Why a gas station?
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill that cannot be hidden..." Matthew 5:14a
A woman is driving down a pitch-dark road late at night and sees that she is almost out of gas. Her fear is somewhat relieved as she sees two gas stations up ahead.
If these two gas stations are equally accessible and the gas is equally priced, which will she choose?
Simple. She will choose the one with the better lighting. Why? At that moment, her primary need is safety. Better lighting makes her feel safer. Her response is natural—just as natural as the first conclusions that people commonly draw about your organization.
Imagine the owner of the less-frequented store. He tries to solve the problem by dropping prices, hiring a new graphic designer, making a new sign, and increasing inventory, but sales do not increase. He is missing the connection. He doesn’t understand what drives people.
How strong is your connection? Are you providing the right light or are people headed to the other station?