First Impressions or GUEST SERVICES?

July 28, 2009 at 11:29 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

I have to start out by sharing my disdain for the term “First Impressions.” At first the phrase is catchy.   …And then, you read into it and it appears to be a bit “Shady.”  What I mean by that is that the term seems to convey an un-honest reality.  We will work hard at the façade and the ‘gimmick’ to get you in, and then it’s business as usual.   I will for this blog sake, assume that we are all genuine and truly care for each person that is checking us or God out!   I might also throw out a better name for your “First Impression Ministries.”  I like “GUEST SERVICES.”

With that said, it is true that people make their decisions based on what they see first.  So, in that light, let’s revisit the subject of “marketing.”

At the core of Marketing is:

•The ability to understand how people perceive you

•A vision of how you would like to be perceived

•Making the necessary adjustments to execute the desired outcome

A “GUEST SERVICE MISSION STATEMENT: “Helping people take their next step toward Christ and on toward a life of full devotion.  We purpose to create an atmosphere of warmth and personal acceptance; providing a “safe” environment for people to see, know and follow Christ.

First Impressions Matter

•First Impressions are Automatic

•First Impressions are Lasting impressions

•68% of customers who go elsewhere do so because of their perception of indifference

•96% of customers tell others –not the organization about a bad experience

Queen of Sheba – For those who like to see what the Bible says!

When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the LORD, she was overwhelmed. She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. (1 Kings Chapter 10)

When we begin to consider what we’re “showing” in the little things, maybe we can understand why people do not see our churches the way we do.  We know our intentions, they only see our execution.

“Taking It To The Streets” Marketing or communicating to the outside continues to support those on the inside and provides confidence to those “salespeople” who truly love the “company” they work for.

Perception Contrtibutors

•Name

•Website

•Vocabulary

•Decor

•Dress

•Style of Service

•# of cars in the lot

•Type of cars in the lot

•Leadership “team” vs. “board”

•External promotion techniques

•Current membership

•Past membership

•Signage

NEXT: Create An Open Forum for IDEA Exchange on Better Ways/Creative Ways/Successful Ways To MARKET the CHURCH!