The success of our new economy will largely rest on how well companies start honest, open dialogues with their consumers. Period.

No more wordy positioning briefs. No more boardroom marketing speak. No more talking at the consumer. No more conferences on whether social media and marketing matter (BTW, they do.). Success begins with honest open dialogues, and honest open dialogues begin when one person listens and the other gets a chance to speak. Today, it’s the consumer’s turn – and companies that want to thrive in this economy better start listening – or at the very least, start getting used to shutting up a little bit.