Welcome back to the Christianity and Business Podcast, an initiative of the RGW Dunham College of Business at Houston Baptist University. I'm your host, Darren Sheer, and this is a show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. And um you probably hearing the sound of my voice, I'm a little bit under the weather battling COVID right now, but um fortunately you're not gonna have to listen to my voice too much today because we have another outstanding guest on the show. On this episode, we're joined by Benson Agbortogo. While living in his native African homeland at age 13, Benson embarked on a quest to eradicate poverty. He became a missionary pastor with the purpose of helping people dedicate their lives to God. But notice most people still struggled economically and lived in financial poverty. And since then, Benson created the consistent profit-free system, which helps business owners and entrepreneurs in the construction and service industries. I know he's working with other industries as well, to generate more profit while working fewer hours. He's authored four books, including The Business System That Never Fails. Benson, welcome to the show.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much, uh, Darren. And uh really applaud you uh mustering the courage to do this, even when you are sick. So you are you are a true warrior.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. It's it's it's like when um I don't know if you've seen the movie Karate Kid when you know Daniel gets his uh leg broken, and then you know Daniel LaRusso is gonna fight. Darren's gonna come out and uh host the show today. So here I am. Uh so Benson, what's your favorite Bible passage related to entrepreneurship?
SPEAKER_02It's a passage right there from the very uh first book of the Bible, Genesis 8, 22. It says, So long as the earth remains, seed, time and harvest will never cease. I know most of the time when people hear that passage, they are thinking about offerings. Um, but seed is that passage is really also in the business context relating to lead generation and conversion. So the time you invest to let your ideal clients know about your product or services, you are sowing a seed in their lives. And with a good follow-up system, the Bible guarantees us that there is going to be a harvest or conversion, you know, at some point. One of the mistakes I've seen many business people do is they only go after people uh whom they think they are ready to buy. But statistics show that 97% of people, even if they are interested in a product or service, are usually not ready. So there is a lapse time. I call it the conversion time duration between the time you start talking to somebody and the time they uh actually become a client. Um, in some industries, it's 30 days, in some it's 90 days. I've seen it gone as long as one year, especially for people who are in the roofing. So if you sow a seed and you are not cultivating, you are not following up, it's going to be difficult to have a good harvest after a period of time. So, so long as the earth remains, that's a guarantee God gives us. If you sow quality seed in quality soil, at some point, if you keep cultivating, you are going to have a harvest. So, those of you who are generating lead, don't give up. Just make sure that you have a good follow-up system in place. And all the seeds you are sowing in the lives of people you want to work with, at some point, some of them are going to turn into a harvest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's so good. And this is where theology gets really interesting in business because then we have other examples where you know the disciples had been out fishing all night and caught nothing. You know, Jesus says, put your nets on on the other side of the boat, and then they get this miraculous catch of fish. And so, you know, some some Christian is sitting there thinking, well, why do I need to go sow all that sea? Why can't I just, you know, pray and ask Jesus to tell me where the fish are, and then I'll put my nets in. Um, so you know, there's a little bit of a tension there, which if you peel it back, it's really that that tension uh applies in a lot of different kind of uh areas of tension around Christianity, um different doctrines and so forth. But how how do you square those two those two scenarios?
SPEAKER_02I believe that there's a parable in the Bible in Matthew 13 that squares squares the uh the dichotomy for us beautifully. In that parable, uh Jesus talks about the sower. He said the sower went out and the sower was very diligent in sowing seed. Well, uh the first sower was not a good sower. You know, the birds of the air came and picked it up and it didn't produce. Uh, the second soil uh didn't produce, also, you know. Um the the third sow uh didn't produce, but this guy did not give up. He just kept sowing and kept sowing and kept sowing. And the Bible tells us that he hit the good soil, and he had 30fold, you know, 60fold, and um a hundredfold. I really believe that consistency enables us to now discover the soil that is a good soil. Uh, in the example you give, that becomes that is a place we should be casting our net uh all the time. Because when you go through different categories of people and you eventually find the people who really appreciate the value you provide, why will you leave that soil? You know, just look for more similar soil. And now instead of depending on a one-time miracle, uh, which is good, you can experience the miracle on an ongoing basis, which is even better. Because God is also a methodical God and He's created these laws uh in the universe. Once we apply them, we can experience that miracle. On, I mean, I'd rather experience a miracle every week than to experience it once in a month and be wondering, okay, what did I do to even experience that miracle? I don't know. So, Matthew 13, uh really I believe solves that problem. And I want to encourage everybody, even if you don't know who your ideal client is today, think about the people who are going to benefit the most from your product or service and go after them. Some of them will respond, some of them will not, but don't give up. Keep doing it consistently, and at the end, you are going to get a harvest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, excellent. What what are the systems that never fail that you point out from Genesis 128, and how can they help us dominate problems in business?
