Marketing the Jesus Wayनमुना

Converting People into Paying Customers

After you have attracted their attention, your next job is to convert these people into paying customers through your ability to sell them the idea that you can solve their problem through your product or service. This can be done in many different ways, but the best way is to show them how you have solved other customers' problems with your product or service.

For example, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: "The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (John 3:1–2). Nicodemus is a potential customer, and Jesus' advertising, publicity, and giving campaign has attracted him to the store of Jesus.

After hearing Nicodemus inquire about what He has to offer, Jesus answers, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Jesus is selling him the idea that He has the solution to his problem of “seeing the Kingdom of God.” With this conversion pitch, Nicodemus is now on the hook, and all Jesus has to do is close the deal. And apparently Jesus did just that, because in John 19:39–40 we find Nicodemus following Jesus to the grave and preparing Jesus' body for burial.

Jesus not only converted Nicodemus, but also many others while He was walking the Earth. Why did this work so well? Because as Matthew 4:23 says, “Jesus went about.” Jesus didn't just sit on the sidelines and say, “I wish my ministry would be successful." No, He went about telling and giving away samples, and as a result, His fame grew from the publicity of word of mouth. Now, when people met Jesus, converting them into followers was simple, because His attraction strategy had already prepared them to easily accept what He had to offer.

Converting people into paying customers by persuading them that you can solve their problems is the second principle in Marketing the Jesus Way. Tomorrow we will look at the third and final principle.