Three timeless traditional principles that support effective modern marketing―Perspective, Permission and Persuasion.

Perspective

In 1960 an inspiring thought leader, Theodore Levitt published an article in Harvard Business Review entitled “Marketing Myopia” (Myopia defined by Merriam Webster as “a lack of foresight or discernment :  a narrow view of something “).  A classic work and a wonderful read, this article introduced me to the principle of perspective with the question, “What business are you in?”  How we define or view what we do as a business either hides or reveals our essential value.  Our perspective also leads us away from or toward the right opportunities. Viewing ourselves through the lens of a buyer persona gives us an opportunity to test and clarify our perspective.

Permission

I’m waiting for someone to dub Seth Godin “The Father of Inbound Marketing”.   Way back in 1999 Seth Godin’s book Permission Marketing hit bookstore shelves and the world of marketing communications was forever altered.  To me “permission” shifts the approach to communicating with buyers from an uninvited interruption to a welcome tip from a trusted adviser that is perfectly timed.  It is both respectful and efficient.

As I recall, Seth added new terms like “Strangers” and “Friends” to classify consumers as they progress through their purchase consideration process. Seth introduced a new way to familiarize and engage consumers by asking for permission to interact and then providing valuable content in exchange for greater two-way communication access.  The delivery of more valuable content was  given in exchange for personal data of greater detail and relevance.  Permission marks the development of trust that is essential to the nurturing relationships with emerging buyers.

Persuasion

Robert Cialdini must be acknowledged for his work on the topic of influence and persuasion. In his New York Times bestselling book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion originally published in 1984 he defines six principles that have become fundamental drivers of social media marketing, inbound and modern marketing nurturing practices in 2015. These principles include: reciprocity, commitment/consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity.

How have these timeless principles or others you’ve discovered impacted your marketing practices?