When I got back from a week of volunteering prior to the caucus in Iowa, I posted this diary (same title as this one) with the goal of giving folks tips on phone banking -- both in general and specifically for Barack Obama. I've revised that diary tonight because we have a very short time before voting and caucusing begin on Tuesday - and it's imperative to make calls to HI right now, and to WI and HI all day and night tomorrow.
Relevant info from the previous diary about my odd affection for phone banking:
I like talking to people, persuading them to support a candidate or cause, and motivating them to get involved and invested in their candidates, causes, or communities.
There are few other things in the world that make me as happy as I am when I'm pounding the pavement or calling folks to talk politics or issues.
The good news for you - you don't have to love, or even like, phone banking. The potential bad news for you - you have to do it now whether you like it or not - because if you don't get on that phone and convince people to support Obama, we could lose WI and HI on Tuesday.
Do you want losses on your conscience? I don't think you do...
Here's your link to get calling!!
At the moment you have a few options for states to call:
Time Zone Converter here. Thanks to loree920 and anna for the reminders that you should only make calls between 9 am and 9 pm. Just FYI...the phone banking tool on Obama's website doesn't let you call outside of those times.
Hawaii - 2/19
Wisconsin - 2/19
Texas - 3/4
Ohio - 3/4
Rhode Island - 3/4
Wyoming - 3/8
You'll be able to call HI late into the night because of the time difference, but WI and the others will likely shut down until tomorrow around 9pm central. It's important to prioritize. WI and HI are the most important states to call at the moment. After Tuesday night the others are the new priority.
For those of you who are nervous about phone banking...we're here to help (me and whoever else shows up, that is), and we can answer your questions, or we can talk out frustrations between calls, or we can provide suggestions for the next time you run into a "problem" caller.
Anyway - here are some tips!
Step 1:
Get comfortable. Get everything you'll need to make calls for a few hours (or minutes) depending on your timetable. Get some water...tea...cough drops, etc. Thanks to Kath25 for reminding me that you'll want to have Obama's Issues page open. You can download the Blueprint for Change which has TONS of information...and you should suggest to those you're calling that they download this booklet and read it for themselves.
Step 2:
- Why are you phone banking?
This one is easy for us. We need voters to get out there for Obama and we need them NOW.
- Is there a script? How important is it for you to stick 100% to that script?
Make sure you have all the materials you need and that you understand them.
- Who are we calling?
Know the demographics. Are the folks you're calling from blue collar communities? Rural? Urban? Wealthier? Poor? Middle class? What are the issues they are likely to care about - and do you have a handle on those issues. If not, do your best to ask the campaign for information so that you CAN get a handle on those issues.
- Are there talking points - does the campaign have responses you can provide to callers with "Frequently Asked Questions"?
In Iowa we were asking people if they would be caucusing for Obama. If the person on the phone said that they were supporting someone else I would ask why and then make an attempt to persuade them over to Obama - using whatever issue/concern they had against their chosen candidate.
An example:
Joe: Oh, I'm planning on voting for Edwards because he's against the war.
Me: I completely understand your frustration (if that's how they sound - or maybe anger? Depends on the call) with the war. Actually, this is one of the reasons I chose Obama over Edwards. I really like Senator Edwards, but did you know that he actually co-sponsored the resolution that gave President Bush the blank check to take us into war? Senator Edwards had a lapse in judgment here, and for me, it was an awfully large mistake. Senator Obama has been against the war since back in 2002 when he was running for Senate in Illinois.
Sometimes Joe's response was immediate - he would switch and support Obama instead. Sometimes Joe needed a little more convincing, maybe he wanted to discuss another issue, etc. Sometimes Joe was immovable. Whatever response you get, obviously you work with it and you do your best. But I'm getting a little ahead of the steps here...
Step 3:
Once you know why you're calling and you have all the information you need, you're almost ready to get on the phones. Almost, but not quite.
Before I pick up a phone and start talking to people I like to mentally prepare. Read the script that you're supposed to use several times. If you sound like you're reading a script, the caller will know. If you get flustered with wording and make mistakes while reading, the caller will definitely know. In order to prevent this, rephrase sentences that you aren't comfortable with. Make sure the meaning stays the same, but you can definitely retool something minor like that if it will help you sound better on the phones.
Don't just prepare for talking to actual people, prepare for leaving messages as well. Is there an alternative and shorter script included for leaving messages? Don't just know that it's there, familiarize yourself with that one too because depending on the time you're calling, you may end up leaving quite a few more messages than you'd anticipate.
Step 4:
Calls. Finally! Aren't you excited!! (I know, I'm weird.)
Obviously you want to follow the script in a comfortable way. Some important things to note about calls.
1. Sound friendly and human.
"Hi, this is Elise and I'm calling from Barack Obama's office here in XXX to invite you to an event with Michelle Obama next Monday at 3pm at the XYZ Club on 3rd Street."
You can ask them if they've ever had the opportunity to see Michelle before, or just how they're doing, or you can comment on the weather, "I sure hope the snow gets cleared before she arrives so it will be easy for everyone to come out and see her!"
