Here’s today’s tip: Handwritten notes are one of the most powerful tools you have. And they’re cheap!

Growing up, it felt like pulling teeth when my mom made me write thank you cards. For some reason I hated it. I was grateful for the gifts but something about it...laziness probably, just made it a process I really disliked. Far too many times, I didn’t properly express my gratitude.

Handwritten notes are one of the most powerful tools you have. And they’re cheap!

Small things can make all the difference! We distill some of the most powerful campaign tips our coaches have learned into these bite-sized, actionable episodes!

News & Politics

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Government & Organizations

Non-Profit

National

Regional

Local


Here’s today’s tip: Titles for staff and volunteers are free and make people feel important.
Money is tight on the campaign trail…but you need quality staff. When you can’t pay people what you’d like, make sure you consider what else might be of value to them that’s free or cheap to you!
One of my favorite non-monetary ways to reward people is through titles. Often this is the last thing that a candidate thinks about when hiring somebody. It’s an afterthought because, after all, you’re focused on votes and how to secure them cheaply. I’d encourage you to put serious thought into the titles and job descriptions of your hires and volunteers. Those will be tools they’ll use in the future to secure future opportunities and the more thought you put into them, the more valuable they’ll be.

I’d also encourage you to write an unsolicited letter of recommendation for any staffer or volunteer who you would be willing to endorse for future work. Taking these steps will show them clearly how much you care about them and confirm that you see them more than fodder for a campaign machine. 
Treat your people well by empathizing with their situation. Don’t be stingy with the cheap things that will be huge benefits to them down the line. Titles for staff and volunteers are free and make people feel important!
To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast! On Facebook, you can find our campaign mastermind group by searching for the Elite Campaign Mastermind and our page under My Campaign Coach. If you want to help support our efforts, you can do that with financial support via Patreon.com/mycampaigncoach or by giving us a nice rating on iTunes!

Here’s today’s tip: Titles for staff and volunteers are free and make people feel important.
Money is tight on the campaign trail…but you need quality staff. When you can’t pay people what you’d like, make sure you consider what else might be of value to them that’s free or cheap to you!
One of my favorite non-monetary ways to reward people is through titles. Often this is the last thing that a candidate thinks about when hiring somebody. It’s an afterthought because, after all, you’re focused on votes and how to secure them cheaply. I’d encourage you to put serious thought into the titles and job descriptions of your hires and volunteers. Those will be tools they’ll use in the future to secure future opportunities and the more thought you put into them, the more valuable they’ll be.

I’d also encourage you to write an unsolicited letter of recommendation for any staffer or volunteer who you would be willing to endorse for future work. Taking these steps will show them clearly how much you care about them and confirm that you see them more than fodder for a campaign machine. 
Treat your people well by empathizing with their situation. Don’t be stingy with the cheap things that will be huge benefits to them down the line. Titles for staff and volunteers are free and make people feel important!
To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast! On Facebook, you can find our campaign mastermind group by searching for the Elite Campaign Mastermin...

Titles for staff and volunteers are free and make people feel important.


Here’s today’s tip: The campaign schedule should include family time, relaxation and sleep.
Life doesn’t stop just because you launch a political campaign. Bills need to be paid, your family needs your physical presence, mental energy and emotional engagement and your body needs rest. Even if you are one of the rare folks who can afford to take off work for the term of the campaign, there is plenty of normal life that shouldn’t be cast aside. 
In spite of that, every election cycle, I see candidates try that strategy. It leads to exhaustion, fractured relationships and frustrated spouses. 
As with every area of the campaign, writing down a plan and talking it through with your team is the best way to start. The first conversations should happen with your family. You should have already had candid conversations about what you’ll be sacrificing and holding sacred during the campaign team. Things like a regular date night and no-miss activities with your kids should be on the list. My list would also include church and my weekly mastermind group meeting.

Then work with your campaign team to set some rules for scheduling. Depending on your campaign size, at least some of the authority over your calendar will be held by them. They need clarity as to what they can schedule without your input and when they need to ask you for permission. I recommend giving them blocks of time at least one week in advance where they are free to fill your schedule. Your weekly team meetings should allow an opportunity to review the schedule and update availability. 
When it comes to your body, take care of yourself! Take vitamins, avoid fast food when you can, get up at the same time every day and start with a high protein, high fat, low carb breakfast. Get at least 6 hours of sleep each night and encourage your team to live by the same guide. The candidate or key team members getting sick will throw everything out of whack. 
Remember: Your campaign schedule should include family time, relaxation and sleep!
To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast! On Facebook, you can find our campaign mastermind group by searching for the Elite Campaign Mastermind and our page under My Campaign Coach. If you want to help support our efforts, you can do that with financial support via Patreon.com/mycampaigncoach or by giving us a nice rating on iTunes!

