nayjevin
Member
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2007
- Messages
- 6,973
I was a door-to-door salesman for a time, selling cable TV to folks. It was somewhat different, as our pitch began with "I'm here to let you know our crews are coming out to do some work on your lines" (total bull so they think you're not selling anything) "and while they're here -- they're running a special! all we need is your SSN...." I quit that job before long, but read some Dale Carnegie in preparation and learned quite a bit.
If you go door to door:
FIRST! Research the Howard Dean collapse in Iowa in 2004.
Dean supporters turned off some Iowa voters in 2004. Obviously, we should learn from their mistakes, and not repeat them. It may well be that the complaints were over-reported, but we can combat that type of thing. Just don't cram anything down people's throats. For the most part, this is a get in, hand a flyer, get out operation.
GOALS
1. Name Recognition
People need to know he exists. If they look into candidates, they will have him on his mind. MSM will not help here. So cram his name down their throats one time, give them literature, and be on with it.
2. FACETIME: Exposure of Ron Paul in Action
You have far less chance to convince somebody RP is the man than he does himself. Direct them to youtube, direct them to ronpaullibrary.com -- let them decide for themselves. If they are able to think, they will vote for Ron Paul.
We are a street team. We cannot offer celebrity status, or political standing, to endorse Paul. All we can do is say that we support him, and that others should look into him.
Consider: Don't try to convince people they should vote for him.
Just tell them the primaries are very important, they may have to register, etc, and, 'That's what I am doing to be sure I can vote for Ron Paul.'
Most people will not be convinced by your words. They very well may be affected by the simple knowledge that YOU support him. So make yourself likeable, friendly, and inform them he exists. Convince them to look him up, and make up their own minds. Accepting Ron's message comes from hearing Ron, not from hearing you.
3. Get him in the Mainstream: Ron Paul is NOT a 'fringe' candidate!
Just by getting out there and telling people -- 1 time -- that you support Ron Paul -- gets this message out. People by and large are not very independent thinkers. Most will not support someone who will put them on the 'fringe' among those they talk to. But the more they hear people support him, the more comfortable they will be in considering it for themselves.
INTERACTION
========================
If you pay attention, you can often find out in the first 15 seconds what type of experience it's going to be. Be careful to pre-judge, but look for signs of problems that pop up early.
1. Sincerity
Eye contact, value the individual, sincere compliments help, "beautiful flowers" -- but only if you really think they are beautiful -- people know the difference. Listen more than you speak, you should even 'listen' while you are speaking.
2. Simplicity
Too much convincing, and people start resisting. The vast majority of people will only be convinced by Ron Paul himself, on their own time. Convince them to look into him, not to vote for him.
3. Efficiency
Spend your time wisely. Don't fight uphill battles with people who are argumentative or say they want to Nuke Iran, for instance. Diffuse the ticking time-bomb. "I can respect that. Ron Paul thinks differently, but I recommend you at least see what else he believes. Thanks! Bye!"
If someone gets heated, look into their eyes and immediately apologize, no matter what you or they have done! You are on their property. Apologize and get off of it - not much good can happen after the person is angry.
4. Effectiveness
Use materials that provide the opportunity for folks to find out the bulk of the message. Use something with an outline of issues. If it's in their hands, they may read it all, just about no matter how long it is. But they might not sit down at the computer and type in "all that dubya dubya crap" to get the same information.
With those that are very supportive, spend a bit of extra time. Balance it, of course, but a couple of minutes could mean the difference between a voter and a contributor/meetup supporter. Give extra information when you need to. WRITE IT DOWN WITH YOUR OWN PEN and it's personally recommended.
Hopefully DVD's will be available, otherwise, here is a good CD:
http://www.srchost.com/ronpaul/viewtopic.php?t=124
You need your own label at this point, as far as I know. I suggest you at least write, "Ronpaul2008.com -- pass it on"
5. Consistency
Use a consistent opening line, attention grabber, or pitch. Reasons:
You get better at it the more you use it.
When you find a good one, you just repeat the process.
6. Knowledge
If you can't answer the common questions people have about issues, and especially some of RP's bad 'sounding' ones (" He's against the PATRIOT act? No AMNESTY? Those sound good...") this probably isn't a job for you. It's too important to be able to outline at least the basics to those receptive enough to ask questions.
