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Don’t let reporters take control of interviews. One of the most common mistakes candidates make during interviews is allowing reporters to control the topic, tone, and pace of the interview. Reporters accomplish this with all kinds of tricks like speeding up, slowing down, addressing random topics, interrupting, acting upset, disagreeing, and that’s just the beginning. At the end of the day, interviews are simple. Go in with a clear message and a clear game plan. Then, stick with it and don’t let the reporter get you off balance.
When asking for a contribution, always end with a question. The #1 tactic you’ll use to raise money is personal solicitation. That’s where you personally call or meet with someone and ask them to donate. While there are a lot of little things you can do to improve your chances of getting a big contribution, one of the BIG things you must do is to end your ask with a question like “I was hoping you’d contribute $1,000 to my campaign. Is that something you’d be comfortable with?” It puts the potential donor on the spot and eliminates a lot of the dreaded “I’ll think it over” responses.
Using a podium for speeches could be sending the wrong message. You have two options when it comes to using a podium for speeches. You can 1) use a podium/lectern or 2) not use a podium/lectern. Using a podium adds a more formal feel to your speech. Not using a podium adds a more informal feel. Use a podium if you want discuss a serious topic or if you’re speaking to very accomplished audience. Don’t use one if you’re presenting yourself as a down to earth, man/woman of the people.
Be sure you answer “Why are your running?” by focusing on the voters, not you. There are two reasons to run for office. The first is to be somebody. The second is to do something. Voters have an uncanny knack for uncovering which of those motivates a candidate. One BIG signal is how you answer the fundamental question “Why are you running?” If your answer focuses on you and your qualifications, voters will assume you’re running to be somebody. If your answer focuses on how you want to solve problems, voters will assume you’re running to do something. What’s your answer to that question say about your motivation?
Don’t change strategies every time you hit a bump in the road. It’s easy to give up on your campaign strategy when you go through a rough period of your campaign. Just remember, though, that in the heat of a campaign it’s not unusual for a minor bump to look more like a 30-foot sinkhole. You’re going to have bad days on your campaign. There’s no way around it. Don’t compound those bad days by using them as an excuse to turn your campaign upside down and change your strategy. You don’t completely re-route your summer vacation just because you run into a bad stretch of road. Same principle applies to campaigns. If you have a good strategy, stick with it – even when the road gets rough.
Ask for a contribution on every page of your campaign website. Don’t simply add a “Contribution” page to your website and assume that will do the trick. You should also add “Click here to Contribute” links or buttons on every page of your campaign website. The more you remind people that they can contribute, the more likely they are to do so. You never know if your bio, issue positions, endorsement list, or press room will inspire someone to contribute to your campaign. If you have a contribution link on every page you won’t have to know because regardless of what page of your website wins a person’s support, they’re only one click away from making a donation to help.
Use Yahoo.com’s FREE calendar to organize your campaign schedule. Go to
http://www.yahoo.com. Click on “Calendar” on the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Yahoo just upgraded their calendar and it’s a great tool for organizing your campaign schedule. Not only does it sync with Outlook, but you can also give key campaign staff and volunteers the ability to view and/or make changes to the calendar online. And, best of all, it’s free!
Be sure your literature headlines and sub-headlines deliver your message. Avoid vague headlines like “Steve Smith on Taxes” when developing your campaign literature. Instead, you want to use headlines that deliver your message like “Steve Smith Will Cut Taxes.” The reality is that most of the people who get your campaign literature won’t read it…but they will look at it. If your headlines don’t deliver your message, your voter won’t see your message.
Focus your campaign communication on quality, not quantity. Here’s a rule to live by: “Talking to everyone results in communicating to no one.” One of the most important things to do on a campaign is target. Target you time. Target your money. And target your message. Don’t try to “sell” a 30 year-old father of two the same way you “sell” a 75 year-old grandmother of ten. Ask yourself, “How does this policy/issue impact this voter?” Then, tailor your message for that person or representative group of people. Trying to “sell” your candidacy to everyone the same way ultimately means you won’t “sell” your candidacy to anyone.
Use audience interaction to start your speeches. Public speaking 101 teaches us to get our audience’s attention early in a speech. That’s why so many candidates embarrass themselves by telling not-so-funny jokes or, worse, telling jokes that offend people in their audience. Rather than telling a joke to get your audience’s attention, try getting them to interact. Start by saying something like, “Raise your hand if you think taxes are too high.” Getting your audience to raise their hands will do more to get their attention than you telling a bad joke.
Adding pages to your fundraising letters will add money to your bank account. It’s hard to understand. It’s counter-intuitive. And you’re not going to believe it. Nonetheless, test after test after test shows that longer fundraising letters get better results than shorter letters. It’s hard to believe, but the proof is in the pudding. Try adding a few extra pages to your next fundraising letter and you’re likely to see a few extra dollars come in for your campaign.
