It’s the first session of the morning and we’re learning all about Antonio Perez, a 38-year-old former teacher responsible for standardized testing in the Sunnydale High School District.

We get detailed information on his personal life—married, with twin sons—and even more about his professional concerns. (He’s frustrated, for instance, with profit-oriented publishers who drain district funds he believes could be better spent elsewhere.) Thanks to a headshot, we even know what Antonio looks like.

But Antonio doesn’t exist. Not actually. Instead, he’s a composite “customer” created by Tony Zambito and Angela Quail of Goal Centric.

They explain that the idea behind creating a “persona” (the term for these composites) is that it’s easier to get a grasp on what your customers really need—and who they really are—if you give them an accessible, concrete personality. And when your entire organization shares a common vision of the typical customer—based on research and your own understanding of your clientele—you stand a better chance of maintaining a consistent strategy and goal.

What could you learn from your own Antonio?