Evangelism in the Business World
Being a person who practices the Christian faith, Kawasaki’s blog titled “The Art of Evangelism” caught my eye, as I usually associate the word “evangelism” with spreading the gospel or pastors preaching on Sundays. Kawasaki, being a venture capitalist, is the author of “How to Change the World,” a business blog that motivates small business owners. Naturally, I thought to myself, “how does evangelism have anything to do with business?”
Kawasaki, an ex-revolutionary at Apple, redefined this term, as he explains that evangelism is the art of converting people to one’s product or service by creating value—“[having] the other person’s best interests at heart.” He points out that evangelism can only “work if [the] product can change the world”(just like how Jesus caused a huge movement in society). There were a few hallmarks of evangelism which stood out to me that Kawasaki explained as important for businesses to embody: love the cause, let people test drive the cause, and never lie. Great evangelists show enthusiasm about their cause and know how to do their job because they genuinely love their cause, they trust their cause and “are not afraid of enabling people to try before they buy,” and they are familiar and proud of their cause, not needing to lie about anything. As a first year student, Kawasaki’s words on evangelism gives me huge implications for my future and career that are still fuzzy. If I find something I can successfully evangelize, I’ve found the right place.
“The Art of Evangelism.” ‘How to Change the World’ Web. 6 Nov. 2014. <http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2014/04/the-art-of-evangelism.html>.