5 Things Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Harris and Trump

EXPERT OPINION BY ELIZABETH GORE, PRESIDENT AND CHAIRWOMAN, HELLOALICE.COM @ELIZABETHGOREUS

Your news feeds are probably 90 percent filled with the election. I am married to a politician and am still shocked by the amount of noise for this race. However, it is the most engaged and educated the American public has ever been in an election. As business owners and entrepreneurs, there are things we can learn from the heightened engagement of the American public, whether we like it or not. 

The Kamala Harris campaign has raised a record $1 billion in just three months. Can you imagine pulling that off in your next venture round, and that fast? The Trump campaign kept consistently raising money through his loss and four years of civilian life to the tune of $371.9 million between January 2023 and September 30, 2024. Could you bring that kind of funding to your company if you fail at a major milestone? 

There are also record sales of branded merchandise for both parties sold through social media, TV, and snail mail—from pocket knives to bibles to tennis shoes. 

So what can you glean from the Harris and Trump campaigns for your business? Here are five areas to replicate: 

1. Simple messaging

Have you noticed how simple both campaigns’ messaging and slogans are? Harris’s one word: freedom. Trump’s: MAGA. They also have utilized some word choices over and over. For Harris: weird, joy, prosecutor. For Trump: America, great, winning. It is said that most Americans’ comfort level is reading at an eighth-grade pace. This means simplicity, repetition, and common words. When you read billboards or see commercials, these same principles stand. In marketing your product, follow these tactics so customers understand quickly and simply what you do, what you are selling, or who you are. Remember: KISS (keep it simple, stupid). 

2. Use of influencers

Both campaigns have used third-party endorsers to promote their candidacy, from Oprah to Kid Rock to former presidents. They have social-media influencers getting out the vote on TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. Podcasts have also been a major tool. Our trust level is higher with people we already follow or feel local to us. We will sometimes believe and trust what they say more than the candidates themselves. Who is helping you market your products? Get testimonials from individuals with large followings, as well as your everyday customers. Push testimonials out often, and ask others to share your messaging. Make sure you are using social media and related tools to sell your goods on these platforms. 

3. Ground game

How much snail mail have you received about local and federal elections? How about yard signs in your neighborhood, or someone knocking on your door to say why they support a candidate? Do you know why? It still works. Snail mail, local conversations, and seeing who your neighbors are supporting sways your opinion. Before you go digital-only, think about how to reach deeper into your community with your products. If you don’t believe me, remember that there are 76 million Baby Boomers who are highly influenced by physical engagement. Use posters in community gathering areas, advertisements in local papers, sandwich boards to draw people in off the sidewalk, and direct mail campaigns to high-propensity customers. 

4. Consistency

Candidates use the same messaging over and over and over. You will hear patterned points that are made in every speech. Their TV commercials will echo those song sheets. It generally takes us hearing something seven times before it sinks in. Keep your product messaging consistent in all advertising and marketing. Also, encourage your employees to talk about your company in the same way. If your customers were asked to describe your company, would they all say the same thing? 

5. Momentum 

Have you seen the candidates crisscrossing the country, not letting a day or even an hour go by without a push for their candidacy? You will see them and their spokespeople promoting all the way until the polls close. The lead in the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross said, “Always be closing.” When you’re hot, you’re hot. Take advantage of blitzes in your business. Use holiday momentum, back-to-school season, and surges in the economy to increase receipts. Don’t ever slow down, and make sure that a day doesn’t go by without a message going out about how awesome your company is. 

You might glean other lessons from our future leaders. After all, they are selling a critical product—themselves—and you are their most important customers. Let’s just hope all of this fundraising and engagement means a high voter turnout in our country. Go vote.