Curtis Riskey, owner of Basic Books in Oshkosh, Wis., hosted the Professional Christian Retailer (PCR) Certification Module called Evangelism Marketing yesterday.

Marketing is an important part of Christian retail, because retailers sometimes fall prey to the “Build it, and they will come” logic, Riskey noted. Examining a store's vision, markets, technology and methods for reaching customers is essential for bringing in more customers, he said.

Marketing, in the secular world, Riskey said, is “how you take your product or service to the market and make a few bucks.” Christian retailers also should ask God “who to reach with what products,” he said.

Effective marketing should answer two questions, he said: who you are and why people should want to do business with you. Riskey warned retailers to beware of “adspeak,” the throwing around of terms such as “best selection” that may not necessarily be true.

Riskey said Christian retailers essentially sell life-improvement, personal growth, escape (such as through fiction) and friendship (through gift-buying).

The term “evangelism marketing” was first coined by Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple executive. Evangelism marketing is “the process of getting buyers to believe in a product or service so much that they are compelled to tell others about it,” and is powerful because evangelism “is authentic,” “is about long-term relationships” and “builds upon itself,” Riskey said.

Retailers were encouraged to market their stores by joining civic associations, networking, carrying business cards, using online surveys and creating a customer advisory board.

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