Helping your church or ministry share the good news in ways that get attention and invite response from the people you want to reach

Coaching Session Four Learn why knowing needs is important in ministry marketing Discover the benefits of conducting original research about the people you want to reach Understand what is meant by “ positioning” Learn some of the issues related to conducting original research Learn their Needs

Learn why knowing needs is important in ministry marketing

Discover the benefits of conducting original research about the people you want to reach

Understand what is meant by “ positioning”

Learn some of the issues related to conducting original research

Warm Up Talked about why a target audience is important Discussed the two types of audiences Began to profile your target audience through secondary research Next step of the Ministry Marketing Mindset is to Learn the needs of the people you want to reach.

Talked about why a target audience is important

Discussed the two types of audiences

Began to profile your target audience through secondary research

Next step of the Ministry Marketing Mindset is to Learn the needs of the people you want to reach.

The Bowtie Drills

Going Deeper The starting point for good communications is to Know your audience . But targeting in a general sense still falls short of the most effective way to communicate. You need more specific information about needs so you can speak directly to them

The starting point for good communications is to Know your audience .

But targeting in a general sense still falls short of the most effective way to communicate.

You need more specific information about needs so you can speak directly to them

Tune in to Needs Imagine the people you want to reach are tuned in to one station—“ WII FM. ” They want to know “What’s in it for me?” Until you learn to “broadcast” on their “frequency” You won’t capture their attention very well.

Imagine the people you want to reach are tuned in to one station—“ WII FM. ” They want to know “What’s in it for me?”

Until you learn to “broadcast” on their “frequency” You won’t capture their attention very well.

A Story from the Jungle

Do I Need a Lawn Mower? Or a mowed lawn?

We are not tuned-in to things that we don’t feel we need . Needs drive the communication process.

Great Ministry Marketers Use Original Research Two examples Bill Hybels “Unchurched Harry and Mary” Rick Warren “Saddleback Sam” Each “wrote the book” on their people. They became experts on the people they wanted to reach. They did not stop when they had a bunch of secondary information. They both conducted original research.

Two examples

Bill Hybels “Unchurched Harry and Mary”

Rick Warren “Saddleback Sam”

Bill Hybels’ Questions Do you actively attend a local church? Why not? What is it that makes it difficult for you to attend? If such a church existed that was not like this, would you be interested in attending? If we start such a church, may we call you?

Do you actively attend a local church?

Why not? What is it that makes it difficult for you to attend?

If such a church existed that was not like this, would you be interested in attending?

If we start such a church, may we call you?

Rick Warren’s Questions Are you an active member of a local church? What is the greatest need in Saddleback Valley? Why do you think most people don’t attend church? If you were looking for a church, what kinds of things would you be looking for? What advice would you give to me a Pastor of a new church? What could I do for you?

Are you an active member of a local church?

What is the greatest need in Saddleback Valley?

Why do you think most people don’t attend church?

If you were looking for a church, what kinds of things would you be looking for?

What advice would you give to me a Pastor of a new church?

What could I do for you?

Speaking to Needs Paul seems to have understood that in order to get the people’s attention and be able to speak to them, he had to understand their needs. The needs of the Athenians affected the approach of Paul.

Paul’s Presentation and Approach Paul was greatly disturbed personally at the idolatry of the people of Athens, but he did not make his feelings the starting point of how he approached the Athenians. Instead, he spoke to them based on their perceptions and needs. He even affirmed them saying they were “religious” people He spoke to them as people who might be interested in learning about the UNKNOWN GOD.

Paul was greatly disturbed personally at the idolatry of the people of Athens, but he did not make his feelings the starting point of how he approached the Athenians.

Instead, he spoke to them based on their perceptions and needs.

He even affirmed them saying they were “religious” people

He spoke to them as people who might be interested in learning about the UNKNOWN GOD.

New Old Known Unknown Okay, what would be the best way to communicate the message here?

New Old Known Unknown “ Take a Number Buddy!” I Proclaim a New Unknown Idea!

New Old Known Unknown “ Yawn...Been there Done that!” I Proclaim a Known Old Idea!

