MARKETERS CAN ALSO LEARN FROM BENJAMIN DISRAELI – 3 OBSERVATIONS Plato left us with many great lessons, perhaps the greatest of which was – ‘know thyself’. Building on this theme centuries later, British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli noted ‘know thine enemy’. I said many centuries after this – ‘know thy audience’. Curiously, these quotes, while […]

MARKETERS CAN ALSO LEARN FROM BENJAMIN DISRAELI – 3 OBSERVATIONS Plato left us with many great lessons, perhaps the greatest of which was – ‘know thyself’. Building on this theme centuries later, British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli noted ‘know thine enemy’. I said many centuries after this – ‘know thy audience’. Curiously, these quotes, while not said with marketing in mind, have very real relevance to 21st century marketing and, in particular, the management of perceptions and persuasion to purchase. The real keys to persuading consumers to behave as you want them to are: understanding the audience understanding the competition understanding the business When I coach public speakers, I highlight the importance of understanding who they are speaking to, and what that audience expects. Knowing this builds confidence and drives performance. The same is true for persuasion. How can you possibly persuade anyone to do anything if you do not…