What Sales People Can Learn From Barack and Mitt

The elections are over. Winners move on to take their new positions. The losers go back to wherever they came from and try to figure out what happened. For both, life goes on, just in different directions. 

Political campaigns are huge sales promotions. You’ve got to convince your customers (the voting public) that your product is better than the other. Analysts are busy giving their spin on how Barack Obama pulled out a narrow victory in the popular vote but an overwhelming mandate in Electoral College votes. On the other side, strategists give Mitt Romney points for a dynamic campaign and message that nearly toppled a sitting president. 

Both campaigns used effective strategies that swayed almost half of the voting public. While 50-50 isn’t the best odds for making a sale, an article in Inc. Magazine, "6 Lessons From the Election,” points out six sales lessons gleaned from both candidates.

1. Spamming doesn’t work. It’s estimated that over $6 billion was spent by both campaigns on political advertising. That much money buys a lot of advertising, flyers, brochures and airtime. Advertising blasts cover a broad area but don’t always hit the mark. People are bombarded with so much information from electronic, digital and print sources that they are good at tuning out repetitive messages. Your efforts are better spent targeting individuals than the masses.
    
2. You never win an argument. Especially if you get angry. When things don’t go your way, arguing and raising your voice can turn off a potential sale. There is a saying, “Whoever makes you angry can control you.” In sales, keep your cool to stay in control of the conversation.
    
3. Titles don’t always impress. Romney relied on his business success to show him as a potential leader. Obama’s camp succeeded in portraying Romney as an out-of-touch CEO far removed from the ordinary “folks.” The economy is changing the perception of success and leadership. A long pedigree may not mean as much as connecting with your customer’s needs and experiences.
    
4. You have to deliver. Campaigns are full of promises. Prospects can do a lot of research online to quickly assess if what you say is true or not. A quick check of a product-review site has more clout than a bunch of promises. Customers want all the information and real assurance that you can deliver what you promise. Come prepared with testimonials of satisfied customers to show you have what it takes.
    
5. Change takes time. Just because your company rolled out the perfect product that will solve all your customers’ problems, it doesn’t mean the prospect will be overjoyed. Romney campaigned for the Presidency for about eight years, and still didn’t win over enough of the public to clinch the election. Don’t expect overnight acceptance. 
    
6. Leave the preaching to the pulpits. Enthusiasm can be contagious. When it spills over into evangelism, it can turn prospects off. Both sides in this election had their “prophets,” who preached their messages with intensity. Prospects are more impressed with product benefits and results than a passionate sermon-like presentation. 

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The campaign tactics of both candidates will be discussed and dissected for months. If you keep in mind that politics is all about selling, you can learn some valuable sales lessons from these first analyses to apply to your next sales call. 

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