Michael Daehn's Marketing The Church

ii
What people are saying about Marketing

the Church:
"This book is about understanding our culture and how to

communicate the gospel effectively to people. The church needs
to pay close attention to things like their website, name, logo, etc.
Do these things help or enhance our ability to reach our culture?
If not, are we willing to do whatever it takes to be effective
communicators of truth?"
Ron Sweet
Pastor
First Evangelical Free Church
"All truth is God's truth and Marketing The Church takes wise
concepts that are working in the corporate world and hands them
to the local church. Mr. Daehn's ingenious book empowers the
church to become a better steward, investing our God-given
talents for that day when He returns to take account."
Heath Vogel
Pastor
Washington Christian Church
"In Marketing the Church, Michael Daehn has done a wonderful

job of presenting the basic principles by which congregations and
para-church ministries can present themselves and the saving
message of Christ to contemporary cultures. Combining biblical
perspectives with the best insights from current marketing
research, Marketing the Church is thoughtful, entertaining, and at
points, disturbing. It is a valuable read for Christian leaders."
Dr. Mike Pabarcus
Academic Dean, Professor
Saint Louis Christian College
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"I find the book well balanced and insightful, putting to rest
peoples qualms about combining marketing and ministry."
Tony Deerfield
Bass Player
Skypark (Music Group)
"This was my second round of reading the marketing book, so I

found myself looking for the new information section (for
churches). It was easy to find and apply the information. Job well
done. "
Dr. Kendall Brune
Director of Development
"God has made many tools, talents and resources available for
churches to communicate to a modern audience. This book
shows you how to sell the message, without selling out... "
William Good
Communications Pastor
West County Christian Church
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Marketing the Church: How to
Communicate Your Church’s
Purpose and Passion in a
Modern Context
Michael Daehn
Michael@MarketingeTheChurch.com
www.MarketingTheChurch.com
Special Thanks to
Douglas Lay
for editing the text
Cover Design by Nexdesign Studios

www.NexdesignStudios.com
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Scripture Quotations from
The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright (c)
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used
by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All
rights reserved.
Marketing the Church: How to

Communicate Your Church’s
Purpose and Passion in a
Modern Context
Copyright © 2007 by ShineFish Books.

All rights reserved.
328 Bellezza
St. Louis, MO 63021
x
For Michael J.
Daehn (Dad)
xi
xii
Table of Contents
Foreword………………………………………………17
Preface………………………………………………....19
Introduction…………………………...…………….…23
Key 1 Find Your Advantage………………….………...25
Key 2 Define Your Purpose……...…………………….47
Key 3 Create an Image…………………………...….….69
Key 4 Implement Promotions…..…………………........93
Key 5 Build Relationships…….…………………...…..147
Key 6 Gain Feedback………...………………….……169
Key 7 Adjust to Changes…………………………...…185
Conclusion…...……………………...….…….……….191
Church Marketing Resource Guide…………………....193
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Marketing the Church
16
Communicating Your Church’s Purpose and Passion in a Modern Context
Foreword
You hold in your hands the first book of its kind, a blend of
the sacred and the secular, marketing businesses and marketing the
Church. Are the two compatible?
The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius: The Complete Guide to
Increasing Your Marketing IQ was my first book, and I was trying to
think of a way to get churches to use this same information to
become more effective at communicating their message of
evangelism. I was struggling with how to re-write the whole book
especially for churches, should I remove all of the non-church
specific information? As I sat praying in my backyard one day, the
answer came to me, you don’t have to re-write the whole book,
instead add to the book you have, make it better and incorporate
notes, examples and applications specifically for churches. “Great,
thanks Lord,” I said and started working.
Up to that point I felt God tugging at me to get this book
written. It has been a goal since I wrote the original Seven Keys text.
Since then I have worked with several churches and Christian
organizations. Thanks to their real world input this book is much
better than it would have been alone.
This is a marketing book with an explanation of how
marketing principles apply to churches. It is not what I consider a
Church Growth book. Church Growth is another discipline and there
are folks much better qualified to speak on the topic than me. They
can tell you how many chairs to have in the auditorium and how
many parking spaces you need to increase attendance. The focus of
this book is more on communicating who you are to the outside
world.
As you read you will notice sections highlighted with gray
background like this one: these are the sections added with
information specifically for marketing churches. The non-
highlighted sections are from the original text. To get the most from
this book you should read both sections together in succession. The
information will flow better and make more sense. Several sections
are focused on applying the information specifically to your church
but will not make sense apart from the standard text. Since you
17
have read this far, I am challenging you to finish the journey. I

guarantee there is information in this book that will help your
church communicate better, and I know God has a word for you
personally on how to become better at evangelism.
Michael Daehn
St. Louis, MO
April 2007
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Preface
Should you be reading this book?
If you are involved in the Church in any of the following
ways:
□ Pastor/Preacher
□ Minister
□ Member
□ Childcare worker
□ Small group leader
□ Small group member
□ Church attendee
□ Janitor
□ You are a Christian
□ You would like to become a Christian
□ You know Christians
You should be reading this book. It will give you a better

understanding of the purpose of the Church and your role in helping
that come to fruition.
Should the Church use Marketing?

The first question that comes to mind is whether marketing
belongs in the Church at all. There are many people today saying
the Church needs to learn how to market itself and use modern
marketing techniques, but is this biblical? Is this an example of the
secular creeping into the sacred? What should be the response of
the Church?
What is the Church?

This section is not a theological or denominational treatise; it
is a brief summary of the common beliefs foundational to all
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Christians. The Church is a body of believers that holds to the

orthodox teachings of the historical Christian Church. This body
believes Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth in flesh and
blood to teach human beings and to repair the broken relationship
between God and Humankind by offering himself as a sacrifice for
sin. After burial, Christ rose from the dead and appeared to his
disciples before being taken up into heaven. The Church relies on
the witness of those who had contact with Christ; they recorded this
experience in the Bible. The Church is composed of individuals
across the globe who share these orthodox beliefs in common.
What is the purpose of the Church?

The purpose of the Church is to be the representation of
Christ on earth. Members are to go into all the world teaching,
preaching, and baptizing others into the name of Jesus Christ:
Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God
authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone
you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the
threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the
practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after
day after day, right up to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
The common term used by churches to describe the process of

sharing their faith is evangelism.
Have you been called?

Yes, you have. First, all people are called to a relationship
with God through his Son Jesus Christ. But wait, there’s more. As a
Christian you are also called to use your unique gifts and abilities
(Key 1) to accomplish the great commission by evangelizing and
sharing this message with others. Some people speak about having a
calling to ministry. The truth is, all Christians are called to ministry
in unique ways. Although there is a tendency to split the Church
into priests and followers, the Bible says all Christians are priests:
But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of
priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and
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speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for
you—(I Peter 2:9)
In fact, Biblical references to God’s calling are not to

individuals but to his people as a whole, first to the Jewish nation,
second to the Church. The Church has been called to a purpose; its
members also are called to a purpose. So if you are a Christian, you
are already a priest; it is part of your job description. The question
is: What sermon are you preaching?
What is Marketing?
Marketing refers to the process of communicating and
delivering a product to a target audience. A product may be a
physical good, service, or even a message. The goal of the marketer
is to understand the target audience to best implement and sustain
communication that continues ongoing relationships (Key 5).
Do we have a match?
Is there a connection between the Church, which sounds
spiritual and theological, and Marketing, which sounds business, like
and worldly? At first glance it may not seem so, but that is because
of the different terminology being used. But look again. Is there a
common denominator between these two pursuits? The core
vocation of Christians is to share the Gospel (effectively
communicate with people), while the sole purpose of marketing is to
effectively share a message (effectively communicate with people.)
Purpose of the Church:

Effectively communicate with people
Purpose of Marketing:
Effectively communicate with people
Yes, we have a match: effectively communicate with people.

Marketers are selling a message. Think of the campaigns for breast
21
cancer awareness, The American Lung Association, and anti-

smoking campaigns. The purpose is to get a message across, the
same task of the Church.
Purpose of this book

The purpose of this book is for you to learn from the
discipline of marketing how to become more effective at
communicating with people. The stakes are much higher than in
traditional marketing because the product in this scenario is a
message of hope that brings people into relationship with God,
grows Christ’s kingdom, and fulfills your calling as a Christian to be
faithful to the purpose you have been given. The payoff is having
your heavenly Father say to you,
“Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)
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Introduction
So you want to be a marketing genius? It is not as difficult
as some say, and you are well on your way since you are reading this
book. The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius is certain to increase your
marketing IQ whether you are a seasoned professional or a beginner.
There are more approaches to marketing than Christian churches
have denominations. In the case of churches, each denomination
holds certain principles and beliefs in common; that is what makes
them Christian. In the same way, there are certain principles that are
always involved in the process of marketing. This book will lay the
foundation for sound marketing strategy while at the same time
challenge common assumptions. It can be fun to take a rebellious
approach, but you have to know the rules before you can break
them, so keep reading.
Many marketing books jump right into the promotion
process where instructions on how to broadcast the marketing
message are described in detail. The problem with that approach is
that if you are sending out the wrong message, it will not only be
ineffective but counterproductive. That is why this book begins by
creating a sound strategy upon which to base the promotion process.
Because what you are communicating is so important, this
book starts with defining the message that you are going to
broadcast. Key 1: Find Your Advantage outlines a process for
determining what advantage your product has over the competition.
Having an advantage is core to competing today, but without the
right team in place to promote the message, long-term success is
doubtful. Key 2: Define Your Purpose helps you set a direction for your
company and your product. Once you know where the company is
going, Key 3: Create an Image describes the process of communicating
an identity and brand to the target audience. The nuts and bolts
process of getting the message across to consumers is laid out in Key
4: Implement Promotions. Key 5: Build Relationships tells you how to
sustain long-term success and establish protected relationships with
customers. To gauge the effectiveness of your marketing efforts,
you must use Key 6: Gather Feedback. Since our world is in constant
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flux, it is necessary to use Key 7: Adjust to Changes in order to remain

competitive in the marketplace.
I hope this book will give you a grasp on the big picture and
define a format for thinking about the marketing process. Once you
understand the form, I pray you are bold enough to demonstrate
your freedom to customize, tweak and bend the rules to suit your
purposes. What you do with the information is more important
than remembering a list of facts. As Einstein said, “Imagination is
greater than memory.” The Seven Keys to Marketing Genius is a
springboard to increase your marketing IQ. These concepts are
intended to provide fertile soil in your mind in hopes that your own
unique ideas will germinate and grow into the next marketing
revolution.
Note: To get the most out of this book you should get the
Companion Guide. This guide provides study questions for each
chapter to help reinforce the information. It also contains
worksheets and a complete marketing plan outline to help you put
your new found genius into action right away. Visit the
marketingenious website (www.marketingenious.com) to find out
more.
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1
Key 1: Find Your Advantage
All marketing focuses on communicating to customers the

advantage of your product over the competition. To compete in the
marketplace, you must find what your company or organization
offers better than the competition. What unique competitive
advantage do you offer? What are the distinctive competencies that
separate you from the pack? A SWOT analysis will help you find
your advantage.
God is Better
As a Christian, you already know that what you are presenting, the
Gospel, is better than what the competition, the world, has to offer.
The challenge is to present the Gospel in a manner that leads the
way and is superior to what the world is offering. For example, the
majority of Christian t-shirts are copies of brand names or popular
phrases such as:
7-11 Playstation
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Coca-Cola Pepsi-Cola
While I’m glad to see that both Coke and Pepsi are
represented, these are still bold face forgeries. This is only a small
sampling of what is available, but you get the idea. Some of the
shirts are downright inappropriate such as one that says “Get
Stoned...Like Paul.” The shirt looks like it is about smoking pot, but
wait, it’s actually a biblical reference. I think that works about as
well as a Bible themed casino- it’s not a good fit.
What messages are these shirts sending? That Christianity is
a cheap, unoriginal imitation? That Christians are unaware of or are
not concerned with stealing intellectual property? Dozens of
Christian t-shirt makers have been sued and/or have gone out of
business for copyright violations. Do an internet search of Christian
t-shirts and see how many designs are overt copies of popular
advertising campaigns.
Thou shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)
As followers and promoters of the creator, Christians should

be leading the way in creativity and setting the standards of artistic
expression. The world should be looking at Christian works in awe.
The work of Christians should move others to inquire about their
source of inspiration.
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But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give
an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect. (I Peter 3:15)
Before you can give an answer, you must give people a

reason to ask the question. A good example of Christian excellence
is the series of Christian children’s videos called Veggie Tales. These
stories are done with excellence and have moved from the Christian
bookstore to the aisles of Target and Wal-mart. Non-Christian
parents are buying these videos for their children because of the
quality of the work produced. Well done Veggie Tales creators, you
are a model to Christians everywhere.
Members Only
Christian T-shirts are usually made by Christians for
Christians. Non-Christians are not going to understand if you are
wearing a shirt depicting a bloody hand with nails in it that says “His
Pain, Your Gain.” It is more likely to freak them out than make
them want to talk to you. I am glad people are not ashamed to
communicate they are believers, but if the purpose is evangelism,
this is not an effective means. These shirts tend to make the wearer
a part of the Christian club, and they look cool to other Christians,
but they are a barrier to communicating with non-Christians. What
is more important to you?
Alternatives
An alternative is to wear shirts with an arbitrary phrase that
starts conversations that readily lead into a Christian discussion.
When people see these shirts it piques their curiosity and can lead to
a meaningful discussion. Check out these shirts by Apologia Share
Wear:
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Darwin’s Eyeball Chemical Love?
unknown god Nietzsche is Dead
These shirts are creative and original with the intention of

starting conversations. (www.apologiasharewear.com)
Channel 24 Syndrome
In St. Louis there is a local Christian station on channel 24. I
have ambivalent feelings when I flip on this station. The pastor that
runs the station can frequently be seen on camera in his 1970’s
polyester powder blue suit making appeals for aid to the local
homeless population. Programming is comprised of little known
syndicated programs interspersed with video footage shot at the
local church with the classic 70’s wood paneling in the background.
These shows are of well-meaning if untalented individuals who sing
hymns and special numbers reminiscent of the performances of
William Hung on American Idol.
The pastor is a godly man who has done a great deal to help
the homeless population in the city, and he has the best of
28
intentions. What bothers me is the image of Christians and

Christian programming being portrayed. The channel is considered
a joke by most people in the community and an example of the lack
of quality Christians have to offer.
I have seen the same problem in productions by churches
and Christian organizations, as long as it is Christian or has the
church name on it, it is good enough. They seem to believe people
are going to buy the product anyway since it is Christian, so why put
the extra effort to recruit or develop talented people to provide a
quality product? If you are representing Christ and saying that
following him is the better way to live, you should reflect that in
your work. Christians should be setting the standard in every way,
including artistic expression and professionalism.
SWOT
When I suggest organizations perform a SWOT analysis,
they usually confuse me with the exterminator. However, the
SWOT analysis process is not about swatting insects, but about
finding the advantage of an organization or a particular product.
SWOT is an acronym that stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
and threats.
A SWOT analysis is best performed before going to market
with a product or developing a new business enterprise. If there is
no competitive advantage then it is not likely the company will be
sustainable. Many of today’s most successful companies had every
piece of strategy written on paper before laying a single brick. It is
better to see on paper whether a business is viable before investing
valuable time, money, and other resources.
Generally companies start off in a haphazard fashion and get
to a point where they decide to get more organized. They hire a
consultant who recommends going through the process of a SWOT
analysis. There is much more at risk for these existing organizations.
What if they discover they have no real competitive advantage in the
market? For these organizations, a SWOT analysis can be a nerve-
racking experience because so much is at stake. Should they close
29
up shop and go home if they don’t find a competitive advantage?

Maybe, or they might decide to shift their strategy to one better
suited to their skills. The good news is that many discover, or
rediscover, why they have been able to compete to date. The
SWOT analysis helps them to regain their focus and concentrate on
their core competencies.
For those new to the SWOT analysis, a good exercise is to
do a personal analysis to determine your individual strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities and threats. If you are starting a new
company, it is useful to analyze an organization with which you are
extremely familiar. This helps you to become comfortable with the
process.
As you can see, a SWOT analysis can be done on many
levels. A SWOT analysis may be performed for an individual,
organization, or corporation. Certainly when considering a new
product launch, you should use this process for the product itself.
In this section I am referring to creating a SWOT analysis for an
organization.
Implementing a SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis can be done on many levels. In my role as
a university professor I have my students perform a personal SWOT
in order to get a grasp on the concept. They list their individual
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. I then take them
through the process for their school as a whole. I ask for input from
the whole class and write their answers on the whiteboard. In
organizations that have different departments, I advise having each
department perform a SWOT, as well as a SWOT for the whole
organization.
When creating a SWOT, it is best to get all the stakeholders
into a room and create the SWOT together on a whiteboard. For
larger organizations when this is not possible, distribute
questionnaires to all the stakeholders. Gather the information and
create an analysis based on their feedback. A combination approach
involves giving questionnaires to all stakeholders and then getting
team leaders and managers into a room to create a final version
30
based on feedback from the managers’ and the other stakeholders’

input.
To begin the SWOT analysis, gather information from as
many stakeholders of the company as possible. Stakeholders are any
persons who have an interest in seeing the organization succeed.
This includes owners, managers, employees, partners and key
customers. Once you have identified the stakeholders, present each
with a SWOT questionnaire. Next, cull together all their input into a
master analysis.
The SWOT analysis begins by having stakeholders list the
strengths of the organization. These are internal elements that are
positives for the organization. Things like products, people, and
corporate culture are all strengths. Being first to market with a
product, having a well-trained staff and organizational alignment
with mission are all strengths.
Next, dig deep and honestly consider the weaknesses of the
company. Even the strongest organization has weaknesses. It is
better to be aware of these weaknesses and address them in the
proper manner; otherwise they will fester in the background until
they eventually take over and destroy the positives. Weaknesses are
internal elements that are negatives for the organization. Weaknesses
can also be people, products and corporate culture. Being last to
market, a poorly trained staff and organizational misalignment are all
weaknesses. Have participants write as many weaknesses as
possible, but try to get at least five before proceeding.
Typically companies have two extremes when completing
this portion. Either the participants are naïve and over positive, or
pessimistic and negative. Neither is conducive to a productive
analysis. Every company has a weak flank; it is best to understand
vulnerabilities and take necessary precautions. On the other hand,
do not allow this to become a gripe session for every disgruntled
member of the company to complain. Make sure to bring forth
realistic and useful information that can help the corporation create
an action plan to succeed in the future.
The next letter of SWOT stands for the O in opportunity,
but we will come back to these at the end and skip to the threats for
now. Threats are external and negative environmental factors beyond
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the control of the company. The word threat connotes fear; as well
it should, because these external elements have the potential to kill
your company. Competition, changing consumer tastes, and copies
of your product by others are all examples of a threat. Be honest,
what threatens the livelihood of your company?
Talk of weaknesses and threats can leave you feeling
deflated. Now is the time to turn that frown upside down and look
at the many opportunities afforded your organization.
Opportunities are positives that result by being proactive and
capitalizing on the issue. Go back to the list of strengths,
weaknesses, and threats and decide how each can be a positive
opportunity. This is an easy task for the strengths, but is more
difficult with the weaknesses and threats so you will have to be
creative. For example, how can lack of training be an opportunity?
Answer: the company can train its people the proper way without
their having to unlearn a great deal of information.
SWOT Template
To get a template to for a SWOT Analysis and other
resources visit the Marketing the Church website
(www.marketingthechurch.com).
Talent Show
Have you ever taken a spiritual gift analysis? Think of it as a
SWOT analysis for Christians (there are several free versions
available online). Just as companies should take people through an
individual analysis, churches should do the same. It also helps to
determine the strengths of the organization as a whole. For
instance, if 75% of your church members are well suited to a
homeless ministry, then it is a good fit for the church to implement
such a program. Of course all Christians are called to ministry:
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of
darkness into his wonderful light. (I Peter 2:9)
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But God gives individual Christians different gifts and abilities to

accomplish his purpose:
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are
different kinds of service, but the same Lord. (I Corinthians 4:12)
Once you have determined your gifts, make sure you are using them
in a meaningful ministry.
Don’t Bury Your Talents

Remember the parable of the talents:
Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said,
'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and
gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and
hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I
harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well
then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I
returned I would have received it back with interest. (Matthew 25:24-26)
Make sure when the master returns that you have done
something with the talents and resources he has given you and your
church.
Not Sure
If you are not sure where your talent lies, then give it a try.
The best way to discover your passion is to try different things. God
will reveal to you where your passions are, but often it happens in
the process of attempting new things. The same is true for your
church. There will be some trial and error, but if you are truly
following God, he will lead you in the right direction.
Rick Warren, talking about riding God’s wave, uses a surfing
analogy to describe God as creating some killer waves; it is up to us
to throw our board in the water and hang on. So rest assured, it may
be a wild ride, but God is in control.
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SWOT Analyzing Inside the Outdoors

When I was contacted by Inside the Outdoors to do some
marketing consulting, the first thing we did was perform a SWOT
analysis. Inside the Outdoors is a wonderful program affiliated with
the Orange County Department of Education that provides school-
age children with hands-on environmental education experiences.
The organization is comprised of three programs. The Outdoor
Science School program places students in a camp setting for a week
to get them immersed in an environmental learning experience. The
Field Program provides field trips to local harbors, beaches, and
parks so that students are able to participate in an outdoor
classroom for the day. The Traveling Naturalists program takes the
outdoors to the students by bringing a van full of animals to local
schools for assemblies.
I met with the leaders of the individual programs to create a
SWOT for the whole organization. They were given the SWOT
form to fill out before the meeting. There was some difficulty and
confusion during the process of whether their answers should
concern Inside the Outdoors as a whole, or should they answer for
their individual programs. We decided to create a SWOT for the
whole of Inside the Outdoors since the marketing plan that was
being created was for the organization as a whole. I recommended
that it would be beneficial for the various programs within Inside the
Outdoors (and I recommend the same for any organization with
subprograms or departments) to create a SWOT and a marketing
plan for each of the programs at a later date.
One of the side benefits of the process was that the leaders
felt as if they were all a part of the same team for the first time.
They realized that their resources, goals, and identity were
interdependent on the other programs. Inside the Outdoors had so
many strengths that choosing a particular one to promote was
difficult. In the end we decided the hands-on approach to education
was their distinct competitive advantage.
Competitive Advantage
What sets your company apart? What areas are unique and
cannot be easily copied? This is a crucial discovery for
organizations. Your competitive advantage is what sets you apart
34
and makes up the message that is broadcast by means of the

integrated marketing communication process. This is where the
rubber meets the road. You should come to one of three
conclusions:
1. There are things about the company that are unique

and not easily duplicated so they are better than the
competition.
2. The company is just like the competition, no better no
worse.
3. The company is worse than the competition.
Take a deep breath and go back to the list of strengths on

the SWOT analysis to determine what items are distinctive to the
company. When determining the competitive advantage of the
company, I caution you to avoid basing it on a supposedly unique
product. It is very difficult to have a sustained competitive
advantage based on a product in our modern technological age. In
the past, a technological innovation on a product could give a
company the advantage for decades since others were not able to
copy the product easily. Today successful products can be, and
often are, copied in a matter of weeks if not days. Many software
applications are copied (though not necessarily legally) almost
immediately. For these reasons, it is very difficult, if not impossible,
to hold a competitive advantage based on technology or a
technologically superior product. There has been a shift to the
intangible elements of customer service and other value-added
components dominating the marketplace. Competitive advantages
today are usually based on service, reputation and longevity.
Gifts
On one level the competitive advantage of Christianity is
that it is the truth. For this reason it is superior to all other belief
systems. (This sounds like an arrogant statement, particularly in our
culturally relative society, but based on my experience, scientific
research and education, it is true.) Pragmatically speaking, each local
35
church is endowed with certain gifts and resources to uniquely

impact the needs of their community. This could be considered
their competitive advantage, the competition being what secular
society offers as an alternative.
First to Market
Being first to market with a new product can provide a
sustainable competitive advantage when marketed properly. This
may sound like a contradiction to the above paragraph, but it is not.
Being first to market with a product can establish the image of the
brand in the mind of consumers (Key 3). The competitive advantage
is the identification of the company as being the originator of the
product, not the product itself. Rollerblade was the first inline skate
company and is synonymous with the product. All other inline
skates are copies of Rollerblades in the minds of consumers.
By being first to market, a company has the opportunity to
establish itself as the originator and to paint all competitors as
copycat, inferior products. They also have the ability to be the first
to create relationships with customers (Key 5). If you are first to
market, concentrate on establishing a brand image (Key 3) and
building relationships with customers (Key 5). Do not promote how
no one else has anything like your product because tomorrow there
will be a copy.
Tired of Poor Service

I went to a tire store for new tires. I walked in and waited
patiently while the clerk was on the telephone. After a few minutes,
I started to pick up on his conversation; he was talking to a friend
about baseball cards. I was not pleased and walked out of the store.
As I got to my car, he came out of the store after me and asked what
I needed. I said I needed tires, but since he did not have time to
greet me, or ask me to wait a moment, or in any other way
acknowledge my presence, I was going to go somewhere else. I also
told him plainly “I can get tires anywhere.”
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While this is a customer service issue, it also illustrates the

point that tires are the same anywhere. They are merely round
pieces of rubber as far as I am concerned and there are about 12 tire
stores within a 5-mile radius of my house. I am going to go to a
retail location where my needs are met: not just my need for tires,
but my need for civility and courteousness from the sales staff.
Tired of Poor Services

