Once while on vacation we were invited to attend a breakfast and receive a free gift card to a local show. We were a little suspicious but decided to go. We would only be there 90 minutes. Well, as suspected, it was a time-share presentation. We ate breakfast with the salesman and sat down to talk. He talked about our family and vacation. Then he got into his presentation. We said no several times and finally he had his boss talk to us. We told him no several times and he had his boss talk to us. We told her several times and she finally realized we weren’t going to make a commitment, so we received our gift card and left …. over 3 hours later! We really enjoyed the show!
About 1/2 way through the presentation I began to think ‘Is this what some people think when I try to share the Gospel with them?‘ I hope not! So here are three lessons I learned about sharing the Gospel by listening to a Time-Share sales pitch.
1. Be Genuine – Don’t try to sweet talk yourself into a quick relationship.
It takes time to build a relationship. I suppose not every transaction is built on relationship, but it is built on trust. And trust may take time. It’s good to find a connection with the people you are attempting to share the Gospel, but don’t be a fake just to get them to like you. One of the time-share salesmen even said he was a pastor’s son. Now, maybe he was. But I had heard enough stuff that I had my doubts. So be genuine. And definitely don’t be dishonest or embellish the truth just get them on your side. God will not honor this.
2. Be Patient – If your product is really good, they will be convinced without you.
I can’t tell you how many times Judy & I made firm statements that we did not want to buy into a time-share. But they kept asking ‘why’. They had a rebuttal for everything. I’ve been in sales and know that the odds of getting a customer to buy after they leave is very small. You have to sell them while you have them. But the best salesmen do not sell to their customers. They actually facilitate buying from the customer. If your product is good enough, it practically sells itself.
Those of us who are trying to get people to trust Jesus as Savior don’t have to ‘sell’ Him. He is everything they need. But they may not yet be convinced. If they say ‘No’ – try to understand why and give a couple of rebuttals. But once you know they aren’t going to make a commitment today, let them go. Trust God to send somebody else to finish what you started. Or give the Holy Spirit opportunity to speak to their heart and bring circumstances into their life to convince them of the truth of the Gospel. God is patient with all of us. Let’s be a little more patient with the unconvinced.
The problem now is I will never go to a Time-Share presentation because of the experience I had on this one. I’ve learned my lesson. I know of people who won’t go to church or consider a discussion of salvation because of the negative experiences they’ve had. When I share the Gospel, I want the person to leave a little bit closer to accepting it than when we met. I don’t want them to be so angry or upset with me they vow never to hear the story again.
3. Don’t just tell part of the story. Explain your ‘product’ completely.
We heard from 3 different people about the great advantage of being a time-share owner. And each time we said no, they came back with a better offer. They didn’t even tell us the cost of the investment until we met with the second salesman. I’m not going to say ‘yes’ to something I don’t know what it is. By the time the last lady came in, I wouldn’t have taken the offer if it would have been free. If they are this difficult to get your business, they will probably be more difficult if you have any problems or want to get out. But her last offer was pretty good. Had they made this offer earlier, I would have been more willing to try it out. But they had already shut the door and I was only interested in getting out – never to return.
With the Gospel there is a bad part and a good part. We need to do our best to tell the whole story. Here’s the story: We are all sinners (by nature & choice) headed for Hell for eternity. Jesus loves us and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. If a person will turn from their sin, surrender to Jesus and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior, they will receive pardon for sin and Heaven as an eternal home. The choice is to trust Jesus Christ as Savior. Don’t leave out the bad part or the good part. It takes both sides of the Gospel.
Well, I don’t have a time-share, but I saw some pictures of some amazing places. And for just a few dollars a day I can plan the ‘vacation of a lifetime’ every year. But I figure Heaven is my ultimate ‘time-share.’ I will share it with all the Christians of all time. It is already paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. My relationship with Him guarantees my spot forever. What about you?
My purpose is to try to help others surrender to Jesus. It can be tough but I don’t have to rely on my salesmanship. The Holy Spirit will speak to their hearts. If you’ve never trusted Jesus Christ, please investigate His offer.
Have you learned some methods to help people better understand the Gospel? Share them with me.
Have you had a Time-Share experience? Let me know…
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