Over on our blog,
we asked readers to submit their questions on how to run an effective
doorknocking operation. We got some great ones! Check out the
answers.
Getting Volunteers to Jump In
Posted on June 27, 2008 - 3:28pm by Julie Blaha
Q: I am working to organize some knock-phobic volunteers. I understand their concerns - they are afraid people will think of doorknockers as intrusive, or ask them difficult, technical questions, or that they'll be attacked by dogs - I had the same fears when I first went out. How do you motivate nervous volunteers to take the leap?
A: Julie, this is a great question. We even answered it on our video blog, here. There is no single solution to making volunteers feel comfortable with doorknocking - mostly, it is just a matter of experience and feeling comfortable with the situation. One thing that is important to point out is that they should not think of themselves as door-to-door salespeople, or merely a nuisance. People rarely get asked what they think about their community and their government, and having conversations with voters at their doors is an opportunity for those folks to voice their concerns and have a real, human interaction with a campaign. Many people, even if the situation feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar, actually welcome hearing from their neighbors at their doors and being asked for their opinion.
In addition, the campaign should go to great lengths to be sure the volunteer is comfortable with his or her role and has everything they need to be successful. Ample training should be provided on how to doorknock effectively, as well as on the talking points of the campaign. Food, water, and company should be provided - remember, many people volunteer because it is a great social outlet. Remind them that they are not expected to be experts on the doors, and that "I don't know" is a perfectly acceptable answer to a voter's question, as long as it's followed up with "but I'll find out for you."
Door knocking
Posted on June 27, 2008 - 9:08pm by Marc Feldstein
Q: How does one best deal with 'no soliciting' signs/stickers?
A: Another common question. Law may vary state to state, but as representatives of a campaign we are officially NOT considered solicitors. You are not selling something. However, campaign workers and volunteers should use their best judgment about approaching unfriendly houses (lots of overgrowth in the yard, a mean looking dog, a big "KEEP OUT" sign are all good signals to skip that house).
Listening instead of giving a speech
Posted on June 30, 2008 - 11:35am by liz
Q: How do we teach volunteers to ask questions and listen rather than break into a speech at the doors? I've been organizing for some time and I do sometimes slip into that with somebody who just wants to know what you're doing at their door... but you've pretty much lost them the moment you start your "speech".
A: Volunteers that are seasoned doorknockers have probably been trained to stick to the script, even at the cost of having a real conversation. However, making sure that the conversation between the volunteer and the voter is a good one really starts with how the script is written and the volunteer is trained. To avoid launching into a speech, it's important to put a question in the script early on, after the volunteer introduces themselves, to get the voter talking. Then, volunteers should be trained to listen to what the voter has to say and connect whatever their persuasion points are on the candidate to what the voter cares about. Sometimes this is done well, other times it can come across as,
"Ok, you care about health care. Well, Representative Blue has a plan to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home now! Sound good?"
That kind of reflexive "listening" should be avoided. Another great way is to incorporate into the script a line that the volunteer writes themselves about why they are out there volunteering. It personalizes the conversation and relaxes the volunteer.
"Hi, I'm Paul, and I'm out here volunteering for Representative Blue because of my mom. We're having trouble paying for her medications, and Representative Blue has a plan to lower prescription drug costs. Is healthcare a concern for your family?"
Are there communities where doorknocking is not effective?
Posted on June 30, 2008 - 6:02pm by Bob Luttman
Q: My community is a typical suburban community. Many of the neighborhoods are not dense, lots of two wage earner families, also somewhat paranoid about people knocking on the door. Seems to me this is not a good community for doorknocking and I should think about some other methods, like house parties, social networking connections, email, etc. Your thoughts?
A: Some rural and suburban areas are very spread out and may be diffitult for volunteers to reach, and the campaign needs to realistically assess whether it is wiser to use precious volunteer resources extensively doorknocking these precincts, or to have volunteers call into these precincts. But for most urban and many suburban districts, door-to-door canvassing is both practical and preferable.
If your district really isn't "walkable", then revert to phonebanking, which is the next best method of contact. House parties and email are less effective because they do not involve direct, one-to-one conversations with voters. You need to be able to identify your supporters, persuade undecided voters, and turn your supporters out to the polls. With just house parties and email you may gain visibility, but that is not enough to constitute a real field program.
One option may be to get creative about your doorknocking to match the needs of the district. If people respond well to house parties or community gatherings, then organize one in each precinct and when you go out doorknocking, make the conversation start with an invitation to the party.
Door-knocking questions
Posted on July 1, 2008 - 12:24pm by Brian Darby
Q: 1. How do you handle safety? 2. Is insurance advisable? 3. What to do if the person you are talking to has a medical emergency? 4. Do door-knockers accept donations? 5. What data do you code about the contact? 6. How do you prepare the mind and attitude of walkers?
A: Lots of great questions!
1. Just be smart. Have volunteers go out in pairs and knock on opposite sides of the street, keeping each other in view. Don't go inside the house if you feel uncomfortable, and stop if you feel unsafe.
2. You do not need insurance for volunteers. If you are employing staff, the campaign will likely need to pay for worker's compensation.
3. At least one person in each pair of volunteers should carry a cell phone for emergencies and have the number of campaign headquarters in their walk packet.
4. Absolutely! There are some canvasses that are exclusively about asking people for donations door-to-door. This is a bit more difficult of an "ask", however, so usually these are paid canvassers. If a volunteer identifies a very supportive voter at the door, it may be part of your script that they ask for a donation.
5. Check out the discussion on data in the Doorknocking Organizing Tool here.
6. Check out the discussion on training volunteers in the Doorknocking Organizing Tool here.