Prospecting Awareness and The Gospel

David Mattson in The Sandler Rules says that in order to be great at sales you have to develop prospecting awareness. To begin with, we must ask, “what is prospecting awareness?” Taking a step back, a suspect is a person who could be sold to, but no connection has been made with that person, or they simply have a casual interest. A prospect, on the other hand, is a person who has been engaged with, is interested, and needs to be talked with further.

This tip can also be applied to the Christian lifestyle. As believers in Christ, we are called to share the gospel. Sort of obvious, but this means engaging with others! This means the guy on the bus, the guy in line at the grocery store, or the neighbor who lives next door. Christians need to be aware of a number of factors considering the task they have been given.

First of all: the who. Mattson points out that a suspect could be anyone. You really do not know whether or not someone is a Christian unless you have a conversation with them. Mattson was addressing sales, in context, but this same principle can be applied to Christianity too- you never know unless you make a connection with someone. We have already established that sales is not a bad thing, but it should be kept in mind that the gospel is not a product. It is both the response of an individual realizing gravity of the situation they are in and the divine work of God’s redemptive power and His choice. Prayer, therefore, is a very important aspect of sharing the gospel.

You know what would be a bad idea? Grabbing the closest person you are next to and shouting at them about where they are going to spend eternity unless they repent. Maybe that would work, but more than likely they are not going to listen, or worse, you get popped in the mouth. That is why an important aspect of prospecting is simply listening to the other person. See if they are interested. Find out were their heart is. With an awareness of prospecting in mind, the mission field is always at hand (as it should be!). Prospects who have already been engaged with will need to be followed up with (which in Christianity we call discipleship). Mattson was not talking about discipleship, but a furthering of the conversation will help the prospect understand more deeply what you are talking about and hopefully, in the end, accept the message!