How the Election Affects Your Business: A New Perspective

While in a discussion with a seasoned car guy this week about how the upcoming election was going to affect business I heard a very interesting and positive point of view. I was mid-sentence talking about how shocking it was that business has continued to rock right on through September in most markets and he stopped me and said this:

“John Paul, people take what the election will do to business way to seriously.  In the case we are in right now, at least half of the country thinks regardless of who wins it isn’t going to get any worse than it is now, while the other half thinks if their candidate wins it only is going to get better.”

I thought this was a very profound, and educated, way to look at the American buyers’ mindset.  While the economy is still sluggish, if the country really is split right down the middle as the recent polling data shows, then there really is not a lot of change in perception when you compare it to the number of people who will either be complacent with the outcome versus those who will become thrilled with the outcome.

Too many people look for every reason (or excuse) available as to why business isn’t what they expected.  The list includes the following:  it rained, it snowed, it was too hot, the wind blew too much, there were too many football games this weekend (Roll Tide), there was road construction this weekend and my all time personal favorite – all the traffic came too late in the day.

Regardless of all the things that can and will affect business on a daily basis, this was a way to look at the election that I had never thought of before.  Just goes to show you the saying is true…”You Can Learn Something New Everyday.”