Some claim it is a great marketing strategy to be polarizing. By getting rid of people you do not like, you attract people you do – or so they claim. There is certainly something to that. I heard on the radio today that a business put up a sign that said, “If you voted for him, you are not welcome here.” That business just halved its potential market. Will the sign attract those who voted for her? Time will tell.
A business a few blocks from me has windows covered with signs like “Communism - You Masked for It” and similar statements. I have been in that business before the signs went up. I am less likely to go in now. I understand the thinking. I am even somewhat sympathetic. I do not feel welcome.
If we consider American voters as being on a bell curve, most of us are in the center. The far left and right of the graph are called the tails. When you appeal to the far left or far right, you are appealing to few people. They may be passionate, but they are few. They might be compared to the tails wagging the dog.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have an opinion. I believe we must appeal to what we have in common. The middle must rise up. The people who think must look for solutions. The extremists are often too locked into what they see as the problem to find real solutions.
Do that in your business. Welcome most of the country into your business, regardless of their politics.
How do we do that? Talk in terms that do not trigger either side. Do not talk about climate change. Talk about cleaning up the environment. There are massive floating islands of debris in the ocean. I want to see those cleaned up. I believe most people do.
I saw a great video that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger. He said that all you have to do is breathe directly from an auto exhaust to understand the importance of clean air. I thought that was genius.
Immigration is a trigger for many. I do not know anybody who wants to see people living on the streets. We should be talking about how to help people in ways that solve the problem rather than maintaining it. We should build facilities that transition people through mental and physical rehab and not merely giving them food.
Those are just a few ideas. Think about how your business can be seen in a positive light by the majority of people. Help identify problems. Quantify the problem. Find a possible solution. Implement it. Check to see if it worked. Tweak or discontinue the solution depending on results.
Of course, we can all be neutral. That is another option. However, the world needs the thinking of entrepreneurs. We are the problem solvers. Lead from the middle. Be the dog. Wag the tails. Consider joining us at the Goldilocks Revolution. We want a government that is just right.