What is the most important thing to sell to someone? If the key to a sale is finding something that someone needs and giving it to them then there is a clear answer. The answer is definitively a non-sales situation and it is the Gospel.
The most important thing to sell people on is their need for the grace of Jesus Christ. I’ve had some amazing and also frustrating experiences in trying to effectively communicate and share the Gospel. My main experiences with sharing the Gospel have been through Young Life. It may be an interesting take to say that you have to “sell” the good news as it is indeed a free gift. That’s why it falls under non-sales selling though, you get nothing in return for giving it to people. It is the most important thing you can sell people on. It radically changes your life when you believe in Christ, it is the best thing you could possibly convince someone of. Young Life takes a relational angle in sharing the Gospel much like many salespeople take when interacting with customers. It requires a build up of trust and knowledge of who you are talking to to earn the right to share the Gospel. People are more likely to respond to your “pitch” if they trust that you have something genuine and beneficial to offer them. What is more beneficial and genuine that the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Ultimately this is the most important thing to sell people on in life and the most valuable thing to buy into that will impact more than our tangible, worldly lives and have eternal implications.
Being able to effectively communicate with prospects is critical in all sales environments. In the instance of sharing the gospel there are many different techniques which given the sensitive subject matter can make or break an evangelizing opportunity. Young Life currently has 88 members and there is a wide variety of personalities and character traits. Ultimately being a single member in the body of Christ means you bring different styles and skill sets to sharing the gospel. Just as is the case in being a part of a sales team, it is beneficial to examine your own strengths and use them to your advantage in whatever situation you are facing, be it secular or religious.
testacr22
I think it is awesome that you brought up the idea of “selling” the Gospel, because I don’t think many Christians Think of it that way. It is crucial to understand that the Gospel speaks for itself, but as disciples of Christ we have to convince people to be willing to listen. Taking what we learn in sales and applying it to evangelization could really transform the amount of people that can be reached by the Gospel.
I’ve never thought of sharing the Gospel as something to sell. This post really puts the importance of sharing the Gospel in a tactical way. I liked how you said the Gospel is a “free gift” but also explaining that it is something that a person can convince and sell. I appreciate your take on this!
It’s really cool to view the Gospel from this approach. As Christians, we are all called to share the gospel with those we meet who have never heard of the gospel before. I think it is super beneficial to have a proper understanding of sales when sharing the gospel. I’ve heard it said one of the best ways to share the gospel is to simply live your life by it, and that ties into the trust component of sales. Someone who sees your authenticity as a Christian is more likely to listen and believe you when you do share.
I completely agree with this outtake on selling. I have a book that is dedicated to identifying the best salesman in the world, God. He sold his product, a religion, to billions of people.