In my early days of business I learned a sales technique called “reduction to the ridiculous”. This closing strategy consisted of reducing the total cost (or additional cost over our competitor) of the item being offered to a daily cost. The daily cost was easier to rationalize and easier to say yes to.
Quick example: “I realize this product cost $500 more a year, but if you break it down your investment is less than $1.50 a day, less than your daily Starbucks run. Don’t you think you can afford the extra $1.50 a day for the additional benefits you will receive using our product?” Slick isn’t it? Thank you Tom Hopkins.
As I made the shift 6 years ago from business to ministry I still found that principle helpful in another way. I am no longer in sales but I serve in ministry organizations that have big goals. Not sales goals, but impact goals. In sales we call this principle “reduction to the ridiculous”, but with goals we can call it “reduction to the achievable”. Take the same concept (a big thing made up of tiny pieces) and apply it to goal setting and target achievement, then it becomes a useful tool when undertaking an ambitious objective. It allows you to improve your odds of success by defining smaller steps or goals.
The three key elements to using this principal successfully are:
1) Define your goal (ex: Read one book each month)
2) Break the project into smaller, well defined, achievable, measurable goals (read 10 pages each day)
3) Take a moment to congratulate yourself on completion of each of the smaller goals. Celebrate the small victories.
Just a side note: This is ABSOLUTELY how we should look at our relationship with God (prayer, quiet time, etc). We are better off having small times with God daily than once a week splurges. “Reduction to the Achievable” is a great principle for sales and goal setting, but also for our time with God.
