Lessons on Selling for Dems

Democrats don’t know how to sell their policies to Americans. They’re good policies. They would benefit voters. But after decades of talking about healthcare, education, the environment, and so on, Democrats still haven’t convinced a majority of people that they need what’s being offered. Time for three basic lessons on sales.

Believe in your product. This familiar saying doesn’t mean telling people that the product itself is good. It means showing people how the product will make their lives better—“people” in an expansive sense. Today, Democrats say things like, “The ACA has given healthcare to 25 million people,” out of a population of 340 million. In other words, there are 315 million who think, “This has nothing to do with me.” Democrats should sell the ACA to people who don’t use it. How does it benefit them? People who are healthy show up at work, produce more, earn more, and spend more. That spending goes into the pockets of everyone else.

There’s something else, too. I thought it went without saying, but after yesterday’s cave-in by the 8 Democratic Senators, I guess I need to say it: You have to at least act like you believe in your product. If you treat policies like things that poll well and can get you elected but back away from them when the going gets rough, voters won’t trust you to sell them anything.

Don’t offer discounts. When you see someone looking at your product, hesitating to buy, it’s tempting to offer a discount. But that signals you don’t think your product is worth the full price, and maybe even the discounted price is too high. Hold firm. If prospects need the product, they will pay full price; if they don’t, they probably won’t buy even at a discount. This is the trap Democrats fall into. They propose a great policy. While the country hesitates, “moderates” offer a discount—how about if we do this on a smaller scale and for a shorter time? Consequently, the policy makes less of an impact on people’s well being, so there’s a smaller constituency willing to fight for it.

Ask for the sale. A prospect shows up at your shop, looks at your merchandise, asks you questions. Then they stand there wondering what to do. A good salesman puts the question directly: “Can I ring that up for you?” More people in red states benefit from Democratic policies than in blue states. Democrats are aware of this, but they seldom go to red areas to ask for the sale. They need to start doing this. Go in front of Republican audiences, even hostile ones, and ask for their support. Democrats will make more progress by convincing 5% of red voters than by mobilizing blue voters, who already incline toward Democratic policies.

Next time I’ll say more about attitude, a critical part of convincing voters.

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