Why Politics is Nothing Like Sales

If you like entertainment, drama and excitement, the current political circus is for you. I’d like to say we’ve seen everything, but every time I think that, something even more outlandish pops up. I’m still pretty confident about one thing, though: if you’re a professional salesperson, DO NOT try this at work!

Let’s look at it from the outside-in: Imagine you were a buyer dealing with a potential vendor for an important decision, one that would determine the direction of your company for the next four years, and possibly the next four after that. What would you think about a salesperson who:

• Clearly overpromises by making grandiose claims about what the product will do for you,
• Refuses to provide detailed product literature when you ask for it,
• Disparages the competition constantly,
• Talks about himself all the time,
• Has no experience providing the solutions you’re looking for?

You would have to be very unhappy with your current provider to even let that person in your door, let alone keep yourself from throwing him out of your office within two minutes!

P.S. While I obviously I have one particular candidate in mind when I write this, the sad truth is that they all seem to be doing some or all of these.