LAST MINUTE GOTV:  PHONE-BANKING and HOW TO TALK ABOUT THE CANDIDATE 

Please consider joining with a campaign to help get out the vote for Democrats.  Republicans are still better organized when it comes to the last minute push, so we need to all pitch in the best we can.  This is really important, especially if you can get into a good conversation with a fence-sitter.

Below are some hints from two of our WC3 activities: (1) hints for phone-banking, and (2) how to talk about your candidate.

PHONE-BANKING HINTS

The campaign you are working for will give you all of the specific details you need to do one of the most important tasks in any campaign: phone-banking.  You may be working in a campaign office or in a private home with others (taking your cell phone with you).  Or you will be by yourself in your own home.  The time for phone-banking is usually early evening on weekdays when most people are home but have not yet gone to bed.  A window from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. local time usually is the best.  Place no call after 9:00 p.m.  On weekends, phone banking is done during the day.

Phone bankers pay for their own calls (unless they are using the campaign office).  So, if you are going to be a serious phone-banker for out of town candidates (many campaigns are making it possible to phone bank for candidates in different states), consider a flat-rate monthly fee for long distance calls service plan or free anywhere cell phone minutes.

Be sure that you know your audience and the purpose of your phone call in advance and tailor your pitch appropriately.  Typically most phone banking is for one of three purposes: (a) getting out the vote (GOTV), (b) prospecting for new supporters perhaps for a later GOTV effort, and (c) fundraising or other increases in commitment to the candidate.

Here we want to encourage you to become involved in a task where more help is almost always needed.  We also offer some general tips to help make this task successful.

General Hints 

1.       Because you cannot see the person on the other end of the line, and that person cannot see you, your tone of voice is very important. Speak clearly (not too fast), and keep a friendly quality in mind as you speak.

2.       If there is a script, try to commit it to memory but deliver it as naturally-sounding as possible.

3.       Some people will hang up on you. Don’t let it get you down. Some people may even be rude. That goes with the territory of calling people at home.  It isn’t personal.  Just move on to the next call. 

4.       Apologize if the person complains that you called at a bad time.  Ask if you can call again later. 

5.       Don’t get into any arguments or snap back at a rude comment.  That may feel personally satisfying, but it hurts the main cause and the candidate.  

6.       Many people will be receptive to your call.  So try to enjoy this critically important volunteer function.  If the person wants to volunteer to help, give them the best possible information that will connect them with the campaign.

7.       If you are calling from out-of-the campaign area and the recipients of your call have caller ID, they may have suspicions as to your purpose.  Explain that you are a volunteer covering the cost of these calls yourself and that you greatly admire the candidate and were told by the campaign that this was a way you could help.

8.       When phone banking from home, have your computer open to the candidate’s web page.  That way you may be able to quickly answer any questions.

Most phone-banking is directed towards getting out the vote for known supporters and Democrats.  In such cases, the person on the other end of the phone should be sympathetic to your call.  (If they aren't, you should let the phone bank coordinator know since you are getting out the vote for the opposition).  In cases where the person is friendly and sympathetic to the call, be upbeat and positive in tone and use self-generated persuasion (listen to the person tell you why they want to vote for your candidate) and self-prediction (get the person to commit to voting in the upcoming election).

HOW TO TALK (AND NOT TALK) ABOUT YOUR CANDIDATE

When working for a campaign, there is only one goal.  Through your persuasion, people who were not sure how they will vote or did not know much about your candidate will go into that booth on Election Day and vote for our candidate! 

Cicero’s Rule for Effective Persuasion 

The single biggest mistake people make when promoting a candidate is the failure to follow Cicero's advice.  The famous Roman lawyer was one of the most effective social influence agents in human history, and his secret was a simple rule he followed in every case:  Before arguing your case, you should first see it from your client’s point of view, then from the other side’s point of view, from the view of the judge and from the jury, and finally from the view of the person in the street.  In other words, before crafting your message, you should see it from the points of view of all who are likely to be touched by your attempt to influence the vote.  In competitive influence situations, such as an election, it is even helpful to think of what the other side might say four or five moves in advance. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they attempt to have an influence is to assume that just because they find an argument compelling or would be influenced by a certain tactic, everyone else will also be persuaded.  If that were the case, you wouldn’t need to use influence – the person would already believe and think as you do!  In fact, each of us brings unique experiences and perspectives to each situation (indeed, that is one of our strengths as a species – we have the ability to learn from others’ experiences).  Successful influence recognizes those differences and makes use of those differences in crafting a message – just as Cicero did.  

How to Use Cicero’s Rule in Campaigns

So, how do you make Cicero’s rule work for your candidate?

• First, pick up whatever information you can about the person (or audience) to whom you are speaking.  What issue is important to them that your candidate supports?  Don’t waste your precious time on issues that are important to you but not likely to be of much interest to those you are talking to.  Examples:  If you are talking with parents of younger children, education and the economy are best bets.  If it’s an older person or crowd, health care and retirement security are sure winners.   
• If you have very little time (maybe just one minute), it is important that the interaction be especially effective.  What is your candidate’s very best feature?  Do you get any hints from the person or audience as to what they might see as your candidate’s best feature? 
  
• Introduce your candidate in the context of what the audience might find interesting.  Listen to their responses—and HEAR what they are saying.  If the response is positive, move them towards a commitment to vote for him/her.  
  
• Remain confident and upbeat about your candidate.  If others see your confidence, then they know to take your view seriously.  Confidence does not mean “in-your-face,” just a secure belief in the value of electing your candidate expressed through manner and voice tone.  
  
• Do know a lot about your candidate, but don’t come off as a know-it-all.  That will make others feel as though they have been placed in an inferior role.  As a result they may try to get away from you or stay to refute you.  Either way you probably lost a vote. 
  
• It is important to think about WHO YOU ARE when approaching another person and to present yourself in a manner that gives your message the best chance of succeeding.  One role that may be useful is to think about yourself as a “fellow citizen, concerned about the course of the country, who is open to talking about the directions our nation can take.”  Such an approach places an emphasis on openness (as opposed to closed-mindedness) and facing the issues that your candidate has endorsed. 
  
• If someone says something positive about your candidate, ask the person to elaborate.  If that person has an issue, explain your candidate’s position and ask if that will be a help to resolving it (and, if so, how).  
  
• Securing a commitment to vote for your candidate is of utmost importance.  One way to do this is to ask people to predict what they plan to do in a way that ensures a “yes” to your question.  For example, “You seem pretty excited by Y [your candidate].  Do you plan to vote for him?”  
  
• When someone shows strong interest in your candidate, ask him or her to do something (even a small task) for the campaign.  Wear a button.  Complete a form.  Sign a support petition.  Make a contribution.  Hand-out leaflets.  Go to a website.  (Always have appropriate materials handy to distribute.) 
  
• Remember the norm of reciprocity.  In all human societies there is a rule:  If you do something for me, then I do something for you in return.  This is an important rule for maintaining dialog.  For example, if you have listened to other people and taken their position and feelings seriously, then it is their turn to do the same for you.  This gives you another chance to say what you believe about your candidate.  
  
• To sum up, prepare for your chance to persuade others about the value of your candidate.  Think about what your candidate stands for and why.  Think about who he or she is and why we need this sort of leadership.  Then imagine different types of persons and ask yourself:  “What aspects of my candidate will that person find to be most appealing and exciting?”  Once you do that, you are ready to help win back the House and the Senate and to restore some sanity to the leadership of this nation!