I think that I would often use:
"Well, the Constitution says that should be left up to the states. Ron Paul just wants to get the federal government out of it -- so ya'all in Iowa are free to solve it as you please."
THE PITCH
What you say and how you say it is vital.
There should be a consistent, simple approach, and it should be respectful, and present you well.
Within those guidelines, anything works that:
1. Shows them you are sincere.
2. Gets them to look at the flyer as more than something they will have to throw away.
3. Gets them to realize he's not just the politician that somebody picked this time, he's the only guy that's principled enough to deserve a citizen's vote.
Ron Paul indeed sells himself. The main obstacle to an individual realizing Paul's truth is their assumptions. You can design your opening 'pitch' statement to shatter one or more of these assumptions off the bat, otherwise they'll just tell you their assumption, like "yeah, but he can't win".
Say something that gets them totally out of their thought process. The longer you allow their preconceptions of you (scammer! con artist! salesman!) to remain in their heads, the stronger their resistance will be. The first words out of your mouth (possibly after a 'hello', but not necessarily) should shatter any assumption they have as to your intentions.
ASSUMPTIONS
================
1. "All politicians are corrupt. (and I don't want to hear about another one.)"
SHATTER THE ASSUMPTION: "I hate politics and politicians too. That's what turned me on to Ron Paul. He votes the way he says he will, and it's always in line with the Constitution. He abhors lobbyists and what they've done to our government, just like I do. At least check into this guy, he's more like a wise grandpa than a politician."
2. "Ron Paul has good ideas, but he can't win."
SHATTER THE ASSUMPTION: "Well, I vote on principle, not who I think is going to win, but he does have a good chance. He took first or second in EVERY major debate poll, including first place in the CNN poll, who hosted the debate. The most recent straw poll by the Taxpayers union placed him in second, ahead of McCain & Giuliani. He's raised upwards of $5 million dollars based on his performance in debates only a few months ago, and, most importantly, he has many passionate people like me out on the streets."
3. "Our country will collapse if we take away these government programs"
SHATTER THE ASSUMPTION: "Ron Paul's a college educated Economist, and knows exactly what these things do to our economy, and our society. He thinks they're unconstitutional, and bad for our country. And no one is saying that your state can't implement the program -- he just agrees with the Founding Fathers that it is not to be addressed by the federal government. It should be left to the states."
DON'T!
Introduce your personal views -- they are irrelevant! Leave them out of the conversation entirely. All that matters is to achieve our goals is to pass on Ron Paul's views.
There are a few minor issues that I'm not totally sure I agree with about Paul -- and there are bound to be some for you too. But he's definitely smarter and more knowledgeable than me, and chances are he's smarter than you too. His job is to research these things. Leave the expertise of explaining the issues to him. He's running for president, we're following his lead, spreading his message.
Some of the things that feel most natural to say up front to someone can be detrimental.
"Do you guys want some reading material?"
"You want a flyer?"
In a 'cold call' situation, if you give them an option to take the flyer, they will say no, almost every time, because the vast majority of people assume that when they are confronted by strangers in situations such as this are about to be 'conned' into something. Many, many people will greet you with skepticism.
And, although it could probably be handled properly, I don't even like:
"Have you heard of Ron Paul?"
Most commonly, at least at this point in the campaign, this question results in a 'no' answer, and creates an obstacle for you to overcome. Now, not only do you have to tell them who he is, but you have put them in a position to defend their not having heard of him. The easiest way for them to defend this in their own head is: "He's a nobody." Now they have an incentive to convince themselves your message, and Ron's, is not important to them.
SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR PITCH:
I have found -- Keep It Simple Stupid
What I have learned while passing out flyers on my own is that simple works best. I went through the trial and error period and made many mistakes -- the main one being I would TALK TOO MUCH. The simplest approach (and it works surprisingly well!) is to hold the flyer in front of them until they grab it, while saying nothing, or maybe just "Hi guys". Their instinct is to grab it. The longer you are silent, the more likely they are to grab it, if they haven't already. Then, in defense of a possible awkward silence, they start reading.
If I try to explain why they should grab the flyer from my hand, they are much more likely to defend themselves against my argument -- a simple 'no thanks' and they are out of the situation. The silent way, it is easier to grab the thing than to figure out something to say.