There are more churches available, and alternatives to
church, than there are tire stores. Make sure you are making the
most of the limited opportunities you have when people visit your
church.
No Advantage
If you find no unique strength(s) for your company or
product then there is no competitive advantage. If this is true in
your case, I recommend you do not spend any more time, money, or
other resources in development. Either find a way to differentiate or
find another way to make a living. Fortunately there is the ability to
add value through great service and by creating and sustaining
relationships with customers (Key 5).
If this is true, why are there so many companies out there
that are doing the exact same thing as their competition yet continue
to exist? Some companies have found a way to communicate a
unique market position to their customers, even if it is only a matter
of perception. Some have great relationships with existing
customers and are subsisting on their patronage. For others, it is
just a matter of time until a shake, out narrows the field and puts
them out of business, as witnessed by the demise of thousands of
mediocre Internet companies in 2000.
To use scientific terms, “only the strong survive,” so a
thinning of the herd will take place sooner or later. Science also
teaches us that only one species at a time can occupy a particular
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niche. The same is true in business. If you do not have a

competitive advantage then you will not survive for very long.
One Church
It is not possible for the Church as a whole not to have an
advantage but there may be reasons for local congregations to
change their outlook. Are they truly meeting a unique need in the
community? Could resources be better spent by joining and
partnering with another church or meeting in a home?
I used to preach in two rural churches. They were both out
in the hills of Missouri and were only about 2 miles apart. Each
church had a building that could seat about 100, but each
congregation would have 7-10 people on a Sunday. I could not
understand why they did not meet together. The congregations
knew each other, and I was paid by each church to come and preach
the same sermon. Do you see the advantage of these two
congregations meeting separately other than to maintain tradition?
If nothing else, one church could have saved the $35 they were
paying me.
Only One
Do not panic if you find only one unique strength that can
be considered a competitive advantage. Be thankful you have one at
all. Many find through this process that they have none. There is
the threat of the competition catching up to you when you only have
one area of expertise, but marketing a company or product is
actually simplified by having one dominant advantage instead of
trying to communicate multiple messages at the same time.
Some companies find that they began by capitalizing on a
unique strength, but have since strayed away from their original
competitive advantage. This loss of focus on their core will catch up
with them. Companies cannot keep their position in the market
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without maintaining a competitive advantage, even if they are able to

survive for a time on the returns from earlier success.
In one case I facilitated a SWOT analysis for a private
university. The school is located in the heavily populated Orange
County area of Southern California. We determined that one of the
distinct strengths the school had over the competition was the
location of the campus on a beautiful green hill away from the
congestion of the surrounding cities. Comparable schools in the
area were all located in the middle of busy streets and intersections.
Few others had the same amount of green space as this university.
For the competition to copy the advantage of this university they
would have to purchase and tear down neighboring commercial
areas and turn them into grassy knolls. This is a difficult if not
impossible proposition for them, which makes this feature a distinct
competitive advantage for the university.
Right now the university is in the process of developing
much of the green space and putting up new buildings. While the
university has other strengths and advantages, I am curious to see
how this will affect their ability to compete in the future since they
are removing one of their only irreplaceable and irreproducible
competitive advantages.
Tough Love
This is the most difficult concept for churches to grasp. They
are accustomed to supporting, at least verbally, any good idea. The
problem is that the enemy of the best is the good. There are
thousands of good ideas and ministries churches can support, but
you must focus on the best ones for your church.
I love hockey, and trying to become a professional hockey
player is a good idea. The problem is that I am not very skilled and
will never reach a professional level. Therefore, the best thing for
me to do to make a living and feed my family is to write books,
teach, and consult, not practice hockey 8 hours a day.
I have seen many churches pouring resources into lifeless
ministries because somebody volunteered to lead a group.
Meanwhile there are many worthwhile and effective opportunities
39
that are not implemented due to a lack of material resources and

mental energy.
For example, Ted has been leading the fishing ministry for
30 years. The only people involved in the ministry are Ted and the 6
guys who have been fishing with him for the last 3 decades. Young
Chuck, however, has an idea to develop a skateboarding ministry.
Since he has several friends looking for a place to skate on
Saturdays, he approaches the pastor. Unfortunately, the pastor tells
Chuck that the parking lot is reserved for the fishing club, but he
will present the idea at the next church leadership meeting to see if
anything can be done.
The above example is fictional. What is not fictional is that I
have seen groups of new people involved in a new and growing
ministry crammed into the hallway of a church because all the rooms
were already filled with long time Christians getting together for
their regular meetings. It is easy to blame the pastor for these
problems, but he can only juggle so much, it is up to the members to
fulfill their obligations as part of the “priesthood of believers.”
Christians should proactively look for and make room for the
Chuck’s who are trying to meet a need and minister to people
outside the church. Are the ministries at your church filled with
Teds or Chucks?
Intentional Ministry Guide

If you are looking for a way to identify and support effective
ministries at your church, check out the intentional ministry guide
on the Marketing the Church website
(www.MarketingTheChurch.com).
Perceived Value and the Quality Myth

Many people try to compete either on price or on quality.
Their ads tout their product as the low price leader, or the best
quality available. These are both ambiguous descriptions that have
little rational value. It is not wise to base your marketing message on
40
either of these. Price, as we will discuss later in the text, is not a

competitive advantage because it can easily be copied almost
immediately. Your competition need only match your price, and
your perceived price advantage will vanish.
Why wouldn’t quality be a competitive advantage? The
reason is that quality is relative, subjective, and determined by the
consumer. Ask five friends what constitutes quality and they will
usually give you different answers. What you are promoting as
quality may not mean the same thing to your customer.
Learn From Coca Cola

In the 80s Coca Cola was winning the cola wars. They were
dominating Pepsi in sales and things looked good. The new CEO of
Coke wanted to go further. What bothered him was that Pepsi
consistently beat Coke in blind taste tests. The CEO reasoned that
this was because Pepsi had a better quality product. I think he was
right. If tests based on what people prefer based on how the cola
tastes is a measure of quality, Pepsi was better. The CEO decided to
do something to improve the quality of his product. His answer was
New Coke, which was a copy of the sweeter, less carbonated taste of
Pepsi.
The result was a tremendous backlash from the Coke
faithful. Consumers were disgusted with Coke for changing the
recipe they had loved for years. Cases of old Coke were being
auctioned like fine vintage wine. The CEO wisely gave in and
brought back the old formula as Classic Coke. New Coke seems to
have disappeared since then, and all that is available is Classic Coke,
now called just Coke again. This illustrates the point that New Coke
was better in physical quality due to taste tests than Classic Coke, but
Classic Coke was perceived as being the original and therefore of
higher quality. The moral of this story is that quality is in the mind
of the consumer.
Define Quality
The word quality is used so much in the marketplace that it
no longer has significant meaning. Everyone claims that they are
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high quality. Please understand I am not saying an inadequate

product will work. Your product must live up to the promises it
makes. If you say your product kills athlete’s foot, your product
needs to deliver. Besides potential lawsuits, people will catch on to
the validity, or lack thereof, of your claims. The problem is when
companies say they provide quality without defining what they
mean. It is generally assumed by consumers that you are making the
best product you can.
I usually come across this problem when developing mission
statements with businesses. I worked with a restaurant that wanted
to make “providing quality” part of their mission. Sounds nice, but
how do you really provide quality? I pressed for answers and found
they meant “treating customers and coworkers with respect in a
clean and family-oriented environment.” These specific descriptions
of quality are easier to measure and to communicate to customers.
Quality Pattern
While individual definitions of quality differ, there is a
pattern to buyer behavior. In general, whatever is the leader in a
category is perceived as being of quality. In other words, whatever
sells the most is usually seen as being the real thing or the name
brand. Others are seen as imitations, copies, and therefore not as
good as the original. Even if the products are identical in every
other way, imitators are perceived as having less quality.
Counterfeit Religions
It is interesting to note that most false religions, unless they
are based on antichristian or satanic beliefs, compare themselves to
Christianity. In fact many of the world’s religions praise Christ as a
prophet or great teacher and follow many of the basic tenets of the
Bible.
For example, most Buddhists are very moral people and live
exemplary lives, but instead of worshipping God, they believe they
are God. The fact that cult leaders refer to the Bible for validation
shows that Christianity is the genuine article. Many false teachers
use biblical practices to suggest their faith is authentic. This is
because the Bible is true, and humans recognize this at some level,
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they are created for relationship with God and are attracted to truth.
Counterfeit religions use biblical truth to lure people in but twist the
scriptures with damning results. Satan did the same thing in the
garden. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of
Knowledge or they would die. Satan, disguised as a serpent, twisted
God’s words:
The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the
moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just
like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil. (Genesis
3:4-5)
But they did die; they died to a life of paradise in direct

communion and communication with God. False religions are still
promising paradise through knowledge and the ability to become
like God. This is an old ploy, but if you look at what the religions of
the world promise, people are still buying it today.
Tagline
The tagline is a distillation of the competitive advantage into
a single word or sentence. The tagline will appear on every piece of
promotional and organizational communications material. For the
tagline to be effective, it must reinforce the unique competitive
advantage of the company. A simple and easy to remember tagline
is best. Try to use literary tools like rhyming and alliteration. It is
also helpful if it clarifies the purpose of the business when the name
does not clearly do so. The purpose is to get the company’s
competitive advantage stuck in the heads of customers. The more
complex and convoluted the tagline, the less likely this will happen.
Many taglines do nothing to clarify the advantage of the
company. Nike says to “just do it.” Just do what? And what does
this have to do with their advantage? Why is this company a better
choice for me as a consumer than their competitors? The answer to
all these questions is “I don’t know.” I don’t think they could tell
me why they are better if I asked the CEO himself, probably because
they have not gone through the SWOT process. That’s great if you
have a few hundred million dollars a year to spend on advertising to
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keep your company in the mind of the consumer, but most

companies don’t have such resources. Nike is a major market force
today, but they are weak on this point of promoting their
competitive advantage. A savvy marketer could give a competitor a
way to overtake the shoe giant and give Nike a run for its money
(pun intended).
Get Your Hands on Nature

In the case of the Inside the Outdoors SWOT analysis, we
discovered the distinct strength of the program is the unique hands-
on science education that takes place in the various programs. After
taking the organization through the SWOT analysis and recognizing
this advantage, we determined a good tagline would be “Get Your
Hands on Nature.” It is simple, easy to remember, and captures the
essence of the program. Another positive is that this is not a
typically passive tagline, but one that calls for action.
Where the Journey Begins

While doing marketing consulting for a church, we
determined one of the competitive advantages was its location
overlooking the airport. Known for the annual air show, the church
property is prime real estate to watch the yearly event. One of the
biggest outreach events each year will be inviting thousands to the
campus to watch the air show. While developing a tagline and logo
for the church, we agreed the tagline: Where the Journey Begins, is easily
identifiable for members of the church and the community. Church
members identify with the idea of the Christian’s journey through
this life culminating in a reunion with God. Community members
identify with the airport and the annual air show.
In designing a new logo, we incorporated the dual image of an
airplane, for the airport, and a sword, representing the Bible (see a
full explanation of the logo in the Illustration on page 72). This
change in the logo and tagline occurred at the same time a building
campaign was launched. To be consistent and provide synergy, the
tagline was incorporated into the building campaign as: Building for the
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Journey.
What and Why

Completing the SWOT analysis provides an organization
with an assessment of the potential for success. It is best to do all of
this on paper before investing time or money. Smart new
companies today have everything planned on paper before a single
brick is laid. The SWOT analysis illuminates the competitive
advantage of the organization, which provides a basis for all
marketing activities. Once you have discovered your advantage or
the “what,” you must now determine your purpose or the “why” of
the organization by defining your purpose.
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46
2
Key 2: Define Your Purpose
Why are you in business? What are you trying to achieve?

How will you measure your success? Answering these questions is
vital to defining your purpose and Key 2 will get you started.
Mission
The overarching purpose of an organization is described in
its mission statement. The mission is the most important strategic
element of any organization. It is also one of the most overlooked
and misunderstood. A mission statement defines the raison d’être of
the company. The mission gives purpose and meaning to daily
activities. A mission statement is to a company as a thesis is to an
essay. Neither makes sense without a clear statement as to what is
to be accomplished. In a well-written essay, every sentence supports
the thesis. The thesis of this book is that there are seven keys to
marketing success. Every sentence is written in support of this
thesis. In the same way, every activity of a company should be in
concert with the mission statement. The mission clearly defines for
all stakeholders what the company is striving to achieve.
The mission is a filter for every decision made, from banal
details to watershed movements. “Does this fulfill the mission?”
should be the question everyone asks when making decisions that
affect the organization. Some mission statements are several pages
long, while others are just a word. Here are some helpful guidelines
for creating a mission statement:
• Make it memorable. It may be great, but if people can’t

remember it, the words are useless. In most cases, brevity is
more effective than exhaustiveness.
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• Make it relevant. If it does not connect with the various

stakeholders of the organization, people will likely ignore it.
• Make it theirs. You must get input from as many people as
possible or they will not buy into the mission. Remember
this axiom: “involvement equals commitment.”
I recommend that people create a personal mission

statement for themselves before going through the process of
helping to create one for their organization for two reasons. First,
people have a better understanding of the process and the value of
creating a mission. Second, they will be able to determine whether
their personal values are in alignment with those of the organization.
Backwards Creation
A great tool for creating a mission statement is to start at the end
and work backwards. What do you want to accomplish? What do
you want people to say about the organization 50 years from now?
In seminars I have people create a personal mission statement. To
visualize the future, I have participants pretend they are at their own
funeral. I ask these questions:
• Who is present?
• Are there loved ones, family, coworkers, friends,
teachers, coaches, and/or children?
• What is each one saying about your life?
• Do you like what they are saying about what you
accomplished with your life?
• If you could choose, what kind of things would you want
them to say about you?
In doing this exercise over the years, I have discovered a

similarity in people’s responses. Typically, people want to be
remembered as kind, friendly and contributing to society. I ask,
“How many people said they would want their loved ones to
remember them for the cool car they drove?” I have never had
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anyone raise his or her hand. I also ask, “How many of you have
that as a current concern?” Many people do raise their hands in
response. There is an inconsistency between what most people
value and what they are busy pursuing. The same principle is true of
organizations.
Based on the responses to these questions, people are usually
able to formulate what is most important to them. When they stop
and reflect, they can see whether they are currently living their lives
in a way that will get them to the point where people will say about
them what they want them to say. The mission statement defines
what the person or organization values and the standards they
pursue. To create powerful mission statements see the Seven Keys
Companion Guide. Accomplishing the mission is dependent upon
setting and reaching goals.
The End
As Christians, we will give an accounting before God of what
we did with our lives and the resources he gave us to bless others.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
(Revelation 20:12)
What will you say when you stand before God? What will he
say to you? Hopefully he will say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a
few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your
master's happiness!” (Matthew 25:23 NIV)
Mission Builder
Now you can access a template for writing your mission
statement on the Marketing the Church website
49
Gooooal!
In Los Angeles there is a famous soccer announcer that
shouts “gooooal” at the top of his lungs every time someone scores.
If you have seen an international soccer match, you know that every
time there is a goal the announcers get very excited, the fans go
crazy, and the players go nuts and run around the field, often ripping
their shirts off their backs. Setting goals does not usually connote
excitement, but reaching goals does. In order to fulfill your mission,
short- and long-term goals must be set and measured to evaluate
progress. To learn how to create measurable goals worth
celebrating, see the Seven Keys Companion Guide.
Review, Reevaluate and Revise

While the mission is the guiding force, it is still a work in
process. If you have done the hard work of creating a mission
statement, it will come to mind whenever making decisions. The
mission should be reviewed, reevaluated and revised at least twice a
year. You should evaluate how well the organization is fulfilling the
mission. If it is aligned with the mission you can feel confident that
you are on the right path. If not, then you will need either to
refocus the energies of the organization or to revamp the mission
statement to more closely fit with the true values of the organization.
I wrote my personal mission statement, then reevaluated and
rewrote it several times. I still review it frequently but have not
revised my mission for several years. On the other hand I have
changed my behavior several times by reviewing my mission and
realizing when I get off track.
Discovering Mission
Writing a mission statement is often more a matter of
discovering a mission than creating one. In the illustration of the
funeral, most people have an idea in the back of their minds of how
they would want to be remembered. Many people have never taken
the time to contemplate what is really important to them, and often
once they do, they see their values do not align with how they are
50
living their lives. The most important things to them, like family and
relationships, usually get put on the back burner due to pressing
concerns like finances and the daily grind. Creating a mission puts
life into context and helps to determine not only what is truly
important but also whether or not you are on the path to
accomplishing the important.
Discovering a Church’s Mission

While working with the leadership of a church (the pastor,
associate pastor and worship pastor), I took them through the
process of mission development and the importance of alignment
within the church. The leaders, enthusiastic about a church mission,
derided the current mission that had been framed and placed on the
wall by the preceding pastor. “Most people do not know it is there,
where it came from, or why it matters,” I was told. The plan was to
develop a new mission statement relevant to the current members. I
recommended, as I usually do, they gather input from the various
stakeholders of the church through town hall meetings, surveys, and
internet submissions.
To my chagrin, the 3 leaders decided to write the mission
themselves. I did not understand how they could expect to see
different results by following the same process. Apparently this was
the same way the current mission statement was created, the former
pastor wrote it, framed it, and hung it in the hallway.
An interesting thing happened, the mission they created was
very perceptive and captured the essence of the congregation. The
pastor presented the new mission in a sermon, and the church
members became very excited and felt like a part of something
positive. In this case the organization was already functioning with a
common purpose, but highlighting and celebrating this purpose was
inspiring and life giving. The leaders knew their congregation well
enough to know this was the purpose of their church without going
through the process of gathering input.
What was this inspiring mission statement? I wish I could
remember, but it was not that profound. Checking the church’s
website, I do not see any mention of a mission statement, and I have
not received any responses to my inquiries as to how things have
51
progressed. In some ways I would rather not know what happened.

I hope the momentum has kept building and the church has
continued to grow and be a dynamic force in the community. My
fear is that there is a new mission statement on the wall, an example
of another irrelevant relic.
So it is not always necessary to get input, but it provides
accountability not only from the leadership but from the
congregation. Asking people to share their opinions is a powerful
exercise, even if you think you know their response. If you receive
input, the mission becomes the people’s mission for the church
instead of the pastor’s mission for the people.
You are probably saying “that sounds great, but we don’t
have time for something like that.” Most churches say they do not
have time, but what are you doing that is so important? Since a
mission statement determines what is important and what you
should be doing with your time, shouldn’t you do that first? Mission
building gets to the root of why you are here as a person and why
your church exists. Can you think of a better way to spend your
time than examining these issues?
Quality People
It is often more difficult to do this as an individual than for
an organization or product. It takes a great deal of introspection and
personal discipline. I recommend having people on your team who
are capable of thinking at this level, because they will likely perform
better and provide a greater overall contribution to the organization.
When I present this exercise in seminars, I find a great deal
of resistance. I think the reason is that people feel uncomfortable
with how out of alignment they are with their own values and
mission in life. The reason I perform this in traditional business
settings is because it lays the foundation for understanding the
mission and alignment of the overall organization.
Heart Issues
I am convinced the main reason I get resistance to this
process in the secular world is that it concerns heart issues. It forces
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you to examine what you are doing with your life, and how that
contributes to the organizations you belong to. Many do not
consider this a topic for professional discussion, but the most
successful business people understand and apply these principles in
their lives and organizations.
Alignment
I was trying to park my truck and I banged into a curb pretty
hard. For the next few weeks, until I got it repaired, whenever I
took my hands off the wheel, my car would veer to the left. My
truck had become misaligned. Have you ever driven a
vehicle that is out of alignment? When you drive down the road,
you have to hang on to the wheel with both hands or the car will
swerve into the next lane. If the car is out of alignment enough, it
can actually try to pull you right into oncoming traffic with
disastrous consequences. As bad as that sounds, imagine a car with
wheels pointed in different directions, some going forward, some in
reverse. How far do you think a car like that would travel? (See
figure 2.1.)
Figure 2.1: Misaligned Vehicle
Obviously a car this far out of alignment would not get you
to your desired destination. The same is true for organizations that
are out of alignment. In every organization people have an agenda.
53
People have an understanding of why they are there and what they
are supposed to be doing. Sometimes their understanding is correct
and at other times they are way off base. Even when members of
the organization are not sure what they are supposed to do, they still
come to their jobs with a perception of what they think they should
accomplish each day. This is just as true for the President and CEO
as it is for the guy sweeping cigarette butts in the parking lot. Where
each fits into the makeup of the organization is demonstrated in
figure 2.2.
Figure 2.2: Sample Company
You can substitute the titles in your company for those in

the illustration. For the organization to function efficiently, every
level must be headed in the same direction. In reality, different
levels do not typically head in the same direction. Everyone does
what seems right in his or her own eyes. Without an overriding
purpose that everyone is aware of and buys into, people will drift off
in their own directions as seen if figure 2.3.
54
Figure 2.3: Company Misalignment
It is not altogether uncommon to find companies that look

like the one in figure 2.3. In fact, unless the leadership is intentional
about alignment, it is more likely to observe misalignment than
alignment. You can see how different levels are working directly
against the others. Sometimes this is intentional when you have
disgruntled employees disobeying company policies or, even worse,
sabotaging the progress of others out of jealousy or bitterness. It is
difficult for a company to make much progress when everyone is
doing his or her own thing.
So how does a company become aligned? Everyone must
understand and buy into an overriding purpose. You should already
know where this is heading. This overriding statement of purpose is
most commonly called the mission statement. After creating a
55
mission statement, the task of leadership is to get the personnel

aligned with the mission of the company as in figure 2.4.
Figure 2.4 Alignment of the Company with the Company’s

Mission
Your Arrows
Substitute the various roles in your church for the ones in this
chart. Add or delete rings to suit your purposes. Now, draw some
arrows to represent how closely aligned you think the different levels
of your church are right now. If you have a mission statement in
place, draw the arrows in the direction that represents how closely
each group is pursuing the mission.
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Individual Missions
Everyone has a purpose for his or her life that he or she
pursues. Some people work for money while others want to
contribute something meaningful to society. Sometimes their
mission is conscious, but often it is not. Regardless of their
awareness level, if the mission of individual members and the
mission of the company do not align, there will be major problems.
You will see the same results as putting a wheel on a car that only
drives sideways; the car will not function properly. For this reason,
members must have an alignment of their personal missions with
that of the company.
Powerful Lessons
A great way to teach your church about mission statements is
to take the members through the process of creating an individual
mission statement. Help them discover how God has uniquely
gifted them to fulfill his purpose on earth. When this occurs first,
the transition to discussing the mission of the church is easier to
comprehend and accept.
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Figure 2.5 Alignment of the Company’s Mission with Personal

Mission
This is where hiring practices become important. First, the

organization must be able to articulate its mission. Next, interview
questions must be asked to determine whether a prospective
employee would add momentum to accomplishing the mission or be
a driving force in a different direction.
Career Counseling
What do you do about the company’s current members with
a conflicting mission? They should be counseled to get on board or
to seek work elsewhere. Not only do they hold back the company,
they are not going to be happy working for a company whose
purpose conflicts with their own. The sooner they move on, the
better for both parties.
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Sin
Do you realize that the word sin is an archery term that
means to miss the mark? When you sin you are not living as a
redeemed person and staying on the trajectory God has set for you,
you are off target and missing the mark. Being out of alignment and
sinning are synonymous terms. How aligned is your church? Are
you hitting the mark?
See the Principle

There is another layer to the alignment picture. To be
successful at any level, a mission must align with principles.
Principles are universal truths or laws, such as gravity. If you walk
off a cliff, what happens? You go straight down and make a splat.
It does not matter whether or not you believe in gravity, the
principle exists and you will live (or die) by the consequences. In the
same way, there are principles involved in marketing. The more you
understand these principles and align to them, the greater the
likelihood for success.
As a university professor I typically demonstrate this concept
by having my students make paper airplanes at their desks. I then
have them aim their creations at a particular target and send them
flying. A chorus of giggles occurs as a flood of paper airplanes
crosses the room. Usually only one or two come close to the
objective. Planes thrown forward fly sideways, do loop to loops or
take a nosedive right into the floor. I ask my students whether they
think they could make a better airplane if they were well-versed in
the principles of flight. Do they think a pilot or an aircraft engineer
could design a better airplane? Invariably, the answer comes back
“yes, of course.”
Understanding gravity, acceleration, lift, thrust, velocity and
the other principles of flight help aircraft designers make better
flying aircraft. The more the designer’s craft is in harmony with
these principles; the more likely the plane is to fly. In other words,
their mission of creating an aircraft must be in alignment with the
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basic principles of flight in order to be successful. Likewise the

marketer, who understands the basic principles of marketing, or the
seven keys to marketing genius, is more likely to be successful.
Biblical Principles
What is the source of these universal principles, truths or
laws? God, of course. To be successful in business you must align
with biblical principles, or you will not be successful in the long run.
This is a powerful apologetic and proof of God. There is a terrific
opportunity for churches to minister to professional and business
minded people. Churches should be leading the way and setting an
example of professionalism in how they communicate and treat their
employees, volunteers, and guests.
Figure 2.5 Alignment of Mission and Principles
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To harness the power of alignment, every level must be in

harmony. All your circles must be parallel and all your arrows must
be pointing in the same direction (see figure 2.6).
Figure 2.6 Alignment of Personal & Company’s Mission and

Principles
Synergy
One plus one equals three or more. In the world of math,
that does not add up correctly. When it comes to people, it is called
synergy. Synergy is people coming together to accomplish more
than they could do individually. Sports teams talk about the
chemistry of a team being important. There have been many teams
that did not look like much on paper, but together they were able to
win championships. In construction, a single block of wood that is
one-by-one inch thick could hold up ten pounds of weight. Two
single blocks of wood stacked together would logically hold up
twenty pounds of weight, but instead can hold up one hundred
pounds of weight. The two blocks together can do exponentially
more than they could do alone.
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These are examples of synergy. Alignment within

organizations creates powerful synergy. When everyone is working
together for a common purpose and going in the same direction,
they can become virtually unstoppable. This momentum will carry
over into the marketing process, particularly in the area of
promotion (Key 4).
Synergy of the Trinity

There is a prayer in Judaism called the Shema, it begins by
stating the Lord God is One. So why do Christians believe in a
Trinity? Are these concepts in conflict? Not necessarily. Christians
believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Together they are one
cohesive unit, yet they are separate entities. This is too short of
space to elucidate all the mysteries of the trinitarian union, but it
does illustrate the point of individuals coming together as one unit
or team for a singular purpose.
The Body of Christ

