Businesses battle head to head on a daily basis to maintain their competitive edge, but we do not always see these battles. Political battles and campaigns are relatively much more transparent. With political campaigns we see strategies develop, change and react every single day right before our eyes as candidates fight for votes.

 

Whether you realize it or not, your business is in a battle for votes every single day as well. Your votes, however, come in the form of sales or orders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Hillary Clinton                                                     Barack Obama                 

 

Observing the campaigns of these candidates is a lesson in business; positioning, planning, strategy and marketing.

 

Here are some small business lessons to be learned from the Hillary and Obama campaigns. They are fundamental, but these camps seem to have a "different take" on them:

 

 

How well have you identified your target market? Do you know what they really want?

It seems instantaneous. The minute, the second, either of the candidates is attacked she/he springs into action. Whether that action is defensive, an explanation, a counter attack or a better" solution, they have a plan!

 

Business is a battlefield. Your competitors are fighting for the same dollar you are. When a competitor "attacks" you with an aggressive marketing campaign, a new, improved product, entry into your niche market or by opening a location next door to you, how are you going to react? What is your plan of action? Be prepared.

 

Which of these slogans belongs to which candidate? "Help make history." "Change we can believe in."

 

What is your company's message? Your message should be strong and speak to your clients' feelings. "Help make history" speaks to voters' patriotism, sense of inclusion and of being a part of something legendary. "Change we believe in" speaks to voters' sense of hope, faith and new beginnings.

 

Let your tag line, motto or slogan be the foundation for everything your business does. Use it on your web site, your business cards, marketing pieces, letterhead, signage, etc.

 

These candidates understand they have a very limited window to get their messages out and gain voters. The camps planned and strategized every single marketing move and orchestrated them to perfection.

 

These candidates saturated their markets ...and I mean saturated. They placed television ads, strategically appeared on television shows, bought ads on radio, made local public appearances, appeared in magazines and newspapers, made telephone calls to homes and businesses, left door hangers everywhere, sent emails, invited voters to their Facebook and MySpace pages, placed yard signs, purchased space on bulletin boards, uploaded clips to YouTube, sent volunteers door-to-door, mailed slick marketing pieces, the list goes on. Any conceivable way of reaching voters, they did it. They were inescapable.

 

Wouldn't it be nice to be as efficient and effective in getting your company name in front of your potential clients?

 

For small business owners it doesn't take a lot of money, just planning, creativity and understanding your market.

 

Candidates, most of them, have the ability, for the most part, to dictate the way potential voters see them.

 

I noticed when most people speak about Hillary Clinton we say Hillary, her first name. But when most people talk about Barack Obama, we call him by his last name. Why? Because that is what they told us to do. PROOF: Go to www.hillaryclinton.com and www.barackobama.com.

 

By the way, why did you think blue is the dominate color on both candidates web sites? Do you think there is a strategy behind it or is it just coincidence? (No, it is most likely not for blue as in "blue states".)

 

What is your favorite color? If you are like 41% of Americans your answer is blue. Blue is the most popular color. It's associated most with trustworthiness and high quality. The candidates are most likely using color as one way of managing your perceptions of them.

 

What perceptions are you creating for your potential clients? How do people perceive you and your company?

 

These candidates keep pressing on in spite of media predictions, survey stats and even when it looks like winning is not possible.

 

Your job is to give your company every possibility to be successful. Keep pressing on even when the odds seem against you. Don't give up. It's not over until it's over.