Here’s today’s tip: The campaign schedule should include family time, relaxation and sleep.
Life doesn’t stop just because you launch a political campaign. Bills need to be paid, your family needs your physical presence, mental energy and emotional engagement and your body needs rest. Even if you are one of the rare folks who can afford to take off work for the term of the campaign, there is plenty of normal life that shouldn’t be cast aside. 
In spite of that, every election cycle, I see candidates try that strategy. It leads to exhaustion, fractured relationships and frustrated spouses. 
As with every area of the campaign, writing down a plan and talking it through with your team is the best way to start. The first conversations should happen with your family. You should have already had candid conversations about what you’ll be sacrificing and holding sacred during the campaign team. Things like a regular date night and no-miss activities with your kids should be on the list. My list would also include church and my weekly mastermind group meeti...

The campaign schedule should include family time, relaxation and sleep.


Here’s today’s tip: “Big Jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow the small ones.” – Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy was right about many things and this quote nails it. If you want the big job, prove you’re not afraid of the small ones. 
We see this truth both in religious and secular culture. In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, the master replies, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many.” 
Frequently I’m asked by young people how they can break into politics. Often, in their mind at least, they’re looking for the shortest path to being on TV, making a ton of money or significant fame. There’s nothing inherently wrong with those goals, but allowing yourself to be too fixated on a hack or short-term payoff means you’re going to miss the best strategy. 
It may be intoxicating to look at the 20-something on Fox News or MSNBC and dream of sharing their level of fame and popularity but that’s likely not your best path. Even if you could snap your fingers and achieve it, the average career life expectancy of folks who ride that lightning is very short. Much like in the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare, I’m going to put my money on slow and steady. That’s where long-term success originates.

It’s counterintuitive but my recommendation is always to attack whatever task you’re given with ferocity. If you ask for a job and get assigned bathroom cleanup, make that the cleanest bathroom in town. Don’t gripe about how your talents are better used elsewhere and this is beneath you. Put your pride aside and realize that at that moment, there may be nothing more important for you to do than be a rockstar janitor.
Whether it’s fetching coffee, cleaning the bathroom, canvassing voters or wading through emails, prove your ability to conquer the big jobs by outgrowing the small ones.  
To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast! On Facebook, you can find our campaign mastermind group by searching for the Elite Campaign Mastermind and our page under My Campaign Coach. If you want to help support our efforts, you can do that with financial support via Patreon.com/mycampaigncoach or by giving us a nice rating on iTunes!

Here’s today’s tip: “Big Jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow the small ones.” – Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy was right about many things and this quote nails it. If you want the big job, prove you’re not afraid of the small ones. 
We see this truth both in religious and secular culture. In the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, the master replies, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many.” 
Frequently I’m asked by young people how they can break into politics. Often, in their mind at least, they’re looking for the shortest path to being on TV, making a ton of money or significant fame. There’s nothing inherently wrong with those goals, but allowing yourself to be too fixated on a hack or short-term payoff means you’re going to miss the best strategy. 
It may be intoxicating to look at the 20-something on Fox News or MSNBC and dream of sharing their level of fame and popularity but that’s likely not your best path. Even if you could snap your fingers and achieve it, the average career life expectancy of folks who ride that lightning is very short. Much like in the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare,

Big jobs usually go to the men who prove their ability to outgrow the small ones.


Here’s today’s tip: Get-Out-The-Vote may be the last phase of the campaign but should be planned at the beginning.
Planning campaigns backwards may be counter-intuitive but it’s critically important. Doing so will allow you to set specific, measured goals, plan accurately for required resources and better anticipate the obstacles or challenges that can frustrate your efforts. 
As the last phase of the campaign, Get-Out-The-Vote is what everything else builds up to. All the Identification and Persuasion, the slick advertising and important endorsements won’t mean anything if people don’t actually get off their butt and cast a ballot with your name on it! 
When planning GOTV, consider the separate sectors you’ll need to divide your team into. A few possibilities that come to mind might be: canvassing, phone-banking, poll-greeting, sign distribution and data-analysis. Each subunit has a specific responsibility area and discrete tasks they’ll execute. This means that if I’m running the GOTV canvassing operations, I shouldn’t have a worry in my head about whether the poll-greeters are using the right script or the sign team has enough 4×8’s.
In campaigns generally, but GOTV specifically, it can be tempting to give mid-level leaders a broad swath of authority. And perhaps during the regular day-to-day of the campaign, folks are able to execute that. But during GOTV, you need to give narrow fields of fire and complete ownership over their sector. 
It’s going to take a significant amount of time to properly plan GOTV, so get started at the beginning of your campaign!
To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast! On Facebook, you can find our campaign mastermind group by searching for the Elite Campaign Mastermind and our page under My Campaign Coach. If you want to help support our efforts, you can do that with financial support via Patreon.com/mycampaigncoach or by giving us a nice rating on iTunes!

