Unique Selling Proposition
In the business world, most successful businesses start with a “unique selling proposition” or USP. This is what they do better than anyone else.
In my business career I started with Domino’s Pizza when they only had 200 stores. Their USP was “we are not a restaurant, we specialize in pizza delivery, and because of that you can get yours in 30 minutes”. Later, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s came along with a “nonunique selling proposition” that was essentially the same thing and changed the industry from extraordinarily profitable into only ordinarily profitable. It was a double bad for Pizza Hut because, in major markets, they gave up their “reliable family restaurant for pizza” USP for the delivery NSP, allowing new chains like Cici’s to come along and usurp their former role with “reliable all you can eat low price family pizza restaurant”.
Similarly, megachurches compete. Some compete with a USP while others compete with an NSP. Lakewood Church is “the largest church in America”, which will always be a USP (but not necessarily theirs) while Fellowship Church is “a sort of Baptist church with satellite campuses” that is more of an NSP.
So what has this got to do with personal pastors? For awhile the first church to fully implement personal pastors will have a USP. And even if personal pastors become commonplace, that first church will always be seen as the innovator in this area. Willow Creek is no longer the largest church in America, but it is recognized by many as the prototype megachurch. When we go to Chicago and stay with unsaved relatives, we went to Willow Creek and that’s how they became aware of it, we are praying that they will one day see it from the inside.
So be bold and get out front on providing superior care to your members. This is an area where you can distinguish yourself in a world filling with megachurches.
In the business world, most successful businesses start with a “unique selling proposition” or USP. This is what they do better than anyone else.
In my business career I started with Domino’s Pizza when they only had 200 stores. Their USP was “we are not a restaurant, we specialize in pizza delivery, and because of that you can get yours in 30 minutes”. Later, Pizza Hut and Papa John’s came along with a “nonunique selling proposition” that was essentially the same thing and changed the industry from extraordinarily profitable into only ordinarily profitable. It was a double bad for Pizza Hut because, in major markets, they gave up their “reliable family restaurant for pizza” USP for the delivery NSP, allowing new chains like Cici’s to come along and usurp their former role with “reliable all you can eat low price family pizza restaurant”.
Similarly, megachurches compete. Some compete with a USP while others compete with an NSP. Lakewood Church is “the largest church in America”, which will always be a USP (but not necessarily theirs) while Fellowship Church is “a sort of Baptist church with satellite campuses” that is more of an NSP.
So what has this got to do with personal pastors? For awhile the first church to fully implement personal pastors will have a USP. And even if personal pastors become commonplace, that first church will always be seen as the innovator in this area. Willow Creek is no longer the largest church in America, but it is recognized by many as the prototype megachurch. When we go to Chicago and stay with unsaved relatives, we went to Willow Creek and that’s how they became aware of it, we are praying that they will one day see it from the inside.
So be bold and get out front on providing superior care to your members. This is an area where you can distinguish yourself in a world filling with megachurches.
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