The Selling of Barack Obama (Con't)

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He's also, to this point, incapable of having anything stick to him other than plaudits. Believe it or not, he toys with the truth, just like any other politician you've ever known. He's not been straightforward about his life, admitting in his biography to altering facts to suit the narrative of the story and to inventing characters. So serious were the fabrications that Princeton historian Sean Wilentz said "Dreams from My Father" was " not exactly a portrait of sterling honesty or authenticity."

Obama's fudged on the campaign trail, misstating repeatedly a statistic that plays well with minority voters (his assertion that more young black men are in jail than college is a falsehood first discredited by the Washington Post ).

He's not been open about his voting record, his family heritage or his political career in Chicago . Yet, to this point, he's Eliot Ness: untouchable and favored.

What can you learn from Obama?

Take time with your words when you're approaching a customer or client. Sales people - and maybe you're one of this sort - often take pride in being able to riff. They'll trust in their knowledge the product and their ability to talk, or they'll rehearse a schpiel and lay it on a potential customer. Those tactics may be great, or they may suffer from underdevelopment and lack of freshness. Most of all, complacency will kill.

Obama's salespitch on his candidacy is changing and evolving daily. He's reacting to current events, attacks from his opponents and the changes in voter attitudes. On a smaller scale, sales teams across the country are dealing with similar issues. The ones that succeed the most will need substance and quality in their products, plus a message that cuts to the core.

Questions/comments about this article can be sent to editor (at) salesallstars.com.

 

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