Start a “stories file” to improve your speeches. Telling interesting and illustrative stories will do more to improve your campaign speeches than just about anything else. Lay the ground work by starting a “story file.” Simply create a file where you can catalog interesting stories you come across. If you find one in a newspaper, tear it out and stick in your file. If someone tells you one at an event, jot down some notes and put them in your file. Before long you’ll have a “real life” story that makes the case for just about every issue on your campaign.
Use digital off-set printing to save money on small quantities. Small campaigns that only print a few thousand pieces of mail or literature at a time have always had to pay a premium because of the high setup fees charged for jobs done on traditional off-set printing presses. That’s no longer the case with digital off-set printing. Digital off-set presses are basically big color laser printers designed specifically to print high-quality pieces in small quantities. Be sure to shop around for a printer who has one. The cost savings will be significant.
Be sure you know your contrasts. Contrasts are one of the most important elements of a campaign’s message. If you don’t define the difference between you and your opponent, your opponent will and you’re not going to like the outcome of your election. Take a few seconds right now to write down the three most important contrasts between you and your opponent. Then, audit all of your campaign communication (eg. literature, mail, website, speeches) to be sure those contrasts are included and featured.
Add a “Newsletter Subscription” box on your political website to build your email list. Just about every campaign these days has a website. Some campaigns spend a few hundred dollars on their campaign website, others spend thousands. Regardless of how much you spend, the most valuable element of your campaign website will always be the email list it generates. And the best way to build your email list is to have a simple email subscription box on your website. You can offer campaign updates, newsletters, alerts or anything else. The important thing is to have the ability to collect the email addresses of people who visit your site.
Condense your campaign communication efforts to maximize their impact. Many campaigns think it’s better to spread out mail pieces and phone calls over a few months. However, marketing studies show that your “advertising” has more impact if you condense it into a shorter period of time. For example, if you plan to send three mail pieces, you should send them all in the last two weeks of the campaign rather than one every month leading up to the election. It takes discipline, but don’t forget that voters will only start paying attention in the final weeks of a campaign.
Choosing the right merchant account for credit card contributions will save your campaign money. There are two basic choices. If you’re going to raise less than $350/month from credit cards, you should use a merchant account that charges a flat percentage on each contribution, but no monthly fee. Right now, 10% is the industry standard. If you’ll raise more than $350/month from credit cards, you should use a merchant account that charges a monthly fee (usually $20-30) and a lower percentage (usually 2-3%) on each contribution.
Understanding campaign revenue will save you frustration with early fundraising. First, revenue comes late. Heavy-hitters, party organizations, and associations wait until late in campaigns to send their contributions. Second, revenue multiplies. The more you raise early in your campaign, the more likely the heavy hitters, party organizations, and associations are to support you late in the campaign. So, the more money you raise early, the easier it will be to raise money late. Keep that in mind the next time you’re frustrated by how hard it is to raise money early in your campaign.
Make a list of at least five attacks your opponent will make on you. One of the most common oversights of local campaigns is “vulnerability research.” Your goal should be to identify and prepare for EVERY possible attack your opponent MIGHT make against you. Sit down right now and make a list of five attacks your opponent might make against you. Then talk to friends and other campaign supporters. If you can’t come up with a list of at least 15 attacks, you’re leaving yourself vulnerable. It’s a lot easier to handle attacks you know are coming. It’s the one’s you’re not prepared for that can kill you.
Make sure your press release has an attention-grabbing headline. Using headlines like “Smith Announces Campaign for State House” isn’t going to generate much interest at all from reporters. After all, what’s interesting about a candidate announcing their candidacy? Try adding some spice like “Smith Calls Jones ‘Worst Legislator Ever’ in Announcing State House Campaign.” Boring headlines don’t get noticed. Exciting headlines are what get coverage.
Start a FSJ to document your campaign fundraising successes. Start a FSJ to document your fundraising successes. Chris Mullins, a nationally-recognized telephone sales trainer, recommends keeping a Fundraising Success Journal (FSJ) to document all of your campaign fundraising successes. Keep track of good introductions and asks, make note of common objections you receive, and more. Documenting your success increases the likelihood you’ll repeat it.
Add an email ‘signature’ to drive traffic to your website. Outlook, Eudora, and most other email programs allow you to easily set up a signature that will automatically appear at the bottom of every email you send. Use this feature to promote your campaign website by setting up a signature that includes your website address.
Don’t waste your campaign money on “trinkets and trash". As soon as you officially become a candidate you can be sure your mailbox will be filled with all kinds of catalogs offering “inexpensive” promotional items like nail files, coin purses, and little footballs. Most campaign pros refer to these items as “trinkets and trash.” Avoid them at all costs! Save your money for proven vote-getting tactics like mail, phones, and radio. A few hundred on nail files here and a few hundred on coin purses there will cost you a lot more in the long run.