Synergy is illustrated in the myriad of believers that comprise
the singular body of Christ on the earth. As separate individuals we
are frail, broken, and imperfect; yet as a corporate body, we are the
unified physical body of Christ on the planet, powerfully working
together for a common purpose. We are able to do more together
than we could ever do alone. Why God chooses to use us in this
way is beyond our comprehension, but the fact that he does is
evident in scripture and by looking at the work accomplished by
God through his Church every day. God has a purpose for us to
accomplish, requiring us to work together.
Divine Synergy
As Christians we are blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit
in our lives; we do not have to make decisions on our own, we can
rely on the Spirit working within us and our brothers and sisters. It
is wise to listen to the leading of our co-Church members. Though
we might get confused in our own minds, God is able to lead us all
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together in his direction if we are willing to work with and listen to

each other.
Vision
Though the terms mission and vision are typically used
interchangeably, there is value in defining them as different tools.
While the mission is a snapshot of how the current day-to-day
activities of the organization look, the vision is a future-oriented
picture of where the company is going. The mission and vision
must be in harmony with one another, but they are distinct. The
vision is more of a stretch of the imagination, a best-case scenario of
what the company can look like; it defines the destiny of the
organization.
Another important aspect of the vision is that it is visual. It
should be an actual physical picture. Usually this will coincide with
the distinct competitive advantage of the organization and the logo,
but not necessarily. People need a picture they can visualize (Key 3).
To create a vision for your company see the Seven Keys Companion
Guide.
Conflicting Missions
What happens when the members of an organization do not
agree on a mission? Conflict. The conflict will be resolved
eventually by everyone agreeing on a common mission, individuals
leaving the organization, or the dissolution of the organization itself.
I did a mission-building workshop for a small and growing
company I worked for called XCOM. I had the different members
work through their personal missions and what they felt the
company’s purpose should be. It became apparent that one of the
owners, Betty, had an opinion of why we were working together that
was very different from one of the other owners and most of the
employees.
Betty felt the main purpose of XCOM was to make a profit.
Her partner and most of the employees were there to build a legacy
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and a company that would be respected. I was at a bit of a loss at

the time, because I had not expected this to happen. There was no
way to agree on a mission for the company in the hour we had set
aside for this meeting. I recommended that we think some more,
and I would take everyone’s ideas and create a draft to e-mail around
for approval. My draft, which was a compromise of the conflicting
missions, was rejected by Betty and the other employees who had
their own versions they preferred.
Needless to say, I was never able to create a concrete
mission for XCOM. I also watched these conflicting values play out
during my time there. Betty and the other owner and employees had
petty arguments and did not get along. I could see that the root
problem of most of these arguments had to do with a different view
of why the company existed. Betty was viewed as a penny-pincher
who only cared about money. Betty viewed the others as being
irresponsible with company resources. Who was right? I think they
both were right in a way. It is irrelevant who was right or wrong; the
point is that they would always have a difficult time working
together, since they were going in different directions.
One of our brightest employees who had been vocal in the
mission-building workshop just picked up and left one day. He was
there to create a unique company and leave a legacy; this was in
conflict with the way Betty was trying to run things.
Because my role with the company was also not clearly
defined, I was moved around to different departments a couple of
times and finally was made the marketing director. I had a big
problem because I did not know what I was trying to market. I
could not get a clear answer on what exactly our business was doing
and who my target market was. Definitions of what we were trying
to do changed from day to day and week to week. This is
understandable since some days we were trying to build an identity
as an innovative company, and the next day we were talking about
jumping into a popular market and doing the same things as our
competition to make some quick cash. The company did not have a
mission, and the personal missions of the stakeholders were grossly
misaligned.
I had a few ideas for marketing promotions, but the lack of a
definitive purpose and a commitment from management to allocate
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finances meant they were never implemented. I sat at my desk and

listened to the owners feud about what the company was trying to
do. I tried to think of something productive to do with my time, but
had no real purpose to pursue. I felt guilty taking a paycheck, so I
advised my boss to lay me off and use me as a consultant if he
wanted to do any marketing in the future. A couple of months later,
citing a lack in sales, I was taken up on my offer and laid off. Betty
and the other owner never did get along. The fighting grew more
furious and finally the ownership disbanded.
Could creating a mission statement have saved this situation?
Probably not, but it could have saved some aggravation. The
inability to agree on the purpose of XCOM and create a mission was
a clear indication of what was to come. From the beginning, they
should have either come to a consensus or decided to part ways.
This would have saved time, money and heartache.
Schisms
If you do not think specific mission and vision for your
congregation are important, consider the great schisms in the body
of Christ. I have attended churches that are a part of the Christian
Church/Church of Christ restoration movement. This group split
over the use of instrumental music in worship, whether or not to use
a piano when singing the Sunday morning hymns. Do you think
perhaps these folks got off track from the mission and vision of the
global Church and the specific goals of their congregation? In the
end it was probably a power struggle or a clashing of divergent
personalities. Having a clear mission for the local body can keep
your priorities straight, get everyone on track, and lead to some
synergistic solutions.
Natural Alignment
Not all organizations struggle with alignment. Some great
companies have neither gathered all their people in a room to draw a
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bunch of circles on the board nor had mission-statement writing

marathons. However, to be successful, they did have an implicit and
tacit understanding of these common elements. They may not have
verbally defined their purpose, but they acted with a common
purpose in mind.
If your organization has not created a mission statement, it
should do so right away. If your organization has diverging missions
for each department and is totally out of alignment, this process will
provide a platform for discussion and get you all on the same path.
If you have been acting with a common purpose already, then the
process will be simple. Having a defined purpose provides a way of
attracting and retaining like-minded employees, members and
customers.
Long-Term Focus
The story about conflicting missions at XCOM should
illustrate the necessity of having a definitive purpose for any activity,
corporation or organization. To go through the above exercises can
be exhausting. Even those organizations that see the value of
defining their purpose have difficulty putting in the effort and
resources to do this kind of planning. There are scores of
organizations that ignore these strategic tools and still survive. The
question is what kind of organization do you want to be? Do you
want to have a short-term focus and be overtaken by a better-
organized competitor down the road? Do you want to provide a
workplace that allows people to participate in the strategic process
and find fulfillment in their work? Do you care about attracting and
retaining quality employees?
If you want to market your product or company for the long
term and create a protected relationship between members,
employees, and consumers, you need to put in the effort (Key 5).
You must invest time and energy into creating and/or defining a
strategic plan for the company. Doing so will provide a firm
foundation for enduring success. Once you have defined the “what”
and the “why” of a company, it is time to start communicating this
identity to customers.
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Scaring People
The long-term perspective is the best strategy for
evangelism. Some people are “scared” into accepting Christ by well
meaning friends who tell them they will go to hell or get left behind
during the rapture. Is this the best start to a walk with God? I
understand that this will be the case for some people no matter
what, and hopefully they mature in their faith down the road. But,
as you evangelize people, I ask that you focus on God’s love and
sacrifice. There is something more significant and long term about
responding to love rather than punishment.
While a student at Cal State Fullerton, I witnessed a group of
people shouting at students in the courtyard with a megaphone that
they were going to hell. I asked one of the guys why they were using
such a harsh approach. He said it was a great feeling to get out there
and speak up for God, it was a real rush. Every once in a while
someone would even pray with them.
This approach sounds selfish to me. Evangelism is not
about the feeling I get, uncomfortable as it may be, but it is about
putting this wonderful message into a context people can understand
so they will have an easier time responding to God. That is the
message of this book. Figure out how your audience communicates
and what they understand, then share the message (Gospel) in a way
they can grasp.
At Cal State I took the long term approach and joined a
fraternity. In the process I was able to share my faith with every
member of the fraternity as a brother and friend. I spent some late
nights talking with guys in the fraternity house about what it means
to be a Christian. I did not have to yell at them nor persecute them; I
treated them like family. Which method do you think is closer to
the approach of Christ?
You have to be in this for the long-term, and people are
more likely to respect and respond to your message when they
recognize that fact.
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Key 3: Create an Image
The purpose of advertising is to promote image and

awareness. Before you can implement promotions (Key 4), you must
create an image. An image is both a concept and a physical visual
representation. I am not an artist, nor do I pretend to be one, so
while I understand the importance of creating a unique and powerful
image, I have not been blessed with the ability to create visual
images. Therefore, this section provides an analysis of proper
strategy, not artistic instruction. If you do not possess the artistic
skills yourself, I recommend you hire someone skilled in graphic arts
to help you turn your strategic image into a physical visual reality.
Icons
As a Christian the term image can have negative
connotations. Over 400 years ago, the Church experienced great
schisms over the use of icons and imagery during the Reformation.
It even has a fancy name: the iconoclastic controversy. One of the
reasons churches used images, beautiful stained glass and great
works of art, was because the majority of the population was
illiterate. The people could not read the Bible, but they could relate
to stories being told by the images around the church. This was the
height of visual stimulation, so the Church filled the genre with
themes dedicated to God.
During the Reformation, godly men and woman did their
best to get back to the biblical roots of worship by removing any
items added through human tradition or absent from the biblical
authors. Statues and iconic imagery were seen as being idolatrous,
taking on too much importance in the lives of the believers.
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Both sides in the controversy have a valid point of view, but

as is the case in most situations, the extreme side of the position is
not the best approach. No, you are not to have any gods (or idols)
before God:
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Exodus 20:4)
But you are to sacrifice everything to the service of God:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of
worship. (Romans 12:1)
Therefore, it behooves your church to use the many

resources, modern media, and methods of communication available
to them to reach the culture for Christ.
Visual Orientation
How many times have you heard a friend say a movie was
stupid, but you should see it anyway because the special effects were
great? This is an example of looks being more important than
content. There have been several movies that weren’t good movies,
but had great special effects and therefore set box office records.
On the other hand, there are great films that are not widely seen
because they do not have enough visual appeal. I have a friend who
will not watch black and white movies because he finds it too great
of a distraction.
Society in general is becoming increasingly visually oriented.
In their book 13th Gen, the authors Neil Howe and Bill Strauss
describe how generation X (also known as 13th Gen) grew up with
color televisions and video games and therefore seeks visual
stimulation. Posterior generations like Generation Y continue to be
enamored with the visual. Some have criticized this trend of form
becoming more important than function and looks more important
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than content. While you may not think this is a positive direction,
the implications are clear: to compete today, you must have the right
look. It is not enough to have a good product; you must also be
able to attract the attention of the audience. The look should
enhance the image of the product while maintaining alignment with
the mission (Key 2) and promoting the competitive advantages of the
organization (Key 1).
Logo
The logo is a visual representation of the organization or the
product. The logo must be used to reinforce the competitive
advantage of the organization and tie into the vision of the
company. A good portion of any target market is going to respond
to either the logo or a combination of the logo with other marketing
elements. Besides being visual, logos also have the advantage of
being global. Billions of people around the world understand the
Nike Swoosh. Unlike names or fancy fonts no translation is
necessary. For these reasons, I cannot overstress the importance of
the logo in modern marketing communications.

While working with a church in St. Louis to update their
logo, our goal was to create something meaningful for the members
of the congregation and identifiable for the people in the
community. The solution was to develop a logo with ties to
traditional Christian symbols and attributes of the region. Here is
what we came up with:
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Visit the Marketing the Church website to see the full color version
If you like this logo, then you will love the brothers and
sisters at Nexdesign Studios. They have great talent and the heart to
use it for God’s glory. You won’t believe how friendly their prices
are for churches and non-profits. I have worked with them on
several projects besides WCCC, and I highly recommend you
contact them for help (www.nexdesignstudios.com).
Colors and Style

The use of proper colors is sometimes overlooked. Certain
colors evoke certain emotions. For example pink is probably not a
good uniform color for police officers. Careful consideration should
be made about what colors appropriately express the image you are
trying to convey. Because this is so important, I suggest getting
assistance from a professional artist who understands the use of
color and style when creating an image for your organization.
White
Do you ever see imagery in the Bible of God being black or
dark? No. The consistent descriptions are that he is light, white,
bright and radiant. The saints are also clothed in white. Our sins are
made white as snow.
They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.
(Revelation 3:4b)
A study of the Bible reveals that there is powerful meaning

and imagery in the use of colors.
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Anthropomorphic Brands
Key 5: Build Relationships details the crucial nature of
creating a connection with consumers. People are more likely to feel
connected to a person than to an inanimate object. For this reason
many smart companies have created a personality to represent their
product. There are three typical ways to connect the product to a
personality:
Connecting to a Person- The brand is attached to a

person, typically the founder such as Ford motors named
after Henry Ford, or Dell Computers named after
Michael Dell.
Connecting to a Personality- While Microsoft is not a
personal name; most people connect the company to its
founder, Bill Gates. In the case of Disney, the personality
has shifted from Walt Disney to Michael Eisner.
Creating a Character- Mr. Whipple was created to
represent a sometimes-embarrassing product: toilet tissue.
The Doughboy is a giggling little character for Pillsbury.
By creating a personality, companies provide someone that

people can relate to on a personal level. Images that connote
personality do better in the marketplace than impersonal or generic
brands.
Incarnation
The above is consistent with the biblical doctrine of the
incarnation. It is much more difficult to relate to a God up there in
the clouds than to a flesh and blood person that walks the earth.
Jesus came so you could know the Father and to live life abundantly:
If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now
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on, you do know him and have seen him. (John 14:7)
A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have
real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (John
10:10)
How is your church connecting with the community? Is it

perceived as a building where people drive to, causing traffic jams on
Sunday mornings? Or are you seen as a living, breathing community
impacting people?
Consistency
To reinforce and promote an image, the organization must
use its logo and tagline at every opportunity. All marketing materials
should look the same, feel the same, and share the same style. In
other words, to achieve synergy all marketing communications
should be in alignment with one another (Key 2).
Foreshadowing
To use the Bible as an example again, there are several
themes consistently used. The idea of a redeemer begins in Genesis,
and the theme is used throughout scripture. There are twelve sons,
twelve tribes, twelve disciples, and twelve thrones in heaven. Christ
is pictured as a suffering servant in Psalms, Isaiah and the prophets.
Even though God is very intentional and consistent, we still
get the message wrong sometimes. He continues, however, to use
the same imagery or variation on the same theme repeatedly because
he knows it is the best way to communicate the message with hard-
headed humans. Your Church must do the same thing in all of its
communications, internal and external.
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JAAIDK
What in the world is JAAIDK? It’s just another acronym I
don’t know. I am amazed at how start-up companies that are
establishing their identity try to use acronyms. They reason that
many of the most successful companies use acronyms. What they
don’t consider is the millions or billions of dollars spent by those
companies to establish an identity before they were known by their
initials. Most organizations are not in a position to spend that kind
of money to get their names recognized.
I recently purchased a game called ACRONYMITY. It is a
trivia game with over 5,000 acronyms as questions. You are given
the letters and have to come up with what they represent. A
category and hint are also given, because many acronyms stand for
more than one thing. (For example, in marketing the term CRM
stands for both customer relationship management and cause related
marketing.) Trying to communicate with acronyms can be very
confusing, especially for customers. Do yourself a favor and use a
name people can remember.
UMG
I was trying to explain this concept to a friend who was
starting a new graphic design company. He created a great logo with
the letters UMG. Do you know what UMG stands for? Neither
does anyone else. He explained to me how many big companies are
known by their initials and use them as a logo. I explained that
those companies had spent millions of dollars to get into the minds
of their customers before being known by initials. This gentleman is
a graphic artist so I also explained that I would expect an artist to be
able to create a logo that represented his company better than these
three letters. He told me the way he designed the three letters was
unique and would be enough to garner attention from his target
audience. The problem with that line of reasoning is that advertising
is aimed at creating image and awareness for new customers. So by
definition, the people he targeted would not be familiar with the
company nor the acronym. If UMG is one day a household name
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for graphic arts, I will eat my words (but he still will have spent
unnecessary millions before people could identify the company).
The Biggest Offenders

Churches may be the biggest offenders in this arena. Have
you ever heard medical doctors talk? They order 10cc’s of
peroxdotycocclyn, get an EKG to check your RPG, and then send
you for a CATscan. Meow? How about the lawyers who object to
your writ of habeus corpus? Overruled! Unless you are one of
them, you probably have no idea what they are talking about.
The problem is that most church members talk the same
way. They use so much jargon it is hard for a non-Christian to have
a conversation with them. Do you banter about such terms as
sanctification, sacrifice, resurrection, worship, praise, sheep &
shepherding, scripture, and redemption? Do you talk about your
quiet time, your walk, giving it up to God, and WWJD? Do you
ever stop to wonder how strange some of these things sound to
regular un-churched people? Is any of it really necessary?
If you did not grow up in the church, you discover you need
to learn all this terminology to fit in with the other Christians and to
understand what they are talking about. You also tend to move
away from your old life, including your non-Christian friends and
activities. This is normal and often a healthy process. But this
should not be the case for mature Christians. If you are maturing in
your faith, you must move beyond the Christian bubble you have
created to protect yourself from outside “worldly” influences. You
are called to share your faith, a faith compelling you to go into all the
world and spread the Gospel with non-believers:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
You must communicate with people in their language and culture.

Paul, while visiting Athens, used the pagan idols around him to start
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a compelling discussion with the community about the one true

God:
Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of
Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around
and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this
inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as
something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. (Acts 17:22-23)
WWJD?
Jesus, speaking to the people who really needed him, did not
use confusing aphorisms. How did he approach them? He catered
the message to the particular person with whom he was speaking. In
this case a rabbi, a woman at a well, and a rich young man:
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of
God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must
be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you
cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of
the Spirit."
"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. (John 3:7-9)
The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a

Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not
associate with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and
who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would
have given you living water." (John 4:9-10)
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said.
"Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad,
because he had great wealth. (Mark 10:21-22)
For each person, Jesus tailored his approach and terminology to fit
his or her understanding. To the Rabbi, he spoke about flesh, spirit
and birth, familiar terms to a Jewish theologian; to the woman at the
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well, he talked of living water; to the rich young ruler, he spoke of

selling one’s possessions. As Larry Dogget, Professor of Missions at
Saint Louis Christian College, puts it, “Jesus did not use Xerox
evangelism. He did not use the same approach for everyone, but he
couched the truth of his divinity in a context the hearer could
understand.”
The reason why Jesus is recorded in the Bible as telling
stories about sheep, shepherds, fishing, and farming is because he
communicated with shepherds, fishermen and farmers. Jesus was
keepin’ it real by talkin’ their lingo, which gave him street cred and that’s why he
got his props. You dig?
So if you are following Christ’s example, you are doing the
same thing, taking biblical truths and putting them into a context
modern people can understand. Instead of talking about vines,
rocks and tares- try PC’s, PDA’s, and cubicles.
Jesus had a real problem with the religious people of His day,
the Pharisees. Because they so greatly convoluted the word of God,
people no longer understood it or gave up trying to follow it:
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give
a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more
important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have
practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain
out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24)
Obviously Jesus did not think too highly of these folks. He

called them hypocrites, blind guides, and vipers. So please follow
the example of Jesus and not the Pharisees by making the Gospel
truth available to people in a way they can understand and relate to
easily.
About the worst thing you can be today is inauthentic. In
our culture you do not necessarily need to be moral or follow a
standard other than being original and being yourself. This is
actually good news since you can be yourself and share about God.
That is what people are looking for, and you will see that people do
respond to genuine faith.
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Willowcreek
Willowcreek Church, lead by Bill Hybels, in the Chicago area
has seen phenomenal growth through their seeker sensitive
approach to doing church. They intentionally remove all of the
Christian jargon from their speech. They are open and friendly to
people who are not familiar with Christian culture or tradition. Over
the years Willowcreek has grown to become a catalyst and resource
for change in American churches.
Is your church seeker sensitive? Take a look at your mission
statement, if it says you are about reaching the lost, then you better
promote a culture that is conducive to reaching outsiders. As Carl
Barnhaus used to say, “You got to get the hay out of the loft onto
the barn floor where the cows can get at it.” High falutin’ church
talk ain’t gonna do it folks, speak so people can understand the
message.
Faking It
A unique thing about Willowcreek is that the leaders and the
congregation buy into and believe in what they are doing; they are
not faking it. This is not about watching your language or making
people shake hands; it is about stirring in people the urgency to
reach out to those in need of the Gospel message.
A big frustration I had with a church I attended was the
“outreach” services at Christmas and Easter. We were all
encouraged for weeks to be sure and bring family, friends, and
neighbors to the special service. This was to be a time to let people
know we were a cool and hip church that did things differently. Yet,
the services were not really like a typical Sunday morning service.
Why not? This was a cool and hip church on a weekly basis, so why
not have the same type of service? (I am talking about the style not
the topic; it makes sense for the topic to focus on the holiday.) If
visitors were to return, they would be attending a different style of
church service from what they had experienced on special occasions.
Why not be yourself and invite visitors?
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SBG
I worked for a company called SBG (I am using the acronym
here for anonymity). I was in charge of marketing and had just
finished the beta version of the website. The co-owner of the
company, after spending many hours and dollars on design, told me
to leave the company logo off the website. He explained that he did
not think the logo was a good match for the company.
I can understand his not liking the logo. What I do not
understand is why he did not say anything before we had printed
letterhead, business cards, and now a website with that logo. He
told me many companies do not have a logo and picked up a
magazine to show me all the companies that just had their name
with no logo. There are many companies without a logo that just
write their brand name in a font. A name written in its own unique
and often-copyrighted font is a great branding tool. This is not the
same as having a logo. When creating a visual presence and
establishing a relationship, you should use all the branding tools
available. A unique font and a logo are a minimal necessity.
I told my boss that I respected his view. I felt it was my duty
as the marketing director to point out the advantages of having a
logo on the site, but I would respect his wishes. When it came time
to launch the website, I did not have the heart to leave off the logo,
particularly when the rest of the company loved the logo. I decided
to leave the logo on the site. I was laid off a few weeks later - just a
coincidence I’m sure.
The Numbers Game

Would you like a V, 500 or 505 today? Not sure what I am
talking about? These are the names of different personal digital
assistants (PDA’s) made by Palm. I have worked in retail sales since
I was a teenager. I had the opportunity to sell Palms for a while. It
was difficult for me as the salesperson to keep it all straight, and the
customers were very confused by all the numbers. Science has
shown that it is easier for people to remember names than to
remember numbers (another reason to attach products to a
personality).
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Eventually Palm came out with a new line of products. The

high-end PDA was called the Tungsten T, and the low-end PDA
was called the Zire. I was encouraged that Palm had learned from
its mistake and now was using names that people could remember.
But then Palm added the Tungsten C, the Tungsten W, and the Zire
71. If you are wondering what the 71 meant, nobody seems to
know. These PDAs were all different prices with different features.
This is even more confusing than just using numbers. At least in the
past, each Palm had its own number; now different Palms had the
same name too.
Please do not name your product a number. Numbers are
not attractive and do not have the ability to build relationships with
people like actual names can (Key 5). Here is another tip: do not mix
numbers and letters. Ever notice that it is harder to remember your
license than your phone number? That is because our brains are
made to handle either numbers or letters. Mixing the two only adds
confusion. Stay away from names like Marketing4U. Besides being
confusing and causing problems when creating a web address, they
do not look professional.
Marriage
The label reads: New Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix with real
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. A popular trend is to partner with other
companies or organizations to promote a product, but is this a good
idea for the two companies?
There are pros and cons to these types of partnerships. On
the plus side, they can gain the synergy of combining the recognition
of both companies. Those who do not know or trust Betty Crocker
may be sold because they love Hershey’s. Each company gains
access to the prestige and clientele of its partner.
Minuses are when people do not buy the product because of
the partner. Those who do not like Hershey’s (this does not include
me, I love Hershey’s) will probably choose an alternate cake mix.
When you partner with another company, you give up control of
your most important asset: your brand image. If for some reason
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the reputation of your partner is disparaged with your name

attached, this has a negative impact on your image as well.
The best way to understand partnerships is to look at a
marriage. In the right circumstances, a marriage is a beautiful thing.
It represents two coming together as one to do greater things than
they could alone. Just as in marriage, the two should be independent
and come together for mutual benefit, not because they are needy
and are worthless alone. Breaking a partnership or violating the
trust can end in a nasty, costly divorce. So if you decide to partner,
choose wisely because it is a great commitment with risk involved.
Church Partnerships
How does partnering apply to churches? Every time a
vendor is allowed to sell its wares in the church lobby or advertise in
the bulletin, your church is giving an implicit endorsement. Be
careful about whom you choose to represent your church:
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness

and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with
darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
Promises, Promises
Brands are promises. The image presented by your brand
promises to deliver on the commitments made by your marketing
communications with consumers. Break your promises, don’t
deliver on what you say you can do, and your image will be
tarnished. Live up to, or better yet exceed, expectations and your
relationship with customers will grow stronger.
Meeting time and convenience needs is a major benefit to
most consumers. For this reason many brand promises are based on
providing more time or convenience. More importantly, brands
themselves meet time and convenience needs.
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When you look at an aisle of toothpaste boxes, you do not

know which one will best meet your needs. If you see Brand X
which you know and trust that says “whitens teeth better,” you can
save time by grabbing that box of toothpaste and moving to the next
item on your shopping list. But if there is a plain label brand that
says it also will whiten teeth, do you try it? How do you know you
can trust this product? You can take time to compare the labels and
ingredients with the name brand. The only way you will know for
sure is to take it home and try it. There is risk involved and
potentially a lot of wasted time. It is safer, quicker, and more
convenient to use the brand you already know and trust.
Recently people have become more willing to try non-
branded items. Over time there has been an increased acceptance of
non-branded items. However this is usually done at the expense of
the brands themselves. Non-branded items or brands distributed
under the retailer’s name are often placed right next to the branded
products on the shelves to gain credibility.
Do you remember the introduction of non-branded items to
the supermarket? I remember a whole aisle of “generic” items
packaged in plain black and white labels. You could buy a six-pack
of white cans that had scrolled across the front in black letters
“beer.” I enjoyed a large bag labeled simply “jellybeans” that had
different sized jellybeans cast off from some candy factory as
imperfect. If you are not old enough to remember the generic aisle,
you might wonder where it went. Those items are still in the store,
but the grocers wisely changed their strategy. Stores today have their
own house brand names that usually include in the title Select,
Choice, Premium, or President.
Technically these products are no longer non-branded or
generic. They carry the brand image of the store and rely on the
trust the consumer has with the particular retailer. The reason for
the shift is that plain generic products did not sell as well as those
with at least a nominal amount of branding by carrying the name of
the store. Brands are important because they are the guarantee and
promise of the brand maker that the product is what it says it is.
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What Does Your Church Promise?

I’m not talking about the basics, like living a Christian life,
but the details of how your church lives out the Christian walk. Are
you a skateboarding church, a cowboy church, a postmodern
church? If a teenage boy rides into your church on a skateboard,
will he receive startled glances because your church is not equipped
to reach skateboarders? If so, he will likely grab his stick and leave.
Sometimes churches try to be everything to everyone yet end

up reaching no one. A sharp focus on the mission and talents of
your church from Keys 1 and 2 should help you find an identity.
Being a skateboard church is not the best fit for most congregations.
But can you imagine how excited a skater would be to be singing in
the sanctuary and half-piping in the parking lot while worshipping
God in both places? That’s cool.
A Word
Keep it short and sweet. Consumers are inundated with a
plethora of messages daily. The simpler and easier-to-remember the
message is, the better. Companies should be able to describe
themselves in a few words or, better yet, a single word. Much more
than a sentence is not usually going to be remembered by the
customer anyway. Think of the brands that have taken over the
identity of a product:
• Kleenex
• Ping Pong
• Band-Aid
• Rollerblade
• Roto-Rooter
Most people don’t even know that these are brand names
because they come to represent the item itself. This is the goal of
any brand marketer. Going directly counter to the strategy of a
word standing for your product is the practice of line extension.
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What’s Your Word?

If you were to ask your congregation what one word
describes their church, what would it be? Friendly, happy, spirit-
filled, judgmental, open, closed? Would you get the same response
from the pastor, the elders, and/or the community? What one word
would you like to see represent your body? What can you do to
make it happen?
Avoid the Line Extension Trap1

If you follow the prevailing logic of most modern
companies, you will inevitably fall into this trap. Line extension is
using an existing brand name or image and extending it to new
products. Sounds like a good idea, right? Why not use the equity of
your known brand to draw attention to a new product? The reason
is that you tend to confuse customers as to what your brand means,
and in the long run this strategy decreases overall market share.
For example, in 1978 7UP was the lemon lime Uncola with a
5.7% share of the soda beverage market. Trying to capitalize on this
significant market share, they created 7UP Gold, Cherry 7UP, and
assorted diet versions. Logic would dictate that with a greater
product offering they would have gained a greater share of the
market. On the contrary, their sales plummeted to 4.2%. Line
extensions confuse customers.
Why do so many companies use line extensions if they tend
to fail? I’m not really sure why they continue to ignore the data, but
here are some possible reasons:
• They don’t do their homework. If companies took the

time to investigate the lack of success of line extensions
by other brands and companies, they might think better
of the idea.
1Ries, Al. Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It. ©1996 HarperCollins Publishing,
New York, NY. I highly recommend reading this book for a thorough explanation of line
extension and the power of focusing a brand.
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• Ego. They feel so successful with their current brand

they think they can carry the momentum to the next item
by slapping their name on the label. They also don’t
think the seven keys to marketing apply to them.
• Copycats. Everyone else has line extensions so they
reason that it is the proper strategy, not taking into
account the number of line contractions that frequently
occur.
• Appearance of success. An insidious feature of this
trap is that line extension usually has initial success.
Consumers are usually curious about the new product
with a familiar name and will try the new item initially,
but long-term sales plummet. Some line extensions
become market leaders further muddling the argument.
But in those cases, it is usually because their direct
competitors are also using line extensions such as Diet
Coke vs. Diet Pepsi.
• Appearance of growth. Most executives are paid to
come up with ideas on how to grow the brand. By
concocting new versions of a brand, it appears as though
they are earning their paycheck since there are more
items in the market with their brand name on the label.
• Appearance of cost effectiveness. It would seem that
extending a brand would be cheaper, since the company
already has a place in the mind of the consumer. On the
contrary, it often costs just as many, if not more,
marketing dollars to educate the public about the new
product line. In many cases, brands try to reeducate
their consumers about what their name means. They are
changing the promises made by the original brand.
Denominations
Denominations are a form of line extension. All of these
different groups call themselves Christians and claim to be part of
the church. The problem is that they use a variety of names:
Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, Reformed Southern
Presbyterian, etc. This is very confusing. Although this book is not
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an explanation of how to unite all of the denominations, this

illustrates the point of why line extensions are not a good thing.
Remember, people coming to your church for the first time
probably are not aware of what the differences are or why the
differences exist; they are just confused.
The founders of the Restoration movement came from a
Presbyterian background. When they were determining a name for
their new church, they decided on the name Christian; to them it
made the most sense. Churches from this movement are officially
called Christian Churches. Part of their inspiration was to reduce the
denominational factions and work on restoring the church as a
whole. They figured if the body was going to unite under one name
that the name Christian would be a logical choice. In marketing
terms they attempted to contract the extension of the line by going
back to the original name.
So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs
to all the others. (Romans 12:5)
No Splashing
An example of line extensions is V8 Splash. V8 aired a
commercial where a person drinking the new line of product is
shocked to discover there is no tomato-y aftertaste. After decades
of advertising and millions of dollars trying to get consumers to
recognize V8 as a tomato beverage, they change the rules. In my
book, this is a classic example of the line extension trap, and what
not to do.
Of course there are times when it is a good move to expand
a company by offering more products. A better strategy is to use co-
branding (same company, different brand names). Coke has found
success in this area with Sprite. Imagine if Coke had named its
product Lemon Lime Coke. Sounds strange, but think of the brands
that have gone that direction. There is Pepsi Blue, which I still am
not sure if it is berry colored, or berry flavored and I don’t really care
to find out. The new Mountain Dew Code Red is another confusing
moniker, why didn’t they just come up with a new name? But even
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a giant like Coke does not learn from its own success and follows
with Lemon Coke. Each product needs its own image and word
associated with it. If you feel you have significant market share
where you are and you need to expand into new markets, co-
branding is the better route. Proctor and Gamble has built an
empire on co-branded products.
Silly Companies
Why don’t they learn? You would never do such a thing at
your church, or would you? Do you identify programs for diverse
groups with the same name? Does your church have a Men’s
Ministry for Women? It may sound strange, but I have come across
even more bizarre titles.
Narrow Your Focus

The 20th century taught businesses the power of
specialization. Line extensions go against this theory by trying to
make one brand all things to all people. As the saying goes “jack of
all trades, master of none.” People may not realize it at a conscious
level, but they do categorize and choose brands known for a
particular specialty. For this reason, marketers must narrow the
focus of their product.
The brands that stick in the brain are those that have a
narrow, sharp, and focused tip. The broader the description and
lines of a brand, the less likely it is to pierce the consumer’s psyche.
It is helpful to picture the brand as an actual object penetrating the
brain tissue of the intended receiver. Imagine the customer standing
in front of you with the top of his or her skull sawed off. The
squishy gleaming brain matter is sitting exposed before you. If you
are using a broad, expansive tool, it will not get past the gray matter.
By creating a narrow focused point, the brand is able to puncture the
brain tissue. I know this is a grotesque illustration, but I bet I got it
to it stick in your brain.
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What is Your Church’s Focus?