Here’s today’s tip: Get-Out-The-Vote may be the last phase of the campaign but should be planned at the beginning.
Planning campaigns backwards may be counter-intuitive but it’s critically important. Doing so will allow you to set specific, measured goals, plan accurately for required resources and better anticipate the obstacles or challenges that can frustrate your efforts. 
As the last phase of the campaign, Get-Out-The-Vote is what everything else builds up to. All the Identification and Persuasion, the slick advertising and important endorsements won’t mean anything if people don’t actually get off their butt and cast a ballot with your name on it! 
When planning GOTV, consider the separate sectors you’ll need to divide your team into. A few possibilities that come to mind might be: canvassing, phone-banking, poll-greeting, sign distribution and data-analysis. Each subunit has a specific responsibility area and discrete tasks they’ll execute. This means that if I’m running the GOTV canvassing operations, I shouldn’t have a worry in my head about whether the poll-greeters are using the right script or the sign team has enough 4×8’s.
In campaigns generally, but GOTV specifically, it can be tempting to give mid-level leaders a broad swath of authority. And perhaps during the regular day-to-day of the campaign, folks are able to execute that. But during GOTV, you need to give narrow fields of fire and complete ownership over their sector. 

Get-Out-The-Vote may be the last phase of the campaign but should be planned at the beginning.


Here’s today’s tip: When scheduling the candidate, anchor on events and fill in with canvassing, fundraising and small groups.
Scheduling the candidate’s time efficiently is among the most important recurring jobs on the campaign trail. From within and without the campaign, everybody will seem to be pulling the candidate in different directions, so whoever is in charge of their schedule is the guardian, the bad-guy and lynch-pin for the entire effort. 
Build the candidate’s schedule around important anchors. These might be big or small events, in terms of people attending, but are vital to the campaign’s strategic interest. This is like filling up a bucket by putting in the big rocks first. Next, figure out the gaps and open time you have and pack things in around them. 
Once I schedule that important meeting that acts as my anchor, I’m going to make sure I’ve got a call list for the road, I’m probably going to line up some other local meetings during the parts of the day I don’t want to block walk, possibly schedule some interviews with local interest groups or media. Finally, knocking doors and making phone calls are easy to push in wherever you have dead time.

We’re not looking to just blitz the candidate and wear them out. If downtime is needed, schedule that too. What we do not want to happen is for us to fritter away time without intent. Make a schedule and stick to it. Use what you learn to make the next one better, but constantly strive to be as efficient as possible with the time you’ve got for the campaign!
If you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting our work and gaining access to special perks by becoming a Patron through Patreon. To find out more about how you can support the show and the exclusive opportunities for Patrons, go to www.Patreon.com/MyCampaignCoach
To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign, go to MyCampaignCoach.com. You can also check out our interviews with Candidates, Elected Officials, Consultants and Campaign Staff on the How to Run for Office Podcast!

Here’s today’s tip: When scheduling the candidate, anchor on events and fill in with canvassing, fundraising and small groups.
Scheduling the candidate’s time efficiently is among the most important recurring jobs on the campaign trail. From within and without the campaign, everybody will seem to be pulling the candidate in different directions, so whoever is in charge of their schedule is the guardian, the bad-guy and lynch-pin for the entire effort. 
Build the candidate’s schedule around important anchors. These might be big or small events, in terms of people attending, but are vital to the campaign’s strategic interest. This is like filling up a bucket by putting in the big rocks first. Next, figure out the gaps and open time you have and pack things in around them. 
Once I schedule that important meeting that acts as my anchor, I’m going to make sure I’ve got a call list for the road, I’m probably going to line up some other local meetings during the parts of the day I don’t want to block walk, possibly schedule some interviews with local interest groups or media. Finally, knocking doors and making phone calls are easy to push in wherever you have dead time.

We’re not looking to just blitz the candidate and wear them out. If downtime is needed, schedule that too. What we do not want to happen is for us to fritter away time without intent. Make a schedule and stick to it. Use what you learn to make the next one better, but constantly strive to be as efficient as possible with the time you’ve got for the campaign!
If you enjoy our podcasts, please consider supporting our work and gaining access to special perks by becoming a Patron through Patreon. To find out more about how you can support the show and the exclusive opportunities for Patrons, go to www.Patreon.

Handwritten notes are one of the most powerful tools you have. And they’re cheap!

Download our free app to listen on your phone