SPEAKER_02So uh in the book, The Business System That Never Fails, I obviously take a very unique angle based on the fact that so many businesses statistics show that 90% fail after the first 15 years uh in business. So I really came with an approach that anybody can really bullet proof or failure proof their business if they apply the simple principles that are written there. But to go back to Genesis 8.22 that we were talking about, that is really like the law of gravity. You know, uh, if you apply it, it's going to work. And the amazing thing about that law of sowing and reaping is it works all over the world. It doesn't matter the skin color. You know, I tell people if a black man holds a grain of corn and takes it to the soil, the grain of corn is not going to say, Oh, I'm not going to grow because you're a black man. Oh, I'm not going to grow because you're a white man, or I'm not going to grow because you're a woman. And uh that law doesn't even respect economy. That's why if you go to a place like Africa where I was born, a lot of the countries, the economic systems are not that good, but seeds still grow there. The seeds don't say, oh, the economy in this country is so poor, I'm not going to grow here. No. Uh, the seeds don't care who is in Congress, whether it's Democrats or Republicans or whoever, the seeds don't say, oh my goodness, I'm not going to grow this year because you know the Democrats are in control of the Republicans. No, the seed doesn't respect any of that. The seed respects the God who created that system. And God has told us that you know our part is just really to plant. And then He is so generous in providing the rain and the sun. And then the whole thing is going to grow. So that's the uh amazing thing about the principles are written in the book. They are applicable anywhere in the world. Anyone can apply them, they are not uh related by affected by sex or age or color or economy. They just work because the God of the universe, you know, designed it that way.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And specifically in Genesis 1.28, there there are four systems that you talk about. Can you just highlight those for us?
SPEAKER_02Uh yeah, I talk about in you know in Genesis 1.28, it talks about uh be fruitful, you know, multiply, you know, replenish the earth, and you know, have dominion. So I really encourage people, uh, right at the end, you went to the end of the book. I really encourage people when they are getting into business to really think about taking what God has given them out of themselves in such a way that it can become very scalable. I know you are you own a publishing company, uh, which is amazing. I encourage every business owner who has not written a book. I said, there's something wrong with you. The man who owns the greatest business in the world is promoting the business with a book. Why won't you do so? And I'm referring to God who created the universe. I consider him to be the greatest entrepreneur, and he left us with the Bible to promote the business. So I say every entrepreneur should really have a book. So that is an example. You take the knowledge that God has given you, but you take it out of you and you put it on paper. So now you have become fruitful in that simple example. Now that you are fruitful, well, when you write a book, I mean you are a publisher, so you know this very well, you can print that book into thousands of copies. So you can now multiply. And people can be reading your book while you are sleeping or while you are doing some different things. So it's now not dependent on you, you are making an impact independent of you. And then you can actually uh you know uh distribute that all over the world again with the internet now, it's easy, and you can really have a dominating impact in the lives of the people uh that you are serving. So that would be a very practical example. Anyone who is listening uh can really apply. And if you're a business person and you are listening right now, and you haven't written a book, boy, if I were you, I'd jump on the phone call after after listening to this webcast and talk to Darren because he's he's your man, he's gonna help you, you know, to get that knowledge out of your head and put it on paper so you can uh multiply and dominate.
SPEAKER_01Wow. Well, you're quite the pitch man, Benson, like a George Foreman over here. Um, but that's that's really good. I mean, it's it's production, multiplication, distribution, sustainability. Uh, it's all right there in Genesis 128 as a model for a successful business, any any kind of successful enterprise. And really is the foundation to that. You talk about three pillars for business. What are those three pillars?
