Word of mouth. It’s the best marketing tool there is. The pros on Madison Avenue can develop all the ads they want, can generate tons of hoopla, but until people try a product and give a glowing report to others, it isn’t really successful.

Products that get the most tongue-wagging time are those that supply a need. The need for food and beverage, the need for making work easier, the need for entertainment and information, even the simple need to find something beautiful in this crazy, mixed-up world.

Authors thrive on both written reviews and word of mouth. Our preference, of course, is to have positive reviews spread like wildfire. One person tells her friends, who each go and tell their friends, who then go and tell their friends—and the next thing you know, the number of people who are talking about the book has increased exponentially.

Want proof? Look what happened when a simple desert-dweller proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” That statement resonates through the centuries and even now continues to bring people to the cross.

Day 4 of the Walking Softly with John study, “Came for a Witness,” illustrates the rapid spread of the good news and the continuing need for word-of-mouth witnessing. But what tickles me most about the post is that in four days, I’ve covered only six verses. I have been loving this soft, quiet walk with John. And I hope you have been too.

To catch all the lessons in the study, be sure to click on the “Walking Softly with John” tab above.