A Little Help from my Friends

I have been in sales mode since the release of my first book, College Impact: Empowering Collegiate Christians for Campus Influence. Sales is what a person does when they complete a new work that they have worked hard on. The challenge has been the approach to selling the books. With little to no budget for massive marketing strategies what do you do to get the word out about what you believe is important and necessary?

I get by with a little help from your friends. I have started enlisting friends and family to work with me in getting the marketing done. Some have been helping by telling their respective church families and others are buying books to give them away to college students and youth ministries. Others have been telling pastor friends and college ministries about my book and about me as a speaker.

I have seen fruit of this type of support in both the sales of the book and request for me as a communicator. I was initially very nervous about having to market in this manner, but I have learned something important. When people use their influence to validate your life, work, ministry, etc. it makes it easier to enter doors previously closed. So, opportunities that I have desired for years are beginning to open.

It actually feels better working this way because I abhor trying to manipulate my way into opportunities. That just seems slimy and down right ungodly. When people who know, trust, and have seen me over the years lend their support to my work, it is more credible then seeing a flyer or receiving a mass mailing. Not that there is anything wrong with those approaches (I may do that at some point). It just seems that the doors open faster when someone says, “I know and trust him”. So, the word is being carried on the shoulders of people who know me best. I am getting by with a little help from my friends. After all, our current president won an election using this type of grass roots approach.