The direct response marketing mantra I learned while working for a specialty communications agency within WPP’s media empire was desired behavioral objective. The focus I believe leans toward the cause-side of what Jennifer Rice labels the Law Causality.

The phrase, Desired Behavioral Objective, if spoken quickly three times in a row is likely to produce a primitive resonation that sounds more like a chant than a method or system for assigning tactical marketing tasks.

Personally, I don’t need any more tasks. That’s why all advertising and branding stinks: we have enough things to do already. I’ll bet your to do list is huge too. Of course, the impending arrival of our #2 child is only adding more tasks to my personal list. In fact, I’m getting tired just thinking about how tired I’m going to be after doing only half of those tasks. I think it’s one reason why I’ve nearly stopped watching TV and why I own 500+ DVDs. My task list is just full.

The natural response to: act now, learn more, use promotional code xyz, click here, subscribe today, don’t wait, limited time offer, take an extra 15% off, hurry, get your $25 mail-in rebate, get your free $10 reward card, shop today through Sunday, wait there’s more, plus there’s even more, redeem your bonus today, new, save, on sale, clearance, everyday low prices, special values, huge savings, 5 days only, book online and save, zero payments, no interest if paid in full, and my favorite of all time “operators are standing by” is to just to mute the volume. In fact, it’s what my Dad was doing before Tivo.

So how should we task our prospects? Focus on more benefit statements? Perhaps.

You might think that after reading Jennifer Rice’s response to Freddie Daniels commentary concerning a statement published in the Spring issue of Marketing Society’s Market Leader magazine that your mission in marketing as an affiliate should not be to change customer behavior in order to generate revenue growth but rather to be of service. She’s absolutely right. While I wouldn’t go as far to say that you need to love the customer, I believe the marketing conversation is likely to be more successful for both parties when we’re receptive and open to dialog. The conversation creates commerce. It’s about being a good neighbor.

It’s why I like sites like 43things.com, del.icio.us, and Wikipedia. These sites are tapping into social conversations. More benefits and no call to actions. It's more than a PPC buy on Google or Yahoo. It's much much more than a simple site build around a data feed. It's a conversation.

How are you conversing with your customers??