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...

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...

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,

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.

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.

Here’s today’s tip: Buy URLs you want to use AND ones you don’t want your opponent to use against you. Buy theirs too!

I bought RazShafer.com when I was about 18 years old and that started a URL buying binge. As the internet was coming of age and I learned more about search engine optimization, it became clear to me that having the right URL is important to someone’s ability to find you online.

That idea is important enough if you’re talking about your personal website or small business, but in politics it’s critical. Hard to remember URLs that are made of slogans or hard to remember aren’t going to get the organic traffic that you want. You want someone to hear your web address and remember it so they can check you out later. Repetition is key (think about the way Ted Cruz would say his website name three times whenever he mentioned it) but the name itself should be easy.

When I started training candidates, buying the URL that corresponded to their name was always one of my first recommendations. We’re talking about online real estate so buying it before someone else sees value is important.

Not only have I bought RazShafer.com, Raz.us and a bunch of other variations of my name so that I could potentially use them, but I also don’t want anybody else to use them against me. The cost isn’t significant, especially when weighed against the potential harm to NOT having control over them.

On the other side, I buy URLs that I don’t want my opponents to use. Once, a few years ago, someone who was considering a campaign against a friend of mine mentioned his intentions to me, without knowing how close I was with his potential opponent. Before I was even to my car in the parking lot, I was on the GoDaddy app, checking to see if he owned his URL. As it turned out, the .com variant of his name was available, so I bought it for a couple bucks. While he didn’t end up running against my friend, if he had, we would have used that website quite powerfully.

There are a lot of different top-level-domains out there to consider. .com, .us, .net, .org etc. Getting your name as a .com is arguably your best bet, but this can be difficult for the John Smiths of the world. I highly recommend checking out the .vote suffix. It’s specifically connected to the idea of an election and is a relatively unique way to market your campaign. I bought Raz.vote as soon as the new top-level domain was announced.

Websites are real estate, and as in war, you want to take the high-ground. Buy the URLs you might want to use AND those you’d like to deny your opponents.

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: Buy URLs you want to use AND ones you don’t want your opponent to use against you. Buy theirs too!

I bought RazShafer.com when I was about 18 years old and that started a URL buying binge. As the internet was coming of age and I learned more about search engine optimization, it became clear to me that having the right URL is important to some...

Here’s today’s tip: Always make sure your campaign mailing address is listed on your website donation page.

In a world dominated by digital content and online fundraising, traditional mail and physical checks often get forgotten. I was recently putting together a list of candidates for a donor who wanted to know whom to support. This gentleman doesn’t donate online, only through writing checks, so I was collecting the mailing addresses for the campaigns after I built the list of prospects.

What I found shocked me. Among the candidates I wanted to suggest, only about two-thirds listed their mailing address ANYWHERE on their website. Only half published it on the donation page.

Given how surprised I was with the results, I wanted to continue my search and see if this trend held. I expanded my unscientific research to fifty Republican congressional campaigns and the numbers actually went down marginally. Roughly 50% of the campaign websites I reviewed allowed voters to find the mailing address.

Campaign funds are a resource that every campaign complains about and each candidate wants more of…it doesn’t matter how much they have. So why would you NOT make it easy for folks to send you more?

In addition to the fact that there are many donors who only send money through the mail, the lack of credit card processing fee means you save that 4-5% cut when donations are processed via check vs. online.

This is a no-brainer and it’s insanely easy to do. So make sure your website lists your campaign mailing address and add it if viewers can’t easily find where it’s at.

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: Always make sure your campaign mailing address is listed on your website donation page.

In a world dominated by digital content and online fundraising, traditional mail and physical checks often get forgotten. I was recently putting together a list of candidates for a donor who wanted to know whom to support. This gentleman doesn’t donate online, only through writing checks, so I was collecting the mailing addresses for the campaigns after I built the list of prospects.

What I found shocked me. Among the candidates I wanted to suggest, only about two-thirds listed their mailing address ANYWHERE on their website. Only half published it on the donation page.

Given how surprised I was with the results, I wanted to continue my search and see if this trend held. I expanded my unscientific research to fifty Republican congressional campaigns and the numbers actually went down marginally. Roughly 50% of the campaign websites I reviewed allowed voters to find the mailing address.

Campaign funds are a resource that every campaign complains about and each candidate wants more of…it doesn’t matter how much they have. So why would you NOT make it easy for folks to send you more?

In addition to the fact that there are many donors who only send money through the mail, the lack of credit card processing fee means you save that 4-5% cut when donations are processed via check vs. online.

Here’s today’s tip: “The dignity of a prime minister, like a lady’s virtue, is not susceptible to partial diminution.” – Winston Churchill

As most of y’all know, I’m a huge fan of Winston Churchill. And as soon as I saw this quote from him, its truth resonated with me strongly.

I’d imagine that after hearing the quote, your mind went directly to your opponent or some politician who is guilty of some kind of betrayal. Perhaps it’s through a failure in their personal lives or by something they’ve done within their role as a public official. All of those things factor into what Winston is talking about.

In sum, Churchill is saying that you’re either honorable or you’re not. Virtuous or your not. Possessed of dignity or not.

This challenge should be constantly in your mind as you campaign and legislate, as well as how you daily comport yourself. You won’t be able to please everybody, and some may ascribe dishonor to honorable acts or attempts. But at the end of the day, you need to be able to look into the mirror, pray to God or look into your spouse’s eyes and know that the object of that reflection is good.

You can justify any action with enough self-deception and we’ve all done it. Every one of us. But the best bulwark against dishonor is to honestly appraise your actions from a wide aperture. Are your behavior and actions honorable or not? Use the intimate knowledge you have of your own heart to shore up your strengths and guard against your weaknesses.

