Increasingly, churches are using outsourcing for help with communications. For most industries, certain professional standards are expected by outsourcing organizations.

Called “industry promises,” I’ve listed seven that churches should be able to expect from providers of church communications.

For this discussion church communications refers to Information Technology (software applications and computer hardware), marketing, media (Internet, broadcast, print), website and content management.

Providers of church communications will:

1. Keep their word and never promise to do the impossible. “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’.” (Matthew 5:37)

During the sales process, providers will often say, “Yes, we can do that.” Absent mitigating circumstances, all commitments should be kept. If not, then, as broadcasters do when advertising fails to run as promised, “You make it good.” If something can’t be done, it’s never appropriate to suggest otherwise, just to make the customer happy in the short-term. That approach will eventually fail. As a rule, it’s better to under promise and over deliver.

2. Make recommendations that are really practical and necessary. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” (Luke 16:10)

Churches are entrusted by their congregations, and God, to use funds wisely. Practical recommendations strengthen trust. A provider that ensures positive returns from investments in communications products and services demonstrates an understanding of biblical stewardship. This can lead to increased opportunities for partnership.

3. Share information and teach others. “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds and to be generous and willing to share.” (1 Timothy 6:18)

We live in a time when everything’s on the line for the gospel. Global communication is changing rapidly. Churches need a vast amount of knowledge from their partners to keep up. They need it now. At the same time, volunteers and young professionals being called into church communications will greatly benefit from the providers expert instruction.

4. Never lose sight of the fact that technology and media are just tools. “He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12)

Technology and media are powerful accelerators for the gospel. They can exponentially expand outreach. But, technology isn’t the focus. Christ is. Media isn’t the mission. Spreading the gospel is.

5. Listen intently, speak honestly and show respect. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (James 1:19) “Show proper respect to everyone.” (1 Peter 2:17)

Listening two times longer than time spent talking is one way to show genuine interest. It also doubles the listener’s opportunity for a clear understanding of what the customer truly needs and values. When there is a difference of opinion, disagree, agreeably. Focus on the objectives of the relationship. Keep the process moving toward.

6. Maintain a spirit of cooperation. “Se we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.” (Nehemiah 4:6)

Never in history has the Church been able to reach the entire world with the gospel. Communication technologies have made it possible. No one church, ministry or organization will accomplish this mission alone. Every church-provider partnership is an opportunity for working together with one heart and mind.

7. Meet or exceed expectations of performance excellence. “They did more than we had expected. First, they gave themselves to the Lord and to us, since this was God’s will.” (2 Corinthians 8:5, God’s Word Translation)

Doing what was mutually agreed upon is the expected minimum standard for success in any partnership. Webster’s definition for exceed: “Go beyond. Be or do something to a greater degree.” Acting on opportunities to help in unexpected ways is like compounding interest. It will add ever increasing value to the relationship. Do what’s expected and then…at no extra charge…do some more.

Making & Keeping Promises

Church communications is a vibrant, dynamic and fast growing field of work. Churches will continue to turn part of this work over to outside organizations.

I’m not aware of an association that exists to set industry standards for providers. Individual organizations will have to establish a set of principles on their own.

A majority of providers making and keeping promises will strengthen and promote all professionals using communication technologies to help churches advance the kingdom.

Questions: What other promises should churches be able to expect from providers? If you serve the church, what promises do you make?

In his essay “Marketing Myopia,” first published in 1960 by the Harvard Business Review, Theodore Levitt put forward the idea that industries risk obsolescence when they forget what business they’re in.

Levitt used the railroad industry to make his point. There is insight in Levitt’s analysis for religious broadcasters.

The Great Change of 1945-1965

Great change occurred in post WWII America.

Change in the economy (economic boom); technology (automobile, airplane); role of government (interstate superhighway system); and behavior patterns (mobility and options to travel; expanded freedoms).

The railroad industry responded to the change.

Assuming they were in the railroad business, and not the transportation business, they made faster trains (streamlined diesel-electric locomotive). They built more comfortable and luxurious passenger cars. Affluent Americans bought tickets.

It only took two decades for faster and cheaper automobile and air travel to make the “modernized” passenger railroads obsolete.

In an article for USA TODAY, David Grossman, wrote, “Had even one railroad CEO understood the simple concept – that they were in the transportation business – and altered their business model to include air and road options, that railroad might still be in business today.”

Seven Lessons for Religious Broadcasters

Understand the scope of current change and its business impact. Radio streamed to computers; personalized Internet radio services for cell phones; podcasts; wireless Internet access for cars, and other new technologies are changing the very meaning of “radio.” An RF transmitter is no longer required for sending out audio signals.

Media habits are changing. As of March 31, 2009, 251,290,489 people or 74.4% of the population are connected to the Internet in North America; there are 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion) unique URLs in Google’s index; and 100,000,000 – users log on to Facebook at least once each day.

In a session for Christian Music Broadcasters, meeting during GMA week in Nashville, Bob Garfield, co-host of NPR’s On the Media told Mark Ramsey “I would prepare for a world in which the technology really does obsolete radio waves.”

Answer the question, “What business are you in?” A common reply for a religious broadcaster has been, “I’m in Christian radio.” Today, that answer wouldn’t adequately define the rapidly changing nature of the work.

It’s not the radio business anymore; it’s the “connection business.”

For a religious broadcaster that means:

• Connecting people to Jesus Christ through teaching/preaching and music; shared and personalized content in any form, at any time, and in any place the listener or viewer desires.
• Connecting people to one another through networks established around common interests and shared values; through local church involvement and various events and activities.
• Connecting people to God’s work in the world; helping others through good works and community service.
• Connecting audiences with carefully selected sponsors and partners. Coordinating and facilitating a meaningful, non-invasive “opt-in” dialogue about customer needs and the best resources and services available to meet those needs.

It means being the communication hub in your local community, using all available technologies. The content distribution channels, receiving devices and even revenue streams are redefined as the systems used to make the connections possible.

Look ahead. Do the hard work of predictive modeling. Participate in joint research projects, conferences and roundtable discussions about the future of religious broadcasting. The future of radio spectrum may be unknowable. That shouldn’t deter a consideration of all possible outcomes from the disruptive forces of change.

Make it a practice to share as much as possible about what is learned during the discovery process.

Four additional lessons will be listed in my next post.