If you were to strip away all of the programs, services, and
board meetings, what would your church be about? What is the
main focus? What are you trying to accomplish? Once you are clear
on your focus, put all of the programs, services, board meetings (OK
maybe not board meetings), and marketing back into place with this
narrow focus in mind. Now you are a more efficient and lean
functioning body.
Greatest Asset
The greatest single asset of your company or organization is
your image, also called brand or brand image. Why is this so
important? Customers and partners relate to you based on how they
perceive your reputation, behavior, and corporate personality. The
same principle holds true of individuals. We trust people who are
trustworthy, treat us with respect, and keep their word. The image
of the organization must be in harmony with the purpose (Key 2) and
consistently promote the competitive advantage (Key 1) that gives a
rationale for choosing your company over the competition.
Please realize that you cannot fake an image. Eventually
your true self will be revealed to customers. You can spend billions
of dollars promoting the great service you provide, but if salespeople
treat your customers rudely, that money is wasted. Make sure you
understand your advantage (Key 1) and that your whole company is
in alignment with a purpose (Key 2) before promoting an image.
Your image can be taken from you or destroyed by your own
actions. Once you have made the investment to create an image,
protect it at all costs because it is your greatest asset.
Reputation
A brand in business represents the company’s reputation.
What is your church’s reputation among members and in the
community? How do non-Christians perceive you?
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Indecent Exposure
Many people think any kind of exposure must be good.
They say, “Look at the attention that company got from doing that
wild publicity stunt.” Not all publicity is good, as we will discuss in
Key 4: Promotion. A public relations department helps to ensure that
your public perception is positive. If you gain exposure for your
product, make sure it is for the right reasons and is sending the
message you want to send about your brand image. While many feel
it is important to “just get your name out there,” I disagree. You
want your name to be well known for the right reasons. It is of no
benefit if your name is known for being shoddy. Though Hitler,
Stalin, and Charlie Manson are well known and publicized, they are
not exactly popular fellows. The word for such exposure is infamy.
Sound Strategy
If you have done the hard work of finding your advantage
(Key 1) and defining your purpose (Key 2), you should not have much
difficulty in creating an image (Key 3). The image is an expression of
what the company is about. The important thing to remember is
that you must stay focused and clearly communicate a concise
message to the target audience. Now that you have a sound strategy,
it is time to use promotion to communicate your message to the
marketplace.
And don’t forget to pray!
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4
Key 4: Implement Promotions
Promotion is the nuts and bolts of the marketing process.

The promotion element is what most consumers see and think of
when you mention marketing. Before we tackle the promotion
process, there are a few points to consider first.
Ideal Customer
Who is your dream customer? If you are selling a hair
growth product, the ideal customer is likely to be bald, or balding,
and have a disposable income to spend on your product. When
thinking of the ideal customers, try to envision them as actual
persons standing before you. Where do they live? What kind of
lifestyle do they enjoy? Determine as many traits as possible that
characterize your ideal customers. Are they male or female? What is
their age? Their income level? These demographic questions help
you target your market more accurately. Be as specific as possible,
because the more demographics you find for your ideal customers,
the better equipped you are to meet their needs. Ideal customers
will become advocates for your product, as discussed in Key 5:
Building Relationships. The goal is to discover the ideal customers,
then meet their needs better than the competition by using your
competitive advantage(s) (Key 2).
Isn’t the Church for Everyone?

Yes, the Church is for everyone, but the style or gifting of
your particular local congregation may not appeal to everyone. If
you try to appeal to everyone, you are more likely to appeal to no
one. So if someone is looking for a rock and roll style Christian
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music service yet you sing hymns, he or she might be better off
attending another church. The competition for churches is not
other churches, but Satan. As long as people are going to church
somewhere, you have won. Therefore, you need to do your
homework, stop making excuses and figure out the best way to
communicate to the local people walking in your doors (or find out
why they aren’t walking in the door).
The great Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer speaks of
the Church’s challenge of meeting the unique demands of its age.
This means that in every era the Church faces new competition for
the hearts of people. It is incumbent upon each generation to define
and meet the ideas that sets itself against the knowledge of God.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against

the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
You must determine what influences your particular church
body is opposing and how best to face them in a modern context.
Target Market
Ideal customers, as pictured above, are persons for whom
your product is an exact match. They will compose a larger group of
your target market comprised of individuals who will likely purchase
the product. You may be creating a new market, accessing a
previously untapped market, or entering a mature market with plenty
of competition. If doing the latter, be aware that you have your
work cut out for you. You can be successful, but the odds are
against you unless you position yourself properly. Use your
competitive advantage to show your product as an alternative to the
mainstream brand. If you are more focused on a particular segment
of the market, you can steal market share from the big guys.
For example, if I were to start my own shoe company, I
would be facing plenty of competition since the shoe market is
already saturated by big companies with big marketing dollars to
spend. My only hope would be to focus on one piece of the market.
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If I designed a shoe for tennis only, and called it the Racquet, I could
go after the tennis portion of the market. The big name companies
make all kinds of shoes, as well as clothing and other sporting goods.
By focusing specifically on the needs of tennis players, I could attract
the attention of that segment of the market. The big guys can’t
compete because they have already marketed themselves as making
shoes for all sorts of athletes. Use their line extension against them.
The best they can do is co-brand and come into the tennis market
segment under a new name, but you have the powerful advantage of
being there first.
I play hockey, so I will use an example of what I have seen
happening in the hockey equipment market. The majority of the
hockey market is comprised of conservative players with a love for
tradition. The big names in hockey equipment have been around for
generations. In the 1980s a new company called Itech designed a
plastic face shield for helmets. This is a great name since their
product was a new technology that protects the eyes. Hockey
players accepted Itech because it was a new product focused on an
area that had little, if any, special attention paid to it previously.
Itech was the first face shield on the market and gained a positive
reputation. Years later Itech started making sticks, gloves and
helmets. They lost their identity as a face shield. What does a pair
of gloves have to do with eye technology? The name no longer
matches the product and becomes a hindrance instead of an
enhancement. Itech should have stuck with making face shields.
Now they look like all the other hockey equipment companies minus
the history and prestige. Today there is another face shield on the
market, Excel 1, which is known only for making face shields.
Players think of face shields when they hear the name Excel 1.
Mention Itech and no one is sure what product is meant. The
question is whether Excel 1 will learn from Itech’s mistake or will
they start making gloves also? More importantly, will you learn from
their mistakes?
Saddleback
When Rick Warren started Saddleback Church, he researched
where the population was moving in Southern California. He is now
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running one of the largest churches in the country on what used to

be barren land. Rick Warren targeted a specific market for the
church and presented the Gospel in a context the population could
understand; consequently, he has been wildly successful. Of course
he does not take all the credit and feels privileged to be a part of
what God is doing in the area. To read the full story, check out his
book The Purpose Driven Church.
The Four Ps
Most descriptions of marketing include the four Ps, which
are product, price, place and promotion. Some add a fifth P that
stands for packaging (which can just as easily be covered as part of
the P of product). Others have six or seven Ps. Rest assured the
following four-P approach provides a suitable explanation of
marketing. If you want to understand marketing, you have a firm
foundation if you can remember these four simple Ps and what they
signify.
Product
The product is the item or items provided by the company
for the consumer. Products are both tangible and intangible.
Products may be physical items or a service provided. Many
physical products also have some value-added service that
accompanies the delivery of the physical item. Packaging is
important because it is part of the product itself. Many people judge
a book by its cover, so make sure you do not skimp on the
packaging.
Price
Any economics student can tell you that price is a matter of
supply and demand. The market will bear a certain price point and
settle into equilibrium. This is not very helpful when trying to
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determine the price for a new product. Price is a very confusing area
of marketing for many people. The reason is probably because price
is one of the most misused and abused marketing tools.
Traditionally, there are three ways to set the price for a product:
Competitive Parity- charging the same price or average
price of the competition.
Standard Markup- always adding the same percentage
markup to the cost of products (i.e., cost plus 50%).
Zero-Based Pricing- receiving a small margin per item
with a high volume of sales.
The problem with all three of these methods is they do not

take into account the customer’s perceived value of the product.
Let’s assume I am going to sell hats. The hats cost me $10 to make
so I decide to sell them for $15. What if the people buying my hats
only think they are worth $5? I am in big trouble. I cannot afford
to sell hats for less than they cost me to make, but if that is the
perceived value to my customers I will not sell any at $15. On the
other hand, what if customers love my hats and would actually be
willing to pay $20 per hat? I am cheating myself out of $5 per hat.
So how do you know what people will pay? Do the research before
going to market. Either hire a market research firm, or do it yourself
if you are on a budget. If people are willing to pay less than your
cost to produce the hats, you will be avoiding disaster by knowing
this information ahead of time. If people are willing to pay more
than your perception of a fair price, you can be even more successful
than you imagined.
Your price must be based on the perceived value to the
customer. Price is a double-edged sword, and many companies find
themselves falling into the trap of competing on price. Price is
NOT a competitive advantage by definition because it can be copied
easily and immediately by the competition. Price wars with the
competition hurt everyone. Customers will be happy at first
because they will get better deals, but be disappointed in the long
term when prices go back up or their favorite company goes out of
business. Price wars destroy the perceived value of the product in
the marketplace. Even if your company wins the price war by
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undercutting the competition, customers will feel cheated when

prices return to normal levels.
I went to McDonald’s to get my 39-cent hamburger the
other day, and to my dismay what had been 39 cents the previous six
months is now all of a sudden 79 cents. I felt cheated, but if they
had not been 39 cents the week before when I bought them, I would
not have felt that paying 79 cents was a big deal. Like billions and
billions of other people, I have been going to McDonald’s since I
was a child. A few years ago they panicked and jumped into price
wars with their competition. This was a mistake. By creating their
own “value menu,” they started looking like everyone else. There is
now nothing special about going there because they are just like their
copycat competition. I just heard on the radio that McDonald’s is
closing almost 200 locations. It does not sound like the low price
strategy is working2.
Low price is not a valid competitive advantage, yet
companies spend millions of dollars saying they are the low price
leaders. Low price has no distinguishing characteristic about it,
particularly when everyone is saying the same thing. Companies are
also telling their customers to shop based on price. Therefore, if
their competition has a lower price, they should go to them. Let me
repeat, companies are paying for advertising that tells their
customers not to be loyal, but to shop based on low price! Besides
encouraging a price war and creating disloyalty, this violates Key 5:
Building Relationships. By telling people that the lowest price is the
best criterion for choosing a product, companies are discouraging
customer loyalty based on reputation or quality of service. This
practice is so prevalent that it is no wonder many people are
confused about the proper place of price in a marketing plan. The
good news is that after reading this, you now know better than your
competition.
2McDonald’s has turned things around since I first wrote this section. They have been
offering salads and healthier meals to attract bigger sales. These new products are not value
priced. In fact many of the new offerings are the most expensive things on the menu.
McDonald’s has been able to regain market share by differentiating away from price. They
must have read my book.
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Price
Church is free, right? Not really. It costs your visitors
something to attend: fear, possible harassment, and if nothing else,
time. Treat your visitors like paying customers. You will do a better
job and they will appreciate your respect.
Passing the Plate

Passing the plate for offering is not visitor friendly. I have
family members who believe the Church is in business to make
money, that is why the Church passes the plate. When I explain to
my family they do not need to give to the offering, they still feel
pressured to put something in when the plate is passed to them.
Although the speaker gives a disclaimer that it is not necessary for
visitors to give, my family still feels obliged to put in money under
these circumstances.
Although giving to the Church is a sacrament and a
responsibility for all Christians, does it need to be done publicly?
Perhaps it would be better for Christians to give in secret?
When you give to the poor, don't let anyone know about it. Then your
gift will be given in secret. Your Father knows what is done in secret, and he will
reward you. (Matthew 6:3-4)
An alternative is to give members a way to tithe by placing

offering plates in the back of the church, or by letting members mail
in their offerings. People already motivated to give will find a way to
present their offering without a plate being passed to them in their
seat on Sunday morning. Think customer service; don’t scare away
your customers (visitors) by being inflexible.
Place
Ask what are the most important attributes that contribute
to business success, and many will say location, location, location.
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Where your business resides is indeed an important consideration.

Opening an air conditioner store would likely be more successful in
Arizona than in Alaska.
Place also deals with distribution and logistics, a world
unknown to most consumers. They don’t question how the milk got
to the dairy aisle; they just pick up a carton and move on to the next
item on their list. The steps involved in getting milk from a cow’s
udder in Kansas to a pasteurized, homogenized, vitamin A&D
fortified skim milk carton in a Safeway store in Oregon are fairly
complicated. Each step in the distribution process is an opportunity
for enterprising individuals to make a profit, and/or for
manufacturers to keep costs low through disintermediation. Often it
is more cost effective for manufacturers to focus on their
competencies and to allow distributors to capitalize on their
specialized abilities of distribution.
The Internet revolution turned the traditional distribution
model on its head. The question for most retailers today is whether
to be a brick-and-mortar or a click-and-mortar store. Brick and
mortar is a traditional physical location where consumers can visit a
building to purchase products. Click and mortar is the name given
to Internet businesses parodying the brick and mortar description.
Companies expanding either on-line or to physical locations should
avoid the line extension trap by giving each location its own identity.
The Internet site should have a different name than the physical
store and vice versa.
Al and Laura Ries in their book The 11 Immutable Laws of
Internet Branding call Law #1 the Law of Either/Or.3 Your business
should be either on-line or a physical location, not both (at least not
with the same name and branding). They also give some tips on
determining the best choice for your product:
• Is the brand tangible or intangible? The Internet
tends to be a medium for tangible products and a
business for intangible products (banks, stocks,
insurance, etc.).
3Ries, Al and Laura. The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding. © 2000 HarperCollins New
York, NY. Another great book from Al Ries written with his daughter Laura.
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• Is the brand fashionable or not? Fashionable

products (like clothing) tend to use the Internet as a
medium, while non-fashionable products (like
computers) tend to use it as a business. For clothes, how
do you know if it will fit, what it will look like, and will it
be comfortable?
• Is the product available in thousands of variations?
If yes, then the Internet tends to be a better choice,
because it is difficult for a retail store to house thousands
of products. Half of customers leave retail stores
without making a purchase because the item is not in
stock. You should narrow your product line in retail, or
you will lose customers who cannot find the model they
want in stock. If you use the Internet, then a wide
selection is a competitive advantage.
• Is low price a significant factor in the brand’s
purchase? If yes, then the Internet tends to be a
business. The ability to check many prices quickly is
making the Internet a price-sensitive medium. This
makes it difficult to make money with the Internet as a
business.
• Are shipping costs a significant factor compared to
the purchase price? If so, then the Internet tends to be
a medium. Self-service has taken over the marketplace
because it is more economical.
The Rieses recommend using the Internet as part of the

overall integrated marketing communications strategy regardless of
product. If the Internet site is not the business itself, then the
Internet should still be used as a medium to promote the physical
locations. One thing is certain, the Internet is a powerful IMC
(integrated marketing communications) tool that is here to stay. We
will cover the use of the Internet and interactive tools more in depth
in the next section on promotion.
Promotion
Promotions are what most consumers relate to when
discussing the marketing process. Promotion involves carefully
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blending various elements of marketing communications to work in

harmony with one another, enhancing, complementing and
synergizing into a dynamic interactive message with the target
audience. When done correctly, integrated marketing
communications or IMC tools become the culminating force, which
brings your marketing efforts to fruition. If you have done the hard
work and laid the proper foundation by Defining Your Purpose (Key 1),
Finding your Advantage (Key 2), and Creating an Image (Key 3), then you
are more than ready to Implement Promotions (Key 4).
Many companies don’t put in the effort to form their
strategy first; instead they jump right into promotions. But what are
they promoting? What is their purpose? What is their value
proposition (competitive advantage) to the customer? What image
are they trying to project? It makes sense to understand Keys 1, 2
and 3 before trying to tackle the promotion of Key 4.
Think of each of the following methods: advertising, public
relations/PR, sales promotion, direct marketing, and Internet/interactive as
tools in your IMC toolbox. Like my dad used to say, “Don’t use a
screwdriver when you need a hammer.” Always pick the right tool
for the job. At the same time, IMC tools work together, hence the
term integrated. An engine and four tires will not get you far, but
put them together with the right parts and you have a speedy Ferrari.
So use as many appropriate tools as possible to generate a synergistic
marketing promotions campaign. The following descriptions are in
no particular order.
IMC TOOL #1 ADVERTISING
What is Advertising?
Advertising is defined as paying a fee to create image and
awareness. Effective advertising is aimed at new potential customers
and always promotes the distinct competitive advantages of the
organization. Sounds simple, right?
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Forms of Advertising
There are the three main forms of advertising. Print
advertising consists of magazines, newspapers, journals, brochures,
flyers, etc. Broadcast advertising is found on radio, television, film,
and other formats. Then there are various forms of interactive
advertising including word of mouth, mobile ads on automobiles, t-
shirts, Internet sites, etc.
Current Customers
Have you noticed how you receive advertising for products
you already purchase? How frequently do you view or hear an ad
for a product you currently use? This is a violation of the true
purpose of advertising: to create image and awareness. You are
already aware of the product, and you must have a favorable view of
its image since you are purchasing it. Building on current
relationships with customers (Key 5) is very important, but
advertising is not the proper tool. If people are already customers,
then advertisers should already know who they are. Advertising to
current customers is not necessary and, besides being wasteful, can
in some cases be counterproductive.
I sometimes receive advertising material from companies of
which I am already a loyal customer. In some ways, I am offended
they do not know who I am. It’s like calling your mother on the
phone and giving her a detailed explanation of who you are as
though she does not already know. She would think there was
something wrong with you. Advertising is aimed solely at potential
customers, while current customers should receive targeted
communications that acknowledge their unique relationship with the
company.
Don’t overlook the importance of the term potential. By
potential I mean someone who would actually purchase the product.
The majority of people are not ever going to buy your product no
matter how much advertising you do to them, so why spend your
finances trying?
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Hitting the Target

Television commercials are the most widely recognized form
of advertising. When I ask my marketing students on the first day of
class for an example of marketing, they usually talk about television
commercials. Usually their favorite commercials are beer
commercials (remember, these are college students). Budweiser and
Bud Light have some of the funniest commercials. Many people have
seen these commercials and will even imitate the characters. I often
ask my students to raise their hands if they have seen a particular
Budweiser commercial and if they like it and/or think it is funny.
Almost all of the students raise their hands. Then I ask them, “How
many of you drink this beer?” In all of my classes only a few, if any,
raise their hands. Do they not drink beer? No, they just drink
different beer from the ones advertised by Anheuser-Busch. This
leads to a discussion about targeting new potential customers.
Most of the people who see these commercials are not, and
will not ever be, customers for Anheuser-Busch, so who cares what
they think? There is no return on the advertiser’s investment for
these students to see the commercial. The advertiser is paying to
reach this audience who does not buy the product; therefore there is
no return on investment for this audience.
While no advertising can be perfectly targeted, the more
targeted, the better. When unintended viewers are receiving your
message, you are wasting money. Even worse, if they do not like the
advertising (i.e., think it is funny), you might be creating antagonists
out of potential future customers. The more targeted the message,
the more effective, the less expensive, and the greater the return on
investment. We will go more in depth into this concept in Key 5
when we look at the Marketing Funnel.
Accountability
So if mass advertising is so ineffective, why do people do it?
First of all, they obviously have not read this book and are
misinformed. Most people do what they see others doing, or what
has worked in the past. There is also an entire industry based on
“the bigger and more creative the better” ideology. Advertising
executives give each other awards for creating unique
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advertisements. Unfortunately I see a lack of accountability in the

current system. Bottom line, it does not matter how good the
production quality is for an advertisement; what matters is whether
people buy the product. It is a good strategy to use high standards
for creating ads, but it has to be a means to the end of consumers
understanding the message and buying the product. Some of the
worst produced advertisements (i.e., infomercials) are successful
because they sell the product.
Stewardship
Your church has a big responsibility to be good stewards of
the resources provided by God. Make sure you do your homework
when paying for marketing communications. Hire or work with
gifted people who are able to maximize the impact of your efforts.
ShineFish (www.shinefish.com) specializes in helping churches and
non-profits maximize their limited finances while taking advantage
of their unique gifts and status.
Nissan
A few years ago Nissan ran a series of ads with an old man
standing in a field. The camera would fly around and then circle
around his face. What did the ads mean? What were they trying to
say? What advantages were they trying to promote? No one really
knows, but the ads were creative. Speaking with an employee at the
Nissan offices, she said she had no idea what the ads meant, nor did
anyone else in her office. They were confused and did not really like
the campaign. Eventually, Nissan changed the campaign, but what
exactly they were trying to communicate will remain a mystery. Are
you willing to spend millions of dollars to create a “cool” ad that no
one understands?
Raisins
Oh, those adorable California raisins, dancing across the
table! Can you hear them singing, “I heard it through the
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grapevine”? Who did not love those darling claymation creatures of

the 80s? They were so popular they even had their own Saturday
morning cartoon. And you would think that the sales of California
raisins must have been prosperous during this time, but you would
be wrong. Sales of California raisins actually declined during the
campaign. This proves there’s a big difference between
entertainment and selling the product.
Got Sales?
Arguably, one of the best-known advertising campaigns of
all time is the series of got milk? commercials. I love these
commercials; they are hysterical. But as you can probably guess,
they have not to date improved milk sales. In fact, they are
considered successful because milk sales stopped declining for a
while. Maybe I have high standards, but I expect a campaign to
improve sales, not keep them stagnant.
ROI
The criterion for success must be the ROI, return on investment
(i.e., people buying the product), not people liking the
advertisements. I believe advertising agencies have tended to avoid
being specific about returns for two reasons. One, they don’t really
know how effective they are because they do not have systems in
place to truly measure effectiveness. Second, they know there is a
lot of waste and they do not want to discourage their clients. That’s
why advertising talks about making impressions on viewers. If this is
the case, just say “I don’t do impressions,” and ask for sales to be
made instead.
Typically, sales are the measure of success, but as any
statistics student will tell you, correlation is not necessarily causation
since there are other intervening variables. In English this means
that just because sales increased does not mean that the advertising
was the cause; it could have been something else. For example, if
you run a radio ad for hot dog buns on the fourth of July and sales
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spike for that weekend, it is not necessarily because of the ad, but
because more people are barbecuing for the holiday.
In fact, if you are not measuring effectiveness, you could be
running counterproductive ads. What if more people would have
bought your hot dug buns, but they did not like the ads so they
bought another brand, or ate hamburgers? You could deduce from
the spike in sales that the ad had been effective, when in fact you
could have sold more with a better ad, or no ad at all. If you are not
measuring properly, you will waste money and, worse yet, you could
be paying to cause damage to your image.
Internet Bubble
In the late 90s the Internet was riding high as the vital
component of the information revolution. Internet company
founders were getting rich overnight. Investors were pouring
billions into what appeared to be the next big thing. By 2000 there
seemed to be trouble, and many Internet companies started to go
out of business.
A major reason why the Internet bubble burst is that people
were basing their business model on the selling of advertising on
their sites. The remarkable advantage of the Internet as we will
discuss further below, is that it is measurable. The Internet does not
try to guess how many people look at a site, or click on a banner ad,
or purchase a product from a banner ad for that matter, it can
actually measure all of those things in real time and real numbers
instantaneously. This is a Copernican revolution in terms of
advertising. It was also the death of many of the businesses based
on selling Internet advertising because they were still trying to sell
based on impressions, but such fantasies are not needed nor
tolerated in the Internet world.
Linkage
So if advertisers seem to be unaccountable for results, what
is the answer? This is a complex problem, and if you can figure out
an effective answer, you will be rich. It is impossible to completely
measure all advertising, but some methods are better than others. I
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have already mentioned the capabilities of the Internet to evaluate

sales. If you need hard numbers, the Internet is a tremendous tool.
For other advertising methods, use some kind of linkage that
can be tracked. If you send coupons to consumers, place a code on
them so you can track which ones were redeemed and by whom. If
you do a television commercial, add a web address or telephone
number on the screen. Place the same information in other media,
such as magazines. When consumers log into the site or call, ask
them how they heard about the company. You can also set up
unique web addresses for specific ads to see which ones are more
effective. If most of your inquiries are coming from the magazine
ad, then you can ditch the television commercial and its costs.
All your advertising should provide some kind of linkage
that provides you feedback about its effectiveness. Without this
data, it is difficult to justify advertising costs. This information is
also vital in creating more targeted advertising and building
relationships with current customers (Key 5).
Inward-Focused Jargon
Many companies fall into the trap of inward-focused jargon.
That’s why we see so many acronyms. They expect people to know,
or want to figure out, what XYZ means. You may have noticed I
used the acronym ROI above, but was sure to immediately explain
the meaning. I hate to bruise corporate egos, but I have to tell them
that most people don’t really care what their acronym means. Using
terminology that makes sense to you but not to new potential
customers in advertising is counterproductive. Marketing, and
advertising in particular, is about communication. The more clear
and simple the message is the better. Instead of trying to be cool,
just try to be understood. If you can do it in a cool way, that’s even
better, but cool without understanding is just a waste of money.
Brown?
UPS started a campaign where they asked, “What can Brown
do for you?” Since I am interested in marketing, I asked, “Who is
Brown?” and started investigating. I wrongly assumed that Brown
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must be the name of their new package-tracking software. I spoke

with a UPS representative that told me Brown was the nickname for
UPS given to it by the employees. So the answer to the mystery of
what Brown stands for, and why they are spending millions of
dollars on advertising, is that it means UPS. Do you see anything
wrong with this picture? If not, start rereading this section from the
top.
Why spend so much money to advertise a second name for
the same company? They already have spent millions to distinguish
their three-letter acronym of a name in our minds; now they want to
throw more cash at an extra name? Why spend so much money to
confuse people? This is a sign that UPS has become inward
focused. They are more concerned with having fun with an inside
joke of a nickname than in reaching their customers.
Should Churches Advertise?

