The hardest part of Catholic vocation marketing is also the simplest to solve.
Yesterday I had lunch with a friend of mine from the old neighborhood, as they say around here. Both of us have founded and have run our own businesses. Only his is much larger than mine, that being a large financial organization. After we talked about family and friends, I picked his mind for business advice that I could certainly benefit from.
One should sit at the feet of the master.
I told him how about a year ago I followed the advice he gave while being interviewed on WGN radio in Chicago. One of the three things that he mentioned was that with a new business, one of the best ways to succeed was to “get really good at whatever you do.” I followed that advice, and a year later the number of our monthly religious clients for our marketing services nearly doubled.
Give me a challenge to help my Catholic vocation marketing
So when we were at lunch, I asked him, “Can you give me a challenge – something that I should do every day? Then after a month I’ll send you an email, reporting on how I have been doing.”
He thought about it for a while, then said, “Make three personal contacts each day with prospects – those who could become your clients.” He explained that these could be phone calls, emails, or whatever.
After I told him that I could certainly do that, he added that I should make sure that at least one of them should be a phone call.
Mmm… Ouch.
Sales are vitally important to any organization, he said. “Get sales and the other aspects of the business will take care of themselves,” he said.
Too much focusing inward
Too many business people are caught up with focusing in on their own work, he said.
What he said squared with a journalism book I read years ago when I was preparing to become a newspaper reporter. “The hardest thing is picking up the phone,” it said of doing interviews.
Similar words were echoed by my sales manager when I worked as a door-to-door cable and internet salesman some years ago: “The hardest door to open is your own car door.”
Get sales and everything else will take care of itself.
When it comes to Catholic vocation marketing, this means contacting your best vocation candidates. Ask them what they think of your newsletters. How they are coming along in their discernment. And then invited them to your next vocation retreat.
In the long run, this consistent, daily direct approach will bring the results you want.
If you liked this article, why not check out Catholic vocation advertising – a whole new ball game.
