I have been following this campaign closely over the last year or so. It has been as educative as it has been entertaining. Although the American political system is identity based, it is interesting that the character, track record and public perceptions of the candidates themselves are considered extremely important. The candidates need to sell themselves to the electorate. Just like clients in our world examine contracts and ask probing questions, presidential candidates are put through the fire by the media. They are forced to explain their strengths and weaknesses and need to answer questions about their abilities just like we field objections about our services. BO has proven himself to be not just a great leader but also a super salesman. Here are the top five sales leadership attributes that I learnt from BO:

Mapping your strengths against customer needs: The most explicit 'need' in this election has been the need for change at a time of turbulence. Both the candidates realized this. Both campaigns focused their fire to varying degrees on President Bush. The crucial difference was how the candidate's demonstrated strengths measured up against explicit need. BO's perceived strengths were a). Sharp intellect b).Calmness under pressure c). Self made man who has middle class values d). Ability to unite people e).Great oration. These strengths, when put together, positioned BO as the candidate best equipped to bring change at a turbulent time. BO showcased these strengths repeatedly and consistently throughout the campaign lending credibility to his candidacy.
Sales lesson: Consistently and repeatedly showcase those strengths that address client needs directly. 

Predicting client objections and turning them around into needs: Several times during the campaign objections were raised on the BO ticket. Lack of experience, the race card, the fact that his father belonged to a minority religion are some examples of these objections. BO masterfully predicted these in advance and turned them into 'needs'. His 'inexperience' got transformed into a necessary attribute for bringing about the much needed departure from 'business as usual' in Washington. The fact that he belonged to a minority race was repositioned as something that can help him unify the country by cutting across demographics at a time where unification is clearly needed. The fact that his father practiced a different religion was positioned as something that would help him 'understand those people better'.
Sales Lesson: Predict customer objections and weave your story proactively to turn these into needs.

Really, really understanding the customer: BO really understood the electorate. Not just from a needs perspective but also from a more strategic demographics perspective. He realized that the American electorate had become too diverse for traditional republican versus democrat, left versus right segmentation. He segmented his electorate differently. Realizing the latent potential in younger voters and the crucial nature of independents, he crafted a message that attracted these segments in droves and in doing so has built a foundation for 2012. Brilliant!
Sales Lesson: Be prepared to think about your customer differently. Understand the changes her organization is undergoing and craft your message accordingly. 

The urgency factor:  How many times have we faced a situation where the client loves a solution but thinks it can wait? This happens when the problem has not been built up to the point where the urgency of the problem has become an issue in itself. Some people hinted that BO was too young and that he needs to wait. The message was "Great guy, great candidate but it's not yet time". BO handled this by falling back on not just the importance of change but the urgency of bringing about change. "I can take four more weeks of attacks but you can't take four more years of the same" was his masterly retort.
Sales lesson: Don't just focus on the value in your solution, also focus on the cost of NOT having your solution NOW.

One consistent message instead of several: Too many dimensions to your value proposition and lurching from one message to the other can confuse the customer. The republican campaign did precisely that. It started with a message centered on superior experience, shifted to a message of maverick change, degenerated into attacks and finally ended up confusing the electorate. The BO campaign always had one consistent message, the message of change. Virtually every single ad and campaign tactic centered around change and why BO is best equipped to bring about change. This consistent message centered on the most important need ultimately carried the day.
Sales lesson: Focus on one or two critical value messages and build your brand around these messages. Make sure whatever you do is consistent with this message.