I've enjoyed watching the Obama and McCain campaigns for the great lessons they're both teaching us about leadership as well as marketing and sales. Not that I want either campaign to extend ONE MINUTE LONGER, and I'm thrilled that we'll have new leadership in a matter of a few days. However, in watching these gentlemen over the last months I'm reminded about one of the key facets of successful business development that I wrote about in my book, Seal the Deal, and that I address with all the classes I teach and speeches I give on the subject.  

AUTHENTICITY

It is critical to align our actions as leaders, marketers, salespeople, and business owners with that which matters most to us.  Obama's consistency in aligning his messaging and his being with his deepest passions, beliefs, and vision for the future of our country has drawn voters to him who are craving real leadership.  

So what does that mean for those of us who need to sell services to get clients?  We don't need to influence voters in the same way as our two presidential candidates, although we do need to influence BUYERS.  How do we sell our services without selling our soul?

The answer lies within the word SELL.  

Service, Excellence, Listening, Leadership

These are the components of successful business development no matter who you are.  

Service is a mindset of serving and taking care of others.  It is an outward focus, identifying and serving the needs and interests of others.  Notice there's nothing in here about listing the benefits and features of the services you offer. That's almost irrelevant.  This is also about providing solid service as a baseline.  A solid track record of good service will fuel your sales going forward.

Excellence is about integrity and focus in your work and in your messaging and in who you are being both at work and in your life.  It is a mindset from which top-tier results are generated.  It is a benchmark for success.

Listening is the crucial element in successful influence of others. Whether you are seeking their votes, their support for your programs or ideas, or their dollars, you can accomplish all your goals by improving and leveraging your listening skills. 

Leadership is the key.  We don't often talk about leadership as a business development skill, but when we can bring the best of our leadership capabilities to our sales process, we can win the game every time.  

At least here in America, on Tuesday we'll have a new leader. How he performs in office only time will tell, but we can see how they've both performed over the long haul of their respective campaigns, and we'll see which one can best sell their candidacy without selling their soul. 

Copyright 11/1/08 Suzi Pomerantz. All rights reserved.