Don’t Be So Easily Led Astray

“In the last days, perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud,… unthankful,… unholy,… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God… From such turn away!” 2 Timothy 3:1-6

Don’t be so easily led astray.

The sales pitch goes something like this…

“I have found a ‘secret’ that few people know, that will make you a ton of money with very little effort. No need to work hard. Just work smart. It’s a process or a system I call, “Magic Dust” and it really works.

Tom, a hard working mechanic used my system and made a gazillion dollars in his first 90 days. Mary, a single mom tried it and did even better, just working part time. Why even Daryl, the high school drop out bought my system and he was able to quit his day job and work from the new condo he bought in Belize.” 

The implication is that if these ordinary, somewhat disadvantaged people can succeed, just imagine how much better you can do. The promise is always the same… Big rewards without sacrifice – other than the few thousand dollars being charged for the system.

“But wait… You could make millions with this and even if you only do a fraction of that, it is so much more than the small investment I am asking you to make.”

Newsflash: There is no magic dust.

There is nothing wrong with providing training, or a system to help someone develop, build and grow their business. Nothing wrong with charging a price relative to its value. Cost justification is an important part of sales, but what I take issue with is the nondisclosure of critical information that greatly impacts the success of the system or training being offered.

You hear things like; “The sales techniques of the 90’s don’t work in 2015. There are newer, better, more savvy methods needed because the buyers are more savvy.” I heard that in the 90’s about the 70’s. I heard that in the 70’s about the 60’s. Truth is, the fundamentals have never changed.

The fundamentals are easy to find in the Word of God. They are timeless and highly effective. For those without a Bible, those fundamentals are modeled in creation all around us. The tree, being the most successful business model on earth. And it’s easy to learn from and copy. The great thing about fundamentals is that they build you as a person. They shape you.

But we have an adversary.

His role is to keep us from finding the Truth, to keep us from finding the great treasure of Wisdom that is the Word of God, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is accomplished primarily by distraction. We are offered a myriad of glitzy shortcuts to get what we perceive are the blessings of God without conforming to the ways of God.

For those of you interested in “becoming more”, not just “acquiring more”, I invite you on the journey with me as we discover God’s ways and apply them to our sales careers, our business lives and our spiritual development. Check out the International Christian Business School for more info.