“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
Succeeding in sales and business is not complicated. Anyone can do it. Just follow the basics consistently and you will reap a great harvest. As Paul stated in Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
There is so much to unpack here, but I am going to focus this blog on the first two words “I planted“.
If sales numbers are not what you need, the first thing I would check is the planting…
Seed Quantity
Sales people are often good at stories. That’s one of the things that aids their success… the ability to tell stories that the prospect can see themselves in. Unfortunately, when sales are down, many sales reps or even business owners will tell themselves a story to explain why they didn’t get the deal, why things are slow this month, etc.
But a professional will hold themselves to a higher standard. There may well be real events that impacted the economy, but I still want to know, how many seeds did you plant this month? Remember the parable of the minas in Luke 19? … When the master returned from a long trip, “he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.”
He wasn’t looking for a story. He wanted to know the numbers. The first thing you should look at when results are less than hoped for, is how many seeds did you plant? This could be in the form of marketing or actual cold sales calls. The biggest reason I see for poor sales results is lack of planting.
Seed Quality
To get a good yield, you should choose high-quality seeds suited to your climate, soil type and intended use. The seed is your message and having a high quality message is of paramount importance. As Paul says “For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8) In other words, if your message is not clear, don’t expect your prospects to take action.
Seven Traits of Quality Seeds & Quality Messages…
When I want to understand God’s wisdom, the first place I look is in His Word. But many times, His Word directs me to His works, specifically the created order / natural law, as per Romans 1:20.
So when I wanted some insights into why so many are struggling to succeed in business, He brought to my attention that there were deeper truths buried in Paul’s simple words that “he planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase”.
As I went on my prayer walk with my faithful Labradoodle Judah this morning, it occurred to me that Paul planted (vs merely scattered) the seed. That intentionality suggests strategy, planning, focus and deliberateness.
I had to know more and thus researched the requirements for producing a good harvest, focusing only on the necessary characteristics of the seed. The application to business is as fundamental as it is profound. Here is what I found...
1. Genetic Purity: High-quality seeds come from plants with desirable traits and characteristics that will produce offspring with the same traits. Your message should speak of the traits and characteristics that are desirable to your prospect. These are not facts and features. These are the things that produce offspring (results / benefits that matter to the prospect).
2. Viability: This refers to the seed's ability to germinate and produce a healthy seedling under suitable conditions. High-quality seeds have a high germination rate, meaning a large percentage of them will successfully sprout. How viable is the message you're offering? What are the chances your customers will experience what you're promising? What is the success rate? How can you substantiate that? People need to see that your offer (message) is truly viable (believable).
3. Vigor: This is the ability of the seedling to emerge quickly, establish robust growth and compete successfully with other plants. How quickly can your customers / clients begin experiencing the results (viability) you talk about in your message? Customers will pay much more for something if the result is quicker than other alternatives. That's why weight loss books sell for $20 but liposuction can cost thousands of dollars. The more vigor in your seed, the more value to the market. Focus on shortening the time frame for your customer to get a result.
4. Purity: Seeds should be free from contaminants such as weeds, diseases, pests and other types of seeds. Don't complicate the sale by including a dizzying amount of options. Keep your message hyper focused. What is the one thing of highest benefit? Focus on that. Make every other benefit statement support the main one. A confused mind always says "no".
5. Uniformity: High-quality seeds are uniform in size, shape, and color, indicating consistent results. Why do franchises succeed? Because in part, when you go to any of their locations, you are reasonably assured you will get the same result that you've always gotten, regardless of which location you were at. People want to know that you can be counted on, that the result you're promising is not a "one off" situation. Uniformity takes the risk out the purchase. Build trust by demonstrating uniformity.
6. Disease Resistance: Quality seeds often possess resistance to common diseases and pests, which reduces the need for costly chemical treatments. A quality message can easily withstand competitive challenges and is not vulnerable to being exposed by falsehoods and unscrupulous competitors. If your offer is truly disease resistant, (as in not vulnerable to scurrilous claims) you won't have to come back and do damage control at great expense.
