We keep talking about how marketing has changed and is changing. Fair enough. Maybe it's time to take a look at what doesn't change. Case in point: conversation.

All marketing is or should be conversation -- ways to encourage it, make it more relevant and more comfortable for those engaged (your customers). There are rules, a kind of etiquette, that most follow and expect others to follow. Over the years, however, marketing has tended to ignore those rules; for example, ads shout at you, dominate the conversation and don't let you get a word in edgewise... a bit like your mother-in-law.

Here's the interesting part. The rules of conversation etiquette are universal; they cut across all cultural boundaries and have been in play for centuries. Centuries? Is that true?

Yes... have a look at Cicero's rules for pleasant conversation, written in 44 BC. Still as fresh as a newborn babe and perhaps more relevant than ever in this technology age that allows for millions of conversations per second worldwide. Marketers -- pay attention, these rules apply to you all the more, as the conversation you're trying to start is often with a consumer who does not trust or know you.

Cicero's Rules for Good Conversation

• speak clearly
• speak easily, but not too much, give others their turn
• do not interrupt
• be courteous
• deal seriously with serious matters, gracefully with lighter ones
• never criticize people behind their backs
• stick to subjects of general interests
• do not talk about yourself
• never lose your temper