I don’t want to get political on this blog but I have been struck by the remarkable surge in support for Nick Clegg of the Social Democrat Party in the election campaign and the lessons therein for us all.

Depending on which poll you look at, the Liberal Democrats in many cases have gone from third to first in what was supposed to be a “two-horse race”. All as a direct result of Mr Clegg’s appearance on the televised leaders’ debate last week.

Was this transformation in fortunes as a result of WHAT Clegg said? I have asked plenty of intelligent people and most still have trouble distinguishing the policies of all three front-runners. So that can’t be it.

Was it HOW he said it? Certainly his manner, confidence and Teflon attitude to the jibes of Cameron and Brown have not hurt his image.

I actually think it was the mere fact of his appearance that was sufficient to apparently sway the millions of voters. I was more surprised than most by the explosion in popularity because I have followed with interest Clegg’s rise and rise. I have read, listened and watched several interviews with him and he is clearly intelligent and able to capture the mood of the nation. But the absence until now of exposure for him compared to the other two party leaders has been striking.

Now that millions of people feel they know Mr Clegg almost as well as Mr Brown and Mr Cameron, this familiarity makes them more comfortable considering the Liberal Democrats as a serious contender in the election. Previously they had not, in my view. It is almost as if they were looking for a “proper” party to vote for that was not Labour or Conservative and now they have it.

This is why the most successful salespeople make sure they build their personal brand. They allow people to get to know them easily. They appear “ubiquitous”. They may be that ever-present networker, that seems to waste so much time on their blogging and tweeting and does the pointless videos. But it is that very individual that is breeding familiarity with their cheerleaders and prospects.

People buy from people they like. If they don’t know you, the can’t know to like you. If they don’t know you, it is almost irrelevant how good is your product or service.

Learn from Mr Clegg and get yourself seen in the same light and environment as your larger competitors. From that exposure,you have a springboard to sell your wares.

Ever come across a puppy-dog sale? You almost certainly have but possibly did not know that is what it is called. Look at it as a try-before-you-buy.

In principle these are fantastic ways to generate interest in your service. But you have to be willing to give away something of genuine value.

We offer 1.5-hour free taster sessions to prospective clients. This can actually end up being quite expensive because the organisation, travel cost and time involved is not hugely less than a paid day. But I call them our “shop window”. It gives potential buyers a chance to try before they buy.

In effect we are mitigating the risk that a buyer perceives in choosing the wrong product or service. This fear of making the wrong decision is one of the biggest “drags” to even beginning the discussions of changing supplier.

You may well be a brilliant company with a wonderful product but how can the buyer know that UNTIL they have already started using you? This especially so if your product or service is “disruptive”. Computer-related products are just such a product. Almost all the stakeholders in a company are affected by the installation of a new computer network or phone system. If the main buying unit gets it wrong, EVERYONE will give them grief!

However, you need to be careful about how you offer your “puppy dog”. It must be genuine and offer a real chance for the user to get a benefit. Nearly is not good enough.

As an example I recently downloaded some software that converts file formats for video. There is a free trial version. It differs from the full version only in that it applies a “watermark” to the video, so the marketing explains. In reality an ugly and obtrusive message sits over the image telling people that the video was created using an “unauthorised” version of the software. But you only realise this when you make your first converted video.

There is no way anyone could tolerate that “watermark”. “But they do this so you can just use it for free”, might be the response. But remember what I said before, the best puppy dog sale gives you a genuine chance to try before you buy. Software company Adobe are a classic example: they offer their PDF document reader for free. But you have to pay for the software that does the converting.

Rather than being impressed by how well the video conversion software works, I will be looking for another one. Even though this is actually irrational, I would rather spend more time finding another software that I will pay for and possibly not even use their free version at all before buying. So the first company has actually HELPED the competition.

So, think of how you offer puppy-dog sales to generate interest and ensure they are genuine useful offers: “sow, and you shall reap”!

We have been speaking to a number of clients and progress that have a simple answer when we ask them: “Who is your ideal client?”. “Anyone that spends money with us” is the often serious and considered responses.

I attend several business groups where we train our fellow members on what to look for when seeking leads to pass to us. The mantra at all of them is “be specific”.

Time and time again you see a handful of attendees at these meetings complain that they don’t get any quality referrals. And they are consistently the same people who are never specific. When asked what business they want leads into, this group of underper-formers begins their pitch with “Anyone that…” or “You already know what we do..”. Conversely, those that seem to get the most business (not, I don’t say leads but actually refer to clients won) are those that seem almost super-specific.

I believe the reason that most of these under-achievers are not specific, is because they have never taken the time to analyse where their best business comes from. They are not ignorant people and they are not lazy. I think they have just never been convinced of the need to analyse and articulate their best customers.

Imagine your company was to conduct an advertising campaign. Would you not think firstly in which magazines you might book the ads? And then, would you not say things in that advert that appealed to its readers? But how do you get to this position first? You analyse what customers you want to attract, of course!

Have a look at the customers that:
- spend the most with you
- are the least trouble to manage
- tell you how much they appreciate your business
- refer you to other clients
- generate the best net margin

And you can start to narrow down your ideal clients. Flesh out this description, make it real. Then work out where they are all hiding and focus your selling attention on these prospects.