During my years in the undergraduate degree, I
have always been fascinated with Marketing – product marketing, marketing
management, market consolidation and so on. A simple idea can so much be
influential on how we view things. I learned so many things from my professors
that even today, I can still remember the concepts they shared. <Thank you
Ms. Sierra, Prof. Cuello, and Atty. Teves>
I was talking to a friend few days back when we
came across the Adam and Eve event in
the Bible. We were talking about the first successful marketing strategy ever
performed. And I realized that the serpent
– more crafty that any of the wild animals the LORD God has made – was the first
performer. Here’s how that keen-scaly-creature did it:
<excerpt from Genesis 3:1 – 6>
ATTENTION
The basic job of a marketer is to get the
target’s attention. You see, the serpent did not command Eve to eat the fruit.
There was no record of saying, “Come here and eat of this juicy
fruity-patooty.” Rather he asked Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat
from any tree in the garden’?” It was one simple question but it leaves one
person to wonder. Attention happens when we shift our focus from stimuli to
another. The serpent got Eve’s. She might have been doing something else like
walking through the waters in the garden marveling at the sight of God’s
immense and stunning creation. But Eve’s focus was redirected not on the
serpent but on the question. There are a lot of ways to catch anyone’s
attention but questioning is the best way to do it.
INTEREST
No one ever dwells on being attentive. When we
listen to our class professors, we lose our attention and discover our talents
in drawing abstracts or our talents in fortune telling using F.L.A.M.E.S. due
to boredom. Marketers do not give a half-baked essay. We start with an
introduction then to the body – then to the conclusion. We must involve our
target by getting their interest. The serpent did not stop when Eve answered
correctly by saying, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden but God did
say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden,
and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent could have walked
away but he did not. The serpent gave Eve a point to consider. He said, “You
will not surely die…” We get interested when we discover new knowledge. Our
interest is the gateway to doing things. We do not do things without getting
interested. Some people do random stuffs because they are interested in doing
random stuffs.
DESIRE
This is the point when a Marketer must wait for
the target. Desires are not imposed upon the target but it is being offered.
The serpent continued on saying, “For God knows that when you eat of it your
eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” We desire
things when we see opportunities open for us. The serpent left Eve with options
but Eve must response with a choice. Eve fell for the wrong option when she,
“…saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and
also desirable for gaining wisdom…”
ACTION
Marketers do not act for the sake of the client
when an action is to be done in favor of the marketer. <Yes, the target will
convert into a client when he/she decides to follow you> When we act, we
pull out our wallets and turn in cash or credit cards. Marketers will not do
that for you. As for the serpent, he was watching Eve, “…took some and ate it.”
Actions are upon us.
The Lesson
We might learn upon this story that Marketers
do stinky job. Do not be misled. Our marketing skills should be used for God’s
glory. When we share the gospel, we use the attention tool, “Have you ever
heard of the spiritual laws?”
The Reminder
The serpent was the first yet the worst marketer
we can ever meet. He lurks like there is no tomorrow. He is Satan waiting for
you to fall for his trap. He never sleeps, eats, or rests. Even in your dreams,
he can put a seedling meant to harm you. But do not fret, my friend, for God is
faithful. Focus our attention on God
that we may resist Satan’s temptation. When the exam is hard, focus on God not
on your seatmate’s answer <his/her set questionnaire is A and yours is B so
stop fooling yourself>. Be interested
in reading and studying God’s word. Psalms 1:2 describes the blessed man
that, “…his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates
day and night.” Desire first for God
each and every day not on your crush, current bf/gf, future bf/gf, and other
gods that will hinder us from seeking Him.
There are options set before us. Some options
are opportunities to glorify God but some are temptations that will lead us to
sin. As for Eve, she might have been attentive, interested, and desired for the
serpent’s words but the CHOICE is hers to make.
The choice is yours too.
The LORD God is asking you, “Would
you follow Me – the Great I Am?”
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