New Old Known “ You? The ‘Babbler’… Yeah, Right!” I Proclaim What you are Now Talking about! The Newest Ideas! Unknown

New Old Known Unknown “ You are Bringing Strange things to Our Ears, and We Want to Know What They Mean…” What You Worship as Something Unknown I am Going to Proclaim to You

Positioning The term for what Paul did in marketing is “positioning”. Positioning simply means understanding how people perceive you and what you stand for in the minds of the people you want to reach . Paul chose the best position, even though he could have preached biblically from any position Paul was only able to do this because he had first-hand information about the people he wanted to reach. Positioning is just one way of speaking to people’s needs.

The term for what Paul did in marketing is “positioning”.

Positioning simply means understanding how people perceive you and what you stand for in the minds of the people you want to reach .

Paul chose the best position, even though he could have preached biblically from any position

Paul was only able to do this because he had first-hand information about the people he wanted to reach.

Positioning is just one way of speaking to people’s needs.

You can do it too! Train yourself to see things from the perspective of the people you want to reach Learn more about their needs What is on their minds ? What do they want? What motivates them? What problems do they have you can help solve? You can get inside the minds of the unchurched people in your community if you conduct a little original research. Original research is called “primary research”

Train yourself to see things from the perspective of the people you want to reach

Learn more about their needs

What is on their minds ?

What do they want?

What motivates them?

What problems do they have you can help solve?

You can get inside the minds of the unchurched people in your community if you conduct a little original research.

Original research is called “primary research”

Why do you need primary research? Not everything you need to know is available in research done by others Much of the secondary information that is available is too general to put to good use. You need more refined information. What is true in church growth and ministry planning books might not be true in your area There could be unique opportunities you are missing because you are unaware of the needs

Not everything you need to know is available in research done by others

Much of the secondary information that is available is too general to put to good use. You need more refined information.

What is true in church growth and ministry planning books might not be true in your area

There could be unique opportunities you are missing because you are unaware of the needs

Research Going to Pot?

Samaritan Woman at the Well Jesus took what he knew about that woman and applied it to his ministry to her. Jesus had much information about the woman that was impossible for regular people to know since he had a supernatural ability to know the woman. We can’t know people supernaturally as Jesus did; but we can follow his example and learn as much as we can and use that information to inform how we serve others and to maximize the effectiveness of our ministry. (John 4:7-45)

Jesus took what he knew about that woman and applied it to his ministry to her.

Jesus had much information about the woman that was impossible for regular people to know since he had a supernatural ability to know the woman.

We can’t know people supernaturally as Jesus did; but we can follow his example and learn as much as we can and use that information to inform how we serve others and to maximize the effectiveness of our ministry.

Two types of research: Quantitative Quantitative: Useful where numeric projections are needed. For example: 75% of the parents of preschoolers prefer to attend the late worship service. 88% of the parents say security in the preschool program is unsatisfactory. Quantitative research tools. Surveys (web, mail, phone)

Quantitative:

Useful where numeric projections are needed.

For example:

75% of the parents of preschoolers prefer to attend the late worship service.

88% of the parents say security in the preschool program is unsatisfactory.

Quantitative research tools.

Surveys (web, mail, phone)

Qualitative: Useful for exploring topics, testing ideas Can not be projected to whole group Qualitative research tools Focus groups In-depth interviews Intentional Observation Two types of research: Qualitative

Qualitative:

Useful for exploring topics, testing ideas

Can not be projected to whole group

Qualitative research tools

Focus groups

In-depth interviews

Intentional Observation

6 Ways to Get Primary Research Have more intentional listening when you talk to people in your target audience both inside and outside the church. Have regular marketing focu s groups. Gather 6-10 people in the audience into discussion groups Build in feedback loops into every event or activity Conduct print and online surveys Talk about the feedback in your programming and planning Allow for complaints and talk about them with your ministry team (Your critic is not your enemy!)

Have more intentional listening when you talk to people in your target audience both inside and outside the church.

Have regular marketing focu s groups. Gather 6-10 people in the audience into discussion groups

Build in feedback loops into every event or activity

Conduct print and online surveys

Talk about the feedback in your programming and planning

Allow for complaints and talk about them with your ministry team (Your critic is not your enemy!)

Practice Time Read a book about original research Determine what questions you need answers to in your ministry Ask more questions Marketing Playbook

Read a book about original research

Determine what questions you need answers to in your ministry

Ask more questions