bond order a martini at least once, we expect to have a meeting with Q, and we expect some flirting between Bond and Miss Moneypenny, we expect a female counterpart with a risqué name… There is something timeless about this and it brings us back to the first time we ever saw a Bond film, when we were younger.
Apparently, they have decided in Quantum of Solace to not do a few of these expected things, relying more on plot and big explosions, and less on the classic Bond idiosyncrasies. Once you lose the character and his back story, Bond becomes just another clever good-guy spy. And there are plenty of movies about those, Bond has always remained special…
How to relate James Bond .007 to business?
…everything that you do to build your relationship needs to be based on authentic repeatable stories and actions. How you got started, how products were created and why, what your policies are relating to customer service, what you like to do in your free time, what is your PURPOSE for being in this business (besides the money). And you need to make the whole thing congruent…
The difference between you and your competitors is they have a different story and a different business philosophy. In many cases, they have one that is very garbled and hard to decipher, and often incongruent. Incongruence can kill your sales because it often hits people at the gut level of intuition. Something doesn’t FEEL right, and the sale is lost. Perhaps my friend Intuitive John will have more to say about this big problem for many companies…
Stand out from the crowd with a story that attracts customers and is the authentic YOU at the same time. And never get tired of telling the same story, you hear it often, the customer doesn’t hear it often enough.
I’ll post a review of the movie this weekend, and I’ll be watching for more Business Lessons…
19 Comments 
James Bond
(42 comments)
• Nov 12, 2008 @12:19 pm
(24 comments)
