Timing is everything, just as I was creating concept that would persuade a talented group of people to act and engage, I heard my RSS chime with David Sable's latest ramble about PEOPLE.  After reading through the post and the responses it inspired a few thoughts.

David says: Start by thinking in the vernacular – try it…let me know if/how it changes your perspective.

I agree with David! Can I get an amen brotha from the audience?
If we are going to persuade people to change their behavior with an new idea, we must build trust and not appear to be an outsider who speaks in a foreign tongue.  We must speak to them in their language.  Your idea must be expressed in a language that makes them feel comfortable and yet is easy to understand.

Often doing that, makes your client feel queasy.  We are the PEOPLE experts.  In my experience, the best clients do not hire us because they want another marketer in the room to validate their ideas. They expect and desire us to lay thought provoking work on the table.   If we are not provoking conversation or debate with our art - then it is not good.
 

It's rare that clients have expert knowledge about the what drives the culture (language, desires and the emotions) of a people.  Oh sure, focus group tests, powerpoint insights, listening tools and brand checkers help us collect data and validate hypothesis - but I have found that all of that data typically gets boiled down to more marketing speak.  I have found that speaking two languages is helpful. Marketing speak is a language of love, but it is not how most people speak.

As creatives, we should be an expert in the culture of many people. get away from your desk and be a person who needs people. yes. we are people who need people.