In most cases it is not the best use of a church’s limited
resources to pay for advertising. Typically you will not be successful
trying to use a hard sell approach to get people to come to your
church. It is very unlikely someone will attend a church after seeing
a traditional advertisement. If your church does decide to advertise,
hopefully the time is donated, the best way to leverage the
opportunity is to promote events or other sales promotions (see
IMC Tool #3). Use the ad to invite people to the church for a
barbeque, a concert, or a Christmas play. People’s hesitation to
visiting will be lowered and thus more people will respond.
Alternatives
Good advertising promotes image and awareness of the
distinct competitive advantage(s) of the product to new potential
customers. There is a world of difference between advertisements
based on sound marketing principles and those produced for the
amusement of the creators. With all the potential dangers and
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expense of advertising, is there a better alternative? Yes there is,

read on…
IMC TOOL #2 PUBLIC RELATIONS/PUBLICITY
Free Advertising?
What if I told you that you could receive free advertising that
would be more effective than any you could possibly purchase,
would you take it? Welcome to the world of public relations (PR)
and publicity. PR/publicity is non-paid coverage by the media.
Smart and/or thrifty organizations use the media to their advantage.
The advantages of PR and publicity to send marketing messages is
that it is free and that it is more credible with the recipients, since it
is assumed to be provided by an objective source. The disadvantage
is that there is little or no control over what is reported, and a
negative or distorted marketing message can be reported.
Sewn of the Same Cloth

What’s the difference between PR and publicity? That
depends on whom you ask. I distinguish the two by separating them
into proactive and reactive forms of the same process. Publicity is
actively seeking media attention or offering a particular message to
news and community organizations. PR is handling and/or spinning
public perceptions and reports about the company. Corporations
have caught on to the benefits of PR/publicity and usually employ a
PR person or department. Now you know what happens to all
those athletes majoring in PR.
Typically, coverage comes from news agencies like local
radio and television stations that are called to cover an event
sponsored by the company. Coverage is free, but be careful because
you have no control over how you are represented. Opening a new
factory that provides local jobs may seem like a positive boost to the
economy, but the media may portray you as an eco-terrorist
destroying precious habitat. Remember to use the right tool for the
job. PR and publicity may not cost money, but it could cost your
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reputation. In some cases when media response is in doubt, it is

better to pay for advertising so you can control the message. In the
long run, this is cheaper than defaming your image and trying to
rebuild. Don’t overlook the importance or the value of positive PR
and publicity, but be aware of the risks involved.
PR for Churches
If your church is living out the Gospel and making a
difference in the community, you will simply need to share what you
are doing with the media. I hear complaints about how the media
has a negative view of Christians and portray them harshly, but what
are you doing to change that image? Is your church doing good by
clothing the homeless, feeding the hungry, and caring for the
fatherless and the widows? Let the media know what your church is
about. There are plenty of good reporters out there who would love
to do a feel-good story.
Imagine the impact your church could have if every time
someone opened the newspaper there you are! Imagine people
saying, “Oh look what that Marketing Genius Church is doing today.
Do they ever stop doing good?” In a way the Bible is a PR piece. It
is not paid advertising, and the people who wrote were recording the
facts like it was news. In fact the word Gospel means Good News.
So the next time your church does a service project, make sure to
share the Good News with your community.
PR Help
A low cost way to get great press exposure is to write and
distribute a release on the Internet. You have a great deal of control
because you are crafting the release and making it available to the
media. To find out how to leverage this low cost high impact tool
check out the PR Zap! website (www.przap.com).
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IMC TOOL #3 SALES PROMOTION
Promoting Sales
Sales promotion is a good way to break into a market by
providing a motivator for new customers to try your product. Sales
promotion is usually confused with personal selling because the term sales
is used. While they work well when used together, they are very
different techniques. Personal selling is the process of interaction
between the seller and the consumer while sales promotion is the
use of specific incentives or rewards to induce trial of a product.
Churches Can Do This

Don’t get hung up on the terminology here. I am not asking
your church to become a used car sales lot. What you are selling is
the invitation to attend your church and ultimately to accept Christ.
The tips in this section will help you reach that goal, and still be
Christian in the process.
Inducing Trial
Sales promotions typically offer a discount, rebate, or reward
for trying a new product thus reducing the perceived risk for new
clients to try a product. For example, if I can buy the new Brand X
toothpaste for half price with a coupon, then theoretically I have
reduced the risk of trial by 50%. The idea is that once the clients try
the product, they will be sufficiently impressed to continue to
purchase the product at the regular price. You are demonstrating to
the consumer faith in your own product by providing incentives.
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What Risk?
What risk is faced by the people that attend your church for
the first time: Persecution, financial loss, humiliation, loss of family,
embarrassment, wasting time? What steps can you take to minimize
the risk for your visitors?
Types of Sales Promotion

There are many types of sales promotions. Most of what we
see is on the consumer side, but a majority of sales promotions are
given to wholesalers and sales people for selling a product. Most
consumers are familiar with coupons as a popular form of sales
promotion. Some others include buy one, get one free; free with
purchase packs; bonus-size packages; in-store specials and sales;
contests; loyalty programs; sweepstakes and rebates.
Most sales people work on some kind of commission where
they receive a percentage of what they sell. They also receive all
sorts of promotional items, such as t-shirts, key chains and coffee
mugs with the sponsoring company’s name emblazoned on the
front. These giveaways to sales people are commonly called
tchotchkes. Many times sales of individual products will also provide
sales people with an additional reward called a sales performance
incentive fund (SPIF). So a shoe salesman may make a 2%
commission on every pair of shoes sold, but he also may make an
extra $5 when he sells a pair of Nikes.
Buyer Beware
Sales promotions given to sales people can cause problems
for consumers and retailers. If you have unscrupulous or untrained
sales people, they are likely to sell a customer a product that he or
she does not need so that they can make a SPIF. Many retailers
stopped providing incentives because they had too many problems
with sales people pressuring customers to buy items with incentives,
which lead to declining sales. When purchasing products, I will ask
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the salesperson whether their recommendation is based on using the

product and/or if they get a commission.
I have been in retail sales for many years and have never sold
an item because I got a SPIF, but it was tempting. I liked to sell the
item with a SPIF because I made more money, but it was not worth
my integrity. This was not always the case with my coworkers. I
worked for the national nutrition store GNC where we received no
commission, but we did get a SPIF on certain items. One customer
returned a product my coworker sold her because she had trouble
sleeping when she used it. My coworker told her we were out of the
product she asked for (which was a lie) and that this one would do
the same thing (which was also a lie). He also did not tell her that
the guarana in the product is a form of potent caffeine even though
she said would be taking it before bedtime. What did he get for
compromising his integrity by lying to a customer and disrupting her
life by keeping her up all night? $2.
Manufacturers, to boost sales of their products, often use
SPIFs. They are usually effective, but they must be done carefully
and given to trustworthy persons. In the meantime, be wary if a
salesperson is a little too excited about a product, and don’t be afraid
to ask questions.
Sunday School Challenge

A church I attended promoted a Sunday School challenge to
increase the attendance at Sunday School for a month. A big tote
board, placed in the front of the sanctuary, showed all of the
attendance figures. The pastor would review each week’s totals and
reveal which class was in the lead. It reminds me of the sales board
we had when I was in a high-pressure sales environment as a
financial advisor.
The intentions were pure; it is a great thing to want to
increase attendance in Sunday School, but how might visitors feel?
Are they thinking that they are simply part of the big contest? Are
they really cared about by the people who invited them? Would they
have been invited without the contest?
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Putting together incentives that appeal to internal and

external people is tricky. This is true in business and in the church.
Be creative and sensitive to your customers (visitors) in the process.
Rethinking Rebates
Those ads in the paper have some great prices, but then you
read the fine print and it says, “after rebate.” Why do companies use
rebates? When I ask most people this question, they say it is because
a lot of people will not send in the rebate form and the manufacturer
keeps the money. Does this sound like a good strategy? It is not
wise to have people angry with you because they missed a rebate
deadline, or to think you are manipulating them out of their
deserved cash. This is the opposite of building relationships (Key 5)
with customers.
Rebates tend to confuse people and, by their nature, are
manipulative. They say the price is one amount, but you pay
another. You have to cut off this code, copy that receipt, jump
through a hoop and do it by a deadline. Do you really want people
associating this unpleasant experience with your company? If you
can afford the rebate, a better alternative is to lower the price, or
offer a short-term promotion. I hate filling out rebate forms, so I
beg you manufacturers, for the sake of humanity and my personal
sanity, please stop the rebate confusion.
Linking Sales Promotions

It is important that sales promotion activities are used in
conjunction with advertising and public relations/publicity activities.
So if you are going to promote a sweepstakes, place the details in an
advertisement. Let’s say you are giving away a dream vacation. You
could place an ad in a magazine with a sweepstakes entry form. The
form should be coded so you know the magazine and the date and
can track the effectiveness of the ad. The consumer is exposed to
two IMC tools at the same time, which provides synergy.
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Promotions should also link to the product when possible. If you

sell pasta, you could give away a trip to Italy; that also reinforces the
authentic nature of your product. IMC tools work best when linked
to each other as well as provide the manufacturer the ability to track
consumer information.
Christian Incentives
Make sure your incentives to visitors fit in with the overall
mission and purpose of the church. I have heard stories of churches
giving away microwaves and trips to Las Vegas to encourage visitors
to attend. Things like a free concert, a Christian CD, or a
complimentary retreat weekend are more appropriate for churches.
Turn It Off
Sales promotions should be used for only a limited time and
should be turned off quickly. Always have an expiration date - the
shorter, the better. Long-term expirations diminish urgency for
consumers. Often they will set the offer aside and forget about it
until it is too late.
Another reason to limit their duration is that extended or
continual sales promotion activities lead to a devaluation of the
product in the eyes of clients. If there is always a coupon available
for half off, they will not ever want to pay full price. The goal is to
get customers to use the product and then pay the regular market
price. Unlimited sales promotion for an item is not really sales
promotion; it is a lowering of the price, which is not a good idea. As
we discussed earlier, using price as a marketing tool is a trap because
it could lead to a price war.
No War
Excess sales promotions by one company usually lead to
retaliation by competitors. Each side continues to lower the
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perceived value of its product until both are in trouble. Consumers

are usually happy but, in the long term, price wars affect everyone.
If one of the companies goes out of business, then people lose their
jobs. In other cases, one company outlasts the competition and is
able to take over the market. They then raise their prices higher
than they were at the start. I’m for a free market economy and I
believe that the market corrects itself, so you have the freedom to
lower prices and use sales promotions as much as you desire, but
smart businesses will differentiate away from price.
Don’t Send Coupons to Customers

If you have read this section so far, then it should be
obvious why this is a bad idea; but just in case I’ll reiterate the
reason. Coupons (and sales promotions) should be used to induce
trial. Since current customers have already tried the product, there is
no need to induce trial.
Retaining Customers
In the advertising section, I warn not to send advertising to
current customers but to send them targeted customized
communications. Customer retention and loyalty programs are a
way to show gratitude, promote continued use of the product, and
encourage customers to be advocates to family and friends.
Frequent shopper cards, premiums and thank-you letters are a few
ways to express appreciation and build relationships (Key 5) with
current customers.
Firing Customers
A big complaint I hear about using sales promotions is that
people do not use the product without the incentive. My parents
own an Italian restaurant. My father tried running some coupons in
the direct mail pack, but he was not happy with the response. He
says the only people that used them were paying in pennies and
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looking for more deals. They also did not return later to make full-
price purchases.
The first problem is poor targeting. The wrong people got
the promotion. This is another reason why you should not run
promotions indefinitely. If ideal customers that enjoy the food had
gotten the coupon, they would have tried it and then returned to pay
full price.
If you do get customers that are not ideal, or worse yet are
anti-customers, fire them. These are not the kind of people with
whom you are trying to do business. They will only look for
bargains and try to take from you. They will not build a positive
reciprocal relationship with you (Key 5), so fire them.
Firing Members
I’m sure there are a few faces that come to mind when you
read the above headline, all churches have some problem people.
My friend Craig, a Children’s Minister, affectionately calls some of
these people EGR’s (extra grace required). I am not referring to
people who need patience and grace, they need your church. But,
some folks are quarrelsome, blasphemous, and/or are destructive to
the congregation. Paul gives an example of what to do with these
kinds of people:
Holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and
so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander,
whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy
1:19-20)
Paul was not happy with these guys. They were having a
negative impact on the church body, and Paul does not put up with
it for long. It is noble to be longsuffering, but you must make sure
your church is not being destroyed in the process.
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Cause Related Marketing

A very effective sales promotion strategy is the use of cause
related marketing in which organizations create or partner with other
charitable organizations or causes. When teaching my Sales
Promotion course at the university, I use a book I highly
recommend reading called Brand Spirit.4 Cause related marketing is a
great concept, because it is a win/win/win/win for the company, its
employees, the charity and consumers.
The company wins because they have an increase in the
perceived value of the product since they are contributing to charity.
They are better able to differentiate themselves from competitors.
The employees of the company win because they are helping to
contribute to society through their efforts. It can be difficult to find
meaning in your work, particularly if you are making mundane
consumer products. On the other hand, if your company
contributes to a good cause, it brings meaning and purpose to your
activities. Obviously this is a win for the charity since they are
receiving needed funds. Lastly, cause related marketing is a win for
the consumers since they are helping a worthy cause with their
otherwise ambiguous consumer purchases.
When possible you should match the cause to the product.
There are two ways to go about cause related marketing campaigns.
Either start your own, or partner with an existing philanthropy. We
spoke of the pros and cons of partnering earlier, and the same
principles apply here. For those who have the resources, creating
their own charity or foundation is a wise choice since they wholly
own the entity and its image.
So if you want to promote your new dog food Fluffy Time,
you should start the Fluffy Time Foundation to rescue fluffy dogs.
Portions of the sales from Fluffy Time dog food go to support the
foundation. The foundation directly correlates to the product and
reinforces a positive image in the consumer’s mind. The foundation
is a great way to achieve free publicity. The public views you as a
caring company thus increasing your perceived value. Besides
differentiating yourself from the competition, studies have shown
4 Brand Spirit : How Cause Related Marketing Builds Brands by Hamish Pringle & Marjorie Thompson
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that people are willing to pay a premium to purchase products that

help a cause. The employees of the company can feel good about
helping these fluffy little creatures to live a long and healthy life.
The Fluffy Time Foundation receives funding to help our fluffy
friends in need. Consumers can buy your product with a smile,
knowing they are helping others.
Sincere Causes
If the above sounds like crass commercialism, it could sound
the same way to consumers. That’s why causes must be sincere. If
the company and its employees are not truly behind the cause, then
the campaign could backfire. Many people have been critical of the
plethora of products that have partnered with various breast cancer
charities. They have been questioned as to whether they are trying
to help women or sell products.
I believe this is especially the case when companies are
asking consumers to mail in yogurt lids and admonishing them to
“help lick breast cancer.” In my mind, there are a lot of things
wrong with this tagline, but I will let you use your imagination as to
why. Filling out a rebate form is bad, but mailing in sticky lids is
even worse. There are few things more difficult to send in than a
yogurt lid. If you do cause related marketing, do it for the right
reasons and with sincerity, or it will have a negative impact on your
image.
Old Cause, New Tricks

There has been more cause related marketing lately, but is
this a new idea? Cause related marketing has been going on for the
last century, but it is increasing today. When modern marketing
began in the Western countries, the population was living on a
subsistence level. Advertising promoted the value of products and
went into technical details of what the item could do for the
customer. In the late 60s there was a cultural and financial shift.
People had more money and they were tired of the same old
advertising. People were also disillusioned with materialism, so ads
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started to emphasize the emotional. Perfume ads talked about how

the scent made you feel like a woman, not how big the bottle was.
Today we are living in one of the most prosperous times in
history. People have also realized consumer products cannot
provide for emotional needs no matter how appealing the
advertising. At the same time there is a lack of community. People,
especially prosperous people, like to give to society. Since there is a
distrust and lack of participation in traditional institutions like
churches, many people do not have an outlet to give to their
communities. Consumer products come to the rescue. Cause
related marketing meets additional time and convenience needs of
consumers by letting them have their Duncan Hines cake mix and
contribute to charity too.
For psychology buffs, I will point out that this pattern
correlates with Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model.
Consumers used to be just scraping to survive so advertising
appealed to their base needs of survival. Next there was
advancement to the next level of emotional needs. Finally today, we
are at the pinnacle of the hierarchy: self-actualization, fulfillment by
giving to others.
Churches and Cause Related Marketing

A big reason why Cause Related Marketing has gained
ground in the business community is because fewer people are
attending and/or giving at church. This has created a vacuum
because people were created with the desire to give, it makes them
feel good. When businesses partner with a charity, they are giving
customers a way to connect with the community and feel good
about giving. Take advantage of this opportunity, and look for ways
your church can partner with local businesses to share the wealth,
it’s a win for everyone.
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Use Them for Good, Not Evil

Sales promotions are a powerful tool. When done right, they
can be very effective. When misused, they can bring disaster. Many
times the success or failure of sales promotion is dependent upon
the sales people.
IMC TOOL #4 PERSONAL SELLING
Sell it
Personal selling involves the people of the organization that
directly interact with clients. Even if they do not realize it, the
people that interact with the public are “selling” the organization by
the way they speak, behave, and represent themselves. Personal
selling is a form of direct marketing because there is direct contact
with clients and potential clients. Smart organizations make sure
their sales people are aware of their importance and equip them for
the role. They also mine the treasure trove of information available
from salespeople and have systems set up to perform the task of
gathering this data.
Called to Sell
As a Christian you were called to the world of selling, selling
the Gospel. Of course we call it something different: evangelism.
As is the case in a typical business, the same holds true for
Christians, everyone is responsible for sales and marketing. This
does not mean you have to be a slick salesperson that goes door to
door or greets everyone that walks in the church. It does mean that
you play a part in the process of selling (or evangelizing) whether
you like it or not.
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Lifelong Personal Seller

Personal selling is a topic near and dear to my heart. I have
worked various retail positions for almost 20 years. My first job was
working at a drugstore when I was 15. I was a part-time soda jerk at
the snack counter and part-time front counter salesperson. I have
worked for a sporting goods store, two health food stores, a hockey
pro-shop, and a store that sells paper and electronic planners. I have
also spent hundreds of hours on the phone as a financial advisor and
telemarketer. I have learned a thing or two about sales over the
years.
On the Front Line

Ask any general how battles are won and lost, and they will
tell you the frontline soldier makes the difference. Even in this
modern age of computers and unmanned drones on the battlefield,
it is still the humans running the machines that make the difference.
In marketing, the salesperson is the one on the front lines and makes
the difference to marketing success.
Christians on the Frontline

It does not matter how great your pastor is, how nice the
building looks, or how much parking is available if the members of
the church are not friendly, outgoing, and genuine. The individual
members of the church are on the front line. Your Church’s success
depends on how well the members reach out to people.
The Weakest Link

Poor personal selling tends to be a weak link for many
companies. You can do all the advertising and promotion in the
world, but it will not matter if your potential customers and
customers are not treated well by the salespeople. This is called
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providing good customer service. The term is a misnomer for many

businesses; in fact a consumer advocate has labeled these the
“customer no-service departments” of companies. Often the
promotions can create expectations that the sales staff are not
prepared to meet.
When I worked for the nutrition store GNC, they did
extensive advertising. They ran numerous television ads and had
several beautiful full-color ads in all the exercise magazines. They
had to be spending several million dollars per year on these ads. At
the store level, we were paid minimum wage with no commission,
but we did receive occasional SPIFs (see definition above). I knew
nothing about vitamins and health products when I started, and was
looking forward to learning about them on the job. GNC did have a
training program, but in my case I received no training from my
manager. I like to learn new things on my own so I was motivated
to learn about all of the health products. I studied the books in the
store and read all the labels on the packaging. I would ask
customers questions such as “What are you using this product for?
Is it working well for you? Have you tried the GNC brand?” I was
able to get into the minds of my customers. I learned a great deal of
good information by surveying people on what worked and what did
not. I also tried all the popular products to see what worked for me.
I was then able to make recommendations to customers based on
personal experience.
I did a good job at GNC and the customers liked me. I was
praised for selling the most “gold cards” (a frequent customer
discount card) on a regular basis. I was very knowledgeable about
the product because I was personally motivated to learn. On the
other hand, I had a coworker that had been there before I started
but knew very little about the product, did not like health foods, did
not interact with customers, and sold items that would get him a
SPIF even if it was not a good match for the customer. If you
owned this store, which employee would you rather have wait on
your customers? As a customer, which of us would you prefer to
wait on you? While I enjoyed working at GNC, I had to leave to
get a better paying job.
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Bright Flight
Bright flight is the process of all the smart people leaving a
business. Typically, this happens because the smartest and most
talented people realize when a business is not run well or they are
not being compensated adequately. If you want to attract and retain
quality people, you must pay them what they are worth. Bear in
mind that studies have shown money is not the primary motivator
for most people. Employees are willing to receive less pay for
pleasant working conditions. Pay is a motivator, but how employees
are treated is also a big factor in their dedication to a company. It is
probably cheaper to treat people with respect than to pay them
enough that they will work at a job they do not like. You must
either pay your people well or treat them right. You are better off
doing both.
Church Flight
If you do not provide a way for your members to get
involved and participate in ministry, they will leave. I have spoken
with several frustrated pastors who cannot get people to step up to
the plate and participate. At the same time, I and some of my
talented friends, have been extremely frustrated by the lack of
opportunity to serve. People who are willing and able to serve will
seek out the opportunity; if they are shut down, they will look
elsewhere. This does not necessarily mean they will serve at church,
however.
My passion and gift is teaching. I teach, coach, and write
books like this one, it is what I want to do; it is what God has gifted
me to do. While speaking with an assistant pastor, I mentioned I
would like to use my teaching skills to minister at the church. He
informed me that only he and the senior pastor did the teaching. He
said if I felt strongly about using my gift I should look elsewhere. He
then gave the example of a young woman who approached him
wanting to sing more; he told her to find a church with a larger
music program.
I found another way to serve by coaching a local youth
hockey team. Coaching was a great experience, but the problem was
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I had little motivation to try to minister at my church again. Why do

I have to fight the pastor to serve at my church?
Because I equate service and ministry with worship, I have
difficulty with a pastor telling people they cannot minister (i.e.
worship) at his church, and they should go somewhere else. The
role of paid staff and pastors is to get people into ministry and to
support them in their efforts, not to do all the ministering
themselves without volunteers.
If your church is struggling with getting people involved,
then ask yourself what systems are in place to get people plugged in
and connected in ministry. If you have not had anything in place for
years, or the pastor has always done everything, then your longtime
members are probably comfortable with the arrangement. You
might still be able to inspire them to get involved, but the people
that really want to be a part of ministry will have left a long time ago.
It is not too late.
Training Pays
Studies have shown that the average return on investment
for training is 20 to 1. That means for every $1 you invest in your
employees you should see a $20 return in productivity. That’s a
tremendous return not found in most places in the business world.
Training helps businesses to attract and retain quality people.
Quality candidates are attracted to companies with good training
programs. When hiring people, you have three alternatives. First,
hire someone and train him or her to do the job well. Second, hire
someone who already knows how to do the job. The problem with
this choice is that it is much more expensive to hire someone who
already knows how to do the job. Third, pray for a miracle because
if they do not know how to do the job and you do not train them, it
will have to be a miracle for them to succeed. Train your people.
Christian Education
This is an area of strength for churches in the United States.
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Most churches appreciate education and spend time enlightening the

congregation through sermons, small groups, seminars and retreats.
In fact, Christians founded the majority of the educational
institutions in the United States. One area of weakness, however, is a
lack of real world knowledge about culture and business. How many
books have you seen like the one in your hands that integrates
modern business practices with Christian application and scripture?
Five Factors for Personal Selling Success

First, let salespeople try the product. If your product is as
good as you think, they will become advocates for the product (Key
5). Second, train them in the product. Knowledgeable salespeople
are confident and will help establish a positive relationship with
customers (Key 5). They are less likely to make mistakes and tend to
be more satisfied with their job. Third, provide a pleasant
environment. The best people look for and stay in good working
environments. Fourth, pay salespeople well. Proper financial
compensation is another way to keep and attract quality people.
Last but not least, get feedback from your salespeople (Key 6). They
will feel valued and you will cull priceless information.
IMC TOOL #5 DIRECT MARKETING
Go Direct
Direct marketing is a customized message for a specific
target audience. Some information is already known about this
audience to whom relevant targeted advertising materials are sent.
To be effective, research has to be done about prospective
customers before sending these materials.
Buying Lists
Has your church bought a list to do mailings to the
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surrounding area? If you did, you probably discovered that this is a

very expensive process and usually results in only a few, if any new
visitors. I applaud the effort to use marketing techniques to enhance
communication; the problem with this approach is that direct mail
does not work well for anyone anymore, let alone churches.
Get the Facts

Several companies sell marketing lists that contain names of
people that fit a particular demographic. These can be useful in
some cases, but you are still reliant on the quality of research
provided by an outside source. The best way to find information is
to get it yourself. Most organizations already have a relationship
with current customers and should be implementing tools to better
serve them. You can provide a valuable service to your customers
by offering them products of use to them. You can also annoy them
into the arms of competitors with useless, ceaseless, irrelevant
marketing. Gain feedback (Key 6) from customers then adjust your
marketing messages (Key 7) to make your offerings relevant and
build a better relationship (Key 5).
Your best recipients for direct marketing are those people
that are pre-qualified or self-qualified. This means they have already
expressed an interest in your type of product either directly to your
company or through a third party source. Many people would
welcome your advertising since they are in the market for your
product. The process of getting pre-approval for the sending of
marketing materials is called permission marketing (I recommend
reading Seth Godin’s book by the same title).
Empower Your Members

Instead of buying lists, get information from your members
on whom to contact. Ask if they know anyone who could benefit
from receiving an invitation to the church. Ask for addresses, or
even better, email addresses. You will save a fortune on postage.
Put together a packet of materials you can mail, email, or hand out
to friends and neighbors.
Saddleback Church put together neighbor welcome packs that
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looked like mailboxes. The packages were available in the lobby for
members to take to new people moving into their community.
Inside were valuable coupons, maps to the area, and an invitation to
visit Saddleback, listing all of the programs and child care options
available at the church. This puts the responsibility to market the
church and evangelize neighbors on the shoulders of the members.
It is not up to the leadership to knock on every door in the
community to get new members.
Though many people think it is, direct mail is not a shortcut
to relationship building (Key 5) because is does not have the same
results as personal interaction or attention. The role of the
leadership is to equip the individual members to be able to reach
their communities:
To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ
may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the
Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13)
Join the Club

