Frank A. Bergman sold products for International Business Machines (IBM) back in the 1940's and 1950's. He truly believed that IBM had the best devices around, but he also knew that a client could find fairly comparable machines elsewhere. Consequently, Bergman emphasized customer service in his sales pitch. William Rodgers, in his book, Think, quotes Frank Bergman as saying, "I sold them the blue sky with a gold frame around it. You never sold the product, you sold the blue sky."
Once he sold the blue sky to the General Motors Corporation. Along with that heavenly real estate went an order for 3,000 electric typewriters! At $90 commission per machine, Mr. Bergman stood to make a whopping $270,000! That was more than ten year's salary for him and an all-time IBM record for a single-sale commission!
IT NEVER HAPPENED!
WHY?!
A few days before all the necessary papers were to be signed, a GMC executive called one of Bergman's junior salesmen. He wanted the man to come and see him about "a couple" of typewriters. The ambitious but not too intelligent rookie told the GMC executive to send an order by mail; he didn't have the time to run all the way up to Tarrytown for a puny little two-machine order. The giant automobile company bought those two typewriters elsewhere. They also bought the other 3,000 typewriters that Bergman had received an order for, elsewhere! "That junior salesman forgot the blue sky, " lamented Frank Bergman.
We Christians have the best, greatest, most wonderful "product" to offer a lost world! Everyone needs salvation, the forgiveness of all their sins, and everlasting life; and they can't get it anywhere except through Jesus Christ (John 3:16,36; I John 1:7)! However, our enemy (Satan) has flooded the market with cheap imitations, and the competition for men's souls remains fierce. We literally offer the blue heavens with golden streets beneath, but people will look elsewhere if they are given the impression that we do not live what we talk about or that we really do not care about them.
None of us would miss church or visitation if we had the guarantee of another Pentecost where 3,000 souls would come to Christ. But how many of us refuse to drive across town or even go across the street because "only" one person needed the Savior? I think that the two are related, and that big blessings depend upon faithfulness in the small things (Zech. 4:10; Luke 16:10). So be aware (soul-conscious) of every person each day, and win them one at a time for Jesus' sake (Psalm 126:5,6; Prov.11:30; Matt. 4:19)!
Individuals Beget Multitudes,
Pastor David Blevins
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