I've just finished going through the book "Selling the Invisible" twice. Have given copies to key people at my work with instructions to cover the last half and be prepared to discuss sometime this week or next. The book is only partly about selling. It is mostly about leading your organization to be aware of who it is and what it's purpose is.

I have to believe if you are struggling to figure out where you are heading as an organization, or maybe you just need to do some evaluation this would probably be a good book for a leadership retreat.

For me one of the most significant points had to do with the discussion on Position and Position statements. Some of the quotes related to this are:

"Stand for one distinctive thing that will give you a competitive advantage." (p.103)
and
"To broaden your appeal, narrow your position." (p. 105)

I think this is especially hard for churches who want to be all things to all people and wind up doing most things with mediocrity, or worse. The information on focusing on one distinctive thing and how that actually can broaden your appeal is definitely a message the church needs to listen to. For example, Beckwith says "In positioning, don't try to hide your small size. Make it work by stressing its advantages, such as responsiveness and individual attention." (p.120)

If you are a leader in ANY organization this is a book worth having on your shelf.