Well, this has been an interesting week… who would have guessed that Donald Trump would be the winner of the biggest upset in American politics?
Even with all the demographics against him, and despite his risky, outspoken stance, insults and controversies, Trump is the first non-politician to win the nomination for presidency, and is now, at 70, is the oldest person in history to be elected President.
Even more surprising is his share of black voters, Hispanics and women, all of whom have been dissed by Trump throughout his election campaign.
So, you’ve got to wonder how he managed to clinch these votes. How did Trump win this election? And how can you apply his strategies to win in business, when all the odds are stacked against you?
Through a simple, single minded message that resonated with so many Americans, Trump vowed to make America great again. This consistent message, peppered with both pessimism and optimism, fear and hope, appealed to the hearts rather than the heads of patriotic Americans. He was not afraid to say what many were thinking, and he understood that votes are won when you address the real issues affecting middle class society, their families, their future.
Similarly, in business, you need to find a connection with your potential customers that resonates with them. What are you really selling them? What do they really want? Forget the product and service benefits, and find the real compelling reason why their guts will tell them to do business with you. Your message needs to be consistent, it needs to get your customers excited… that this is the answer and solution to the challenges they are facing. Put yourself in their shoes. What do they want to hear? What will make them vote for your business?
There is no doubt that Trump’s campaign was built on extensive data and research to find the sectors of the country that were most receptive to his stance. He did his homework. More so than the Clinton camp, and more so than the pollsters. He knew who they were, how many there were, how many votes he needed, and what he had to do to win them over. He did his numbers.
So many businesses trundle along blindly in the dark, learning as they go along, without a real feel for what is possible and achievable. Do your homework. Research your target market. Who are they? What are their demographics? Where do they come from? What are their values? What makes them tick? Crunch your numbers. What is your target? How many sales do you need to make to achieve your target? How many customers do you need? How many leads do you need to convert to get those customers? How many leads do you need to generate to achieve that conversion rate? And how are you going to do that?
And finally, if you are going to earn customer votes, you need to develop a thick skin, ooze confidence, believe in yourself and what you stand for, and approach your goals with passion and determination.
Then the real test is to deliver on your promises…
