When politicians fail to sell

What surprises me is in how poorly all the candidates were prepared to actually take on this job.

Politics is very much like sales. You have a product (the party platform) that you very much want the people of Canada to buy into. And just like sales, you have to prepare long before the actual sales process begins in order to be ready to get the job done, close the deal, and win the day.

Here are some common points that you need to be ready for, and how each one is critical to success. Know the market: In sales as in politics, if you do not know who your target market is, and what the vibe in the market happens to be, you will never even get out of the gate. Mr. Harper failed miserably on this front, as he called an election based on his perception that he could win when most Canadians wanted nothing to do with a 3rd election since 2006. The turnout across the country proved that. Know your customer: What do the people want? Coming out with another gas-guzzling, boat-like SUV these days would be seen as a more than a little left of center given today’s gas prices. So would a plan for the country that excluded the most important issues to Canadians going forward. Health Care, the Environment, the Economy, not necessarily in that order. Know your product, and your competition’s: Politics usually gets ugly right around this point. Unfortunately, so does sales. People will stretch the truth about what they can flat out lie about in terms of the competition, and ignore key facts, all with the goal of manipulating the people whose trust they want to earn. Mr. Layton had a firm grasp of what he wanted to achieve during the weeks leading up to the election, unfortunately his inconsistency in speaking out about the others in the race eventually lead to his dwindling to a dismal fourth nationally. Engage your target audience: Mr. Dion had a wonderful plan for the country, one that went beyond the Green Shift. The problem was his inability to capture the attention of anyone west of Hull which led to the worst Liberal showing in eons. As Mr. Dion moved up the ranks of the party, a major focus of his should have been to get a firmer grasp of the language that most provinces use, as well as improve his ability to communicate without sounding so professor-like. In sales, talk statistics and data sheets with your customer in broken tongue, and unless they have already decided to buy, you will walk out empty-handed. Keep the “pitch” focused on them: There can be no doubt, if you try to sell someone based on what you believe, what you feel, what you know, how great you are, how bad the competition is, you will be lucky if you can sell your grandma what you are pushing. Politicians should stop talking about what they have done, how great they are compared to the other guys, how they have all the answers, and start focusing on real answers that will create a sense of attachment with the people. “I, I, I”…who cares? Sentences should start with “You”, and should finish with “You have asked for (enter desired outcome here), and that is what the goal of the (enter party name here) Party will be.” Then make sure you do it. Avoid Competition Bashing: No matter how many times the other guys do it, competition bashing in today’s world is universally frowned upon, and people are sick of it. And if you think it is bad here, take a look south of the border. Compare yourself to the competition not by shooting them down, but by highlighting your strengths and what you are capable of doing. Even when telling the truth, most people will transfer part of their negative reaction to what you are saying to you and to the target. They may despise the other guy, but they will not really be fond of you either. Do not rest on your laurels: Mr. Harper was so convinced that he had a majority victory wrapped up, he did not present one truly inspiring new idea, relied solely on his history to justify himself, and let the Province of Quebec, which was as vulnerable to a major swing than it has been in many years, slip through his fingers. He may have won, but it is still a minority government, and was due more to Mr. Dion’s inability to connect to with other provinces than anything Mr. Harper did. Companies know that if they go with one product and just cruise, un-open to change and the dynamics of the people, they are done. How do you think Diet Coke and other soft drinks came to be? Study, study, study – never stop learning: ever the heard the term “Old School Politician”, or listened to someone be concerned because a certain candidate appears to be out of touch? That is because they have stopped to listen, read, and learn about the people they are working with, the people who are going to buy from them. In order to succeed today, you have to be in constant communication with the people who are going to be the key to your survival, and always on the look out for new ways to expand on your market share. And something that is so easy for people to control still remains the easiest for them to neglect.

Final verdict? Sorry guys, but if you were applying to be on my staff, with the pitches you gave and the way you presented them, not one of you would get the job. And now the “competition” is getting ready to gang up on Mr. Harper and overthrow his government, barely 2 months after his “vistory”. So the next time you go in to a sale, are you ready to go the extra mile to win the customer’s loyalty, or will you just go for the quick sell?

This week’s “Cold Call”, since voting day has come and gone, is more a challenge than a task. Every day, challenge yourself to take a positive step in just one of these areas. Everyday too much to handle? No problem, once a week. Each and every one of these points can be tweaked ever so slightly, with the sum of the parts leading to a huge change in how you work day to day, and how you are perceived by those who you want to partner with for years to come.

Have a great selling week!