Sophistication is a challenge for persons that were not raised in a social world where things like etiquette and political tact are taught via osmosis -- the environment in which you were raise. That's not to say you can't develop such an image but it takes some serious dedication, attending workshops that will help you cultivate the skills "for working the room" as well as how to project yourself as a proper gentleman that's educated, knows how to speak properly and who has a wide range of knowledge on numerous topics. We're talking about years of cultivation and modeling yourself off of similar personalities as Lance Burton, Blackstone, and similar legends.
A Provocative persona is a bit more complicated in that there are many routes that one can take that are provocative, not all of them conducive when it comes to show biz. I'm a provocative personality in that I'm rather blunt most of the time and call a spade a spade -- it's rare that I pull my punches and so I rub a lot of people wrong. At the same time however, my personality has brought a long list of working pros to my door because they know I don't go in for the BS; I want things simple and to the point. I want to create what is effective that leaves long lasting affects on one's audience. My ties to Urban~Shamanism compounds these things adding a layer of mystical belief that many in magic rear from because we are indoctrinated (brain washed) to not believe in the fantastic and miraculous. Interestingly, there are more and more of us coming out of the wood work and claiming our beliefs and daring the bullies to challenge them. But that's another story.
My persona is the result of decades of living life in that I play myself for the most part; a guy that has a unique family pedigree that lends itself well to the flavor of magic he performs. More than familial ties to mysticism there is the fact that I've been involved with the "New Age"/Neo Pagan movement for most of my adult years and am reasonably well rooted therein e.g. it is a part of who and what I am. The moral of the story being; look at your own life, family history, etc. and find those quirks that best fit who you see yourself as or more importantly, who you see yourself becoming. While I have a family of believers and mystic doers there's likewise a long line of intellectuals, politicians and even inventors that I could have pulled from. All of us have a variety of personalities in our family line that can help sustain the mold we find to be most comfortable; all of us have personal interests and a "resume" from which we can help augment and build that idea, refining it so as to meet our personal vision.
If you've ever played a Fantasy Role Play game in which dice are used to help generate a character then you know that characters NEVER turn out how you envision them, it's a roll of the die. This is true with life, but we must start with our basic vision and then trust that fate will deliver to us those tools and assets we require for rounding out that manifestation.