SPEAKER_02These three pillars they have really transformed my life, uh, Darren. I I we I wish I had not wasted so many time, so much time before I discovered the first pillar is love God. Now, when a lot of people hear about love God, they think about love as something soft, something weak. Not really. And I'll tell a quick story. Uh, when I started the business far back in 2009, I was so busy, like many entrepreneurs are. I'll get up in the morning during an hour, go out there and just spend so much time looking for clients. I'll come back, you know, tired. I wouldn't, I won't, I wouldn't have the time. I let me not say I won't have the time. There wasn't energy left for me to read my Bible. I remember one day I even slept on my Bible in the evening when I was trying to read it. And I woke up and I said, Oh God, I'm so sorry. I slept on your book, but I was in a mad rush getting out. And I would never forget one day God stopped him on my door and he said, Benson, where are you going? I said, God, I'm going to network. He said, So you're going to network to get more business for your more clients for your business. I said, you know it. And he asked me a question that changed my life. He said, Benson, how many people do you think I know? I said, God, you know 7 billion people. He said, exactly. And I can introduce you to any of them to do business with you. And I said, Oh, dumb Benson. Why would I neglect a man who knows 7 billion people and claim I don't have time for him, but I'm going out, you know, to network, you know, with so that is the first pillar, and that really uh changed my perspective to see how God is really involved in my business, as really my business partner and one of the greatest investors in the universe involved in my business. So that's the first pillar. The second pillar is love yourself. And these pillars are really drawn out of Luke chapter 10, 27, where Jesus talked about, you know, love God, you know, love your neighbor as yourself. Of course, you can't love your neighbor if you don't love yourself. So in loving yourself, I'm really talking about looking at the talents and the skills God has given you and becoming a good steward to really develop them through books and seminars and all of that to really make yourself a better person, an attractive person to the people that God has called you to serve. And then the third pillar is to love your clients. You know, you have to love the people you serve. And when you love people you serve, you are going to be bold to market to them. As a former pastor, I was so shy to market because I saw marketing and sales as a manipulation to get money from people. But I'll never also forget the day God said to me, Sir Benson, if you have the cure for cancer and you know people who have cancer and you claim to love them, will you sell the cure to them? I said, of course. And you said, that is all marketing and sales is all about. People have a problem, you have a solution, you should be zealous to let them know about the solution if you claim to love them. So when I meet an entrepreneur who is not marketing seriously, I know you are calling me Josh Foreman. Um, if I meet an entrepreneur who is not marketing seriously, I say, either you are wicked or you don't believe in the product or service yourself. Which of those, which of those are you falling into? And they say, well, I believe in the product. I said, then if you love people, go out there and let them know because you have medicine to their to their sickness. Be proud to do it. Don't don't be ashamed, be proud to do it because you are changing the lives of those people. And that is what again I characterize as loving the clients that God has called you to serve. So those are the three pillars in the nutshell in the book.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And uh, I mean, it's really love your neighbor as yourself. I mean, especially with a product or service that you've benefited from, um, if and you just you really appreciate that service and you got a lot of value out of it. If if you're grateful for that, I mean, why not go share that with somebody else? I mean, that's just one one more way to love others the way you love yourself. I mean, you wouldn't want somebody to keep it a secret from you. Uh, so why keep it a secret from others, right? Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Well said, David. Well, well I said.
SPEAKER_01So tell us about the consistent profit tree and um kind of the bit of the process that you're taking these companies through.
