The word "marketing" can give us visions of smoke-filled rooms cluttered with advertising executives and may leave a bad taste in our mouths. As a ministry, thinking of marketing might even cause us to recoil, like the director who said, "We're not into marketing; we leave it up to the Lord to send us who He will."

This no-marketing thinking can sound quite pious, but it leads down an interesting path. After all, if God is going to send us clients, why do we even need a phone? Silly, of course. We know we need a phone and yet a phone and a listed number is the first step in a faith-based relationship with God called "marketing."

Marketing our ministry is a balancing act requiring us to ascertain our responsibilities and carry them out, then leave the results to God. We can't make anyone come in our door. We can however, do our part to see that those who need us have every opportunity to find us. God is big enough to do the rest.

How then, do we create a realistic marketing plan? Here are four step-by-step ideas:

1. Determine our target numbers
Any business has set goals and while a ministry is different in many aspects, there is wisdom in setting targets. Let's take a look at how many clients we are seeing. As a board, are we satisfied with this number? Has it slipped from previous years? The board needs to take a close look at the number of new and returning clients, then pray through and ask the Lord, "How many should we expect?" Establishing this number determines whether the current marketing program is sufficient.

2. Take a look at current marketing strategies
What avenues are we using to attract clients? Is it the Yellow Pages, a web site, TV, radio, brochures? Intake sheets can give us a picture of what is working as we reach out. These aren't perfect (for instance, some will tell us they found us through the Yellow Pages, yet they heard your name on the radio many times — and later went to the Yellow Pages when they needed us). Still, find ways to determine what works — and what doesn't.

3. Go national
Once we have a target number and a snapshot of what strategies are working, look at what is working around the country. National pregnancy care organizations are working tirelessly in this area; go to them for counsel because there is no reason to re-invent the wheel.

4. Allocate funds
The board and executive director then can decide on the funds necessary to implement a comprehensive marketing plan. If the funds aren't in place, create the plan anyway — then begin asking potential financial partners to join in funding. We might be surprised at the number of people who — if they saw an effective plan just waiting for implementation — would work with us to see it to fruition.

Reprinted by permission from Boards of Excellence, a LifeTrends publication. If you'd like to know more about the resources provided by LifeTrends that can be used to encourage your volunteers, educate your Board and reach your supporters, or if you're looking for a great speaker for your next banquet, contact Kirk Walden at kirk.walden@comcast.net.