There’s a lot of speculation about who will be the next presidential candidates in the upcoming campaign. Who will begin to pull away and become the obvious frontrunners, and who will eventually seal the deal?
Seems every journalist, reporter and political pundit out there is speculating about who will be the next republican and next democratic Presidential candidate. Then who will pull away from the field and take the ultimate prize; sealing the deal as our next commander in chief.
Turns out if you actually listen to what pundits and journalists are saying about this political landscape, they have solid advice. — advice that translates not only to politics, but also to Sales. Why? Because what citizens look for in a leader is what your clients are looking for, as well.
Products and services are commodities; so, too, are candidates to the average voter. There’s initially a wide field of competitors, with each option’s “camp” believing they are the best choice. All hats go i nto the ring, then everyone starts trying to pull away to the front of the pack. At this point, everybody is focused on the “pushing” of their product rather than how they’re going to withstand the long haul to the finish.Of
Of course, running for President is the biggest sales job of all, right? You’re trying to sway millions — prove to them that you’re the best choice, understand a myriad of “pain points,” and win them over to your team. In this endeavor, as in Sales, it’s not about just statistics (who has the most education, the prettiest brochure), it’s emotional. People vote with their emotional barometer — and that’s why they buy from you, as well.
What it takes to win a political election and a sales opportunity is emotional appeal above all:
Connection
You must be able to connect and collaborate. Be approachable, genuine — and help your client see commonalities. Understand them; listen to them. Are you easy to know and trust? Trust is even harder for politicians than for salespeople. If we ask the right questions and really listen to what clients are telling us, we have a better chance of connecting than politicians do through the television screen or from the podium
Authenticity
We all crave the truth. We don’t want empty promises. Yes, we all like good news, but we want to believe in real progress, not magical thinking. We’ve got to face tough issues and find solutions. Without them, we can’t lead. So we have to be honest with our clients, so we can build a long-term trusting relationship that keeps them coming back to us and recommending us and our company to others. Whether or not our next Presidential candidate is judged more by their actions than their words, rest assured as a sales professional you will be. Openness and honesty will turn your clients into believers.
Caring
Caring is critical. In any relationship, the people care about each other. Show your clients that you do care about them as people; show them you care about their business and their future success. Tell stories, share experiences, and reflect in your presentations an understanding of what’s occurring in your client’s world.
WOW Factor
This is the sizzle, the way you rise above the noise of our competitive environment. You need visibility and buzz for this strategy. Just like our politicians show up at rallies, make speeches and kiss babies, as sales professionals we need to do our version of that. We need to be active in our communities, embrace social networking, and focus on creating value, building our personal and corporate brands and owning our place as experts in our field. Just like the winner of the Presidential race will emerge as the natural choice, you must emerge as the natural choice for your clients too.
At the end of the day, although you aren’t vying for the top job in America, you need to get emotional. Winning means connecting with your clients, being authentic and genuine, showing that you really care, and building your personal credibility. Focus your efforts there, and you will be perfectly positioned to win in our trust-and-value economy.