I lived in Southern California during the Card Club boom of
the 90s. Most of the major grocery store chains had their own clubs
that provided discounts to holders of their store’s club card. On one
level, I thought it was a little silly since I was not really a member of
a club. I knew I just got the sale price on items that a few years
before were available without a card. On the other hand, I was
studying marketing in college and thought it was a great idea for
stores to get to know their customers better. They had my name,
address, phone, age, and knew how often I shopped and exactly
what I purchased. This is an incredible amount of information to
have about your customer.
I kept waiting for the stores to send me a coupon to try a
new chocolate chip cookie. They could tell from my purchases that
I was an ideal customer for chocolate chip cookies. I never received
that coupon, nor any other customized marketing materials. Why
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not? Why would they not use all the information I was freely
providing them? My guess is they had too much information and
did not know what to do with it. Or perhaps they never saw the
value of the information and just thought I would buy more because
I thought I was in a special club. I felt they were wasting my time by
filling out a form and carrying around a stupid plastic card. Why go
to all the trouble if they were not going to follow up and solidify the
relationship with customized offerings and marketing messages?
All but one of the area chains gave up on the cards. They
started running promotions about how they had done away with the
cards. Another store advertised how you never needed a club card
in their store in the first place.
A few of the chains changed hands, and that is when things
got really confusing. I went to a large grocery store on the weekend
and needed my card; I went back during the week for something I
forgot and they had changed the name of the store. All of a sudden,
the cashiers were laughing and assuring me I did not need a card
anymore when I checked out my groceries. About a week later, I
went to the same store and I needed my card again because the store
had changed ownership again (if this seems strange, remember it was
California where anything is possible).
Confused? So was I. I did not mention the names of the
stores because I honestly cannot remember which was which. I still
go to that store, but I am not sure what the name is anymore. I
hope you understand by reading this book that confusing the
customer, especially about your brand name, is bad. Marketing is
about communication and helping people to understand, not be
confused.
The card clubs were not limited to grocery stores.
Drugstores, gas stations, and pet stores are among the other retail
locations offering club discounts. While there are still many
companies that continue to use these cards, and I hold a few of
them, I have yet to see a personalized marketing message from any
of them. This is a waste of valuable data about customers (Key 6)
and a missed opportunity to strengthen relationships (Key 5).
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Catalogs
I have seen some good examples of direct marketing from
catalogs. I used to receive a catalog from FranklinCovey, the
company that sells time management planners. I purchased a set of
calendar pages by mail order, and the next year I received a catalog
about two months before my pages expired. The catalog had my
name on it with a personalized message that said something like,
“Michael, your pages will be expiring in October, and we have some
great new products to choose from. Your Monarch size products
are available on page 22.” I was very impressed.
I felt good that they knew who I was and were giving me
information to make my life easier. They were actually meeting my
time and convenience needs instead of giving me more unsolicited
advertising to sift through or throw in the trash. I am sad to say that
I no longer get those personalized catalogs. I started getting about
one non-personalized catalog a month from them that I usually
threw away because it was too many. I was also not happy that all of
sudden they did not know who I was anymore. I had slipped back
into the anonymity of the mass market. Now, for some reason I do
not get any catalogs from them at all.
My marketing professor was a big fan of a running store in
San Diego that sent him personalized catalogs. While in the store,
they measured and tested his foot. They were able to determine
what kind of runner he was and his unique pronation (the angle of
the foot striking the ground). They smartly entered his information
into their database and would send him personalized catalogs. Their
message said something like, “Hello Nick, it has been six months
since you bought your Reebok running shoes. Based on your
running style, you probably will need to replace them soon. Turn to
page 17 to see some suitable replacements.” This is a great use of
collected data to focus marketing efforts (Key 6) and to build
relationships with customers (Key 5).
Dear ________,
Before you get too excited about personalization, realize that
it must be used correctly. When I receive marketing pieces with my
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name on them from companies I have never heard from, I am not

flattered but fearful. I think, “How did they get my name and what
do they want from me?” Anything that says “Dear Micheal
Dahane” goes straight in the trash. And if someone calls and cannot
pronounce my name, I know the call will be short. Fake friendliness
does not build relationships (Key 5), it prohibits them.
Knowing that names can sometimes get on lists for
unsolicited material, I have used pseudonyms. When I signed up for
a free muscle magazine I used the name Michael Steel Daehn. That
way anything I receive with the name Steel shows me who sold my
name. Besides it is fun to see a muscle magazine come with the
name Michael Steel Daehn printed on the front. If you want to test
a company, use its name as your own. So if I sign up for the ACME
catalog, I would put Michael ACME as my name. Anytime I get
unsolicited mail for Michael ACME, I know ACME is the culprit.
Direct Mail
Thankfully, my mailbox is only a few short steps from the
dumpster. I walk over and throw away handfuls of advertising and
handfuls of the advertisers’ cash. The rate of return on direct mail
has been steadily plummeting over the years, and response rates
remain only a fraction of a percent. If that does not frighten you,
then perhaps the widely circulating e-mail encouraging people to
mail advertising back in the postage-paid envelopes might get your
attention. Of course, this wastes even more of the advertisers’
money, but the point is that people are not only irresponsive to
unsolicited mail, but becoming hostile as well. Unless you have data
that shows your mail piece is of value to the recipient, you should
invest your money in another tool.
If you do use direct mail, make sure it is tailored to the needs
of the recipient like the catalog example above. Terminix had a
successful direct mail campaign that sent notices to homes in the
path of an infestation of termites. In this scenario Terminix was
providing useful information about a potential problem and offering
a solution. This was not mass advertising since they only sent the
pieces to those homes that were in danger.
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E-Mail
E-mail has tremendous advantages. There are not the same
costs involved since you do not have to pay printing and postage
fees as with direct mail. The best situation is when people are able
to sign up for your e-mail list from your website. This is permission-
based marketing that has been proven to work wonders.
I love the St. Louis Blues hockey team. I regularly receive e-
mails from the Blues Hotwire that provides me breaking stories about
the Blues. The team also informs me of jersey sales, and ticket
prices. Do I mind getting this kind of advertising? No, as a fan and
a customer with a strong relationship with the team, I welcome this
kind of information.
Many teams and companies have used e-mail effectively in
this manner. “Spammer” is the worst thing you can be labeled in
the e-mail realm. “Spam” is a term coined for unwanted and
unsolicited e-mail. To avoid this, always provide a way for recipients
to remove themselves from the e-mail list and do not send
unsolicited e-mail.
Rebirth of the Newsletter

If there is one marketing tool churches seemed to have
mastered it is the newsletter. Since I have attended different
churches over the years, once a month I receive various church
newsletters. Depending on the size of the church, the newsletters
can vary from an actual letter to a fancy tri-fold color brochure. If
you are in charge of sending these pieces, you know how expensive
and time consuming it is to mail them, and postage fees are still
increasing. What should you do?
The Internet to the rescue! There are some amazing things
you can do with email you may not have considered before. For
starters, you can allow people to write their content by giving them
access to a shared folder or program. So after Pastor Dave writes
his monthly Pastor’s Corner message, he can email it to you so you
can copy and paste it into the electronic newsletter. Members
subscribe themselves to the newsletter on your website and update
their account if their address changes, cutting down on your
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administration time. As people subscribe, they check interest

categories. For example, a young family with children might elect to
receive children’s ministry updates by checking that particular
category. If they do not like bowling, they would not check the box
to receive information about the bowling ministry.
When you send out the newsletters, you decide what people
will receive based on what interest categories they checked. If you
are sending an update to the frog gigging party, you only send it to
interested parties. When you send information about the church
catching on fire, you would send it to everyone since they should all
be interested. Give access to the leaders of different ministries to
allow them to send information to those interested in their particular
ministry.
Imagine a newsletter with 20 different articles laid out on a
table. You take a pair of scissors and cut out the items that are of
particular interest to people based on what they chose when they
subscribed. Then you mail only those items of stated interest from
the newsletter in an envelope to their house. In the past that would
have been an arduous task; today it is possible to do quickly and
easily, with email Church newsletters!
Besides the ability to customize, which strengthens
relationships (Key 5), email is much less expensive than printing and
mailing. The information is more current and up-to-date. If there
are any printing or communication errors, they can be corrected
immediately with a follow up email. A final advantage is the
presentation. You can do incredible things with email newsletters
without needing any special publishing training. With a few clicks,
you can send full color photos and graphics. If you are dealing with
professional people, you have the added advantage of looking
technologically savvy, giving you and your church additional
credibility. To learn more about using powerful email tools to
enhance your church’s communication, visit Max My Mail, they can
help (www.maxmymail.com).
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Telemarketing
While writing this I just got a phone call from the
Southwestern Bell phone company for Mr. Agrusa, the name of my
father-in-law. I explained he does not live here, and the caller asked
if I was the phone decision maker. I wisely said “no, my wife is”
and the caller said “thanks anyway” and hung up. I wonder how
much money Southwestern Bell wasted to interrupt me while writing
this wonderful book? Well, at least it gave me a great illustration.
Actually, that phone call was rather distracting so I decided
to take a break and did not continue writing this until the next day.
As I got back into the groove and starting writing again, guess who
called? Southwestern Bell called asking for Mr. Agrusa again. Their
marketing is beginning to feel a little more like harassment. In fact,
consumer groups are trying to make such calls illegal. To help
consumers, there is now a device called the PhoneZapper that is
available to block unsolicited calls. I have some friends who enjoy
telemarketing calls as a chance to play mind games with the callers
by using funny voices and acting like imbeciles. Once when asked
how much he spent on long distance calls, my friend responded, “I
do not have a phone.”
The problem is that a phone call is rather personal. Of
course, we want to build a personal relationship with customers (Key
5), but we must earn the right to be heard. Telemarketing is a poor
advertising tool because it is a very personal tool being used with
strangers and non-customers. Telemarketing is a good tool when
the prospects have pre-qualified themselves, and/or the call is being
provided as a client service. Following up on a sale to make sure
everything is working to the client’s satisfaction is a great way to
cement an already established relationship and bolster future sales.
You Make the Call

Email is wonderful for general communication, but it is not
as effective as the telephone for a more personal connection. My
small group leader used to call me every week to see how things
were going. I was impressed he was not only spending his valuable
evening calling me, but he was also calling every member of the
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group. His simple call demonstrated to me and to the others his

great concern and love for us. Because I felt valued, I wanted to
remain connected to the group and to the church. Of all the small
groups at the church, his was the only one growing like crazy, and
people were leaving to start new groups because so many people
were attending. (When a new group was formed, we referred to it
as birthing a group, not splitting a group, now that’s good
marketing.) Encourage your group and ministry leaders to stay
connected to their people by adding the personal touch of a phone
call.
Network and Home Marketing

Companies such as Avon, Tupperware, and Herbalife
changed the traditional channels of distribution. These
organizations use what is called network or home marketing. There
are no retail locations. Individuals sell the product to friends and
family; then either deliver the product by hand or have it shipped.
There has been tremendous growth in this area over the past decade
for two reasons. First, people enjoy buying from friends and family
in a relaxed atmosphere. Many of the products are sold in homes,
and the sales presentations are called parties. The second reason for
the rise in popularity is that individuals begin selling to supplement
their income. It is becoming an increasingly popular practice for one
of the parents to stay home with children, and this business model
provides a way to earn income without driving to an office to work.
Look for this industry to continue to grow over the next decade. If
you are marketing a new product, especially one that correlates to
home use, this could be the best channel to use.
The Original Home Parties

The early Church met in people’s homes. Though we have
become accustomed to meeting in large buildings for services, the
home church/small group setting is still very effective. It is much
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easier to connect and share with 8-10 people in a home than 100-
10,000 people in a large sanctuary. Even if you belong to a large
congregation, small groups are one of the best ways to integrate new
people into your church.
Saturation?
I sometimes tell my students that direct marketing is
oversaturated. There is too much of what passes for direct
marketing such as mailings, e-mail and telemarketing. However,
since most of these efforts are not based on knowledge about the
prospect, they are actually another form of mass marketing. True
direct marketing has knowledge about the recipients and is providing
relevant customized information they will likely embrace. People
welcome marketing material that meets their time and convenience
needs and makes life easier. What is needed is more genuine direct
marketing, and less of what passes for direct marketing, but is
actually a nuisance.
IMC TOOL #6 INTERNET/INTERACTIVE
World Wide Wonder

I began working for an Internet development firm in the
summer of 2000. I did not know it at the time, but the bubble was
already bursting. The Internet provided a tremendous boost to the
economy as it revolutionized the way business is performed. Many
of the companies founded were based on shaky business models.
Traditional business plans provide a way to generate revenue - which
many Internet companies did not consider. The demise of many of
these companies was only a matter of time, and when the time came
for the shakeout, many disappeared. What did not disappear is the
power of the Internet to influence the way business, and in particular
marketing, will be implemented.
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“Custom”er
A key feature of the Internet is the ability to interact with
content. I have gone on ad nauseam in this book about creating a
customized message for prospects and customers. The Internet
provides a means for marketers to provide customizable content.
Consumers can pick and choose not only what they view but how
they view it. Once they have taken the time to customize content,
they will not likely change to a competitor. The customized content
builds a relationship between the company and the customer (Key 5).
I was invited by a friend to join a hockey fantasy league on
Yahoo! a few years ago. The league was free except for providing
some personal information in order to register. I discovered that
Yahoo! also provided me my own personal start page on the
Internet. There was a link to my fantasy team and whatever other
content I wanted. I could put news headlines, comics, team scores,
maps and all sorts of other useful tools all in one place. Yahoo!
allowed me to choose what items I wanted to have on my start page,
a choice of colors, and how the information is laid out on the page.
I discovered later that this same service is provided by my ISP
(Internet Service Provider) Earthlink. I had already spent the time
to customize my Yahoo! page so I did not bother with the Earthlink
page. Since Yahoo! was the first to establish and then customize this
relationship, I did not want to change. Yahoo! was able to reinforce
and protect their relationship with me from competitors. I still use
the Yahoo! page and they receive revenue from advertising posted
on their site. Since I am in the hockey fantasy league, I see ads
targeted at hockey fans. Eventually, I became disenfranchised with
Earthlink and decided to switch to Yahoo! as my Internet service
provider since I already had a great relationship with them before I
was a customer.
The important thing to remember is that people expect
interactivity on websites. Several companies did not do well trying
to provide video or written content that offered neither
customization nor interactivity. Radio, television and print media
are still available for communicating information and are well suited
for most purposes. It is easier to watch television lying on the couch
than to boot a streaming video on my PC while sitting at my desk.
On the other hand, if I want to see a particular highlight, I can find a
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copy on the Internet and play it on demand. Some cable companies

sensing their vulnerability to Internet competition are developing
some interactivity into their offerings through digital menus and
video on demand.
Hit Me
The second key feature of the Internet is the ability to track
activity. Since the movements of viewers around the site can all be
recorded and tracked, there is a plethora of data not provided by any
other IMC tool. Most people think a “hit” on a website means that
someone visited the site. Actually anytime your cursor moves over a
link on a site it is counted as a hit.
There are a few key metrics focused on by Internet
marketers. They know what kind of software you are using to
browse the Internet. Companies can tell how you found the site
either through a search engine or a link and sometimes, more
importantly, marketers see where you exited the site. I often will
leave a site if I do not like or understand the design of a particular
page. I know that I am sending a message to the company that there
is a problem with that page for me.
Just as with the club card data, there is almost too much
information available to Internet marketers. There are several
programs available to help companies make sense of Internet data.
Collecting all this information is futile if it is not used to customize
the experience and build stronger relationships (Key 5).
Sticky
A site is sticky if people stay on it and/or return on a regular
basis. Usually this requires providing information, entertainment, or
services for viewers. To make a site sticky, make sure you add and
update relevant content frequently. I set Yahoo! as my start page
and view it several times a day. I have a lot of important resources
listed on the same page so it is of great benefit to me.
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Mystery Meat
Mystery meat navigation is what web design expert Vincent
Flanders calls the fancy rollovers on websites. These are the sites
that have pictures of a square, a circle, and a triangle and you have to
guess where each will take you when you click or roll over them.
When you put your mouse over them, they will usually give you
more information. So when you point to the square, it shows text
that says “contact information.” Flanders urges designers not to
make viewers guess where things are. They should be clearly
labeled. What if street signs were blank until you shined a special
light on them? Think of the accidents that would occur.
While some of these designs are artistic, they are not
appropriate for most websites that are trying to interact with
customers and clearly communicate information. To learn better
web design, I recommend visiting Flanders’ website
(www.webpagesthatsuck.com).
The Flasher
Another Flanders nemesis is the use of fancy Flash
presentations. Flash is a software program that is used to create
many of the animations seen on websites. There are two problems
with Flash. First, it usually takes a long time to load. You do not
want people clicking over to a competitor because they did not want
to wait for your cartoon to load. The second reason is that most of
the animations are commercials for the company. If the person is
already on your site and ready to buy, why do you need to show
them a commercial?
Check Please
In many cases Internet users want to find relevant
information and make a purchase as quickly as possible, so why
make them wait? Mystery meat navigation gives unwanted
challenges to customers trying to find the information they need.
Flash presentations are equivalent to going to the cash register at
Target and they say, “Wait. Before you buy anything from us, watch
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our commercial about why you should shop at Target.” Faster

computers may make the slow loading of web pages with Flash
obsolete, but you should always allow your customers to make
purchases as fast as possible by giving them quick access to the
checkout.
Win/Win
The Internet is a win/win situation in many cases. The
Internet should be a key component for most modern businesses. It
provides a place for prospects and customers to gain customized
information about the company for less money than traditional
printing and mailing costs. Customers can access information,
catalogs, and forms on their own. You do not have to ship as many
brochures since many people will just read the information or print
it themselves. Many customers will also provide their own data
entry. They prefer to go to a website and fill in their information,
which saves on the cost of the company paying staff for the same
task.
A Win for the Church

The website is a great way to leverage the desire of your
church members to contribute. Besides streamlining email and
communications preferences, it is also a conduit for discussion and a
place for members to share ideas. Most churches have an informal
informational hierarchy. You have to know the right person to get
permission to use a room or get an item in the newsletter. It can be
frustrating and many people give up sharing their brilliant ideas.
Design your website in such a way that people can interact with each
other and the leadership can make sure none of the good ideas or
people are falling through the cracks.
DISCus
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Another interactive marketing device is the CD ROM.

Unless you live in a cave, you have probably received many of these
from AOL. Place the CD in your computer and it provides you
with information about the product and a link to their website. The
AOL disc also has software that allows you to use their service.
Other companies have used CDs to send slideshows and
music presentations of their product to prospects. An innovative
company created business cards with contact information printed on
the front and a playable CD on the other side. I like the idea of
these cards, but they are costly to produce and should only be used
with targeted customers that can benefit from the information. In
most cases, it makes more sense to invest in a quality website and
put your web address on your paper business card.
Look Before You Leap

I worked with a church desiring to video tape the services,
print hundreds of copies, and make them available to the members
on DVD. Besides the time and copying costs, they were going to
pay a professional videographer. I asked them to consider how
many people were actually going to take the DVD home, prepare a
bowl of popcorn, put it in the player and sit and watch it. When you
think about it, that is not a likely scenario. Sermons on tape or CD
are popular because you can listen to them in the car, but watching a
DVD is a big commitment.
I recommended they tape the service for posterity and for
anyone who might be interested. Make a couple of copies, and put
them in the library. You can also post the video on the website for
free. There is no reason to pay a videographer for a static
presentation like a sermon. Since it is essentially one shot, I
volunteered to set up my video camera and tripod for free. The
moral of the story is that just because you can do something,
particularly with technology, does not mean it is the best approach
or best use of your resources.
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Here to Stay
Internet and interactive communication is here to stay. You
should be using this tool as either the primary means of distribution
or as a complement to your other marketing communications.
The Christian Connection

According to the Pew Internet Project, over 20% of Internet
users (nearly 20 million) have used the Internet to seek spiritual and
religious information, and on an average day more than 2 million
people are getting spiritual material online.
You need to work with a company that has its priorities
straight. If you do not have an adequate website in place, you
should contact my good friends at
Christian Technology Solutions who are doing business by the book
(the Good Book) (www.christiantechnologysolutions.com).
The Importance of Synergy
1+1=11
This equation is impossible in the world of math, but not in
the world of synergy. Synergy is when the sum is greater than the
individual parts. Working together they can do much more than
they can do alone.
The Christian Church is the representation of Christ’s body
on the planet. The Church is made up of frail, failing human beings,
yet together, and with Christ as the head, it is the most powerful
force on the planet. The same is true of marketing communications.
The more the communications tools are integrated, the more
synergy occurs and the more powerful the promotion. Thus the title
integrated marketing communications.
Golden Ticket
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If you are a child of the 70s like myself, you remember a

magical place made of chocolate rivers, candied flora and
mushrooms with marshmallow filling. I am speaking of the inside
of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, from the film Willy Wonka and
the Chocolate Factory. I show this film to my marketing students to
demonstrate the powerful synergy of the Wonka marketing
promotion. Five golden tickets are placed randomly in Wonka bars.
Wonka throws the whole world into a frenzy looking for the coveted
tickets. The news media covers the process, reporting on the
finding of tickets. One girl’s father has his factory of workers
opening hundreds of boxes of Wonka bars looking for a winner.
In this film, chocolatiere Willy Wonka is implementing a
powerful and popular sales promotion. He knows his target
audience of chocolate consumers would love nothing more than to
see inside his secret chocolate factory. He gets free publicity from
the news-hungry media who cover every second of the campaign.
Wonka does not have to pay for advertising; the news media does it
for him. A powerful synergy is created between the two elements of
sales promotion and using publicity that sells thousands of Wonka
bars.
Congruency Provides Synergy

Linking the various tools together into a cohesive,
collaborative package provides synergy. Each tool must provide a
consistent look and feel. If printed advertisements use a dog and the
color orange with an Arial font, then the brochures, coupons,
letterhead, website and every other marketing communications tool
must have the same elements. This repetition and consistency help
people to remember and identify your brand.
Have you ever noticed that the color of traffic signs is
significant? Warning signs are usually yellow or orange, street signs
are usually green and stop signs are red. Imagine if traffic signs were
all different colors. Some warning signs were blue, some streets
signs were yellow, and some stop signs were green. What if every
city picked its own color of stop sign? Depending on the city you
were in, the sign might be purple, blue or pink. You might
recognize the octagon shape, but in this alternate universe, the
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shapes are all different too. The signs would be more difficult to
identify quickly.
Thankfully, for safety’s sake this is not the case. But what
happens when people are marketing their brands? Sometimes their
logo is blue, sometimes green. Sometimes it has a circle around it,
sometimes a square. All of these factors make it more difficult for
consumers to identify the brand and, unlike in traffic, most people
do not have much motivation to care. Companies should ask if
there is consistency in the look of their website, in their print
material and on television. Inconsistency confuses and distracts
people.
Colors and shapes are rather simple things to keep
consistent, but what about the message? Are different claims being
made on the radio than in newspaper ads? Are you touting your
product as a high-end commodity that is hard to obtain and then
printing coupons in the Sunday circular? Do you feature all men in
some advertising and all women in other ads? Pick a look and feel,
and implement it consistently across all marketing communications.
No matter what style you choose, always make sure you are
promoting your competitive advantage (Key 1). While that advantage
is likely to stay the same over time, individual campaigns promoting
the advantage can and should change over time lest they become
stale. Keep the same message of promoting the advantage, but you
need to present fresh perspectives and rephrase the message in
modern contexts over time. When you update various campaigns,
make sure to update them over all the platforms you are utilizing.
You Can Do This

I recently visited a church where they had a rack of
information about the various ministries. It was a hodgepodge of
random information in various sizes, styles, colors and formats. It
was a confusing mess that well meaning people had spent hours
putting together.
Make it easy for people to categorize and find information.
What does your literature rack look like? What if you used specific
colors of paper to reflect the variety of ministries offered at the
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church: yellow for the Children’s Ministry, blue for the Men’s
Ministry, pink for the Women’s Ministry? This simple idea can
make your information resource area look streamlined and
professional instead of like a messy coffee table.
Multiple Elements Provide Synergy

The more tools you integrate and synergize, the more
powerful the results. Hearing me lecture on this, a marketing
student of mine at Concordia University, Chris Bowen, put together
an excellent marketing plan using multiple tools. He was a baseball
player and was familiar with the bat market. He chose to promote
Rawlings bats. His idea was to have a traveling van bring Rawlings
equipment to parks, retail locations, and schools. This gave
customers a chance to try out the equipment before purchasing
(sales promotion). He advertised the dates in local newspapers and
on radio stations (advertising). Dates were also available on the
Rawlings website (Internet/interactive). Every event promoted
tobacco awareness and encouraged children not to use tobacco
(sales promotion/cause related marketing). The van also visited
local schools with the message of tobacco awareness amongst
students (PR/publicity.) Local news stations and community
organizations were contacted and encouraged to cover the events
based on the tobacco-awareness activities (PR/publicity).
Notice the consistency and synergy created by all these
elements. They build, promote, and support one another. All of
these promotional tools could be implemented for much less than
most commercial television spots. The tools are targeted at likely
users and the return on investment will be excellent. Needless to
say, Chris received an “A” in my marketing class.
You do not have to use all the marketing communications
tools for every campaign. You should always avoid paying for
advertising if possible. Some tools are not a good match for every
situation. Typically the more tools you are able to implement
effectively, the more powerful your message becomes. Ultimately
the goal is to effectively communicate with customers in order to
build relationships.
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5
Key 5: Build Relationships
The Goal of marketing is to create long term relationships

with customers. There are no shortcuts. It takes time and genuine
concern to build genuine relationships with those you serve.
First Date
I did not kiss my wife on our first date because I felt it was
inappropriate. I did not really know her yet, but I respected her as a
person. Things worked out and we got married two years later.
Many times marketers try to jump into a committed relationship
without taking the time to court and woo their prospect. Building
relationships is a process.
Like dating, some techniques for meeting people and
building relationships work better than others. If I were targeting a
Bible-believing conservative girl, I would attend the church social
instead of a strip club. For our first date, I would take her flowers
and candy. I would wear my best cologne and finest suit. I would
not likely talk about our wedding and children on the first date. If
all went well, I would try for a second date. Hopefully down the
road, our relationship would grow into something lasting. If we did
get married, I would still need to do things to cultivate the
relationship. I would treat her differently as my wife, and there
would be new mutual expectations. If I ignored her or treated her as
if I did not know her, then she would be offended and maybe even
end the marriage. Though some people are able to have a good
relationship with former spouses or girlfriends, there is typically a
great deal of bitterness when the relationship ends.
This is an imperfect analogy to the relationship between
companies and consumers, but there are some striking parallels.
You must provide something special to get the attention of new
customers, and be on your best behavior. Once the customer is
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committed, he or she should be treated like a valued partner, not a

stranger. You need to keep doing the little things to let the customer
know you care and are still committed. If you should alienate a
customer, it is worse than never having been with him or her in the
first place. Most people will tell everyone they know about their bad
experience and why they no longer use your product. Unlike in love,
in the marketing scenario, it is not better to have sold and lost than
never to have sold at all.
Planting, Watering, Harvesting

When people visit your church for the first time, they are not
likely to come forward at the first altar call. Conversion, for most of
us, is a process. If people are serious about putting their faith in
Christ, they will need to seriously consider what that means, this
takes time.
God uses different people to contribute to the process of
conversion: one person plants a seed, another one waters, while
another one harvests. Although you may feel, at times, like you have
had no effect on someone with whom you have planted the seed of
faith, the good news is that someone else may water the seeds of the
Gospel you so faithfully planted. That person may come to Christ
long after you first shared your faith.
Think of your own conversion. Was it not the influence of
many people, not just one, who lead you to believe in Christ? What
you do, how you treat people, even where you park (leaving room
for visitors) are all a part of the process. God has you in a unique
role to serve his purpose and exert influence where he wants it. But
like the dating analogy above, it is better to be genuine and patient
than to try to score on the first date. Let people move at their own
pace, and realize you may be the seed planter in their life, not the
harvester, God will take care of that.
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Too Personal
Have you ever been on a date with someone who tells you
his or her whole life story, with its deepest darkest secrets, and then
wants to hear yours before you leave the parking lot for the date? It
gives you the creeps and brings up your defenses instead of lowering
them.
Sometimes too much information can be a bad thing and
marketers cross the line. Getting mail from a stranger that pretends
to know my name and provides a laundry list of past purchases
invites fear, not familiarity. Privacy is a dearly held privilege in our
country and should be respected. Do not try to gain trust by using
artificial marketing data. Use information to invite prospects into a
relationship and earn their trust with superior products and services.
Hugs
Have you ever visited a church where a big burley guy gives
you a hug at the door? Maybe you are that guy. I don’t want to hurt
your feelings, but I am not comfortable hugging strange men in
public. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it gives me the willies.
When traveling for my work I enjoy visiting other churches,
but I do not enjoy the boy bear hug. The girl hug would be strange
for other reasons, not the least of which is that I am a happily
married man. Think about when someone visits your church for the
first time. He or she is probably a little uncomfortable and nervous
already. To help visitors overcome this foreign environment, extend
a hearty handshake, give a big smile, and point them to the coffee
and donuts, your hospitality will be greatly appreciated.
Front Porches
I met my friend Scott Ginsberg at an NSA (National
Speakers Association) meeting. He was wearing a nametag that said,
“Hello, My Name is Scott.” There was nothing unusual about this;
we were all wearing nametags. His, however, was hand written in a
different color than ours. Why? Because, Scott has been wearing a
nametag every single day for over 5 years now. If you want to see
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the status of how many days he is at today, check out his website
(www.hellomynameisscott.com).
Sounds a little odd, but Scott is one of the brightest and
most innovative people I have met. The reason he wears a nametag
is because it acts as a means of approachability. In fact, Scott has
written two books on the subject. He is a professional speaker who
works with groups who want to learn to be more friendly and
approachable. Understandably he has worked with several churches
interested in becoming a more outgoing congregation.
Scott says if you want to start talking to people, you need a
good front porch, like in the good-old-days when people would stop
and talk to their neighbors on the porch. Today we need to figure
out a way to make ourselves approachable by creating front porches
that invite conversation and interaction. Scott explains this way
better in his book: The Power of Approachability. If you are looking for
innovative and powerful ways to get your church to build
relationships with people, I would highly recommend reading this
book or talking to Scott himself, he’s very approachable.
Multipliers
The process of unsatisfied customers disparaging your
reputation is called a negative multiplier. A customer is not happy with
your product, so he or she tells two friends, and they tell two friends,
and they tell two friends, and so on. I am sure you can figure out
that the counterpart, a positive multiplier, is the goal. When you truly
satisfy your customer, he or she is likely not only to remain a
customer, but to advise others to become customers also.
Viral Marketing
Is this something you can catch from attending business
meetings? Here is a strategy in a need of a name change. Viral
marketing is the name for positive multipliers at an extreme level.
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The Internet provided a means for quickly spreading messages.

