Permission marketing turns strangers into friends and friends

The wise and forward-thinking Seth Godin, a sage of modern commerce and human connection, once spoke these profound words: “Permission marketing turns strangers into friends and friends into loyal customers. It’s not just about entertainment—it’s about education. Permission marketing is curriculum marketing.” Though written for the marketplace of our age, these words transcend mere business—they speak to the very heart of human relationship. Godin reminds us that trust, understanding, and patience are the true currencies of influence. In a world flooded with noise and persuasion, he calls for a return to dignity, where the seller becomes a teacher, and the buyer, a willing student.

To understand this, we must first know what permission marketing means. In ancient times, merchants called to the marketplace, shouting to the crowds. Whoever shouted loudest gained attention, though not always respect. This was the old way—interruption marketing, where the buyer’s attention was taken, not earned. But Godin, in his wisdom, envisioned a new path: that the best marketing is not an interruption, but an invitation. When a person gives permission to listen—when they open their heart to a message freely—they become more than a potential customer. They become a friend, a participant in a shared journey of learning.

This transformation—from stranger to friend, and from friend to loyal customer—is no small thing. It mirrors the oldest and noblest forms of exchange, not of goods, but of trust. In the days of the philosophers, disciples did not come to the master by coercion, but by curiosity. They gave their permission to be taught, and in return, the teacher offered wisdom, not noise. In this way, the relationship deepened into something enduring. So too in the art of marketing, when it is rooted in integrity and care, the bond between company and customer becomes a kind of friendship—one founded on respect and education, not manipulation.

To see this principle alive in history, one need only recall the story of Benjamin Franklin. Long before the age of digital communication, Franklin mastered what Godin later called curriculum marketing. He built communities not by selling directly, but by educating. Through his Poor Richard’s Almanack, filled with wit, wisdom, and practical advice, Franklin taught his readers how to live better lives. In doing so, he won their trust, their admiration, and their loyalty. He did not demand attention; he earned it. His audience became his students, his students became his followers, and his followers became the foundation of his success as a printer, inventor, and statesman. His legacy embodies Godin’s insight—that to teach is the highest form of persuasion.

When Godin says that permission marketing is curriculum marketing, he means that every meaningful relationship between brand and person must be a process of education—a journey where value is exchanged for value, and wisdom for loyalty. The marketer who seeks to merely entertain may win laughter, but not devotion. The one who educates, however, shapes understanding—and from understanding grows gratitude, and from gratitude, trust. Just as the farmer tends the soil before the harvest, so must the wise communicator cultivate the minds of others with knowledge before seeking reward.

But Godin’s wisdom reaches beyond the realm of business. It is, at its core, a teaching on human connection. Whether in friendship, leadership, or love, we must earn the right to be heard. We must give others a reason to listen—not by force, but by care. The path from stranger to friend and from friend to loyalty is walked with patience, honesty, and the generosity of sharing what we know. For in truth, every human heart seeks not to be sold to, but to be understood. Every act of genuine education becomes an act of respect, and every act of respect builds a bond that endures beyond profit or time.

The lesson, then, is clear and enduring: Do not seek to capture attention—seek to deserve it. Do not aim to sell—aim to teach. Give before you ask, and in giving, you will receive far more than loyalty—you will receive legacy. Whether you are a merchant, a creator, or a leader, remember that people grant permission to those who bring them insight, not noise; value, not vanity.

So let the words of Seth Godin be a guiding flame in the world of commerce and beyond: “Permission marketing turns strangers into friends and friends into loyal customers.” To practice this is to walk the ancient path of trust and wisdom—to treat every exchange as a dialogue, every interaction as a lesson, and every listener as a student of life. For in the end, the greatest teacher is the one who sells not products, but understanding; not transactions, but transformation.