| Three hundred Spartans, at war against a million | | | | This is the new advertising; it's word-of-mouth to the |
| Persians. The battle is ancient, but the movie is modern. | | | | millionth power. |
| When "300" was released in early 2007, the epic war | | | | Ironically, the more we communicate in open, honest |
| film of the Battle Of Thermopylae, the critics were | | | | "wiki" ways, the more we become repulsed by hype |
| appalled; blood, gore, devoid of a plot, and 'more | | | | and empty promises, as consumers and as business |
| severed meat than you'd find in a Brazilian steakhouse,' | | | | owners. Those salespeople stuck in the tired, plaid |
| they howled. | | | | tactics of the past are finding it harder and harder to |
| Then the movie opened. Consumers responded. And | | | | sell with Reality. They wave their arms around, |
| in two days' time, the critics words were like the | | | | obliviously blaming the economy, the competition, and |
| Persians, lying in bloody heaps on the ground. People | | | | the new guy for their lack of results. |
| loved the movie; they passionately spread the word to | | | | Those who have found Authenticity are winning. |
| their friends and their cyberfriends, in their blogs, and on | | | | In business, Reality = Authenticity. Authenticity is being |
| their online forums. They ignored the critics, if they had | | | | real about what you do, the promises you are making, |
| ever heard them at all, and showed up at the theatres | | | | and who you are. Unlike charisma or charm, |
| in droves. | | | | Authenticity is attainable through practice. Utilizing your |
| For a movie slated for mediocrity by the experts, "300" | | | | assets, forging an original story, being open and honest, |
| grossed $70 million in its first weekend, far outpacing | | | | and being consistent are all components of discovering |
| the second place movie at $27 million. With its release | | | | your Authentic story. |
| on DVD and in rental outlets, it has gone on to gross | | | | We created the Four Laws of Authenticity to help you |
| over $300 million in its first nine months. | | | | discover - or re-discover - that wonderful, powerful |
| What the critics forgot was that they aren't the | | | | and GENUINE story that the public wants to hear |
| movie-going public. You are. | | | | today. These Four Laws - The Law of Freedom, The |
| Consumers are now in love with authentic | | | | Law of Originality, The Law of Transparency, and The |
| communication that is unfiltered and unbiased. The | | | | Law of Repeatability - are critical for you to learn and |
| explosion of electronic communication like text | | | | understand if you are to be perceived as one that |
| messaging, IM, and blogs provide strong evidence that | | | | others can trust. |
| hype is no longer hip. Reality TV, the ultimate unfiltered | | | | When you become Authentic, you and your business |
| mass entertainment vehicle of the new millennium, is | | | | become more interesting. You get much better at |
| the anti-script. The stars are now everyday people, | | | | starting conversations. You learn how to bridge your |
| and the influencers are now consumers with | | | | personal experiences with your sales message. You |
| keyboards. | | | | stay focused on the attributes of the brand that meet |
| People care what others with similar interests think, | | | | your customers' needs. And you become more |
| and it has never been easier to discover what they | | | | successful at whatever it is you do. |
| are thinking, what they like, and what they don't like. | | | | |