When one person sends information to another on the Internet, it is
called peer-to-peer communication. The use of e-mail has provided
opportunities for messages to be widely broadcast peer-to-peer in a
short amount of time.
For example, Microsoft provides free e-mail accounts but
attaches a short marketing message to the bottom of every e-mail
that is sent. Budweiser saw great success with their “w’sup?”
commercials. They made the commercials available in a format that
could be e-mailed and it was shortly sent by millions to all of their
friends. Soon everyone I know was saying, “w’suuuup?” It just kept
spreading and multiplying, like a virus. For more tips on how to
start your own marketing pandemic check out Seth Godin’s book
Unleashing the Ideavirus.
Old School
The original evangelists from Jesus’ day used viral marketing.
How do I know this? No other kind of marketing existed. All
communication was verbal, with an odd scroll thrown in here and
there. So you could say that viral marketing is the way the church
was started, Get verbal, and get back to the basics!
Fun with Funnels

A funnel is a good way to think of the marketing process.
The top is very broad and consists of using mass marketing
techniques. Mass marketing includes items like mass mailings,
national advertising, billboards, and airing commercials during the
Super Bowl. The marketing message is sent to a broad audience
with little or no discretion. Mass marketing is very expensive,
difficult to evaluate, and has a low return on investment. Mass
marketing is a stab in the dark, like trying to find needles in a
haystack. The next section of the funnel narrows the target audience
into market segments. The communications still appeal to a large
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audience, but they are at least targeted to a specific market segment

by means of the chosen media.
Cat Fancy magazine, ESPN, and the Oxygen website each
target a specific segment of the market: cat lovers, sports enthusiasts,
and women, respectively. Next, we narrow the target audience
further into niche or specialty markets. Harley Davidson, Barbie,
and Macintosh computers each appeal to a specialty area of the
market. The bottom of the funnel is the customized or one-to-one
area of the funnel. The consumer being on a first-name basis with
the product or service provider often characterizes these markets.
Mike the mechanic, Bill the barber, Doc Baker are all one-to-one
relationships in which the customer and service provider know each
other personally. Through the use of technology and mass
customization, these relationships can be available on a wide scale
such as in the case of the “My Yahoo!” page.
ROI
ROI stands for return on investment. Every one of the
techniques in the funnel will gain customers. The question is which
technique will provide the greatest return on investment. A Super
Bowl ad is sure to create interest and generate new customers, but at
what price? The same amount of money spent at the bottom and
targeted directly at ideal customers will produce a much greater
return on investment. Two benefits of targeting the bottom of the
funnel are the likelihood of a positive response and the kinds of
relationships that are established. Relationships on the bottom of
the funnel are more committed and not easily broken. One-to-one
customers form the bedrock, the foundation, for any successful
product line. These people are not likely to change to a competitor
due to the mutual commitment they feel between themselves and
the brand.
Customers at the bottom of the funnel can and should
become your best marketing tool. They are positive multipliers that
spread the word to friends and family. There are three levels of the
one-to-one section: the customer, the referent, and the advocate.
The customer will continue to buy the product and not switch to the
competition. The referent will continue to buy the product and will
tell others about the product when asked (give referrals). The
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advocate will continue to purchase the product, will actively

promote the product, and will convince others to buy it. The goal of
every marketer is to gain advocates for the product.
To summarize, the top of the funnel is the most expensive
with the least return on investment and the least amount of
consumer loyalty, while the bottom of the funnel is the least
expensive with the greatest return on investment and the greatest
amount of consumer loyalty. Getting consumers to the bottom is
the goal. Marketers should always be guiding their consumers to the
bottom of the funnel where the costs are less and the relationships
are stronger.
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Figure 5.1 The Marketing Funnel©

Phase I: Directing Consumers Toward the Bottom
©
2001 marketingenious
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Figure 5.2 The Marketing Funnel©

Phase II: The Bottom- Leveraging Consumer Loyalty
©
2001 marketingenious
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Take it from the Top

Why would anyone market to a mass audience at the top of
the funnel? There are three reasons marketers come in from the top
of the funnel: lack of education, sloth, and lack of opportunity. The
majority of people marketing products do not know anything about
the marketing funnel. If you know anyone that needs to be a more
effective marketer, I urge you to advocate this book to him or her.
Millions of dollars are spent because that is just the way things have
been done in the past, or that is what companies see from their
competitors. If you want to lead the market, then innovate instead
of imitating.
On the other hand, some people are too lazy to work on
building these types of relationships with customers. Often it is
easier to pay for a television commercial or a billboard than to figure
out how to establish one-to-one relationships with thousands of
target customers.
The final reason is lack of opportunity. Sometimes when
marketing a new product, it is necessary to enter the market from
higher up in the funnel. If this is the case, steer your customer
relationships down the funnel as quickly as possible. For example, if
you must enter the market by means of a national newspaper
advertisement, link the ad to a customizable website or some other
tool that allows the relationship to develop further and reduces the
need for future mass marketing efforts.
The Christian Funnel

Christians, particularly adult converts, have an inverted funnel
in relation to non-Christians. If you are living a sinful life with sinful
people yet decide to become a Christian, you should surround
yourself with other Christians while disassociating your past by
disconnecting from your non-Christian friends and family. If you
are trying to stop drinking, it would be a good idea to stop hanging
out with your drinking buddies at the bar. The Inverted Funnel
looks like this:
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Eventually you will lose touch with your old chums, they do
not really want to hang out with you anymore. As you surround
yourself with a bevy of new Christian friends, you progress into
finding a Christian mechanic, a Christian chiropractor, and even a
Christian grocery store owner. While it is great to support Christian
businesses, you have effectively cut yourself off from the world and
created a bubble.
If you subscribe to the monastic philosophy, then this is
great news. If, on the other hand, you would like to live out the
great commission by sharing your faith, you must venture back into
the dark recesses of your old stomping grounds. Perhaps you
cannot save your old drinking buddies, but there are plenty of other
folks out there in need of hearing the Gospel if you are willing to
associate with them. If you do not go, then who will? Who is better
suited to reach the world from which you came? This admonition is
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not necessarily for baby Christians, but if you are mature in your
faith, what are you afraid of?
Word of Mouth
Many of my marketing students say they want to use “word
of mouth” to market their product. They have the right idea - get
people talking about and recommending the product - but is it that
simple? Can I just say “I’ll use word of mouth,” and it magically
starts to occur? I say to my students, “That’s a great idea. How are
you going to create this phenomenon and what are people going to
be saying?” It takes planning and strategy to get the ball rolling.
Marketers have to provide the something for people to talk about.
Though creating advocates takes hard work and commitment, if you
follow the seven keys outlined in this book you should have no
trouble gaining them for your product. You will have a product
with a distinct advantage (Key 1), and you will be clearly
communicating that message (Key 5).
Daehn’s Marketing Question

For any marketing decision, determine whether it is the best
use of funds by asking, “Will it gain the maximum exposure to the target
audience that builds relationships while avoiding wasted expense?” If you are
spending your own money, you do not want to waste marketing
dollars getting your message to the wrong people. If you are
spending someone else’s money, you have the responsibility to use it
to create lasting, protected relationships with product advocates. To
achieve maximum success during the marketing process, continue to
ask yourself the “Daehn question.”
Stewardship
You are responsible for the money and resources God gives
you to use for his purposes. Be like Joseph:
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When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the
LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and
became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he
entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of
his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the
Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything
Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. (Genesis 39:3-5)
This is all the more reason to ask the Daehn Marketing

Question before you allocate your resources.
That’s a Keeper
It is far less expensive to keep a customer than to get a new
one. The best way to keep customers is to provide good customer
service. It also is the best way to increase the return on investment.
Many companies make the mistake of throwing dollars at the
acquisition of new customers while ignoring current customers. A
few dollars spent on customer retention through improved customer
service, customized communications, and customer recognition
programs will pay higher dividends than another mass marketing
campaign to gain new ones.
How is Your Retention?

How much turnover is there at your church? At a former
church I helped plant and attended for over five years, the leadership
would often take time to say farewell to members who were leaving,
particularly if they had actively served and volunteered. When my
wife and I left, they had no such ceremony. I can understand not
saying goodbye to me, my constant analysis and critiques annoy
some people (but make a good book). My wife, on the other hand,
was actively involved in ministry and helped coordinate several
events. Why was she not recognized?
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Before getting too indignant, this really begs the question.

How many people come for a month or two and leave unnoticed?
The Young Marrieds class at my current church produces a directory;
as I thumb through it, I see several couples who are no longer
attending. In spite of the numbers in the class remaining steady at
around 100 people, I wonder where the other couples have gone?
Does it matter if the numbers are steady even though others are
leaving? Are the couples going to another church, or are they not
going to Church at all? Were they Christians looking for a nice place
to worship or were they seekers looking for God? This breaks my
heart. If you get nothing else from this book, I hope you at least
focus your attention on the people falling through the cracks in your
church. Marketing may get people to walk in your door, but keeping
them from walking out the door is dependent upon meeting their
needs and building relationships.
Wireless and Clueless

Companies selling wireless phone service spend millions to
attain new customers. Besides the advertising, they entice new
prospects with free or discounted phones. These phones are sold
below cost, so the only way the company can break even is for the
purchaser to remain a long-term customer. But what happens when
the contract expires? If the current customer wants to get a new
phone, they have to change companies or pay full price for a new
one. There are no incentives to remain a customer or to renew the
contract. Companies are more focused on spending money to get
new clients than to keep the ones they have.
How many companies spend millions on slick television
commercials that drive people into stores? Once in the store,
disaffected, under paid and under trained employees treat the
customer like a second-class citizen, while the advertised product is
not what the commercial claims or is unavailable. Marketers should
spend less on wasteful mass marketing campaigns and more on
building relationships with customers at the point of sale.
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DIRECTV took this to heart and made some changes. They

took some of their marketing dollars and used them to enhance their
customer service process. They improved their main line of
personal communication between themselves and their customers:
the call center. DIRECTV gave incentives to their call center
workers by offering more training, benefits, and career advancement
opportunities. The result was an increase in client retention and the
amount of money spent on subscriptions by callers. They also won
industry awards for customer service and retention.
Quid Pro Quo

Quid Pro Quo is a Latin term meaning “this for that.” In
other words, you give me this and I will give you that; one hand
washes the other. This is not wrong in itself, but it often lacks the
intangibles involved in most relationships. Building relationships
with customers comes from a transformational versus a transactional
perspective. Instead of each party getting what it wants and leaving,
each is concerned with benefiting its counterpart. These interactions
are often called win/win scenarios where each side benefits.
Marketers need to treat their customers with respect and try to
benefit them, not just take their money, if they are going to build
committed protected relationships.
Piece of the Pie

To approach life with the view there is plenty to go around is
called the abundance mentality. This view holds that there is room
in this world for everyone to prosper, and it is best to form
cooperative, mutually beneficial relationships with others. Those
that do not comprehend or believe in the benefits of
interdependence often have a scarcity mentality. They think life is
like a pie with only so much to go around. If other people are
prospering, there may not be enough for them. They get upset at
the success of others because they think it means there is less chance
for their own success. To build lasting relationships with customers
requires an abundance mentality that strives for the best situation for
the customer and the brand. Customers should be viewed as
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lifetime partners, not short-term sources of income. There is plenty

of pie for everyone to share.
Napster
For decades the record industry held a technological
chokehold on the distribution of music content. Because they had
exclusive control, record executives decided to charge large sums of
money for their product. While perfectly legal, this is not a good
way to build relationships with consumers. Ordinary citizens had
neither the technology to create their own access to popular music
nor the organizational ability to defy the practices of the record
companies.
With the World Wide Web that is no longer the case.
Napster devised a way for individuals to share musical content from
peer-to-peer over the Internet. Not only has new technology freed
the access to musical content, it has also provided a way for formerly
disconnected people to communicate, share, and lobby for change
of music industry practices. The sharing of copyrighted musical
content is illegal, but most consumers feeling like they have been
fleeced by the record companies for years justify their actions. The
record companies charged exorbitant rates for musical content
through monopolistic practices for decades and thus angered their
customers. Now these companies are scrambling to convince
customers they should pay for their music again. Good luck!
Similar industries would be wise to learn this lesson.
Doctors and lawyers have used the same distribution methods for
generations. By limiting access to information, these disciplines
have been able to charge high fees for their expert advice. Today
consumers can find much of this information on the Internet for
free or at a fraction of the cost.
I injured my foot and there was a great deal of swelling. I
called my doctor’s office several times to have it looked at by a
professional. While I was waiting for someone to call me back from
the office, I jumped on the Internet website WebMD.com. In a few
minutes I had diagnosed the problem and was treating the injury.
When the nurse called me back a few hours later and I described the
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symptoms, she began to give me treatment advice. As she was

telling me to elevate it and keep ice on it, etc., I started finishing her
sentences for her. She asked, “How do you know what I am going
to say?” I told her that I had already looked up the problem on the
Internet and was treating myself.
I am not recommending forgoing medical treatment for self-
diagnosis, but it proves the point that we are not as reliant on these
industries for information as we used to be. Doctors, lawyers, and
other purveyors of information better adjust their practices and
become more consumer friendly, or they may wake up to find
themselves “Napster-ized” one day.
The Sherwin Marketing Matrix

My marketing professor, Nick Sherwin, developed a process
for understanding relationship building with customers. Sherwin
classifies marketing tools into above-the-line, below-the-line, front-
end and back-end. Above-the-line tools like advertising and public
relations/publicity are used before a relationship has been
established to create image and awareness. Below-the-line tools
such as sales promotion, personal selling, and direct marketing are
used after some type of relationship has already been established.
The front-end tools should be used at the beginning of the strategy
and transition to the back-end tools. Many companies use these
tools out of order or inappropriately.
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Figure 5.3: The Sherwin Marketing Matrix
Keep Your Word

As discussed earlier, brands are promises. Every marketing
activity is communicating a promise the brand is making.
Companies need to live up to and honor their promises if they want
to make and keep relationships with customers.
Humans Crave Relationship

What is the greatest punishment inflicted upon hardened
criminals? Solitary confinement. The worst thing that can be done
to a person is to remove him or her from interaction with other
people.
The reason is that humans were created for relationship. I
have had people tell me that in my business decisions I take things
too personally. I retort that they do not take their business
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personally enough. Business transpires between individuals and

groups of human beings. Trying to depersonalize the process causes
problems; it does not make things easier. People desire to have a
relationship with your brand and will feel betrayed if you do not
treat them with the dignity and respect required of human beings.
Marketing is about the human communication process. To be
successful you must treat people like people, not machines.
Manipulation
If you read this book, I will give you a million dollars!
Not really, but I did get your attention. How do you feel right now?
Cheated? Humiliated? Indifferent? Welcome to the world of
manipulation. It amazes me how much people hate to be
manipulated yet, given the opportunity, think it will work well on
others. I had a student in class give a presentation of how he was
going to tweak his advertising copy to essentially trick people into
buying his product. I asked the class what they thought of his ideas
and they thought it was a great idea. I then asked how many people
would like to be tricked and would they continue to do business
with a company like this? They changed their opinion quickly. It is
astounding how quickly people who would not like these techniques
used on them adopt these manipulative strategies when given the
opportunity to do it to someone else.
A sound marketing strategy does not need nor condone
manipulation. To have long-term, lasting success and strong
relationships with customers, honesty is the best policy. To vary on
the Golden Rule: market to others as you would have them market to you.
Personal Selling Revisited

Personal selling is crucial to relationship development
because most of the face-to-face interaction between companies and
their customers takes place during this process. I reiterate my
admonition that retailers would be wise to run a few less mass
marketed advertisements and use the money to better train and
compensate their employees. People may come into the store
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because of the ads, but will only return if they have a good
experience and positive interaction with employees. Otherwise there
is little motivation not to shop at a competitor, particularly if they
have a better commercial.
Personal Evangelism Revisited

Your church is about the people. If the church is going to
reach those people, every Christian and every Church member needs
to understand it depends on them, and not just the paid staff, to
connect with non-Christians, to meet their needs, to share the
Gospel in a culturally relevant manner. Is your church relying on the
paid ministry staff to grow the church? Is the paid ministry staff
allowing the people to rely on them to grow the church? If that
were the model, then the church would have stopped growing 2
millennia ago when Christ ascended to Heaven. But that is not His
model: He trained his apostles to find people who did not know
God, to share the Gospel to bring about conversion, to teach them
to love God and others, which included training new followers.
When a church is dependent solely on the paid ministry staff to
reach their community, they are not following the biblical model.
Go Blues!
The St. Louis Blues are the greatest hockey team ever. Sure,
at the time of writing this they have not yet won a Stanley Cup
championship, but they are still the best. I am speaking as a fan of
the team. I am truly an advocate for the St. Louis Blues because I
have been cultivating a relationship with them since before I was
born (my mother went to Blues games while she was pregnant with
me). We all know people who are crazy about their favorite team.
This is the kind of relationship you want to have with customers.
Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles expound on this theme in their
book Raving Fans about providing revolutionary customer service.
Successful marketers create raving fans for their products.
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Go Blues!
No Stanley Cup yet, but I am still a fan. They have a strong
protected relationship with me, despite their lack of playoff success.
Protect Your Investment

In today’s competitive marketplace, the best way to insure
your investment is to establish relationships with customers. By
building and cultivating these connections, you establish a protected
relationship. People will continue to do business with you because
they know and trust you. Make yourself invaluable to your
customers, and they will likely be yours for life. You will also gain
valuable feedback on how to improve in the future.
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Key 6: Gain Feedback
How do you know you know you are on the right track with
your marketing plan? To see how you are doing you have to
constantly evaluate your efforts.
Measuring Up
Gaining feedback is what tells you whether you are on the
right path with your customers. You have already done the hard
work of developing a roadmap for success in your marketing plan.
Feedback will tell you whether you are on the right track or veering
off course.
A jumbo jet leaving New York for Rome sets an exact course
to follow during the flight. If the trajectory from the point of origin
is off by mere inches, the plane will land in another city or, worse
yet, in the ocean. During the flight pilots are consistently checking
their instruments and gaining feedback to determine if they are on
target. They continually make adjustments to their flight path based
on the information received from their instruments. Intelligent
marketers use various methods to gain feedback on their efforts to
keep them on course.
Method of Accountability
Feedback determines whether the marketing efforts are
worthwhile. I have spoken at length about the importance of
determining return on investment. Measurement provides a way to
evaluate the value of marketing campaigns. From the results, you
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are equipped to make decisions about what is working and what is

inefficient. If an ad agency is unable to show results proving the
success of its activity, how do you know that money is not better
spent elsewhere? Feedback must provide accountability and
justification for the use of various marketing communications.
How Is Your Church Accountable?

How many horror stories have you heard about the shady
financial practices of churches? Sometimes it is intentional, but
often people are thrown into a role for which they have no training.
Accountability will stifle the former and alleviate the latter. There is
a reason why attending to finances is called accounting.
There is more to accountability than just the money. How
responsible are you with people’s time? Do you start and end
activities punctually? Are all of your meetings planned and executed
with respect for the sacrifices made by those attending? Do you get
feedback on the sermons and lessons?
Getting negative feedback can be a tough pill to swallow, but
the alternative is ineffective mediocrity, besides you may just find
how good a job your church is doing. Often you only hear from the
complainers; feedback gives members a chance to pat you on the
back too.
Benchmarks
When defining the purpose of the company, goals are set
and certain standards are to be achieved. These goals or
benchmarks provide a means for determining if the marketing
process is on target. All feedback should be measured against the
established benchmarks of the company.
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What are Your Benchmarks?

Besides mission, vision, and goals, what are the standards by
which you operate? Do you have a guide for acceptable quality in
your publications (also called a brand standards guide)? Check out a
sample brand/communication standards guide on the Marketing the
Church website (www.marketingthechurch.com).
Surveys
Surveys are a good way to gain feedback from current and
potential customers. Most people wish they could tell manufacturers
what they want and how to make it, but are never given the
opportunity. When constructing a survey, make sure it is easy to use
and can be completed with minimal effort on the part of the
participant. At the same time, make sure the survey will provide
accurate, easily quantifiable results. Here’s how to create great
surveys:
• Start easy- Ask for the easy information first. Start with
name, address and telephone number to get people warmed
up, and then move on to the tough questions. I saw a
church survey that had formatted the layout of their survey
in such a way that the question “How much money do you
make?” was centered at the top of the first page. While I
was excited to see the church using a survey to improve the
organization, I was concerned to see such a sensitive
question jumping off the page at first glance. This design
can cause respondents to stop filling in the questionnaire.
• Avoid response setting- Response setting is the
psychological pattern of grouping answers in a similar
pattern. For example, if you ask ten questions that all regard
the performance of the company with one being disagree
strongly and ten being agree strongly, some respondents will
just go down the list and check all high or low responses
without reading the questions. To avoid this occurrence,
alter the questions. For example, make question one “The
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company does a good job” and the second question “The

company is not doing a good job.” If they score a “ten” on
the first question and you are getting honest responses, you
should get a “one” on the second question. There should be
at least one question where you reverse the positive and
negative to determine whether you are getting honest
answers or the respondent is giving response-setting
answers.
• Use a quantifier- Quantifier simply means using numbers.
To gain results that are easy to use, implement a quantifier
into the responses. If you receive 1,000 surveys, you will
want to be able to plot the results (such as a 90% customer
satisfaction rating and a 50% approval rating of prices). If
the responses are all fill in the blank, there is no way to put a
number on the amount of customer satisfaction without it
being a subjective, arbitrary number. By using numbers in
the responses, you can quantify the results and make fancy
charts and graphs. Internet surveys and Scantrons also make
it easy to get the data into a usable format quickly.
• Avoid limited responses- Give the respondents room to
vary their opinions. If the customers feel the service was
above average they might give a 70%, but they need the
option to do so. If the scale is from one to three, then they
will probably give a two, which is 50%. If the scale is one to
ten they will probably give a seven, which is 70%. Using a
scale of one to ten is better than using a scale of one to three
because it provides more options and will gain more accurate
results.
• Allow for customization- Give respondents a place to write
their comments and give feedback. While this is more
difficult to quantify, it can provide information you never
thought to ask or explain why some scores are high or low.
• Keep it short- Most people do not enjoy filling out surveys.
Your first response motivator is to keep the survey short and
easy to complete.
• Enhance the relationship- Use the survey to provide
useful information to the clients and strengthen the
relationship. Thank them for partnering with you. Getting
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people involved and interested in the company enhances

commitment.
• Gain marketing information- Ask if there are any projects
you can help with and/or if they know anyone else that
could benefit from your product.
• Provide a response motivator- How do you get people to
fill out a survey? Most people, unless highly motivated by an
extremely positive or negative experience, will not take the
time to fill out and/or return a survey. A response
motivator must be attached to surveys to get a high
percentage of them returned. Companies must provide
some reward, product or service in exchange for a completed
survey.
When I began doing marketing consulting for a graphic

designer, the first thing I suggested was creating a survey. He
already had a group of past and present customers, and a survey was
a good way to measure the depth of the relationship and determine
customer satisfaction. Some customers did business on a regular
basis, while others stopped talking to the designer after their first
project. We sent a letter that announced celebrating five years in
business and thanked the customer for being a client. The letter also
said we wanted to hear from them so that we could better meet their
needs in the future. The graphic designer created five-year
anniversary t-shirts and delivered them to his customers. Since he
had only a few customers, and most of them were local, he delivered
the surveys and t-shirts in person. When the survey process is done
correctly, it greatly enhances the connection between the customer
and the company (Key 5), especially when the customer sees his or
her information put into action (Key 7).
This is a proactive approach that asks for input instead of
waiting for customers to call and complain or give compliments.
The survey asked what we were doing well and what we needed to
work on improving. It also asked the customers to rate their
experience with the designer. Each question had a scale from one to
ten with a space to write comments for each question. There was
also additional space provided for open feedback from the customer.
We asked if the customer had any projects that we could assist with
in the future. Finally, we asked if they knew anyone that could
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benefit from our services. By using this last question to ask for a
referral we were able to gauge the strength of our relationship with
the client and gain new business. The survey was a way to
strengthen our relationship with the customers (Key 5), let them
know we recognized them, cared about their business, and were
taking steps to improve our services to them (Key 7).
Leveraging Surveys
Besides the occasional big congregational surveys, you
should be using surveys all the time, whenever possible. For every
special event or retreat, survey the participants to see what went
well, and what needs improvement. This may seem odd at first, but
after a while people will get used to the experience and expect to be
able to give feedback after the event. This involves them in the
process and engages them further in the event. It is also an
opportunity to ask for volunteers and contact information from
folks to help next time, unless you already have enough volunteers,
which is not usually the case in my experience.
You can also use surveys as an outreach tool. Besides
getting valuable information from potential visitors, it is a
conversation starter. If you are asking parents in the community
what kind of childcare, arts and sports programs their kids would
enjoy, you are going to pique their interest in attending the church.
Web Overload
We have already discussed the advantages of using the
Internet for its ability to track the activity of viewers. The problem
is that you can gather so much information that it is difficult to
determine what is relevant and what to do with the information.
Several software programs are available that allow you to get these
statistics and put them into a usable format for analysis and
presentation. I also recommend hiring a service to advise your
company on useful application of the information. Another option
is to install an Internet marketing department in the organization.
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The bottom line is that the Internet is a vital component in the

modern marketing communications process, and the smart
companies will devote resources to leveraging its use.
Minister of Communication
Businesses figured out they needed a new chief executive, the
CIO (Chief Information Officer). There is an increased reliance on
technology coupled with rapid changes in the way technology is
changing and developing. Realistically your church needs either a
full time minister, or capable volunteers who are seeing to the
demands of information technology and communication. If not, you
are going to fall behind quickly. Who is in charge of
communications for your church?
Personal Selling One More Time

