The Clutrain Manifesto was a significant moment in future-gazing for a world that is now very clearly with us.

The authors have re-published the book with some additional chapters by themselves and another luminary, JP .  Which will be great and some added thought-provoking chapters to digest.

What was so great about Cluetrain?  It first foresaw and articulated the concept of the market as a conversation. That is thesis number one.

A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies.

That corporations are made up of people who (shock horror) may disagree.

How do you speak in a human voice? First, you get a life. And corporations just can't do that. Corporations are like Pinocchio. Or Frankenstein. Their noses grow longer at the oddest moments, or they start breaking things for no good reason. They want to be human, but gosh, they're not.  Christopher Locke

and thesis 15 stands out for me today – have we arrived at the point of 'a few more years'?

In just a few more years, the current homogenized "voice" of business—the sound of mission statements and brochures—will seem as contrived and artificial as the language of the 18th century French court.

For me what happens next is the really interesting part.  Here's what I think….

1. the rise of the power of the consumer to inform, bargain, leverage and enthuse
2. corporate honesty is tested and changes many organisations
3. Reversal of the advertising-led world of marketing and sales to networked conversations
4. The end of corporate databases and centralised record-keeping.  Only record-verification needs to be centralised
5. B2B engagement and prospect research is easier and cheaper and the opportunities to find good new business partners and clients quickly and cheaply grow massively
6. Shifting budgets from OTL to direct and social media
7. The up-skilling of call centres from help-desks to teams of helpful folk who can get things done, sell more product and work withing the network to facilitate the coompany goals

thanks to David Cushman for the link.

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There's hype and then there's the reality of a true step-change in the way we live and do business. 

The language of conversations in business are now real and happening.

Already companies that speak the language of the pitch, the dog-and-pony show are no longer speaking to anyone.

That was written 10, yes TEN years ago.  It's numver 17 in the Cluetrain Manifesto .

I was re-reading it (helpfully scribed into a slide show by Micheal Specht thanks!) 

And here are some of the others that resonate

27.  Public Relations does not relate to the public.  Companies are deeply afraid of their markets.

 41.  Companies that do not belong to a community of discourse will die.

54.  There are two conversations going on.  One inside the company.  One with the market.

75.  We are immune to advertising. Just forget it.

96.  We are waking up and linking to each other.  We are watching.  But we are not waiting.

And some with a recessionary theme

32.  Networked markets can change suppliers overnight.  Networked knowledge workers can change employers over lunch. YOur own "downsizing initiatives" taught us to ask the question: "Loyalty? What's that?"

72.   Your tired notions of "the market" make our eyes glaze over.  We don't recognise ourselves in your projections – maybe because we know we are already elsewhere.

77.  We've got some ideas for you too: some new tools we need, some better service. Stuff we'd be willing to pay for.  Got a minute?

Nuff said, really.  But please do reappraise your own company website and other media.  How good are you at joining the conversation?  As I posted before,"If they don't do it themselves, chances are they aren't as knowledgeable about it as they should".  Would you hire an agency to do social media for you if they weren't active in social media themselves?  How about public relations, or direct marketing? 

There are new agencies being founded on this principle.  Check out We Are Social, Brando Digital and The Conversation Group.

and Flourish are using 'the art of conversation' as branding

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