Regardless of whether you voted for Barack Obama or not, there is no denying that he ran a brilliant campaign.  A couple weeks before the election this sign showed up on the corner of a local intersection: There are three business lessons that can be emulated from this homespun sign which represent why Obama was elected and how you can build a dynamic business.

1.  Tell a story and include your prospective constituents (customers) in it. Obama was very effective at conveying his "Change we can believe in" slogan.  People bought it and identified with wanting change.   If you can convey a message that your customers identify with, you're well on your way to success.  This is what the adage about rallying your troops means.  Get your early adopters excited and feeling like they're a part of something special.
2. Elicit active passion.  It takes time and money to make a sign.  Obama was able to generate enough excitement in his supporters to prompt them to take action, even if that meant making their own signs and t-shirts.  When your followers (or Tribes, as Seth Godin calls them) take evangelizing your company into their own hands, big things can happen.  That's what viral marketing is all about!
3. Let your customers bash your competitors instead of doing it yourself.  If you notice at the bottom of the homemade sign they've written the comment "Other sign was stolen".  Though they don't say that a Republican stole it, or that a McCain supporter came in the middle of the night to sabotage Obama's chances in Kansas, the implication of the comment would indicate that they felt that way.  This is far more powerful than if the Obama campaign went on TV and said, "Kansas Republicans are stealing Obama campaign signs."  Get your followers to speak up about why they like your product, service or company better than your competitors and enjoy the fruits of their vocal opinions!