I have watched some of my best election candidates stare at the words they have written on a direct mail,wondering to themselves “How would Oscar Wilde have described my wonderful vision for picking up rubbish in Northsouth Ward”
I have waited three weeks for senior politicians to sign off leaflets with numerous versions being argued over.
I have seen experienced campaigners argue about whether the electorate will understand what a “whelk stall” is.
Yet, I have seen all the same people send out people with questionable person skills on to the doorstep without any script.
“What do you think they will say?” I ask.
“Do you think they will enhance your reputation, sell the benefits of the party, attack the opposition?”
Not very likely.
They need a script.
You can of course go completely over the top with a script. Some scripts turn candidates into Market Researchers.
“Hello Madam, I’m from the Progressive Party, I have 45 questions to ask you?”
Yes that will work.
Scripts should open conversations, talk about the kind of things voters want to talk about and tell them why you are on their doorstep. If you are standing for election, tell them what you will do for them. They are not a representative for the area, so stop asking questions like “Are there any local issues?” — that’s your job.
Ask them, “What should the council do for you?” On the doorstep talk more about the voter than yourself. Remember the last time you were at a party and met someone who talked about themselves for 30 minutes? It’s not usually very interesting.
A good script needs to make sure the voter is getting as much from the conversation as you are. They need to be able to walk away and say of the candidate “She was a nice woman, really listens, and has a plan.” Of course most times they won’t. At the very least you want your conversation to end with the voter walking away not thinking “robot” or "moron"
What you say on the doorstep matters much, much more that what you put in a leaflet. So take time to get it right.
Comments
David Heigham / June 24 2008 3:45pm
The best that a candidate can do on the doorstep is to leave a reasonably clear idea of who she is, of what she is on about and some things on which she might be on the side of the voter. Acting the part according to someone else's script will often come across as false - candidates acting abilities are limited. I favour a bit of rehersal over scripts.
A really tough problem is how David Davis puts his message accross on the doorstep, on the TV and on the radio. He does not have an opponent to contrast against. This is "what you are on about" problem. I would suggest the line that '42 days is a pure political stunt. There is absolutly no real need for it. Labour have introduced 42 days because they want to look tough on terrorism in order to scrape a few votes from the Tories. Faced with this stunt which attacks the freedoms we have had all our lives, I had to show that I believe in those freedoms. That is why I am asking for your vote.'
This is to set up the Labour "political stunt" as your opponent. Ideally there should be a simpler way for him to differentiate himself.
/ June 25 2008 12:36pm
I have interviewed quite a lot, and shadowed a fair few, candidates during elections. They recognise that they nor party workers should be political speak your weight machines that just repeat the party manifesto at people; it really hindered Conservatives in 2001 as they all talked of the Euro at a time when most of the voters did not see it as a threat and did not care.
The best campaigners are able to link party policy to local issues (achievements if in government, what they would do better if in opposition). Also they give a sense of them caring about the constituency and wanting to be an active representative doing the things the constituency/ward wants.
The problem most parties seem to face is fewer of those good door-to-door campaigners but they are a very important part of a campaign (I do have the evidence; if anyone is interested do get in touch).
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