On the evening of November 4^th, Barack Obama closed the deal with American voters by becoming the 44^th President of the United States.

There had been much speculation on the cable news channels as to whether Obama could actually close the deal with the American public.  Not only did he close the deal by being elected president but he also in his acceptance speech started the re-election cycle for 2012 when he said: “… The road ahead will be long.  Our climb will be steep.  We may not get there in one year or even in one term…”  That’s not a politician – that’s a guy who knows how to sell!

Regardless of what you may think of Obama’s politics, he never stopped selling the American people.  Barack Obama’s campaign will be studied for years by communication majors at universities and media professionals.  He has taken Web 2.0 internet marketing techniques plus the best of classic direct marketing practices and public relations then integrated them into mainstream politics.  Obama often talked about how he believes it has to start from the bottom on up.  And that’s what he did by creating a powerful marketing funnel and getting people “on the list” to donate and volunteer.   In the process, Barack Obama “image branded” himself and his campaign much like Apple Computer, Starbucks or your favorite brand of jeans.  The Republicans just couldn’t match this sales and marketing machine.

Although many business people, including myself are conservatives, you have to admire how Barack Obama developed a sales strategy and sold it to the American people.  CEOs, presidents and business owners might want to take the time to study his campaign because it is an excellent example of how to develop a marketing campaign.  It wasn’t his policies or his experience that got him elected.  He closed the deal by creating elegant speeches; and knowing what to say and when to say it.  His understanding of the internet and creating catchy slogans about change that meant absolutely nothing.  When you asked people what his change slogans meant they couldn’t tell you how things were going to change.  They were just voting for change, whatever that meant.

And he always stayed on message.  The message never waivered.

Go to Barack Obama’s website.  It’s after the election, the site has been updated and he is still asking for donations and selling merchandise, including commemorative t-shirts, as though it were the day after the Super Bowl.  The guy never stops selling!

As business people, we should only create such powerful sales and marketing campaigns for our own businesses. 

Obama is president-elect.  We will have to see what his policies are over the next four years.  But whatever they are, it’s time for us, as business people, to look at our own sales and marketing campaigns and reinvent them if necessary.  

Then go to work.  Close as many deals as possible.  And never stop selling!