“Our pledge to budget average is 2.4% of a churches annual budget.” That was a claim a salesman made when I worked for at the time for one of the largest stewardship firms in America. As I sat next to him in that presentation to a church my first thought was, “I did not know that was our average.” I was sort of miffed that here I was a Vice President of the firm and he knew more than I did!
“Oh, I don’t know what our average is but it is probably that.” That was the salesman’s reply when we were alone together driving back to the airport and I asked him about the 2.4% quote. He wasn’t happy when I said, “So, you just lied to that church.” I knew then that it was time to leave and start my own company.
We don’t have salesmen. Sales people typically over promise and under deliver. Sales people give you the best case scenario rather than the truth. Salesmen get paid on the amount of contracts they sell not the effectiveness of a capital campaign. Salesmen typically NEVER work a capital campaign and no little about how to effectively deliver a campaign. Sales people will say what they think you want to hear to get the contract and leave the clean up to the consultant.
At The Charis Group we send in the consultant that will work all three years on your campaign not some salesperson. You deserve to know and meet ahead of time who you will be working with. In fact one of your first questions to the guy on the phone setting up your presentation should be, “Is the person you are sending the person who will be doing ALL the work with us?”
Why ask that? Firms will often say they have a team approach and the salesman will tell you he is the one in charge of all the team. If you believe that, well, you are naive. Sadly, my industry is plagued by people more concerned with selling contracts than delivering quality help to churches.
There is a better way and more firms are moving towards that way of a consultant being at the table from start to finish. Consultants know they are the ones working your campaign and they have to deliver what they promise.
At The Charis Group we are ministers who work with churches to maximize their funds not salesmen looking for another notch on our belt!
We would love to work with you.
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
