EVANGELIST, minister, preacher, elder, clergyman, or whatever your title you are primarily a saleman for Christ. Your success, or failure, is measured in a large degree by the number of converts you bring into the message each year.
To be a successful salesman for Christ, you must apply basic selling methods. A thorough knowledge of the Bible is not enough. You must be able to answer objections and be able to instill within the heart of the prospective member the initiative in taking his stand for Christ. Selling for Christ requires the highest type of salesmanship.
Why do people buy? Here is an example: When I returned home one day, I was surprised to learn my wife had purchased a new vacuum cleaner.
"But, dear," I objected, "the one we had was in good running order and only three years old."
"That's what you think," she replied. "This morning the salesman was here. He spread some dirt on the rug and used our cleaner on it. He had me do it too. Then he used this new one and I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. You should have seen all the dirt our old cleaner had missed on the same spot. From that moment I was absolutely dissatisfied with our old cleaner."
Like my wife, most people buy because they are not satisfied with what they have, especially when they've seen something better. The average person, basically, is sensible and conservative, and doesn't like to be high pressured into buying something.
The first step, then, in gaining a convert is to win his confidence and help him feel his need. Most people realize that something worthwhile costs more. A high-powered car, for example, is much more expensive than a horse and buggy, but there is a difference in riding comfort, speed, and performance. Likewise, accepting Adventism, tithe paying, Sabbath observance, and the like, may make it seem more costly than other religious denominations, but in the long run the rewards are comparably greater.
Be honest; be direct. Your prospective church member will have more confidence in you if you give him a straightforward answer, and if you don't know the answer, say so. It is better to say you will look up the question and give him the answer next time than to give an evasive or unsatisfactory answer. Remember, you are selling him something permanent. You are creating an enduring relationship.
One of the basic principles of salesmanship is to have your prospect completely relaxed. After you have made your departure, he will probably remember most clearly the opening approach and the final minutes of conversation before you leave. Don't try to give him the entire three angels' messages in one sitting, for he may get spiritual indigestion, which is usually fatal. Rather give too little than too much. Spend a little time discussing subjects in which he is interested. Learn beforehand, if possible, if your prospect has any particular hobby, such as fishing, sports, good music, camping, gardening, et cetera. Let him know you can intelligently discuss subjects other than religion. You'll be surprised at the mutual interest that will develop.
One day I visited the office of a prospective client, an influential Wall Street lawyer. He was aloof and didn't even offer me a seat. I could sense he was eager to be rid of me. I observed, just as he was dismissing me, that he rolled his r's more than the typical New Yorker. His name also indicated he might possibly be a Scotsman. In parting, I asked him point blank (I had nothing to lose for I had already lost the sale) if he was born in Scotland, and before he had a chance to answer I mentioned, all in the same breath, that my grandparents had come from there. An immediate transformation took place. His face changed. He invited me into his spacious private office.
He was interested when I mentioned I had visited Oban, Stirling, Edinburgh, and other places familiar to him. We chatted for more than an hour. He now had all the time in the world. He did not give me much chance to talk, but monopolized the time. Needless to say, I obtained the order.
People generally buy the service or the product best suited to their needs. Have you the solution to their needs? If they are dissatisfied with their present lot, make them aware of something better. Make them want what you have to offer. Convince them you have the answer. Don't wait, but clinch the sale by inducing them to act—not tomorrow, for tomorrow may be too late—but NOW!
Let us, in our Christian selling be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16).
