Non-Coercive Marketing: A Primer

for people who've never felt at home with traditional marketing, and who are tired of trying to force themselves to fit inside that mold. It's for people who are brave enough to venture out into the frontier, try things that might not work, and iterate towards a way of doing business that enriches our lives, our customers' lives, and that leaves th... See more

Non-coercive marketing places full authority and trust in people. It creates the conditions under which they can make empowered decisions for themselves, and do so in their own time. It doesn't seek to persuade, manipulate, or pester people into a decision that's already been made for them. It merely opens new doors, tells the truth about what's be... See more

Without the inner work, the principles of non-coercive marketing might appeal to you intellectually, but they will be hard to implement, let alone maintain over the long term.

Turns out, when your inner world is full of conflict, and when your actions are rooted in insecurity and distrust, the golden rule isn't worth a whole lot.

Principles: Optimize for happy, empowered customersSurrender control, and embrace emergenceCede authorityTreat people as ends, not meansEnough is enoughPlay long gamesTell the truth, even when it's scaryCreate invitations, not ultimatumsTrust fully and unconditionally