Wednesday night, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney went toe to toe in front of the cameras to try and convince America why they should be elected as the next President of the United States. If you didn't have an opportunity to watch the debate, I would highly recommend taking the time to see it when you can. It was entertaining, informative and even contained some solid examples of sales skills in action.

When you look at what Obama and Romney were trying to accomplish during the debate, it's simple. They were selling. They were trying to sell their ideas, beliefs and experience to American voters. And I think that is exactly what they did. Kind of.

If you've read the news or overheard people talking since the debate, you probably noticed a common theme with the opinions people had about the debate. Obama got slaughtered, and Romney dominated the evening. I don't think I've heard one person disagree with that. Even the diehard Obama supporters acknowledged his disappointing performance.

Regardless of your party affiliation or opinions of the candidates, the differences between the two candidates are clear. They have different views on everything from health care to balancing the budget. It's all about trying to convince you and me which one is better.

I was really surprised at Obama's performance. He seemed defeated from the start of the debate. He looked tired. He struggled with how to respond to Romney's attacks. I got the feeling that he would have preferred to be somewhere else that night. I suppose I can't blame him. After all, it was Barack and Michelle's 20th wedding anniversary.

Romney displayed what I consider to be flawless presentation skills. He was extremely confident, spoke without hesitation and clearly did his homework on the key points and topics that came up.

As I watched the debate, I couldn't help but think of all the key points and lessons sales professionals can learn from watching Romney and Obama spar. Here are a few:

Confidence sells: When you believe in yourself, people will believe in you. When you believe in what you are saying, people will be more apt to buy into your ideas. Romney was extremely confident. Obama struggled in this area. His body language and tone gave off a serious lack of confidence. Obama is known for his strong speaking and presentation skills, but for some reason he was way off during this debate. In my opinion, confidence is the single most important aspect of a successful presentation.

Know your material: In sales and business, you have to know what you are talking about. You are expected to be well-versed in your company, your products and services and have strong business acumen. If not, people will question everything you say and do. And the same was true during the debate. Romney was spot on with the majority of what he said. He spouted off facts and figures confidently and showed his vast knowledge and understanding of every topic that was debated.

Be prepared for conflict: When you're selling, you know there will be objections and concerns customers raise. You know what those concerns are, and you should be prepared to address them when they come up. Nothing should surprise you. In the debate, Romney and Obama knew what the other would bring up and likely use as leverage for an attack. Obama failed at effectively responding to Romney's concerns and also missed opportunities to capitalize on concerns people have with Romney. I'm sure the next debate will be different.

Like many situations in life, we are exposed to examples and experiences that relate to the world of sales and business. Sometimes they will be examples of what to do, and other times they will teach us what not to do.

Christopher Thompson (cthompson@catch22solutions.com) writes Closing the Deal weekly for the Sunday News.