SPEAKER_02Uh, it's very simple. The consistent profit tree uh really piggies back out of the business system that never fails. Everything we do is based on principles that are proven. You know, they're obviously God's principles. I didn't manufacture them, I just discovered them and I'm applying and applying them. So typically, when a client comes to us, we want to first of all know what is their goal, and we focus on the bottom line, the profit. Because in Isaiah 48, 17, it says, I am the Lord your God who teacheth thee how to profit, and who leaded thee the way you should go. Now you need to read this in the King James, the way I've just paraphrased. So God is uh God teaches us how to profit. So when people come to us, we want to know what is their profit goal, what is their profit target, because I also see profitability as being fruitful, you know, being a good steward of you know the business. So once we know that, we develop uh several maps, depending on where they are today and where they want to be in terms of profitability. We do we develop several maps um and we pick the one that is going to be the most effective for that business, and then we just implement these principles on a consistent basis. That's why it's called consistent profit, you know, tree. So it's not based on if I'm feeling like doing it today or I don't feel like doing it. Like, I mean, you are not feeling like doing an interview today, but you are a warrior. So you came out to do it because you want to be a consistent person. So the whole thing in getting results with us is that consistent application, consistent application of the principles. Um, many people know they should be implementing consistently, but for whatever reason, you know, um people go on vacation, especially when things are going well. And then when they hit rock bottom, they say, oops, I stopped doing all the stuff I was doing before things got well. Let me get back to them. So they are going through this roller coaster up and down, or I call it also feast and famine. But with us, we make sure there is consistent application of these principles so that the profit is consistent. Because I've never seen anybody's age fluctuate or anybody the calendar fluctuating. I don't know how old you are, Darren, but I guarantee if I assume that you are like 40, I guarantee you're not going to fluctuate one day back to 30. And then the following week you just jump to 60. Uh, but many people are contented with their businesses fluctuating, but God has designed it to grow consistently and That is how we help you know business owners achieve results based on the consistent um laws of God.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's so good. That consistency is is so critical. And I think that really speaks to the value of having a coach, having a consultant like yourself who is grounded in the in the scriptures and in the love of God and the love of people, and to have accountability like that in your corner. I don't think there's really any other way uh that God set it up for us to function and and be and flourish and be fruitful and and profitable and everything than to to try to do that on our own, um, just through sheer willpower. But there's something about having that wise counsel that um the the person in our corner to spur us on to good works. Um I think that's what God has in mind. So let me let me promote you here for a minute there, Benson. Um consistent profitree.com is the is the website where you can learn more about what Benson is doing and also the book, The Business System That Never Fails. You can check that out and some of the things we've been talking about here today. Um wrapping it up, Benson.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. And and Darren, actually, one of the things that I I came out determined to do for your audience, I know the business system that never fails, they can pick it up from Amazon and Code. But I I said, you know, today I'm gonna give uh uh Darren's audience uh the electronic version, the ebook version, to anybody who is interested, you know, for free. So if you go to consistentprofittree.com forward slash ebook. So that is consistentprofitree.com forward slash ebook, you'll be able to uh download um the ebook, you know, uh for free and and read it. And if you want to get the uh the hard copy or so, you can obviously buy it, but it you can pick up the electronic version you know for free at consistentprofitree.com uh forward slash ebook.
SPEAKER_01Excellent. Well, thank you for that generosity. We'll have the link in the show notes for people to access that easily. Uh consistentprofit tree.com forward slash ebook. Thank you for that. Um, in addition to going to get the the ebook, uh Benson, what's what one action do you want people to take as a result of what they've heard today?
SPEAKER_02I will say that one action would be to go out consistently looking or marketing to people who are going to benefit from the product or service that they offer. They shouldn't go a day, Monday to Friday. Of course, you can take Saturday and Sunday off. Monday to Friday, every single day, go out there looking for people who can benefit from your product or service. I know we call it lead generation in marketing language, but every day talk to somebody, don't let a day go by without you talking to somebody about your product or service if you really love people. Jesus said if you light your lamp, don't push it, don't put it under the bed, under the bushel, put it out and let it shine. So if any person here will go out every single day talking to people, they will start seeing a tremendous increase in their business after a period of time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well said. Vincent, thank you so much for sharing with our audience today. Um, appreciate you helping us grow. Uh, we're all better for it. And thanks again for the free ebook, consistentprofitree.com forward slash ebook. God bless you, brother.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. And thank you, Darren, so much for uh having me. I really uh enjoyed our conversation together and the value that uh uh we have provided. Thank you so much for having me as a guest, and uh I look forward to uh seeing your business and the businesses of everybody listening in a prosper as God designed it to be.
SPEAKER_00We hope you've enjoyed this episode. And if so, we would greatly appreciate it if you would leave us a quick rating and review for the Christianity and business podcast on iTunes. You can get more information about HBU Center for Christianity and Business at Christianityandbusiness.com. Thanks for listening, and remember to keep integrating biblical values into your book.