Presidential Debates: Sales Strategies, Trust Issues, and How to Win Over Voters

In politics, as in sales, the art of persuasion determines who wins and who loses.

I majored in political science with a focus on the presidency. I graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 in my major and was granted membership in Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. I am not as political as I once was, but I still enjoy studying the presidency.

Tonight, you'll witness two salespeople, each trying to secure what might be the worst job on Earth. Both gladiators will be put on the spot, asked to explain how they'll make your life and mine better. Half of you will be cheering for one, while the other half will be rooting for the other.

But here's the thing: Both presidential candidates are going to try to flip you to their side, even though most of you have already made up your minds. There’s also a sliver of the voting population—those elusive “undecideds”—who could be convinced to jump on one bandwagon or the other.

Both candidates will pull out all the stops to sell you on themselves and their version of a brighter future. Each has a different solution, but both believe that they have exactly what you need. In their zeal to win, both candidates will stress their resilience and claim they're the ones who can tackle the complex challenges ahead. This debate is a high-stakes sales call, a war of words where each must outmaneuver the other to win over your hearts and minds.

The debate is scheduled for 90 minutes. That means each candidate has about 45 minutes—roughly the same amount of time you'd get in a meeting to make your case to a prospective client.

Potential Mistake: Focusing on Their Opponent’s Faults Instead of Voter Needs

Both candidates will make the first mistake we see all too often in sales—bashing the competition. Trust me, both will dive into the mud as often as they can. Red Team supporters will claim their candidate won; Blue Team supporters will say the same about theirs.

But you and I know that going negative rarely works in sales. It reeks of desperation and insecurity. It can even make you look like a child throwing a tantrum. If you’re a seasoned salesperson, you know better. You stay positive, conduct a stellar discovery, and identify the real root cause of the prospect’s problems.

Why Time Management in Debates Reflects Effective Sales Strategies

Forty-five minutes isn't much time to make your pitch. But here's what will happen: both candidates will waste time bickering while the voters (a.k.a. prospects) wait for them to address the big, gnarly issues facing the United States. A seasoned closer would know better—focus on the issues, not the insults.

If you were on that debate stage, you’d know to spend every precious minute discussing the root causes of these problems, explaining them to voters, and laying out what needs to change to make things better. Every second spent attacking the opponent is a lost opportunity to communicate your vision for improving life in America.

Here’s the truth: Everyone watching the debate already knows what’s wrong with both candidates. They've got their minds made up. The winner of this “worst job on Earth” will need to be okay with the fact that half the country is going to hate them.

Trust Issues: Why Both Candidates Struggle with Credibility

Here’s another big problem: Both candidates have credibility issues. They’ve earned that mistrust, too. The voters are jaded, skeptical of every promise made by these two as they vie for your vote. Both of them are damaged goods when it comes to credibility, which is why their attempts at authenticity often come off as fake.

But here’s a dirty little secret: Voters want to be seduced. They want to believe the promises, even though most will be forgotten after November 5th. The truth is, when you don’t hear what you want, you feel let down. Our Founders were wise; they built a Constitution that prevents any politician from doing too much, too fast. It requires consensus for significant change. Remember the 2020 election? Most of what was promised disappeared like smoke after the votes were counted.

In sales, trust is everything. It’s the glue that holds relationships together. When you tell a client what you’re going to do, you damn well do it—even if it’s tough. And if something can’t be done, you tell them straight up. Trust is like a fragile piece of glass; once it’s shattered, it’s nearly impossible to put back together.

Final Thoughts: Debates Won't Change Many Minds, But They Reveal Tactics

Let’s face it: This debate won’t move the needle much. By now, most voters are locked in on who they support. Neither candidate is going to lose their base after tonight. Both will land a few hits on each other; both will be vulnerable to counterattacks.

After it’s all over, both will declare victory. Their spin doctors will flood the airwaves, claiming how their candidate demolished the opponent. But I’ve been around long enough to know how this play ends.

So, watch and listen tonight, but don’t let it get under your skin. Whoever wins, you and I are going to have to live with it for the next four years. Stay smart, stay savvy—and always remember the power of real persuasion.