What is the oldest profession? 

I’ve asked many people this question and they all said “prostitution”.  While sex was present in the beginning of life, prostitution came after and the answer that most seem to miss is that the original profession was marketing. 

You could not have exchanged money for sex if it was not first marketed properly.  Even if that meant a prostitute approaching a client and saying “if you pay me I will have sex with you”. 

Some would argue that you wouldn’t have marketing without a product first and I agree but a product without marketing is as good as nothing. 

Why is this important enough for me to post about?  Because, whether you are a pastor trying to get more people into the steeple or an inventor or artist or business mogul… marketing is 90%  or more of what you need to do.  The reason for this is simple:  No one cares about you, your art or product.  They need to be told that they do. 

I have had a few friends become angry when I talk about art and marketing because they believe it to be evil.  The sad news is that these friends will continue to struggle and noone will ever know who they are because of their stubbornness.  Marketing is not selling out to the devil.  Marketing is communicating something important to someone who will benefit from that product or service.

Can it be used for evil?  Of course.  I take my hammer and build a house for someone or use that same hammer to beat them to death.  Tools are tools.  Our intent is everything. 

Over the past 2 years especially I have learned to embrace marketing.  Partly because I am tired of struggling and partly because I see that marketing itself is a form of art.  Either way, I’m still just dressing up a pretty product and selling it on the global street corner. 

Years ago, a friend of mine said “after all, we are all just pimps and hos’.  You just need to decide which one you want to be”.  Yikes.