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Barack Obama made the sale. Sixty-three million people were sold on his potential ability to lead and govern.

And they were sold without actually seeing what he will do. He made the sale based on his oratory ability, his promises and the faith he instilled in others. Not bad, huh? Sixty-three million yeses.

As a salesperson, I’m sure you’d be willing to settle for just a thousand of them.

Now comes the hard part. Obama has to deliver. Just as you have to deliver on your promises. But delivery is harder than making the sale, and Obama has to deliver on the promises he made – not just to Americans but to the world.

REALITY: Fortunately or unfortunately, we have exported our passion for freedom to other lands, resulting in conflict against what you and I might call “the competition.”

REALITY: The present state of our economy is not great, and Obama will have the daunting task of resurrecting it.

REALITY: Our global image is suffering, and our present leader is not well-respected at home or abroad.

REALITY: There have been domestic and global celebrations after the election. The stage is set for Obama to deliver. There will be NO tolerable delays or excuses.

GAME TIME: In order for Barack Obama to be successful, he has to have the same characteristics you need.

Here are the qualities he used to win the sale and must continue to use to keep our loyalty. As you look at Obama’s characteristics, think about how you stack up:

1. Intelligence. Clearly he displayed this in the months leading up to his election. He showed an uncanny ability to be both quick on his feet and intelligent in the responses he made to questions. It’s not “How intelligent are you?”; it’s “How intelligent do you sound?”

2. An excellent speaker and presenter. All of his supporters and ALL of his detractors will agree that Obama’s oratory skills are superior. That goes a long way to getting his message through and giving listeners confidence. How excellent are your presentation skills?

3. Spontaneous. Obama is able to think and respond to questions and situations in a convincing manner. How spontaneous are you when faced with a barrier or an unexpected obstacle?

4. A solid game plan. He compared present situations with his game plan for the next four years. You may not agree with them, but he was able to convey them clearly. How is your plan coming along?

5. Able to transfer his message in a believable way. His presentation skills are excellent, and his ideas are clear. This makes his message transferable to those who agree with it – and maybe some who don’t. How believable are you?

6. An image that is perceived as honest and honorable. What is your image? How are you perceived?

7. A good family man. Speaks for itself.

8. Trustworthy by being relatable and truthful. It’s a feeling. How relatable are you? How truthful are you? How believable are you?

9. Being real-world specific, rather than real-political vague. When a politician sounds like a politician, you can smell the rhetorical BS. Same in sales.

9.5. Able to receive a vote of confidence whenever needed. Obama has a four-year contract with the world. In politics, it’s called an approval rating. In sales, it’s a reorder or a referral.

I hope, just as you hope, that the sale he made will be fulfilled with a safe and better life for each of us. Time will tell.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2008 Jeffrey H. Gitomer