Since it’s election day here in the US, below’s my most recent Oregon Eagle article titled:

“Persuasion Secrets of America’s Most Revered & Reviled Presidents”

If you own a business and want to have more influence over your customers, then these extraordinarily persuasive Presidents can show you how:

GEORGE WASHINGTON — Nothing attracts customers like having a Mission. And Washington pursued his against all odds and at great risk to his life. I doubt one in a million Americans understands the hair-raising odds stacked against him living to even see the Revolutionary War much less surviving it and then keeping the Republic together. I’d argue it was because he believed in his Mission so strongly he considered it divine providence. And a businessman with a Mission like that automatically inspires people to take action — including wanting to buy.

TEDDY ROOSEVELT — His “Bruce Wayne”-like backstory is universally persuasive. He started as a weak, sick man, moved to the wilderness, then came back a superhero. It’s the essence of a lot of great advertising and worthy of study.

FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT — FDR knew if you don’t have what you need to make the sale, you manufacture it. Take, for example, packing the courts to pass his unpopular agenda. Businesses can do the same thing. Product boring? Make it exciting. Offer weak? Create incentives to make it more appealing. Pack your offers like FDR packed the courts and you can’t lose.

JOHN F. KENNEDY — He’d have cleaned up on social media with his charisma. In fact, many experts say he’d have lost his debate with Nixon had it not been televised. He also oozed inspiration with big ideas and vision. These are attributes that can make any businessman more persuasive.

RONALD REAGAN — Called “The Great Communicator” despite his infamous gaffes due to his entertaining way of selling his ideas to the public. He also projected strength which inspired loyalty, and was the master of what great negotiators refer to as “un-okay.” People are comfortable with humanity. And nothing demonstrates humanity more than being imperfect.

BILL CLINTON — Friends and foes alike say he comes off as the most empathetic guy in the room. Real or fake (i.e., sociopaths), empathy is a nuclear bomb-like weapon of influence. In fact, his powers of influence were so potent he sailed right past #metoo unscathed despite his guilt.

BARACK OBAMA — He had tight message-to-market match game, which means having the right message, to the ideal prospect, at the exact time they want to buy. Women fainted at his rallies without him saying anything substantive, and his email fundraising team alone raked in over $600,000,000 in donations.

DONALD TRUMP — He also had incredible message-to-market match game, plus he’s almost supernaturally polarizing. He is hated and loved, mocked and revered… but never ignored. He doesn’t just make the news, he IS the news, with the media giving him all the free air time (i.e., free advertising) he wants. He is what I refer to as a “platform unto himself” — who cannot really be “cancelled”, and only grows stronger the more he’s attacked, vilified, or prosecuted. His powers of persuasion go beyond mean tweets and sound bytes and are something else entirely.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. And no… “likes” got nothing to do with it. I despise half of these presidents myself. But that doesn’t stop me from profiting from them. And unless you hate money, it won’t stop you either.