Five Lessons Client Service Businesses Can Learn from Political Campaigns

Five Lessons Client Service Businesses Can Learn from Political Campaigns

Phil Wright
Contributing Writer
Success Academy

As the United States heads into political campaign season, many correlations can be made regarding the attitude of competition and customer service. Much ado has been made by the defeat of seven-term U.S. Representative Eric Cantor (R-Virginia), by Tea-Party favorite David Brat in Virginia’s Primary election this past June.

In his position as Congressional Majority Floor Leader, Cantor was arguably one of the most powerful and influential leaders in American politics and policy, and was considered a rising star and eventual contender for U.S. President.

While Cantor’s loss has been called one of the biggest primary upsets in American political history, there are five important lessons the former congressman learned the hard way that also has a direct application for home service businesses when competing in the market place for clients’ attention and new customers.

Honor Every Threat

In campaigns and war, the results can be brutally final. That’s why in the Strategic Air Command (United States Air Force cold war command and control center of land-based strategic bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles), they had this warning posted throughout their facility: “Honor Every Threat.” Cantor and his team wasted $5 million on his primary campaign without doing any real damage to their target. How is that possible? Because they failed to honor the threat. They never bothered aiming, much less checking to see if they hit their target, because they never took the opposition seriously.

Are you honoring every threat to your business? Are you keeping tabs on your competition and who’s entering the marketplace? Do you know whether customers are calling you or the other guys? Stop guessing! Seek out five bids from other home service providers in your area. It may take a lot of time to get the information, but it will be more than worth it know who and how the competition responds, and what you’re up against.

Other companies may not be willing to invest in and demonstrate the high standards and level of service that Success Group International companies are. We are also aware that our high-level of service and products aren’t for everyone. Neither of those should be an excuse to not keep a look-out for “the enemy,” and let yourself be taken by surprise because you didn’t take the competition seriously.

Everyone Is Beatable

There was literally an earthquake in Cantor’s district a few years ago, and it’s now clear he wasn’t paying attention to the political earth moving under his feet. The single biggest mistake that candidates and organizations make is underestimating their competition’s strengths while discounting their own weaknesses.

It doesn’t take an earthquake to unseat your company’s position as a market leader. You should always be mindful of your attitude, and that of your team, to ensure “your house” is built on solid rock; not a foundation of shifting sand. If you aren’t willing and able to do an honest analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (S.W.O.T.) on an ongoing basis, you’re just firing blindly and hoping for the best.

Arrogance Before the Fall

Many political leaders in history suffered political or personal disasters because of arrogance and pride. Once a political leader thinks their success is because of their own greatness or that they are unbeatable, they are already in deep trouble. Cantor was no different. His district is a short drive from D.C., but his campaign spent $100,000 on airfare and almost $170,000 on fancy meals at high-end steakhouses. Cantor’s opponent barely spent $200,000 on his entire campaign.

Home Service Businesses can also be vulnerable to the danger of arrogance and pride, only it may be referred to as the “arrogance of growth;” being pompous and proud without realizing it. Similarly, the opulent construction of the Titanic created an “arrogance of invulnerability”– that it was unsinkable. It was an attitude that would prove unnecessarily catastrophic for over 1,500 lives.

Owners and managers should lead with a “humble confidence.” While they must have great confidence in their ability to increase their levels of profitability, they must also remain modest and respectful enough that they continue to seek out best-practices and maintain a desire to learn from others.

The historian Gordon Wood said, a study of history, “ought to produce prudence and humility,” or as basketball great Hakeem Olajuwon said, “Stay humble, stay hungry.”

Deep Understanding of Your Target Audience

Cantor and many incumbent elected officials are not in touch with their political base. Cantor did polling, but his campaign had no idea who was voting or why. The shape of the primary electorate was dramatically different than 2010 or 2012. The Cantor campaign—and his pollster—were left stunned by the size of the turnout and their passion about key policy issues. All the campaign spending in the world is meaningless if you are targeting the wrong people with the wrong message.

According to recent Census data, 35.9 million Americans moved between 2012 and 2013. Overall the most common reason for moving, was to obtain new or better housing, followed by those wishing to establish their own household. In many high-growth populated cities, it is can be a challenge to find native residents with an existing relationship or loyalty to any one home service provider. Being in business for a number of years is certainly a worthy point of pride, but it may not resonate with customers as a benefit to them.

Blocking and Tackling

Pay attention to the fundamentals. In football terms, it’s blocking and tackling. If you don’t do the simple things well, you’ll lose the game every time. On Election Day, Cantor was not even in his district. He hosted a fundraiser at a coffee house in Washington, D.C., and confidently predicted victory. Political insiders are quoted as saying, “Cantor spent too much time on the road and in the Hamptons.” He lost focus on his own district and the electorate that hires him every two years.

Where is your focus? Are you providing your team the tools they need, so they have the confidence and skills to be successful? Success Academy training courses can coach you through the basic fundamentals to achieve greater profitability, and avoid having to learn some of the hard lessons of defeat.

Success Academy Trainer Phil Wright has 24+ years in the public relations, marketing and branding industries.  Phil also served as partner and president of his own service-based business.  For the last six years, Phil has provided leadership and communication training, both in the classroom and web-based programs.  From training non-profit to Fortune 500 companies, Phil brings vast experience to Success Academy to get teams prepared and ready for success.