7. Seed Coat Integrity: The seed coat should be intact and free from damage. A healthy seed coat protects the embryo inside and helps retain moisture during germination. The seed you're trying to plant in a prospect's life or business needs to have a coat of integrity around it, free from reputation issues caused by failure on your part. As Solomon said, "A good name is better than precious ointment (Ecc 7:1) and should be chosen rather than great riches." (Proverbs 22:1) Integrity protects your reputation and will enable faster germination in the heart of the prospect.
As I said, Paul wasn't scattering seeds willy nilly hoping that something would stick. He was planting, and that suggests great care was taken. He was strategic about when and where he planted. He wanted to go some places but delayed. There were several considerations that went into planting the gospel just as there are several considerations you should examine when planting your message. Today I have shared only two of them (quantity and quality).
There are eight more considerations in the natural that work to produce a bountiful harvest and those are indisputably important for succeeding in sales and business. I will continue laying those out for you in subsequent blog posts. If you find this helpful, kindly share on the social media links provided on this blog or email the link to your friends who are engaged in the activity of making sales and growing a business.
Until next time, be fruitful and multiply!
Wow very rich nuggets for a successful life in all that we do here on earth . Thank you sir for your godly wisdom to part to us .
Thank you Diana! Appreciate the feedback!
Looking forward to digging deeper into all that Michael Pink has to offer in the realm of godly business
Hi Elaine… I’m looking forward to serving it up to you. Blessings!
I found the Sales & Business concept about pauls Planting so interesting! ….. seed Quality & Quantity
Hi Wambula… Thank you for posting your comment. More to come!
As always a great message.
Hi Regina… Thank you for your constant support. You’re a blessing!
Thank you so much, Mr. Pink, for using the anatomy of a seed to teach us how to succeed in sales and business. I am eagerly awaiting the next blog.
Hi Prudence… So glad it blessed you. Today’s blog goes even deeper. Blessings!
THANK You Michael! I APPRECIATE You Sharing The MESSAGE❣️ PERFECT Timing❣️ I have been Accepted in the 1st Round of the Christian Music Competition “You, GOD’S Music”, and I’m not really looking at competing, but Serving FATHER GOD And Ministering❣️ I’m Growing Gardens of food and other plants up here on the mountain as well, and have been open to Gleaning what FATHER GOD Wants to Teach me❣️ THIS MESSAGE Laid out for me PERFECTLY THE FOCUS GOD Wants me to Have To Move Forward Into That Which HE’S Called me Michael🥹❣️ THANK You AGAIN for Being Such A BLESSING🤗❣️
Aloha❣️🙂,
Anna Michelle Comly🌺
I APPRECIATE You Man Of GOD❣️
Hi Anna… Thank you for sharing such an encouraging response! God is so good!
Hello Michael.
What a well timed (God timed) Blog, that really spoke to me today.
You said… “Don’t complicate the sale by including a dizzying amount of options. Keep your message hyper focused. What is the one thing of highest benefit? Focus on that”
I am just finishing up my Business Plan and Sales Plan for my new project, and this was for me… And I’m sure for others.
Even though I thought I had written it well focused, I know I haven’t.
I wasn’t Hyper focused.
I basically looked at “what would I think if someone had approached me with that same message” and realized I WASN’T focused enough.
Too much padding!!
Thankyou Michael for the wisdom you share from God, in a way that’s easily understood for business.
Hi Roy… Thank you for taking the time to comment my brother! So glad it was helpful. Hopefully you will get more insight from part two which came out today. Blessings, Michael
A good word Michael! Thank-you for sharing!
Good to hear from you my friend. Thanks for the comment!
God bless you, and thank you for Gods wisdom. Shalom CARMEN CLEMENTS
Shalom Carmen! Blessings, Michael
Wow….this was so good and insight-FULL. Thank you Michael. I need to get myself a dog for some prayer walks!
Thank you Andres! Get you a Labradoodle for sure! 🐕😄