The next president of the United States made the sale!
Barack Obama made the sale. Sixty-three million people were sold on his potential ability to lead and govern.
And they did so without the benefit of actually seeing what he will do. He made the sale based on his oratory ability, his promises, and the faith he instilled in others. Not bad, huh? Sixty-three millions yes’s.
As a salesperson, I’m sure you’d be willing to settle for just a thousand of them.
Now comes the hard part. Obama has to deliver. Just like you have to deliver on your promises. But delivery is harder than making the sale, and Obama has to deliver on the promises he made — not just to Americans, to the World. The title President of the United States has always had the subtitle Leader of the Free World.
REALITY: Fortunately or unfortunately, we have exported our passion for freedom to other lands, resulting in conflict or battle against what you and I might call “the competition.”
REALITY: The present state of our economy is not great, and Obama will have the daunting task of resurrecting it.
REALITY: Our global image is suffering, and our present leader is not well respected at home or abroad. (I’m not throwing a stone, just stating the facts.)
REALITY: There have been domestic and global celebrations after the election. The stage is set for OBAMA to deliver. The customers are waiting, and eager for action. There will be NO tolerable delays or excuses.
GAME TIME: In order for Barack Obama to be successful as the winner of the election, President of the United States, and leader of the free world, he has to have the same characteristics you need in order to win your share of the 63 million votes, and keep those voters (those customers) loyal.
Here are the qualities he used to win the sale, and must continue to use to keep our loyalty. As you look at Obama’s characteristics, think about how you stack up:
1. Intelligence. Clearly he displayed this in the months leading up to his election. He showed an uncanny ability to be both quick on his feet and intelligent in the responses he made to questions asked of him. It’s not “How intelligent are you?” it’s “How intelligent do you sound?”
2. An excellent speaker and presenter. All of his supporters and ALL of his detractors will agree on the fact that Obama’s oratory skills are superior. That goes a long way to getting his message through, and giving listeners confidence. How excellent are your presentation skills? Ever videotaped yourself? Got Toastmasters?
3. Spontaneous. Obama is able to think and respond to questions and situations in a convincing manner. How spontaneous are you when faced with a barrier or unexpected obstacle?
4. A solid game plan. He compared present situations with his game plan for the next four years. You may not agree with them, but he was able to convey them clearly. How is your plan coming? Do you even have one? How clear is it?
5. Able to transfer his message in a believable way. And it’s because his presentation skills are excellent, and his ideas are clear. This makes his message transferable to those who agree with it — and maybe some who didn’t. How believable are you?
6. An image that is perceived as honest and honorable. How is your image? How are you perceived? What are people saying about you when you’re not there?
7. A good family man. Speaks for itself. This is a self-measurement.
8. Trustworthy by being relatable and truthful. It’s a feeling. How relatable are you? How truthful are you? How believable are you?
9. Being real-world specific, rather than real-political vague. When a politician sounds like a politician, you can smell the rhetorical BS. Same in sales. Are you being forthright or still “salesy” and manipulative?
9.5 Able to receive a vote of confidence whenever needed. Obama has a four-year contract with the world. In politics, it’s called an approval rating. In sales, it’s a reorder or a referral. Can you keep your customers loyal for four years?
I hope, just like you hope, that the sale he made will be fulfilled with a safe and better life for each of us. Time will tell.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a political statement or endorsement for Barack Obama. I’m merely sharing with you the skill set that he used to gain the approval of 63 million people. Political views aside, his victory is a lesson in sales that everyone can learn from.
If you want the formula for earning loyalty, go to www.gitomer.com, register if you’re a first-time visitor, and enter the word LOYALTY in the GitBit box.
