Joe is the average consumer. He feels certain ways about himself. There are some things that Joe thinks are true about him: “I’m creative, a good worker, a funny guy, a damned good cook.”

There are some other things he wishes he could say were true about him but are not: “I’m comfortable around attractive women. I’m self-assured in almost every situation. I can walk past a gang of thugs and feel secure in my ability to defend myself if I have to. I’m a savvy consumer.”

In fact, this is the typical state of the consumer mind. Your prospects believe some things about themselves, and there are contrasting things they’d like to believe about themselves. ...

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