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 dignity of a prime minister, like a lady’s virtue, is not susceptible to partial diminution.” – Winston Churchill

As most of y’all know, I’m a huge fan of Winston Churchill. And as soon as I saw this quote from him, its truth resonated with me strongly.

I’d imagine that after hearing the quote, your mind went directly to your opponent or some politician who is guilty of some kind of betrayal. Perhaps it’s through a failure in their personal lives or by something they’ve done within their role as a public official. All of those things factor into what Winston is talking about.

In sum, Churchill is saying that you’re either honorable or you’re not. Virtuous or your not. Possessed of dignity or not.

This challenge should be constantly in your mind as you campaign and legislate, as well as how you daily comport yourself. You won’t be able to please everybody, and some may ascribe dishonor to honorable acts or attempts. But at the end of the day, you need to be able to look into the mirror, pray to God or look into your spouse’s eyes and know that the object of that reflection is good.

You can justify any action with enough self-deception and we’ve all done it. Every one of us. But the best bulwark against dishonor is to honestly appraise your actions from a wide aperture. Are your behavior and actions honorable or not? Use the intimate knowledge you have of your own heart to shore up your strengths and guard against your weaknesses.

To find out more about what it takes to win a political campaign,

Here’s today’s tip: Hire a professional to execute thorough opposition research and a vulnerability study early in the campaign.

There are a lot of areas within campaigns where I routinely encourage campaigns to keep things in-house. In a lot of cases, you’re able to save money and achieve an equal or greater quality level in areas like canvassing, fundraising, etc. However, vulnerability and opposition research are not in that class.

I’ve interviewed several folks who work in this world on my How to Run for Office podcast and hope you’ll check them out. But suffice it to say, this is an area where there is always going to be a qualitative difference between the work product of a professional and a beginner.

Each of these two research realms involve identifying and looking under various rocks, trying to locate that hardest to find, often intentionally hidden, nuggets about someone. In terms of opposition research, what you find or don’t find will have a huge impact on the arch of your campaign messaging and your efforts to differentiate yourself from your opponent.

When considering the vulnerability study, the differences are even more stark. As the candidate, you are the worst person to identify your areas of weakness. When you look in the mirror, you can rationalize every wrinkle or blemish on your record or character. Easily turning them all into lessons learned or proof of tenacity.

But voters won’t see things the same way you do. If you don’t analyze your background and self through a very harsh lens, you won’t be able to anticipate your weaknesses and vectors of attack opponents may take. If done correctly, however, you’ll be able to pre-plan responses or preemptively detonate problems before the opposition takes aim.

When a candidate or someone inside their tight circle of trust handles opposition or vulnerability research, the results are virtually always skewed. Opposition research is conducted through the eye of someone who already hates the subject and will assume the worst. The vulnerability study, however, will view the candidate in an overly charitable light. When combined, these defects will leave a campaign blind to both the right way to attack and defend.

Hire a professional to execute opposition and vulnerability research. Your race and budget will determine what you can or should spend, but if conducted properly, these will be the central strategic pillars of your campaign. It’s too important to leave to amateurs.

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: Hire a professional to execute thorough opposition research and a vulnerability study early in the campaign.

There are a lot of areas within campaigns where I routinely encourage campaigns to keep things in-house. In a lot of cases, you’re able to save money and achieve an equal or greater quality level in areas like canvassing, fundraising, etc. However, vulnerability and opposition research are not in that class.

I’ve interviewed several folks who work in this world on my How to Run for Office podcast and hope you’ll check them out. But suffice it to say,

Here’s today’s tip: “I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them.” Adlai Stevenson

This tongue in cheek quote from Adlai Stevenson perfectly captures the feelings of many candidates. But it also brings into perspective a central question of campaign strategy: “How do we differentiate ourselves from our opponent?”

Most first-time candidates launch their campaign with the belief that they can win on their virtues alone. If only the voters could learn how awesome they are, victory would be assured. This is not far off the mark since every campaign should start out by first establishing why THEY are the best candidate, rather than talking about why their opponent is the bad guy.

But there is a limit to the success of that strategy. If you spend the entire campaign solely focused on your positives and never, even obliquely show voters the down-side of electing your opponent then you’re not giving them full information. In that case, you shouldn’t be surprised when many fail to arrive at the point of supporting your candidacy. After all, if there’s no difference between you and your opponent, why should they care who they vote for?

The best course of action is generally to establish your positives and then draw contrast. Voters need to know what the difference is between you and your opponent. They’re asking themselves that question and will arrive at an answer whether you help them or not.

This doesn’t always need to be done through a direct attack though. Sometimes that’s the best path but, in my estimation, candidates default to its use too frequently. The better strategy might be to point out an opponent’s negatives by strategically choosing how you high light your virtues.

I liken this tactic to the use of negative space in art. By leaving something untouched, you’re able to draw attention to it. If your opponent has a history of bankruptcy, focus on your own fiscal responsibility. When running against an incumbent who never holds town-halls, make yourself easily accessible.

In none of these cases are we attacking our opponent. But by building up the value of our virtues in the eyes of voters, they will naturally look to the negative space and wonder how the other candidate stacks up against these attributes for which they have a growing respect.

Again, we’re not forgoing a direct attack because it’s always a bad idea. Rather, we’re looking for the most effective way of moving voters in our direction. We’re allowing them the opportunity to think through their decision with a more complete picture of the facts while avoiding a hard push that might lead to negative blow-back.

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: “I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them.” Adlai Stevenson

This tongue in cheek quote from Adlai Stevenson perfectly captures the feelings of many candidates. But it also brings into perspective a central question of campaign strategy: “How do we differentiate ourselves from our opponent?