Now obviously friendly and human aren't always going to work. Sometimes people are just having a bad day. Depending on how many campaign calls they've gotten - they may be in the mood to kick the next person who calls in the shins. Even if one person hangs up on you and calls you a "pesky bitch" (yes, that's happened to me), you hang up and start the next call with the same friendly tone you started the last one with. If you need to take 3 minutes in between to breathe, by all means, breathe, but you will have better results by starting off with a friendly tone.
2. Stay on message.
Don't stray too much from the purpose of your call. If the person you're on the phone with starts giving you life history - and they are definitely voting for someone else, find a way to get off the phone.
3. Always always always be polite.
No matter how rude someone on the phone may be, you must remember that you are a representative of that campaign when you're making that call. Even if that person isn't voting for you it is imperative for you to be polite and to represent the campaign to the best of your ability.
What do you do when someone calls you a "pesky bitch", or some other name?
"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way, sir. I hope you change your mind and that you'll take another look at Senator Obama" (give all details again for how they can do that before person hangs up on you - if possible).
If someone complains that you've called them too many times -
"I'm sorry to hear that. I don't work for the campaign myself, I'm just a volunteer, so I really don't know who they've called before, just that I have this list and the calls really do need to be made."
Stating that you're a volunteer usually gets the person to stop being pissy. They realize that you're just a voter like they are and they also realize that instead of spending your free time watching TV, you're helping your favorite candidate instead. This can sometimes change the dynamic of the call because sometimes those folks want to know exactly what it was about the candidate that got you to give up your free time.
4. Answer their questions.
If you are personally unable to answer their questions, and the campaign hasn't provided you with literature that answers them - don't just get off the phone. Ask the person when you, or someone else from the campaign, can call back with the answer. Make a note on your call sheet and make sure to mention this to the person in charge of the phone bank. If you can call back yourself, great. If not, make sure someone else will. If you tell someone you'll get information to them it is very important that you follow through on that promise.
5. Know when to let go and know how to talk to each person you're calling.
Typically when you're phone banking you're calling people to try to identify if they're friendly to your campaign, or if they aren't. The system might look something like this:
1 - A supporter. Someone who has signed a supporter card or who volunteers for the campaign. Ask them if they can come in to volunteer for a shift again!
2 - A verbal supporter. Someone who has said over the phone that they will vote for your candidate. See if you can move this person from a 1 to a 2. Ask if they're able to volunteer or bring others to the polls with them.
3L - Someone who leans very much toward your candidate, but who isn't quite ready to say they will vote for them. Obviously here you're shooting for moving this person to a 2 or a 1. Do your best. Ask them if they have a particular issue that's preventing them from making a choice, or if there's a policy proposal they'd like to know more about. The biggies in Iowa were healthcare, the war, and people who were a bit disillusioned with politics. I swayed several people to Obama by pointing out that he was a politician who made promises, ("When elected to the State Senate, I'm going to do my best to clean up Springfield.") and followed through on them (As a State Senator, Obama worked to pass ethics and campaign finance laws in Illinois - the first laws in 25 years related to ethics, and he did that by bringing Democrats and Republicans together. This was particularly useful as an example because I could say, "in Illinois! Ethics! Democrats and Republicans working together!, and the response was almost always, "Wow! Yeah! That is an achievement! What in the world are they going to do about that Governor of theirs...I doubt he's better than the last one..."
3 - Undecided. Similar to a 3L but perhaps less open or friendly. Again, do your best.
4 - Someone who is leaning towards another candidate. These folks aren't entirely lost to you (I got some 4's to change their minds in Iowa - depending on time of the campaign you may attempt to persuade them (if it's early), or you may simply check to see who they're voting for. Sometimes you may not even bother calling them at all). Even though they aren't entirely lost, they are fairly unlikely to change minds, so if you've spent 10 minutes on the phone trying and you're not getting anywhere, move on.
5 - Supporter of an opposing candidate. This is someone who absolutely adores another candidate and who has promised to vote for the other candidate. These folks aren't your friends when you're calling. I called a person on my list who was a 3, but his wife was a 5. She answered the phone and told me that if her husband didn't caucus for Hillary, he was going hungry the next few weeks. My response, "Well, (laughing) I'd hate to be responsible for someone going hungry!" We both laughed and wished one another luck and moved on. I rolled the dice hoping he'd answer the phone - sometimes you've just gotta try. Of course, in primary states rather than caucuses, he could have voted for Obama without her ever knowing.
Here's that link one more time. You can see on that page that you can specifically call women in WI, or if you're a student, you can call students in OH, and if you're a Spanish-speaker, you can call TX. I hope y'all will join me in making some calls tonight!
If you have alternative tips or suggestions, or if I've skipped anything important (entirely possible as it's been a busy week), please add them in the comments! If you have concerns or questions, please add them or ask them! If you're terrified of phone banking, I sympathize...but it doesn't have to be an awful or scary experience. In fact, phone banking can be lots of fun!