I grew up in Roy, graduated from the U, and found myself married to my high school sweetheart and living in Washington, D.C., for 20 years, because life takes turns. During that time, we raised a family and I sold service contracts for a large health care company. I moved back home a few years ago and am very happy to be here.

In an overwhelmingly Democratic D.C., I often found myself defending Utah. I always knew Utah as a pragmatic, purple state. My dear family and friends here really mostly wanted the government out of their business, but they shared a culture of voting for social policies that might help a distant cousin. There have been many Democratic governors in Utah’s history, and there could be more to come.

I wasn’t raised LDS, but I have no sad story of discrimination or exclusion to tell. I was never anything but welcomed and loved by my neighbors and their church. Everything about Trump seems to oppose what I knew about Utah, about my home. That was difficult to explain to people in D.C., especially in light of recent electoral results in Utah. It was hard to explain how most Utahns who voted for Trump had to hold their noses. Trump is the opposite of what I knew about a Christlike community.

But then why does he win in Utah? Maybe because the Democrats have been terrible at sales?

In 2016, I founded a PAC in D.C. Our purpose was to turn Jason Chaffetz out of office. Back then, he was the chair of the House Oversight Committee, which has authority over the local budget of D.C., its local laws, even its local tax dollars. He was using D.C.’s issues as a political football to score points with his base here. I knew that we wouldn’t have much luck getting rid of Chaffetz if we insisted on replacing him with a Democrat. We had to beat him in the primaries, or at least make him feel he could be beaten. That meant we would need to support a Republican. We had to have the right sales pitch for Utah; they were the people we must convince.

I also had to make the right sales pitch to D.C. This was a hard sell. Many solid Democrats recoiled at the idea of giving blue D.C. dollars to a Republican. It turned out to be the right call to achieve our goal. We made our strategy known publicly. A few weeks later, the day after we held our first major fundraiser, Chaffetz retired to take a kush pundit job.

Today, it is crystal clear that the Democratic Party needs a new sales plan. We have an opportunity for the DNC to reinvent itself. I am being very sincere when I say I believe Utah can lead the way. I know that this beautiful state and the thoughtful people who live here can swing back blue. Contrary to the tone-deaf scolding we have heard so much of, the men here are not misogynists; most of them love and adore their wives, mothers and daughters.

So here are a few thoughts on a new sales plan:

Quit shaming. Most Utahns who voted for Trump did so because they felt their alternative was worse. Voters are customers. The first thing I learned about sales is that you have to ASK people for their business: “What will it take to win you back?” You can’t win business by throwing tantrums. The best sales move the Democrats could make right now would be to apologize for being shrill.

Let candidates dissent. This is Utah, folks. It isn’t San Francisco or Portland. The politics that work there have not, and will not, win elections here. Let candidates have a diversity of opinion on federal land policies, guns, transgender issues and even abortion. Simply towing the national party line on these issues won’t work.

Stop the short-term cycle. I watched my former employer’s stock tank in real time while I worked for them in the early aughts. When I started with the company, I sold deals that were very high-margin long term. But by the time I left, 12 years later, I was being pressured to make unprofitable deals simply to meet the current quarter’s numbers. If the DNC wants to win elections, it must shift its sales focus to the long term instead of doubling down on the latest progressive fashion to drive turnout from the base. Focus on common-sense policies that moderates are craving: reasonable climate policy, keeping inflation in check, full employment and affordable housing.

Show the national party that the Utah Dems are true liberals because they know new ideas are necessary for progress but need to be applied conservatively, because humans often make mistakes.

It is critical to go back to the drawing board and make a plan to win that doesn’t include the victimhood dance that lost this election. If the Utah Democrats can be an example of the change the party needs by giving up a campaign of doom and shame, they can win again. I’d love to see you show the national party how its done.

Lynette Craig was the president of Americans for Self Rule, a PAC that worked to protect the residents of Washington, D.C., from federal overreach. She recently moved her family back to her home of Utah and spends a lot of time making a lot of food for some large boys.