This is the third time I implore you to value employees.
Front-line salespeople and customer service representatives are the
face of the company. This interaction is reciprocal. Not only does
the salesperson communicate the marketing message of the
company to the customer, but also customers directly relate their
responses to the company representative.
I have had hundreds of interactions with customers in my
years as a salesman. Customers would channel their complaints and
compliments directly to me. I would often urge them to complete a
response card and submit it to headquarters, particularly if I agreed
with their comments. My fellow salespersons and I would sadly, yet
honestly, explain that the company did not listen to us, but they
might listen to them if they took the time to fill out a response card.
You should talk to your front-line sales people to gather
feedback. Smart marketers use this valuable, timely, and already
paid-for resource for gathering information. This is a win/win/win
for the company and a win/win situation for the customer and
salesperson. The company wins by gathering accurate data. The
salespeople win because they feel valued and as if they are making a
175
contribution. The company wins again because the salespeople are

more committed to a company that cares and listens to what they
have to say. The customers win because they are being heard and
are getting the changes they want. The company wins a third time
because the customers are happier and more committed to a
continued relationship. Based on this reasoning, why would any
company not invest in gathering information from its salespeople?
Sadly, most companies do not know any better. Lucky for you, you
read this book and can beat the socks off your competition.
I must admit I have my own motives for emphasizing the
role of salespeople in the marketing process. The first reason is that
I have spent so many years being ignored as a salesperson I desire to
reform the industry and make personal selling an honorable and
enjoyable profession. The second reason is that I am tired of
receiving sub-par service. I have worked very hard to be friendly,
outgoing, and meet the needs of my customers, and I expect the
same when I go shopping.
Once I had a customer remark to me that he appreciated my
service and my knowledge about the products in my store. While I
enjoyed the compliment, I did not feel as if I did anything
extraordinary besides talk with the man and answer his questions.
He said he was in the process of improving the customer service for
an Internet software company he was consulting. I told him the
names of some excellent books on customer service I recommend.
He laughed and said that stuff was too advanced; these people just
needed to learn some manners and how to be polite.
Who is to blame for poor customer service? Obviously, the
salesperson needs to take responsibility for his or her actions and
many salespeople do not care. But companies are also to blame for
not spending time or resources on a vital component of the
marketing process. They blow millions on television commercials in
hopes that customers will visit their stores, yet only pay their
salespeople minimum wage. Any customers that do shop based on
the commercials will certainly be turned off by poor service. It is a
strange paradox that in an age when service is a buzzword and
everyone in business is talking about great customer service, good
customer service is such a rarity.
176
Customer Service for Churches

One purpose of this book is to translate terminology for
some of the better practices of business into a language and context
Christians can understand. However in this instance, customer
service is the mindset and terminology I recommend.
While working with a Christian college I realized one of their
biggest deficiencies was customer service. Many, though not all, of
the staff had the attitude that they were doing the students a favor
by talking to them or meeting their needs. They need a paradigm
shift, to succeed in business you treat your customers like they are
the boss. Customers pay employee salaries, and if students decide to
go somewhere else, the employees are out of a job. My
recommendation was to provide customer service training with step
one being to understand this fact: students are the customers. I am
not putting down the staff; several have never been trained. These
are good people who have made many sacrifices to work for a
Christian college. It is the responsibility of the college to invest in
their staff, to give them proper training, and to help them reach their
full potential.
Moments of Magic
Shep Hyken is a master of magic and customer service. He
has taken his love for magic and turned it into an entertaining
presentation on how to provide great service for customers. Shep
says there are moments of interactions with customers that can be
turned into either moments of magic or moments of misery. Read
more about Shep’s magical approach to customer service on his
website (www.hyken.com). He has books, videos, presentations,
and a free newsletter, I’m a subscriber and an advocate (Key 5).
Feedback Cards
For physical locations you should provide cards for your
customers to be able to communicate with you. Allow them to leave
177
the card with a salesperson or to mail it in to the company at their

leisure. Make sure you put a stamp on the card to encourage their
sending it back. To avoid postage expenses, provide a web address
where customers can leave feedback. A contact/feedback section
should also be a part of any web-based business.
Brochure Response Card

While creating the brochure for West County Christian
Church, we decided to attach a response card. On one side people
can give their name and contact information; on the other side they
can write their questions and comments before turning the card into
the leadership. Take a look at the brochure on the Marketing the
Church website (www.marketingthechurch.com).
Warrantees
Warrantee cards have been used for a long time. Besides
adding value to the product for customers, warrantees are a
tremendous way for marketers to gather data about customers. Be
careful not to make the response card too long, or few customers
will take the time to return it.
Trading for Data

People are willing to provide marketing information in exchange for
certain benefits. My marketing professor was fond of creating
events or concerts that were almost free. The only charge for
admission was to fill out a response card. For example, he would
stage a jazz music festival and get the names and addresses from the
attendees. The response cards would ask if they were interested in
receiving jazz music information and offers from vendors. After the
event he had created a list of pre-qualified marketing prospects.
Another way to trade for data is to have contests and giveaways that
reward respondents with gifts or the chance to win a large prize.
178
Many early Internet sites gave away free products or

information in exchange for registering with the site. Be careful not
to give away the store or to create a climate where there is no
possibility for paying for the expense of gathering the data. Many
early Internet companies went bankrupt before they could take
advantage of all the information they had gathered.
Steal this Idea

Build your marketing communications around inviting people
to the building to become familiar with the church grounds and to
start to meet people (Key 5). While they are there, get information
from them. Besides contact information, find out why they attended
this event, what other events would be of interest, and what it would
take to get them to attend church. What visitor-friendly events do
you have at your church? What events could you start right away?
Test Marketing
Try your product in a test market before you fully develop it.
The results may help you determine whether you should double
production or scrap the project altogether. If you are thinking of
carrying a new product line, try it out in some test cases first. One
retail store I worked with tried a few bags from a company to see
how they would sell. The product was very popular and we sold all
the test models. The company worked out a deal and carried a large
selection of the product from the vendor. In another case we
carried another bag style that few if any people bought. We sent the
rest of the test models back and said “no thanks.” If you have the
ability to test market, take advantage of the opportunity.
Market Development Groups

A few companies have seen success with developing a test-
marketing group amongst prospective customers. Mercedes selected
179
a group and asked questions about what type of sport utility vehicle
they would like to see in the future. To thank the participants they
gave them hats, t-shirts, key chains and kept them abreast of the
development. Once the new automobile became available, most of
the participants were dying to buy one. The automaker had
developed a strong relationship with this group (Key 5) and was
creating the design based on the feedback gathered (Keys 6 & 7).
Confidentiality
Unless your company is in the business of selling
information, do not sell or share your information with other
entities. If you want to destroy a relationship in a hurry, give your
prospect’s name to others. This is tantamount to adultery in the
customer-to-company relationship. Promise confidentiality and
keep your word. If you do intend to share the information, be sure
you have the permission of the customer first.
Focus Groups
I had the privilege of attending a focus group for an
insurance company. Rows of comfortable seats and a hot Chinese
food buffet awaited the heads of the company paying for the
research, not the participants in the focus group. The participants in
the study were eating hot dogs and potato chips. I was perched with
company officials behind a large two-way mirror and enjoyed a
hearty meal while watching the focus group participants gush about
what a great idea the insurance product was.
Were these accurate responses? Would these people really
buy the product if they were not sitting in a focus group? In the end
the CEO and founder summed up the results, “Well, I do not think
we really learned anything we did not know, but it was an interesting
thing to watch.” I have to agree with his assessment. It was hard to
tell if any of those people would actually buy the product in real life
based on the advertising material they were given to evaluate, but it
was surely fun to watch, and our food was excellent. I am glad they
were footing the large bill for the exercise and that I got to come
along for the ride.
180
Research Pitfalls
Two dangers in the research process are over-researching
and overemphasizing results. There is tremendous value in gaining
feedback, but some companies are paralyzed by overanalyzing and
therefore do not act. They continue to gather information, but are
not sure what the data means or what to do with the data. Some
opportunities will be missed if they are not grasped immediately.
There comes a point in time when marketers must act on the best
information available and use their judgment. There is always risk
involved in making business decisions. That is why not everyone is
in business, and those who take the risk are rewarded with success
or failure. Making some kind of move leads to a better
understanding of the situation.
For example, if I am not sure how to price my hockey sticks,
I would do some initial research to determine the price. The results
range from $50-60. Eventually, I am going to have to go with my
own decision. If I price the stick at $55 and sell very few, I will
adjust the price down to $50; but if I never enter the market, I am
not going to get the additional information I need to adjust to
changes (Key 7).
The second danger is overemphasizing research. People
behave differently when being observed. When respondents are
asked questions on surveys, in focus groups, or interviews, they tend
to give favorable responses. There is a big difference between what
a customer says they will buy on a survey and what they actually buy
when strolling down the supermarket aisle. Researchers have named
the phenomenon Heisenberg’s principle of uncertainty after the
great atomic physicist.
Do your homework; get as much information as possible
and then act. Once you have implemented a promotion, gain more
feedback and adjust to changes (Key 7). You can never do enough
research to know anything will work without a doubt. As in every
other facet of life, marketing requires an element of faith.
181
Faith Movement
Since I just used the faith term and this is a down-to-earth
treatise on the science of marketing, allow me to elaborate. First of
all, every decision we make is based on an element of faith. Nothing
in life is certain, even science tells us that. I cannot prove beyond a
doubt that you are reading this book right now, and neither can you.
There are two kinds of faith: reasonable and unreasonable.
Reasonable faith is based on a certain amount of evidence
and information while unreasonable faith is based on little or no
information. Unreasonable faith also is the kind of faith that goes
against the evidence. Here is an example to illustrate the point. Let
us say I am going to drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in my car.
I have a large gas tank and should be able to make the trip on half a
tank. If I have not filled my tank in a week and my fuel gauge says
empty and the little yellow light is on but I have faith I can make it
to Las Vegas, then I am acting on an unreasonable faith. If on the
other hand, I go to the gas station, put the nozzle in the tank, watch
the numbers roll on the pump, pay my $37 for gas, get in the car and
see the needle go up to full and the yellow light go off, then I am
acting on a reasonable faith that I can make it to Las Vegas. In
either case, I am still acting on faith that I have enough gas to make
it to Las Vegas, but in the latter scenario my faith is based on reason
and evidence.
The point of this philosophy lesson is to communicate that
your marketing decisions should be based on reason. You will never
have the exhaustive knowledge necessary to guarantee success.
Some information may even be skewed by the methods used to
obtain the results. Nevertheless, you must have some evidence upon
which to base your decisions. This is the difference between
reasonable and unreasonable marketing decisions. Get as much
information as possible and then use the information wisely to
implement changes.
More Faith
There is more at stake here than selling widgets. Your
success or failure at marketing- communicating the Gospel, will
182
affect whether people come to Christ or not. Yes, it is a matter of

faith, and ultimately we are dependent on God for the results, but
you have your part to do. God has given you reason and intellect,
use all the resources at your disposal to effectively communicate the
Gospel. God will do the rest.
But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who
hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty
or thirty times what was sown. (Matthew 13:23)
183
184
7
Key 7: Adjust to Changes
The final piece of the puzzle is to go back where you started

and begin again. Marketing is an ongoing communication process
that never ends.
Constant Change
There are only two constants in business: change and people
that think they are saying something profound when they tell you
the only constant in business is change. Of course there is change,
or I would be writing this book on a cave wall instead of on a laptop
PC.
The difference in the past couple of decades is the rate of
change. Computers have greatly affected the way we gather
information and implement communication. Advances in healthcare
have extended the lives of modern people. Radio, television and
film have increased the scope of mass communication. Companies
must consistently assess their position in the marketplace and make
necessary adjustments to remain competitive.
No Change
Some things never change. Like islands floating in a river of
uncertainty, there are truths that remain no matter what occurs in
the environment. These are universal principles that will continue
despite any technological advances created by humans. These are
the ideals that the company’s mission statement is based upon and
the direction in which the company seeks to align itself. The Seven
185
Keys to Marketing Genius contains principles that will continue as long

as people are people. The details on how to apply some of these
principles will change over time. Smart marketers gain feedback (Key
6) and constantly adjust to changes in market conditions.
Biblical Principles
The source of the principles discussed in this book originate
from God as communicated through scripture:
But what the LORD has planned will stand forever. His thoughts never
change. (Psalm 33:11)
No Laurels
You cannot rest on the laurels of past achievement. To be
successful in the long term, you must continually evaluate (Key 6) and
improve your marketing efforts. Past accomplishments will not
assure future success. As Janet Jackson put it, “What have you done
for me lately?” Some companies fall into this trap by creating line
extensions. They try to play on the success of a previous brand
instead of doing the hard work of applying these seven keys to a new
product. There are no shortcuts, and past praise will not provide
future sales.
In hockey the best teams are disciplined and the players take
short 40- to 50-second shifts. A professional team will have four
lines of players that take turns on the ice. In hockey a shift on the
ice takes the energy of sprinting a 100-yard dash. The best players
give everything they have and use all of their energy. As a coach, I
want my players to come to the bench tired because that means they
used everything on the ice. Each line skates their hardest and comes
to the bench for a short rest.
In marketing you should either keep playing hard or go to
the bench and have a seat. To go through the motions or coast
around because you scored a goal last week will not cut it.
Marketing requires all your energy and resources. If you do not put
186
everything into your efforts or rely on yesterday’s victories, I

guarantee you will lose today.
The Good Old Days

Look at the grand churches of Europe, many of them built by
the Roman Catholic Church. Today, they are partially full; many
have closed their doors because the leaders lost their ability to
communicate in a relevant manner. Don’t confuse sticking to
biblical principles with being a stick in the mud. Jesus was an
innovator in his day. The Sermon on the Mount was a re-telling of
Old Testament principles in a contemporary context for Jesus’
audience. You can be modern, relevant, and hold to conservative
fundamental principles at the same time. You can’t go back to the
good old days, so don’t be a grumbler like the Israelites in the desert:
Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the
sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better
for us to go back to Egypt? (Numbers 14:3)
In this desert your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or
more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me.
(Numbers 14:29)
Ouch- no milk and honey for these complainers. How

about you and your church? Are you ready to move forward into
the Promised Land? Are you giving it all you have to reach your
community for Christ?
The Revisit and Revise Ad Infinitum Continuum

Implementing the seven keys is an ongoing process.
Continue to revisit and revise these elements by asking these
questions:
187
• SWOT- Have there been changes in the market place? Is

your competitive advantage still unique? Are there ways to
stay ahead of or hedge competitors? Are there internal or
external threats on the horizon?
• Mission- If you have done the hard work of creating a
mission statement, it will come to mind whenever making
decisions. The mission should also be revisited and revised
at least twice a year. Evaluate how well the organization is
fulfilling the mission. If it is aligned with the mission, you
can feel confident that you are on the right path. If not, you
will need either to refocus the energies of the organization or
to revamp the mission statement to more closely fit with the
true values of the organization.
• Goals- Are you on the path to meet or exceed your goals?
Are the goals still realistic? What new goals should you be
creating for the future?
• Alignment and Synergy- Is the company and product still
in alignment with the mission? With universal principles? Is
there alignment and synergy between the stated competitive
advantages (Key 1), the purpose (Key 2), the image (Key 3), the
promotions (Key 4), the relationships that are being
established (Key 5), the data that is being gathered (Key 6) and
the changes that are being made (Key 7)?
• Relationships- Are you establishing, maintaining, and
affirming long-term, protected relationships with customers
and employees?
You should ask these and other questions over and over
again on a regular basis. Once you are satisfied with the results, start
over again.
Reflection
You are never done. Continue to evaluate your progress,
and ask God to show you the next step for your church:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
188
everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)
Show Them the Results

Few companies do a good job of gathering data, and even
fewer are good at implementing the necessary changes. What is
rarer still is the company that gains feedback (Key 5), implements
changes (Key 6), and shows the customers the results of their
feedback (Key 7). Imagine the feeling customers get when they see
their ideas implemented by a company. Can you imagine the affinity
they will have toward that company? This is a powerful tool that
not only gets the company on the same page as the customers but
creates a powerful dynamic relationship between the marketer and
the consumers.
Involvement=Commitment
Involvement equals commitment; this is true on many levels
and in many areas of life including the marketing process. The
reason why showing the implementation of feedback to consumers
is so powerful is because it intricately involves them with the
product. Take the example of Mercedes who test marketed the
SUV. By the time they were ready to manufacture the vehicle, the
study group involved felt very committed to the project and wanted
to make a purchase. The whole marketing process is about
involving consumers with a product in hopes that they will begin a
long-term commitment to its use (Key 5). Showing customers how
you have implemented their feedback is a tremendous win/win tool
in this process.
189
190
Conclusion
So you finished the book, congratulations. I hope you had
as much fun reading it as I did writing it. Do you feel smarter? Like
a marketing genius? You should! You now know the importance of
finding your advantage (Key 1) so that you have the edge to dominate the
market with your product. You understand why you must define your
purpose (Key 2) so your company and your product can drive towards
meeting the needs of customers. You are adept at creating an image
(Key 3) that is consistently irresistible. You know the ins and outs of
implementing promotions (Key 4) that have the power of synergy. You
are well versed with how to effectively build relationships (Key 5). You
know how and why to gain feedback (Key 6) in order to effectively
evaluate your efforts and adjust to changes (Key 7).
Congratulations, you are now a marketing genius. If you
have a fairly good understanding of these seven keys you are way
ahead of the competition, and most marketing and advertising
professionals. I have one request, and that is for you to be an
advocate for this book. If this book was helpful to you, please
recommend it to a friend, relative, professor, or publisher. I
appreciate your partnership in increasing the marketing IQ of the
world.
Communication Genius
OK, so becoming a marketing genius may not have been
your goal, but how about a communication genius, or expert
evangelizer, or Gospel guru? Use the tools in this book to turn your
church into something amazing. Use the information in this book
to effectively reveal the remarkable nature of what you are
communicating: a loving God who sacrificed his son to repair a
broken relationship with us. If you need help, check out the
resources I listed in this book or contact me directly:
michael@marketingthechurch.com. I would love to hear from you
and get your feedback. God bless you!
So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do

not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD
191
your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong
your days in the land that you will possess. (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)
I Need Your Help

I have a passion to share the message of this book with
pastors, ministers and non-profit leaders. I believe the tools in this
book will help them be more effective in reaching the lost with the
message of Christ. Please help by sharing this book with the people
you know that could benefit. If you can not afford to buy them a
copy, then loan them this one, it’s OK with me. I am happy as long
as the word is getting out. Get the latest info and resources at the
Marketing the Church website (www.MarketingTheChurch.com).
Thank you for reading and sharing this book.
192
Church Marketing Resource Guide

Visit the Marketing the Church website for updates and active links
(www.MarketingTheChurch.com)
Christian Technology Solutions

If you are looking for a full service website and technology provider
then look to Christian Technology Solutions to meet your needs.
www.christiantechnologysolutions.com
marketingenious
marketingenious is your one stop shop to increase your marketing
IQ. There are tons of free resources and they will help you find ways
to be a better steward of your finances while reaching more people
through effective communications. www.marketingenious.com
marketingenious University
The new home of Marketing Your Church 101 (MYC 101). If you
like this book and want to get you team on board then take this
course together. MYC101 will get you team on the same page and
help you write a marketing plan in a few weeks.
www.marketingeniousUniversity.com
Nexdesign Studios
Nexdesign Studios specializes in web design services for the non-
profit sector and provides a discounted rate on standard web design
services to those that qualify. www.nexdesignstudios.com
HOPE International University

Located in beautiful sunny Southern California, HOPE International
University is great place for you to get a sound Christian education
that is relevant in the real world. They have been equipping servant
leaders since 1928. www.hiu.edu
193
PR Zap!
PR Zap! specializes in Internet press release distribution. Tell the
story of your church or organization in a news release format and
grab the attention of thousands of reporters and Internet
users. www.przap.com
Rock Harbor Church

Exciting and innovative Church in Costa Mesa California.
www.rockharbor.org
Saddleback Church
This Rick Warren lead ministry in Southern California is a great
example and provides some neat resources for other churches on
their website. www.saddleback.com
Windsor Crossing Church

Looking to take a friend to a church with a low cringe factor?
Windsor’s approach to music, speaking and ministry is user friendly
and promotes an attitude of excellence. www.windsorcrossing.org

Saint Louis Christian College has been educating Christians and
graduating leaders for over 50 years. Strategically located in St.
Louis County the campus provides many ministry opportunities in
urban, suburban, rural and global settings. www.slcconline.edu
Scott Ginsberg
Scott is that guy with the nametag and the expert in networking and
building relationships through approachability. He’s also a fun guy.
www.hellomynameisscott.com
Shep Hyken’s Moments of Magic

Magician, author, customer service guru- these are just some of the
ways to describe Shep. If you want to turn your church into a magic
place to be, Shep can show you how. www.hyken.com
194
ShineFish
ShineFish is your source for Christian based marketing and design
Help. Whether you are looking for a creative team, website building,
logo creation or media communications ShineFish is dedicated to
helping church and para-church organizations thrive.
www.shinefish.com
University Praise Church

Cell church model congregation in Fullerton, California ministering
to post modern people. www.universitypraise.org

Vibrant and growing congregation in St. Louis, Missouri that is
embracing the power of modern marketing tools to increase
communication. www.wcccstl.org
Willowcreek Church
The purpose of this church in the Chicago, Illinois area lead by Bill
Hybels, is to help your church grow. Great leadership resources,
tools and seminars. www.willowcreek.com
195
196
Visit the Official Marketing the

Church Website for more
information
and an up to date
Church Marketing Resource
Guide
www.MarketingTheChurch.com
197
Let Your Light Shine
ShineFish is your source for Christian based

marketing and design help. Whether you are
looking for a creative team, website building,
logo creation or media communications
ShineFish is dedicated to helping your
church or para-church organization thrive.
In the same way, let your light shine before

men, that they may see your good deeds
and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew
5:16)
www.shinefish.com
198
Get YOUR Team Moving in

the Same Direction
You can have a marketing plan for

your church in as little as 7 weeks.
Find out more at:
www.marketingeniousUniversity.com
199
Max My Mail
Maximum Impact Email Marketing
Are you leveraging the power of email

marketing? Email marketing is cost effective, gets
immediate results, is targeted, and simple. Email
marketing is an affordable way to stretch a tight
marketing budget - and whose isn't these days?
Unlike direct mail, there is virtually no production,
materials or postage expense. Email marketing is
20 times more cost effective than direct mail, and
can cost as little as fractions of a penny per email.
Free 60 day trial at:

www.maxmymail.com
200
Nexdesign Studios
Nexdesign Studios specializes in web

and graphic design services for the non-
profit sector and provides a discounted
rate on standard services for qualifying
organizations. Catch your wave with
Nexdesign Studios.
www.nexdesignstudios.com
201
Christian Technology Solutions
Over 20% of Internet users (nearly 20

million) have used the Internet to seek
spiritual and religious information- on an
average day more than 2 million people are
getting spiritual material online.
-The Pew Internet Project
You need a website solution from a company

with Christian principles.
You need Christian Technology Solutions.
www.christiantechnologysolutions.com
202
Increase your marketing IQ further

by visiting the marketingenious
website
www.marketingenious.com
Check out the free Marketing Toolbox

on the site for great marketing
tips and tricks
203
Marketing The Church Book Order Form
Name: Title:
Organization:
Shipping Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone: Email:
Marketing The Church is $19.95 per copy plus $6 for

shipping and handling. Please include your check for $25.95
with this form when placing your order.
Mail to:
Marketing the Church Book Order
c/o ShineFish Books
328 Bellezza Drive
Ballwin, MO 63021
Make life easier by ordering online at:

MarketingTheChurch.com
Need more than 10 books?

Save up to 50% with bulk orders!
Check the website or Contact Michael Daehn for details:
636.236.5718
Michael@MarketingTheChurch.com
204

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What people are saying about Marketing

"This book is about understanding our culture and how to

"In Marketing the Church, Michael Daehn has done a wonderful

"This was my second round of reading the marketing book, so I

Cover Design by Nexdesign Studios

Marketing the Church: How to

Copyright © 2007 by ShineFish Books.

Key 1 Find Your Advantage………………….………...25

Key 2 Define Your Purpose……...…………………….47

Key 3 Create an Image…………………………...….….69

Key 4 Implement Promotions…..…………………........93

Key 5 Build Relationships…….…………………...…..147

Key 6 Gain Feedback………...………………….……169

Key 7 Adjust to Changes…………………………...…185

Church Marketing Resource Guide…………………....193

have read this far, I am challenging you to finish the journey. I

You should be reading this book. It will give you a better

Should the Church use Marketing?

What is the Church?

Christians. The Church is a body of believers that holds to the

What is the purpose of the Church?

The common term used by churches to describe the process of

Have you been called?

In fact, Biblical references to God’s calling are not to

Purpose of the Church:

Yes, we have a match: effectively communicate with people.

cancer awareness, The American Lung Association, and anti-

Purpose of this book

“Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21)

flux, it is necessary to use Key 7: Adjust to Changes in order to remain

All marketing focuses on communicating to customers the

Thou shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15)

As followers and promoters of the creator, Christians should

Before you can give an answer, you must give people a

Darwin’s Eyeball Chemical Love?

unknown god Nietzsche is Dead

These shirts are creative and original with the intention of

intentions. What bothers me is the image of Christians and

up shop and go home if they don’t find a competitive advantage?

Implementing a SWOT Analysis

based on feedback from the managers’ and the other stakeholders’

But God gives individual Christians different gifts and abilities to

Don’t Bury Your Talents

SWOT Analyzing Inside the Outdoors

and makes up the message that is broadcast by means of the

1. There are things about the company that are unique

Take a deep breath and go back to the list of strengths on

church is endowed with certain gifts and resources to uniquely

Tired of Poor Service

While this is a customer service issue, it also illustrates the

Tired of Poor Services

niche. The same is true in business. If you do not have a

without maintaining a competitive advantage, even if they are able to

that are not implemented due to a lack of material resources and

Intentional Ministry Guide

Perceived Value and the Quality Myth

either of these. Price, as we will discuss later in the text, is not a

Learn From Coca Cola

high quality. Please understand I am not saying an inadequate

But they did die; they died to a life of paradise in direct

keep your company in the mind of the consumer, but most

Get Your Hands on Nature