Sales Lessons from the 2008 Campaign

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So what Sales lessons did we  learn from this long 21 months of presidential politics?  From a sales perspective, I would suggest a few things.

Trashing your competitor is viewed as "old school" 

People want answers and solutions to problems.  Anything that sounds like sales hype and competitor bashing doesn't work.  With so many sources of information available, it is too easy to get a different view and more factual data.  Buyers are past the scare tactics of the past (I am talking selling here).  Remember FUD?  (fear, uncertainty, and doubt)  FUD is less effective these days, since anything we say can be fact checked and researched in seconds. Trashing the competition among your base may work (see Salesforce.com @ Dream force), but without solutions to back it up, you are preaching to the choir.

More experience and time in the market does not equal immediate credibility

We have to earn the trust of the buyer everyday.  Every interaction that doesn't talk about them and their problems and their issues, is an interaction that that is not getting new customers.

Some people embrace change and others do not

If your product or service changes the way an industry or company does business, or changes the behaviors in a significant way, look for those people that are more open to change.  (Especially if you are a new disruptive technology)

Conventional wisdom can be TOO conventional

Don't be afraid to go after markets that you have never been able to penetrate before.  It could be your message and they may be receptive to a different message., especially if it is about them and their pain.

Anything stand out for you?