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Greg & Julie Alexander on Marriage: Make Your Misery Your Ministry

Author

Wes Schaeffer
June 26, 2014

About Today’s Guest on The Sales Podcast

Alexander House Marriage Experts, Speakers, Authors, and Entrepreneurs, Greg & Julie Alexander run “The Alexander House” to help couples discover God’s will for them and their marriages, and they authored “Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and Can Save Yours, Too!)“

The Nitty Gritty

As of July 2014, Greg & Julie Alexander will celebrate 27 years of marriage.

They have 7 kids ages 26 to 3.

But 15 years ago, they were on the brink of divorce.

They had bought into the lies of society about what it took to be happy and successful.

They had all the toys and trips but were miserable.

God was not the center of their lives, so they looked for satisfaction outside their marriage.

Infidelity was a part of their marriage, and they were about to call it quits.

They brought their two kids into the room to tell them that they were getting a divorce. Their kids were huddled in a corner but they ignored it and thought “they’ll get over it.”

They thought as long as “we’re happy we’ll get over it.”

Material possessions are not bad, but when you let them become your god, then you have an issue.

Keep them in context.

What you do with them is key.

They were “successful” as far as society judges us.

They never had a sense of peace or order.

Things were chaotic.

That’s when they made their misery their ministry.

After they hit rock bottom they got on their knees and when they opened up to God’s will He spoke to them and lead them.

They quit and went full-time into their ministry.

Their corporate jobs were providing the money that allowed them to indulge in the things that took them away from God and from each other.

We all come from somewhere. It boils down to “stewardship.” True stewardship boils down to 4 core values.

  1. Identity

  2. Trust

  3. Gratitude

  4. Love

They became stewards of their organization.

Now they have a weekly radio show. Three series on EWTN. A book, “Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage (and Can Save Yours, Too!).” About to do another book.

This message resonates in the secular world because marriage affects everyone.

You can’t sell anybody anything without entering into a relationship to build their trust.

That is lacking so much today because people use one another so much today.

When you are trustworthy, and people trust you because you are comfortable in your own skin, the sale becomes easier.

Moral relativism is hurting our country and society.

John 8: authentic freedom comes from living God’s will.

Our actions speak louder than our words so when you are not living authentically you have to tell the world “trust me, I’m a Christian.”

“The Soul of the Apostolate”—we have an internal compass or internal discernment that comes from God that lets you know the person before you is real.

When you approach a prospect with a desire to serve, it is more attractive.

Those that wear their faith on their sleeves are making people uncomfortable. Lead by example as Jesus did.

So get to know your prospects

We were put on this earth to be of service to others.

When you approach business in this manner, the path becomes obvious insofar as to how you can succeed and grow.

Temperance, Frugality, Patience, Perseverance – use those attributes well, as God intended, and you’ll have a fulfilled life and successful business.

Die to self to be a gift to others to fulfill their needs.

Don’t focus on money. Focus on being a gift. Seek to serve.

You need the goals and plans, and processes.

St. John Paul, II—as the family goes, so goes the nation and the world.

So focus on family and marriage.

Re-assess your life.

Conduct an internal audit.

Ask yourself how what you are creating can help others.

Julie was a top salesperson, and all she was asking “how can I make more money and get more things.”

Live that authentic, Christian life.

When Julie was out of hope, she prayed for the desire to become the wife and the woman God created her to be. We need to pray for the desire to be all we can be.

Being honest and being who God made you to be, applies to building an auto-repair business, a lawn care business, etc., etc.

Building a ministry business is much harder than building a secular business because it’s intangible, and people don’t always believe they need what they have to sell.

But their perseverance has paid off.

“We have to take the time to build authentic relationships.”

You have to believe in your product to ask for the order.

They were nice and naive in the beginning.

They gave of themselves, but people wouldn’t pay or donate.

Now they ask for the sale but they structure their offer so it’s accessible to everyone in their audience.

They’ve learned through their mistakes.

They do benefit dinners, etc.

They cultivate relationships with those that are supportive of their ministry.

They let their donors know about the problems and how they can help.

They give away their best stuff for free upfront. (My little nugget I shared with them years ago! (Oops. That’s pride. I’ll put myself in timeout for a moment now.)

Get testimonials and leverage them. Ask for them on purpose and intentionally.

Continue to know and believe in your product.

Ask God for the desire to be all you can be.

When you are successful at home, nothing can compare.

Wed at 11 AM CT on the Guadalupe Radio Network

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