Great salespeople know the secret: it’s really hard to sell someone something they don’t think they want or need. The best way to “make a sale” is to create a situation where a potential buyer (the voter) make a decision that they really want what you’re selling; in fact, they decide they absolutely have to have it.
It’s the same with political campaigns – or ought to be. Candidates on the stump tell a particular audience what they think they want to hear. Certainly there are exceptions but generally they are trying to connect on the most superficial levels.
For several years now I’ve been developing a theory and I’d like your help in proving it can work.
Imagine if a candidate didn’t make the typical speech. What if they just asked you a series of questions and using your answers asked another and another…and another? What if at the end they had shown you that you were in total agreement with them and that they actually saw how what you proposed could work – and more importantly, benefit you?
Do you think that would be more effective than listening to promises and seeing no way that the promises could be accomplished? I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to make me prove it.
Here are just a few ideas for starting the conversation. You are free to ask about any of them or any other issues that matter to you.
- Reducing the size of government
- Improving education
- Fixing social security
- Balancing the federal, state or local budget
- Eliminating the national debt
Just post a comment like: Why should we eliminate the Federal Department of Education? I’ll respond and we’ll start a dialogue which, I believe, will have you arrive at the conclusion I hoped you’d get to.
Again, I need your help in proving my theory. Tell your friends and followers to join in as well. If I’m right you’ll be able to pass this valuable marketing lesson on to the candidates you support at every level of government.
Who knows, it might actually be a way to restore the Constitutional Republic we were given by the Founding Fathers and have done such a wonderful job of screwing up.
