There are a myriad of terms associated with one-to-one marketing. Variable data publishing, content marketing, personalized publishing and integrated cross-media —  just to name a few. We certainly don’t want to lob another piece of jargon into the fray, but let’s consider for a moment what one-to-one marketing is really supposed to be: a personalized message from me (which can be an individual or an organization) to you (the single individual receiving the message). More importantly, that message isn’t a rambling, one-sided diatribe — it’s a conversation starter and a way to engage you in a meaningful dialogue.

Think about the last dinner party or office function you attended. Remember the annoying guy that monopolized the conversation and bored you with his self-aggrandizing tales of accomplishment? Remember how you made a beeline back to the hors d’douvres table as quickly as you could excuse yourself? Don’t be that guy in your marketing efforts; your customers will tune you out just as quickly.

Instead, imagine you’re the guy in this Heineken commercial. You’ve already collected some data about your prospect. (In the commercial, he watches as another guy attempts to ask the girl to dance — and gets shot down.) You then use that information to forge an initial bond with your customer that is about them, not you. (The guy uses his “data” to take a different approach — he asks the woman’s mother to dance, thus endearing himself to her.)

Start thinking about having personal conversations with your customers that revolve around them.