Did Kelly Clarkson endorse Ron Paul or did she only say she kinda likes him?

During the holidays it is not good to get into political discussions at my family gatherings. One side is heavily favored, but more than one side is represented. It can get heated.

You may have heard, “Don’t discuss politics or religion in your place of business.”

According to this interview with Kelly Clarkson her sales skyrocketed after she said, “I kinda like this dude” after seeing Ron Paul on Jay Leno.   Other reports said her sales went down overall.

There are a few things to consider here. The first is someone says, “Kelly Clarkson just said she likes Ron Paul.”

Then the next person says she endorsed him.

Then the next person says, “Kelly Clarkson said she is going to vote for Ron Paul.”

Then another person says Kelly is part of Ron Paul’s campaign.

It is like the telephone game you play as a kid. The teacher says something to the first kid in the circle and he whispers it to the student next to him and so on. By the time it gets to the last kid, the original message is nothing like the first message.

Listening to the interview, you can hear Kelly say she “kinda likes this dude.” Whether the message gets twisted or not, Kelly is getting possibly millions of dollars in free publicity after tweeting a message about her personal views or personal life.

This may make total sense for celebrities because fans want to know what they think and like, not just listen to their music and watch their movies.

With struggling ratings on some of the more traditional shows, television networks launched several celebrity reality shows. The shows have nothing to do with acting, yet they are all about actors living their normal lives or doing something other than acting. Some of them are not hits but some of them are.

If you are not a celebrity, should you share your personal beliefs and thoughts? Should you publicly endorse anyone if they are your choice to be the next President of the Unites States?

If you are laser targeting your niche, then people who visit your website or Facebook Fan Page will quickly know they are in the right place.  Others will know right away that they are NOT in the right place. You can’t have both.

In other words, to make that connection with one group you run the risk of severing a connection to another group. In some cases it is well worth it.

So back to your endorsement of whomever you endorse.  If you publically back a candidate, some people will become fans of your business and may frequent your business; others will avoid it.  Where you live and the type of product you sell may make a difference.

The answer is…it depends. You need to decide for yourself.

I will say this…

There are some things you DO want to share so that you build a relationship with your customers. If you are a faceless business with no beliefs other than make the sale then you are at risk of losing business to the other guy who builds relationships with people. Do not forget you are selling to humans, and humans buy from other humans. Your beliefs are part of what makes you human.

Religion may be treated differently than politics when it comes to hiding your beliefs in the business or letting it be known. For example, I am a Christian and I would feel wrong in my heart if I was to keep that a secret. If it costs me business, I don’t care. My belief is more important than business. However, I do not shove it down anyone’s throat.

When reading articles on my website or listening to me when I am a speaker in Las Vegas or elsewhere, you may hear things here and there if you are a Christian. If you are not, you may not notice or at the very least, you won’t be offended.

I have not publically endorsed any candidate yet and I may not. It is not because I am hiding it. I have not yet fully decided. Some candidates have great ideas, and there are some things I disagree with. 

Did some people refuse to vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon? I don’t know. Some of the nicest people I have ever met are Mormon. I have friends and clients who are Mormon.

Some people who are Christians did not vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon. It was not that they despise Mormons. Some of them just thought that a President should follow Biblical principles and he/she should be a Christian. That makes some sense if you read Newt Gingrich’s book, Rediscovering God in America. In this book, he reveals how the founding fathers drafted our constitution with Biblical principles in mind.

Does that mean you need to be a Christian to get a Christian vote? No.

I have friends who are Christian Pastors that voted for Mitt Romney.

What would happen if I shared my faith and political beliefs at the same time?  That could hurt business or help it as well.

If I said I refused to vote for Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon, that could hurt business that comes from many directions. Mormons might be pissed. People who have no belief in any “higher power” may think I am ignorant for saying that and choose not to do business with me. Some Christians may think that is a dumb statement because the two things are separate.

Now what if I said me and Kelly Clarkson voted for Ron Paul because he is a good Christian man with great ideas? What would that do for business?  Christians may not agree, but they would not refuse to do business with me because of it. Mormons may not agree, but they may not be offended and will still do business with me.

Here are a few tips:

• Think about what you say before you say it unless you are a “personality” who gets paid because of your outrageous remarks. Let it fly!
• Do not be wishy washy. Make a decision and earn respect, even from the other side of the argument. But do not go back and forth and demonstrate lack of confidence in yourself or your beliefs.
• Remember that seemingly everyone has a video camera on their phone and can download your remarks to YouTube and Twitter in seconds.
• This is one more reason to do everything you can to avoid being considered a commodity. If your business is just like the “other guy” and you share a political belief, it could hurt business. If your business, product, or service is unique it should not matter as much.