We all know the story of David vs. Goliath.  How a little shepherd boy rose to defeat the towering giant that was bigger than the entire army of Israel.  Even his own people believed his intentions were hopeless.  David wasn’t a mighty warrior, or a brilliant tactician, nor did he possess great physical strength.

The only strength David had came from knowing who God is and how to use the gifts God gave him: … “five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had; and his sling was in his hand.” (1 Samuel 17: 40)

What stones (gifts) has God given you to grow your business?  What are you drawing your strength from as you face the giants in your life?  David didn’t rely on his own skills, talents, and abilities.  Nor did claim to be a man of war or to have experience at defeating enemy soldiers.  The only real experience he had was faith and obedience to a mighty God.

See, little did David know that all the time he was alone with God in the fields tending sheep as a boy, God was preparing him for what He had already prepared for him – namely, to be king.  The path ordered by God was for David to touch lives and make a difference.  His divine assignment was to lead, direct, and influence “new sheep” (the people of Israel) for the Kingdom.  He was a king-in-waiting.

Like David, you may be facing a lot of giants in your business right now.  You’re wondering, “How can I get more clients to come to me?” Or, “How do I get prospects to see that I offer something superior to the competition?” Or, “How can I eliminate price competition and compete on value instead?”  Or, “How can I get off this feast or famine roller coaster ride?”

To make matters worse, your resources may be slim:  Money is tight.  There is very little or no staff support.  And there never seems to be enough hours in the day.

So what do you do?  You do what David did.  You brave the insurmountable, stand up against the Philistines, and do “the impossible.”  You declare, “This is the day that the Lord has made.  It’s time to slay the dragons!”  Then you reach into your bag and use any of the five stones God has given you:

Stone #1 - Take A Stand

David knew he had a formidable foe to defeat.  But since he didn’t want to rely on what man (the secular world) said he should use - armor, a helmet and a sword – he had to put his trust in the gifts God had given him.  Likewise, every successful marketing plan begins with knowing that God’s power is very great for us who believe (Ephesians 1:19).  If you are a marketer who wants to be seen as a master in his (or her) field, then you must stand up for what is right in God’s eyes – make bold promises and keep all commitments with your clients - knowing that The Lord can move mountains.

Stone #2 – Find Those Who Are Most Hurting

When God was preparing David as a boy in the fields to shepherd His flock as a man in the palace, a bear and a lion each took a lamb from David’s flock.  He didn’t sit down and cry, “Woe is me” and wonder what to do next.  He hunted down those predatory beasts so fast that when he caught up with them, the lambs were still alive between their teeth.  He knew he had business to take care of and lambs to save.  In David’s mind, these flesh-eaters had crossed the line!  So he killed them with his bare hands. 

If you want to be seen as a master in your field of specialty, you must track down with predatory skills the prospects that are most likely to use your services.  These are members of your core target market who have fears, worries and concerns that your services can take care of.  Keep in mind that it is obviously impossible to market to everyone.  It’s also a wasteful expenditure of time, money and resources.

Identify the most likely prospects by analyzing your existing client base (or someone else’s if you’re a start-up company).  Pinpoint WHO your best clients are (their age, sex, income, type of business, etc., WHERE they tend to be located (their city, state, zip code area, etc.) and WHY they do business with you (their buying motives).

Stone #3 - Create The Right Image

David was a lover of women.  Despite his heart toward God, he couldn’t control his sexual passion for Bathsheba.  His failure to confront his secret sins and weaknesses, ultimately contaminated the future of his family and his nation. 

What image do you want to express in the marketplace?  That is, the distinguishing qualities, key attributes, and defining characteristics of your company.

That image has to be built on core values that are most meaningful to you, your clients, and are pleasing to God.  Values that you live by and would defend with your dying breath, such as honesty, morality, ethics, empathy, compassion, and wisdom just to name a few.

To do so says you shall love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and especially your WILL (your desires).  Your will reflects your character.  And the decisions you make determine your destiny.  God will not overrule your will, but the devil will certainly attack it.  Since your destiny is determined by your will, and your will shapes your image, you must take responsibility for it and turn your weaknesses into strengths. 

Stone #4 - Appeal Emotionally

David was also a lover of men.  Not in a homosexual sense, but he was comfortable with his own sexuality.  He demonstrated the right way to love true friends, and celebrated his masculinity, unconcerned about what real men do and do not do. 

Likewise, you must shift from giving prospects practical, logical manly-type reasons why they should use your services (i.e. you are more experienced, more skilled, more accessible, more friendly, etc.) to practical, real, emotional reasons (they trust you, they respect you, they believe in you, they value your work, etc.).

Always remember that people will use your services for emotional reasons, and will justify their buying decision with logical reasons.  All of the marketing messages contained in your marketing documents - letters, brochures, ads, flyers, proposals, website, and so on - must contain both emotional and logical appeals.

Stone #5 - Establish Urgency

The faster you can pinpoint the problems your prospect wants solved or the goal he wants to achieve, the sooner he will trust you and conclude the two of you are on the same page working toward a mutually satisfying goal.  Paint a picture for prospects by telling stories that convey the ever-increasing pain they will feel if the problem persists.  Why?  It’s because fear of loss is mightier than desire for gain.

When David defeated Goliath, the fearful army of Israel was transformed into an unstoppable military machine. They immediately saw what was possible with God on their side.  David’s bravery was contagious.  Don’t be afraid to tell prospects about the benefits of quick action.  They usually don’t take the action you want them to take if they aren’t sure what to do.  Spell it out clearly for them.  Every document you put out should have a call to action.

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Gerry Foster believes that if you take seriously and learn how to market your services by faith, together with Mastery Marketing® secrets, that you will receive tremendous blessings, because truly you are a blessing.  If Gerry can be of assistance to you in any way please contact him directly by phone at 949.499.1174 or by email at gerry@masterymarketing.com.