Review your campaign website content as carefully as your opponent will. Truth be told, the #1 visitor to your website may well be your opponent. What are they going to find? Be sure to carefully review everything you post on your campaign website and think about how your opponent may use it to attack you. If you have any concerns at all, don’t post it. It’s better to have a little less content than to risk giving your opponent ammunition. By the way, are you reviewing your opponent’s campaign website?
Look to lawyers and law firms to donate furniture and equipment for your campaign. Just about every lawyer or law firm in America has a backroom or storage facility packed with “old” office furniture and equipment. The good news is that “old” by their standards is brand-spankin’ new by campaign standards. If you’re looking for chairs, tables, desks, phone systems, and fax machines for your campaign call a lawyer that supports your party and/or campaign and ask them to donate any thing they have in storage. They may be a little dusty, but they’ll work fine – and won’t cost you a penny.
Have a "Stock the HQ" party to get free office supplies. Instead of spending critical campaign cash on things like paper, pens, staples and the like, have a “Stock the HQ” party for your campaign. It’s organized just like an informal campaign fundraising event, but guests are asked to donate office supplies rather than write checks. Not only will you stock your supply cabinets for free, but you’ll also identify some great volunteers for your campaign.
Reserve domain names your opponent might want. It’s amazing how many incumbents, let alone new candidates, still don’t have a domain name (www.domainname.com) for their campaign. They are leaving themselves wide open for spoof sites and attack sites. Go to
http://www.GoDaddy.com and see if any domain names your opponent might want are available. Try FirstnameLastname.com, Lastname2006.com, and LastnameforOffice.com. If they are available, reserve them. Worst case is you point them to your website. Best case is you use them for a new site highlighting your opponent’s weaknesses.
Ask for a specific amount in your direct mail fundraising letters. Rather than asking for the typical generic $25, $50, or even $100 in your next direct mail letter, try asking for an amount like $28.34. Here’s an example, “If everyone who receives this letter will send $28.34, I will be able to fully-fund the critical grassroots turnout program we need to win this campaign. If you can send more, like $50 or even $100 it will make up for people who can’t send $28.34 right now.”
Don’t repeat the charge when responding to your opponent’s attack. Repeating the charges your opponent makes against you will only further cement them in the minds of your voters. Instead, respond by attacking your opponent for being so power hungry that he or she will do and say anything to win – even when they know it’s not true.
When giving speeches, dress one step above the best dressed member of your audience. If your audience is in dark business suits, you need to wear a dark business suit with a power tie. If your audience is in khaki pants and polo shirts, you should wear khaki pants and a button-down shirt. Dressing one step above puts you in a position of leadership, without looking out of touch.
Start building lists today. Ultimately, campaigns are nothing more than an exercise in list building. You build lists of supporters, donors, voters, organizations, media, volunteers and more. The more lists you have created and in electronic format BEFORE the campaign heats up, the more effective you’ll be. Start today by organizing your personal lists like friends and family, customers, vendors, clubs, church, etc. Also get them in electronic format if they aren’t already. Check out Campaign Cash Cow for an easy and inexpensive way to organize your lists.
Go to Gebbie Inc. to see a list of all the radio stations, newspapers, magazines and television stations in your district.
Just go to
http://www.gebbieinc.com and click on “Media Links” and follow the instructions. You should also check out their free tips by clicking on the “PR Tips” link as well.
Use Google Alerts to stay up to date on news about you, your opponent, and anything else you need to know for your campaign.
It’s real simple and it’s free! Just go to
http://www.google.com/alerts. Enter the keyword you want to search on and your email address. Google will automatically email you anytime it finds a new posting for the key word(s) you enter.
When interviewing potential campaign consultants, be sure to get a client list that includes winners and losers. Talking with both types of clients is the only way you’ll get a true feel for a consultant’s strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind that winners tend to quickly forget the bad things while losers will often obsess over them. Somewhere in the middle you’ll likely find the real story.
Don’t put a hit/visit counter on your campaign website. It’s only going to embarrass you because most campaign websites get very little traffic and the last thing you want is a reporter writing a story about your campaign website getting less than 20 visits a day. Tracking your statistics is a good thing, just don’t do it in a way that let’s the entire world see your statistics.
The best source of early money in a campaign is your family. While family members are usually the most difficult people to ask for money, they are almost always the most generous. Start making fundraising calls to your family today. Not only will you raise money, but it could actually save you some embarrassment. After all, if your family won’t support you maybe you should reconsider your decision to run.
Be sure to contact all of your local party leaders BEFORE you decide to announce your candidacy. Even if you know a leader isn’t going to support you, this is a courtesy that will often keep him or her from working against you. If nothing else, it will make it easier for them to support you after you beat “their guy” in the primary.
Check the I:YOU ratio in all your campaign materials. Take your campaign brochure and count the number of times you use the word “ I.” Then count the number of times you use the word “YOU.” Good copywriters will have an I:YOU ratio of at least 1:2. That means you should have at least two “YOU” for every “I” in your text. After all, this campaign is about the voters, not the candidate.
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