Have any of you ever done door-to-door sales before? I never have, but I imagine it’s a pretty tough job. I mean, I know that as the person on the other side of the door, I almost always start out skeptical and annoyed when someone shows up at my house to sell me something. Before I even open the door, I have to convince the worst guard dogs ever to stop barking so that I can hear what the person is trying to sell me. But even after overcoming that initial hurdle, there are always plenty more. Maybe it’s an inconvenient time, maybe their product isn’t something I’m particularly interested in, maybe I’m wary of being scammed, maybe I’m just not in the mood to talk to anyone at all. More often than not, a door-to-door salesperson who finds themself on my front porch starts out at a distinct disadvantage.
Of course, most of them know and expect it. So there are strategies that they use to increase their chances of success. They usually open with a smile and a cheery greeting, sometimes offering a compliment, such as, “Your obnoxiously loud dogs are SO CUTE!” They find a way to relate to you, in this case, maybe “I just got a new puppy, so I totally get it!” They pay attention to your context and try to find a connection to their product: “I bet it’s hard to keep your house clean with them always running around.” They ask questions to get a sense of how their product might help you, specifically: “Is the cleaning agent you’re currently using pet-safe?” Instead of launching directly into a sales pitch, they first look for ways to learn more about and to connect with you. They rely on your answers and non-verbal feedback to drive the interaction. Effective door-to-door sales aren’t so much presentations as they are CONVERSATIONS.
Now, obviously, there’s a lot that separates the world of sales from the world of the gospel, but this scripture reading proves that there’s at least one point of overlap. We often call this passage “Paul’s sermon in Athens” but that’s not *quite* the whole story. There’s a reason this reading starts at verse 16, well before Paul’s actual “sermon”. When Paul *first* arrives in Athens, the CEB says that he begins by “interacting” with the people there. The Greek word used here is διαλέγομαι (dialegomai), from which we get the words “dialogue” and “dialectics”. The original text suggests that, just like a good door-to-door salesman, the very first thing Paul does is engage his audience in conversation.
Once he gets his foot in the door, he uses what he learns in these conversations to great effect. When he finally gets the chance to make his pitch, he tailors his sermon directly to the Athenians - he opens with a compliment, finds a point of connection in the “unknown God” they worship, and then uses phrases from their own literature and culture to drive his message home. Paul isn’t just a talented preacher - he’s a skilled salesman.
It’s funny how our modern idea of evangelism has strayed so far from this time-tested strategy. The “E” word usually evokes images of angry people with signs standing on a street corner and yelling at passers-by with a bullhorn, or Bible-thumpers using out-of-context verses to tell you that you’re going to hell and need to repent right now. These versions of evangelism are frankly why so many Christians today are uncomfortable with it - because that’s not how we want other people to see us.
Can you imagine if Paul had used this approach in Athens? If he saw the idols around the city and launched into an aggressive tirade against the sinners and idolaters surrounding him? If he led with assumptions and criticism instead of curiosity and dialogue? He’d be laughed right out of town. I can tell you that if a door-to-door salesperson showed up on my porch threatening me and telling me how stupid it would be not to buy their product, I’d shut the door in their face faster than you could say “fire and brimstone.”
So if it doesn’t work, why do people still do it?
I think part of the problem is that we’ve collectively forgotten what the actual goal of evangelism is. We assume that the point is to rack up converts for Christ, to “close the deal”, so to speak, as quickly as possible. So people try to either terrify or pressure others into accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior in a kind of “shock and awe” strategy. But the goal really shouldn’t be to get someone to say, “You’re completely right; how wrong and misguided I was!” That’s just unrealistic (besides, there’s a non-zero chance that they’d just be saying that to make you go away).
There are, of course, still some door-to-door salespeople who need to make the sale right then and there - and their sales pitch usually reflects that. But I’ve been finding that more and more often, the people who come to my door trying to sell me something aren’t looking for an immediate “yes”. Instead, their goal is to make an appointment for another time where they or a colleague can sit down with me, learn more about my needs, and answer any questions I might have about the product. Their objective is to extend and expand the conversation. They aren’t necessarily looking for a “yes” when they ring my doorbell; what they’re hoping I’ll say is “tell me more.”
If you ask me, this is really smart. In those five minutes on my front porch, I’m rarely - if ever - interested or in a position to make any kind of purchase. If that was their goal, they’d more than likely strike out every single time. But if they’re able to make a connection, to accurately read my context and give me enough information to pique my curiosity, then I just might be willing to keep listening. In fact, the only time that we’ve EVER bought anything from a door-to-door salesperson is when we’ve been given the opportunity and time to say, “Tell me more.”
Paul’s ministry in Athens made good use of this same strategy. He didn’t expect everyone to get on board with his message immediately - and many didn’t. Some people that he’d taken the time to speak with wound up thinking he was a babbling idiot, and others were skeptical of the “foreign gods” that he seemed to be advocating. But enough of them were intrigued by their conversations that they wanted to hear more. And as a result, Paul was eventually given the opportunity to reach an even larger audience on Mars Hill than he’d had in either the synagogue OR the marketplace previously.
Because at the end of the day, what you’re selling is Good News. Most people already more or less know Jesus’ story; at this point, someone would almost have to be living under a rock to not already know the basic details. What they might NOT know yet, what YOU have the chance to share with them for the first time, is what’s so wonderful about following Jesus - the love that he embodies; the acceptance that he extends; the community that he’s built; the healing that he makes possible; and most of all, the resurrection and new life that we find in him. THAT’S the Good News that we’re in the business of peddling - and who WOULDN’T want to learn more about that?
As more and more people come to know this Good News and live their lives accordingly, the kindom of heaven will begin to unfold here on earth almost effortlessly - not as some sort of celestial sales commission as a result of all the conversions we rack up, but according to God’s divine plan. And that’s why we do it - that’s why we evangelize. To draw as many people as possible towards this way of life that brings *us* so much joy and hope. To sell them on it, so that they want to be a part of all that God is doing, slowly but surely, to transform the world for the better.
That’s the biggest difference between us and door-to-door salespeople: we don’t do the work for a paycheck. We do it out of love for our fellow human beings, for the sake of the kindom, and to the glory of God. We do it, knowing that we may be ridiculed and rejected, even by other Christians. But we do it, because if even one person is intrigued enough to say, “Tell me more,” we get the chance to show them what this world *could* be - what we believe it one day *will* be. So let’s give it a shot. Let’s evangelize through our relationships, through our questions and caring, through conversations with our neighbors. Maybe that “E” word doesn’t need to be quite so intimidating after all. Not if we really believe in the Good News that we’re selling. So let’s get out there and pound the pavement - just like Paul - for God. Amen.
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