Can an understanding of Buddhist philosophy help us become more effective marketing communicators? I believe the answer is a most definite “yes.” In order to fully explain why I believe this is the case, a basic understanding of Buddhism is necessary.
The founder of Buddhism is commonly known as the Buddha, a term which means awakened one. The Buddha was a spiritual teacher born around 563 B.C. in Lumbini, which is now present day Nepal. During his lifetime, the Buddha gave tens of thousands of teachings. One central teaching that the Buddha taught is known as the eight-fold path. The Buddha taught the eight-fold path as a way of liberation and self-awakening.
The eight-fold path consists of the following aspects: 1) Right View, 2) Right Intention, 3) Right Speech, 4) Right Action, 5) Right Livelihood, 6) Right Effort, 7) Right Mindfulness, and 8) Right Concentration.
Although I believe all aspects of the eight-fold path have practical application and benefit to modern business, the aspect that I would like to focus on for purposes of this blog-post is the aspect of Right Speech. My focus is on Right Speech, because it is arguably the aspect of the eight-fold path that is most directly relevant for marketing communicators.
What is Right Speech? The Buddha taught that Right Speech has four characteristics: “Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from idle chatter….”[1] Based on those characteristics, we can discern through implication that Right Speech is speech that is honest, kind, and useful. Essentially, Right Speech can be thought of synonymously as speech that is mindful.
Another important characteristic of Right Speech, as well as effective communication, is listening. On this point, the highly regarded Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh has stated in his book “The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching” that:
“Deep listening is the foundation of Right Speech. If we cannot listen mindfully, we cannot practice Right Speech. No matter what we say, it will not be mindful, because we’ll be speaking only our own ideas and not in response to the other person.”
Many marketing communication benefits and insights follow from the above understanding of Right Speech.
For example, if your marketing communications are mindful (honest), you will be more likely to be trusted; of course, building trust with your audiences is vital, particularly given the importance of word-of-mouth in modern marketing. Also, if your speech is mindful (kind), you will be better able to cultivate a positive emotional connection with your audiences.
As stated above, a key characteristic of mindful speech is that it is useful. So, make sure to provide your audiences with useful content. Providing useful content in your marketing communications will help you in your efforts to build a loyal following for your brand.
As you engage your audiences, strive to make a concerted effort to deeply listen to what your audiences are saying about your product.
By using your speech mindfully, you will be better able to engage in meaningful, authentic conversations with your audiences.
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