The foundation of this approach is that most know politicians are full of it, and most strangers who approach want something in return. That's why they resist.
There will be as many different approaches as people walking the streets, but they should all aim to achieve the goals and guidelines outlined above. Here are some suggestions. Note the intent to instantly shatter some of the common misconceptions/assumptions about Ron Paul/candidates in general.
"Hi, I don't know if you guys are into politics... (hold out flyer)
I never was until I found this guy. (they look at the flyer)"
"He took first in the debate polls on MSNBC and CNN, and second in the latest straw poll by the Taxpayers union, ahead of McCain & Giuliani."
OR
"I've never been excited about a politician before -- but this guy is awesome."
OR
"I hate politics because I hate politicians -- but this guy is different"
OR
"You probably don't believe in the Constitution, but if you do, this is the guy"
QUESTIONS
Often they will just say "OK. Thanks." Leave em be! They're gonna look, but they want to do so alone. Other times they will ask questions back, and at this point it is VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE DONE YOUR RESEARCH.
http://www.ronpaullibrary.com
http://www.ronpaul2008.com
if you can't answer these questions succinctly and accurately, you have reading to do:
What is RP's stance on:
Abortion
Gun Rights
Church & State
Christianity
Foreign Policy
State's Rights
Health Care
Taxes
& maybe most importantly,
How do you get rid of a bunch of federal programs and bring the troops home? Won't the country collapse?
Most of these people are prime for Paul's message -- but a small few just want to argue politics with you. Watch out. If you are lucky enough to get someone interested enough to ask questions like this, your answer may be the difference between them researching more, or deciding RP is no good -- so read up!
--------
At least half of the RP supporters I know were convinced through RP's speeches. Therefore, I believe the most effective campaigning strategy is to get RP videos to the people.
Ron Paul TV
http://freeme.tv
Ron Paul's YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ronpaul2008dotcom
Download and burn a CD to hand to people (doesn't even require internet for them to watch it)
http://rpmedia.dreamhosters.com/Exponent/
------------------
REMEMBER
Kindle the fire, and let it burn on it's own. Don't try to stay with one person, tending their fire, while you could be starting others that blaze by themselves.
Our biggest obstacle is name recognition and for the fed up to realize he's not just another politician -- he's exactly what we've been waiting for!!
If you go door to door:
FIRST! Research the Howard Dean collapse in Iowa in 2004.
Dean supporters turned off some Iowa voters in 2004. Obviously, we should learn from their mistakes, and not repeat them. It may well be that the complaints were over-reported, but we can combat that type of thing. Just don't cram anything down people's throats. For the most part, this is a get in, hand a flyer, get out operation.
GOALS
1. Name Recognition
People need to know he exists. If they look into candidates, they will have him on his mind. MSM will not help here. So cram his name down their throats one time, give them literature, and be on with it.
2. FACETIME: Exposure of Ron Paul in Action
You have far less chance to convince somebody RP is the man than he does himself. Direct them to youtube, direct them to ronpaullibrary.com -- let them decide for themselves. If they are able to think, they will vote for Ron Paul.
We are a street team. We cannot offer celebrity status, or political standing, to endorse Paul. All we can do is say that we support him, and that others should look into him.
Consider: Don't try to convince people they should vote for him.
Just tell them the primaries are very important, they may have to register, etc, and, 'That's what I am doing to be sure I can vote for Ron Paul.'
Most people will not be convinced by your words. They very well may be affected by the simple knowledge that YOU support him. So make yourself likeable, friendly, and inform them he exists. Convince them to look him up, and make up their own minds. Accepting Ron's message comes from hearing Ron, not from hearing you.
3. Get him in the Mainstream: Ron Paul is NOT a 'fringe' candidate!
Just by getting out there and telling people -- 1 time -- that you support Ron Paul -- gets this message out. People by and large are not very independent thinkers. Most will not support someone who will put them on the 'fringe' among those they talk to. But the more they hear people support him, the more comfortable they will be in considering it for themselves.
INTERACTION
========================
If you pay attention, you can often find out in the first 15 seconds what type of experience it's going to be. Be careful to pre-judge, but look for signs of problems that pop up early.
