I am a fan of the AMC TV series “Mad Men”—the dialogue, the clothing, the sets, the music. My wife and I watch the episodes on DVD; we are almost finished with Season Two, which means we are one season behind the episodes being shown on TV.

“Mad Men” is many things, including a morality play that speaks to relationships and business. If you don’t watch “Mad Men,” the program is set in the early 1960s. The mad men in “Mad Men” work in advertising at Sterling Cooper, a thriving Madison Avenue agency. Marketing and business are primary subjects on the program.

Find a picture of your typical customer. Frame it. Place it next to your computer.

Think of this person whenever you are making decisions and always try to please him or her. Ask yourself often, “What does she want? What are her needs? What are her challenges? What keeps her awake at night?”

I worked in the buying office of a department store for one year right after college.
The store’s best buyer would speak about the people who bought her clothes
as if they were one person. The buyer would say things like this about her customer,
“She’s feeling adventurous this season” or “She’s really into calming tones
right now.”