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Marketing Ideas for Vocational Evangelists: How to Close More Bookings (Pt 1)
By chris | June 20, 2008
Stay in touch with people.
When you preach in a church don’t stop the relationship after the revival services are over, stay in touch with the pastors you meet. Send them friendly notes, forward them links that are relevant to their ministry, recommend books, keep them on your prayer list. Make sure your contact with pastors is not just when you “want something”. If you develop a relationship with the pastors you know, they will remember you next time they hear of a pastor friend who is looking for an Evangelist.
Networking with all types of people you meet.
Keeping in touch with pastors is a good idea. But don’t stop there, stay up-to-date with all kinds of ministry and community leaders. Once you get a person’s contact information or business card, make a note on the card how you met the person and think of one way to keep in touch.
Example: On the back of Principal John Smith’s business card write things you learn about him in the conversation: “Met at fellowship dinner at FBC Lawton. Wife’s name is Marcy. Loves Bible Archeology” Then, stay in touch. If you run into an article you think he would like about Biblical archeology, send it to him. If you are in town and have time, give him a call to say hello, make sure to include his wife Marcy in your conversation. You may end up leading a school assembly, or getting a referral to another church in town from your new principal friend. Or you may find, ideas from your new contact who stays up-to-date with biblical archeology!
Networking is not about you and what you want; it is more about helping people succeed at what they are interested in. If you take the focus off of yourself and truly try to enjoy knowing people, the rest will take care of itself. With a large network of friends who know and trust you, you will find, they will look out for your best interests if you look out for theirs.
Go the “Extra Mile” be a Servant
Some people get mixed up and keep the focus on themselves too much worrying about how they will close the next booking. They get in a rush and forget that the key to their next booking may very well be the bookings they have now. Do your best to give 110% to the churches you serve while you are with them.
Don’t take short cuts! You’d be surprised how some speakers who are highly booked forget and preach the exact same message in the same church years in a row. Keep notes and records of what you do in each church; make sure you don’t leave the impression that in any way you have “coasted” taking the easier route when you are with the churches you serve.
Be a Stickler for Clear Communication
If you have problems with the churches you are booking, no doubt the problem will arise from some form of miscommunication. As you work with churches get as much as you can in writing and double check to make sure there are no misunderstandings about expectations. Too often the “next booking” get’s lost because the Evangelist and the church had different expectations.
The better you understand and fulfill the expectations of the church staff you work with, the more people will be satisfied when working with you. People don’t like surprises. This is not about not surprising them by preaching something they need to hear, you have to preach the message God gives you to share. But, if they expect you to show up for something and you don’t. Or if the staff feel you didn’t listen to their expectations, things can go awry.
One quick example: If you are preaching a conference and the organizers give you a theme they want you to follow that flows with the rest of the conference, make sure you stick to the theme. Don’t discount the theme, and preach from the pulpit an unrelated message. It ruins the momentum the conference organizers are trying to build. The organizers of the conference communicate their needs, make sure you listen to them!
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