1. Sincerity
Eye contact, value the individual, sincere compliments help, "beautiful flowers" -- but only if you really think they are beautiful -- people know the difference. Listen more than you speak, you should even 'listen' while you are speaking.
2. Simplicity
Too much convincing, and people start resisting. The vast majority of people will only be convinced by Ron Paul himself, on their own time. Convince them to look into him, not to vote for him.
3. Efficiency
Spend your time wisely. Don't fight uphill battles with people who are argumentative or say they want to Nuke Iran, for instance. Diffuse the ticking time-bomb. "I can respect that. Ron Paul thinks differently, but I recommend you at least see what else he believes. Thanks! Bye!"
If someone gets heated, look into their eyes and immediately apologize, no matter what you or they have done! You are on their property. Apologize and get off of it - not much good can happen after the person is angry.
4. Effectiveness
Use materials that provide the opportunity for folks to find out the bulk of the message. Use something with an outline of issues. If it's in their hands, they may read it all, just about no matter how long it is. But they might not sit down at the computer and type in "all that dubya dubya crap" to get the same information.
With those that are very supportive, spend a bit of extra time. Balance it, of course, but a couple of minutes could mean the difference between a voter and a contributor/meetup supporter. Give extra information when you need to. WRITE IT DOWN WITH YOUR OWN PEN and it's personally recommended.
Hopefully DVD's will be available, otherwise, here is a good CD:
http://www.srchost.com/ronpaul/viewtopic.php?t=124
You need your own label at this point, as far as I know. I suggest you at least write, "Ronpaul2008.com -- pass it on"
5. Consistency
Use a consistent opening line, attention grabber, or pitch. Reasons:
You get better at it the more you use it.
When you find a good one, you just repeat the process.
6. Knowledge
If you can't answer the common questions people have about issues, and especially some of RP's bad 'sounding' ones (" He's against the PATRIOT act? No AMNESTY? Those sound good...") this probably isn't a job for you. It's too important to be able to outline at least the basics to those receptive enough to ask questions.
I think that I would often use:
"Well, the Constitution says that should be left up to the states. Ron Paul just wants to get the federal government out of it -- so ya'all in Iowa are free to solve it as you please."
THE PITCH
What you say and how you say it is vital.
There should be a consistent, simple approach, and it should be respectful, and present you well.
Within those guidelines, anything works that:
1. Shows them you are sincere.
2. Gets them to look at the flyer as more than something they will have to throw away.
3. Gets them to realize he's not just the politician that somebody picked this time, he's the only guy that's principled enough to deserve a citizen's vote.
Ron Paul indeed sells himself. The main obstacle to an individual realizing Paul's truth is their assumptions. You can design your opening 'pitch' statement to shatter one or more of these assumptions off the bat, otherwise they'll just tell you their assumption, like "yeah, but he can't win".
Say something that gets them totally out of their thought process. The longer you allow their preconceptions of you (scammer! con artist! salesman!) to remain in their heads, the stronger their resistance will be. The first words out of your mouth (possibly after a 'hello', but not necessarily) should shatter any assumption they have as to your intentions.
ASSUMPTIONS
================
1. "All politicians are corrupt. (and I don't want to hear about another one.)"
SHATTER THE ASSUMPTION: "I hate politics and politicians too. That's what turned me on to Ron Paul. He votes the way he says he will, and it's always in line with the Constitution. He abhors lobbyists and what they've done to our government, just like I do. At least check into this guy, he's more like a wise grandpa than a politician."
2. "Ron Paul has good ideas, but he can't win."
SHATTER THE ASSUMPTION: "Well, I vote on principle, not who I think is going to win, but he does have a good chance. He took first or second in EVERY major debate poll, including first place in the CNN poll, who hosted the debate. The most recent straw poll by the Taxpayers union placed him in second, ahead of McCain & Giuliani. He's raised upwards of $5 million dollars based on his performance in debates only a few months ago, and, most importantly, he has many passionate people like me out on the streets."
3. "Our country will collapse if we take away these government programs"
SHATTER THE ASSUMPTION: "Ron Paul's a college educated Economist, and knows exactly what these things do to our economy, and our society. He thinks they're unconstitutional, and bad for our country. And no one is saying that your state can't implement the program -- he just agrees with the Founding Fathers that it is not to be addressed by the federal government. It should be left to the states."
DON'T!
Introduce your personal views -- they are irrelevant! Leave them out of the conversation entirely. All that matters is to achieve our goals is to pass on Ron Paul's views.
There are a few minor issues that I'm not totally sure I agree with about Paul -- and there are bound to be some for you too. But he's definitely smarter and more knowledgeable than me, and chances are he's smarter than you too. His job is to research these things. Leave the expertise of explaining the issues to him. He's running for president, we're following his lead, spreading his message.
Some of the things that feel most natural to say up front to someone can be detrimental.
"Do you guys want some reading material?"
"You want a flyer?"
In a 'cold call' situation, if you give them an option to take the flyer, they will say no, almost every time, because the vast majority of people assume that when they are confronted by strangers in situations such as this are about to be 'conned' into something. Many, many people will greet you with skepticism.
And, although it could probably be handled properly, I don't even like:
"Have you heard of Ron Paul?"
Most commonly, at least at this point in the campaign, this question results in a 'no' answer, and creates an obstacle for you to overcome. Now, not only do you have to tell them who he is, but you have put them in a position to defend their not having heard of him. The easiest way for them to defend this in their own head is: "He's a nobody." Now they have an incentive to convince themselves your message, and Ron's, is not important to them.
SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR PITCH:
I have found -- Keep It Simple Stupid
What I have learned while passing out flyers on my own is that simple works best. I went through the trial and error period and made many mistakes -- the main one being I would TALK TOO MUCH. The simplest approach (and it works surprisingly well!) is to hold the flyer in front of them until they grab it, while saying nothing, or maybe just "Hi guys". Their instinct is to grab it. The longer you are silent, the more likely they are to grab it, if they haven't already. Then, in defense of a possible awkward silence, they start reading.
If I try to explain why they should grab the flyer from my hand, they are much more likely to defend themselves against my argument -- a simple 'no thanks' and they are out of the situation. The silent way, it is easier to grab the thing than to figure out something to say.
The foundation of this approach is that most know politicians are full of it, and most strangers who approach want something in return. That's why they resist.
There will be as many different approaches as people walking the streets, but they should all aim to achieve the goals and guidelines outlined above. Here are some suggestions. Note the intent to instantly shatter some of the common misconceptions/assumptions about Ron Paul/candidates in general.
"Hi, I don't know if you guys are into politics... (hold out flyer)
I never was until I found this guy. (they look at the flyer)"
"He took first in the debate polls on MSNBC and CNN, and second in the latest straw poll by the Taxpayers union, ahead of McCain & Giuliani."
OR
"I've never been excited about a politician before -- but this guy is awesome."
OR
"I hate politics because I hate politicians -- but this guy is different"
OR
"You probably don't believe in the Constitution, but if you do, this is the guy"
QUESTIONS
Often they will just say "OK. Thanks." Leave em be! They're gonna look, but they want to do so alone. Other times they will ask questions back, and at this point it is VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE DONE YOUR RESEARCH.
http://www.ronpaullibrary.com
http://www.ronpaul2008.com
if you can't answer these questions succinctly and accurately, you have reading to do:
What is RP's stance on:
Abortion
Gun Rights
Church & State
Christianity
Foreign Policy
State's Rights
Health Care
Taxes
& maybe most importantly,
How do you get rid of a bunch of federal programs and bring the troops home? Won't the country collapse?
Most of these people are prime for Paul's message -- but a small few just want to argue politics with you. Watch out. If you are lucky enough to get someone interested enough to ask questions like this, your answer may be the difference between them researching more, or deciding RP is no good -- so read up!
--------
At least half of the RP supporters I know were convinced through RP's speeches. Therefore, I believe the most effective campaigning strategy is to get RP videos to the people.
Ron Paul TV
http://freeme.tv
Ron Paul's YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ronpaul2008dotcom
Download and burn a CD to hand to people (doesn't even require internet for them to watch it)
http://rpmedia.dreamhosters.com/Exponent/
------------------
REMEMBER
Kindle the fire, and let it burn on it's own. Don't try to stay with one person, tending their fire, while you could be starting others that blaze by themselves.
Our biggest obstacle is name recognition and for the fed up to realize he's not just another politician -- he's exactly what we've been waiting for!!
Last edited:
