Winning Edge

What is FUD:

• Acronym: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
• Created by former IBM engineer Gene Amdahl 50+ years ago
• Appeals to emotion rather than fact

Virginia Election Case Study:

• Redistricting ballot: over $80 million spent
• Yes side won by less than 2 percentage points
• Exit polls: many voters still uncertain what they voted on

How Both Sides Used FUD:

Yes Side:

• Messaging: protecting democracy, stopping Trump
• Misleading ballot language ruled by judge
• Mailers disguised as "local newspapers"

No Side:

• Themes: protecting voting rights, stopping power grab
• Used 2017 Obama clip condemning gerrymandering against his own endorsement

When to Use FUD:

1. One-off Decisions

• Ballot questions without party labels

2. Playing Defense

• Getting voters to hesitate or stick with status quo
• Lower bar than getting action

3. Issue-Based, Not Person-Based

• Focus on policy consequences, not opponent
• Easier for voters to admit policy isn't working than being wrong about a person
• Lets voters "be right again" without feeling they changed their mind

Caution:

• FUD only gives reasons against something
• Must pair with positive message about what you'll do

Bottom Line: Use FUD sparingly for one-off decisions, defense, and issue-based arguments - always combine with positive messaging.

For more campaign messaging tactics, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

This week marks just over 200 days until Election Day. Just 29 weeks.  

If you haven’t started fundraising yet, now is the time.

In previous episodes, we’ve covered how to overcome your fear of fundraising, how to make your first ten calls, who makes the best donors, and how to think of the people you’re calling as partners in your campaign.

But this is a unique environment. What do you actually say when you get someone on the phone? Here’s a short script that sets the stakes, makes the ask, and shows why the donor should partner with you. 

[Small talk for 2-5 minutes. Ask about them first, then share a bit about yourself if they don’t know you. ]

I know you are busy, but I just wanted to take a minute to update you on my campaign. 

Last cycle, the Left dumped over $4 million into a single Pennsylvania House race.

They’ll do it again. But this time, we’ll be ready. 

We are one seat away from taking back the House majority, and the Left knows it. Look at what happened in Virginia in just three months when they got unchecked power. 

We can’t let that happen here.

That’s why I’m running for [office]. We are going to win this seat and take back the majority. 

Here’s how we are going to win. It comes down to three things:

1. First, hard work. I’m already knocking doors and I’ll hit [X] thousand more before November. No mailer, lawn sign, or social media post beats looking someone in the eye, hearing what matters to them, and asking for their vote.
2. Second, affordability. People are struggling to make ends meet, and lowering costs for Pennsylvanians will be my focus from day one.
3. Third, money. None of that happens without the money to compete. That's why I'm calling you today.

Let’s take back the House and get Pennsylvania back on track.

[Asking for a range]

I’m looking for 30 committed supporters to join me with a donation between $1,000 and $10,000. Will you be one of them?

[Asking for a specific amount]

Will you support my campaign with a donation of $2,000?

That’s it. Don’t overcomplicate it. Tweak the script to fit your voice and start making calls.

The first few will be uncomfortable. Then you’ll find your rhythm. Make calls every week and within three weeks money will start coming in. Give it two months and you’ll have real fundraising momentum.

But it only starts when you make the ask. No one can do that for you. And here’s the truth—the people you’re calling want to be part of something that matters. You’re giving them the chance to partner with your campaign and be part of something that changes Pennsylvania. But it only happens if you call them and ask. 

Bottom line: This week, call ten people and use this script to ask for a donation.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

The Problem:

• Gap between the anticipated fear and the reality of fundraising calls - we talked about this previously in Episode #20
• Candidates imagine donors will be annoyed or reject them
• Reality: Most donors are flattered, want to help, or politely decline
• The gap between what we fear and what happens is huge

The Solution: Phone Coach App

• Link: https://practice.7figurefundraising.com/phone-coach
• Simple goal: help you make five fundraising phone calls
• Uses ladder approach from Winning Edge #20
• Repeated exposure reduces fear through experience

How Phone Coach Works:
Before Each Call:

• Rate your discomfort/anxiety level (1-10)

After Each Call:

• Rate how it actually went
• Almost everyone discovers anxiety was higher than reality
• Seeing this gap makes next call easier

Key Features:

• Helpful reminders: "Most donors want to help"
• All data private, kept on your phone
• Helps brain learn what to expect
• Identifies gaps between fear and reality

5-Step Process:

1. Use Phone Coach app and choose first 5 people to call
2. Rate anxiety level before Call #1
3. Make call using standard pitch
4. Rate how it actually went
5. Repeat for all 5 calls and watch pattern emerge

Action Step:
Book 30 minutes this week and make five calls using Phone Coach

Bottom Line:
Fundraising calls feel worse in your head than they are. Phone Coach proves this in just five calls - make the calls, see the gap, watch your fear shrink.

For more tips on overcoming fundraising anxiety, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

The Problem:

• Every interview is high-stakes for candidates
• Every question could be recorded and go viral
• Can't afford to mess up, but nobody is born great at answering tough questions
• Like expecting NFL players to learn plays during the Super Bowl

The Solution: Low-Stakes Practice

• Introducing The Briefing Room - an app for practicing tough questions without pressure
• Build skills at home, in car, or during 5-minute breaks

How The Briefing Room Works:

• Practice answering tough questions you'll face on campaign trail
• Add custom questions you expect to get
• Test different answer tactics without camera pressure
• Build muscle memory until answers feel natural

Hardcore Mode:

• Records your answers for playback
• Fastest way to improve by hearing yourself
• Catch "ums" and "you knows," notice when you ramble

Three Answer Tactics to Practice (from Winning Edge #24):

1. Two Points

• Pause, say "That's a great question. It comes down to two things."
• State first point while thinking of second

2. Story + Insight

• Start with "That reminds me of..."
• Share relevant story, wrap with one-sentence insight
• Stories are more memorable than facts

3. Thinking Then and Now (Advanced)

• Validate their view: "I used to think the same thing..."
• Explain what changed your perspective
• Help people reconsider without admitting they were wrong

Bottom Line: Practice in low-stakes environment so you can perform when stakes are high. Just 5-10 minutes daily for a few weeks improves your ability to answer tough questions.

For more tips on answering tough questions, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Link to The Briefing Room app.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

The Wax Museum Lesson:

• Fourth graders memorized 90-second speeches about historical figures
• Kids rushed, focused on exact wording rather than audience
• Sounded like recordings, not natural communication
• Similar to how many adults approach public speaking

The Problem with Traditional Advice:

• Memorizing scripts makes speeches sound robotic
• Most real speaking happens off the cuff: town halls, Q&A, conversations
• Need to speak naturally from bullet points, not scripts

Four Key Principles:

1. Stop Thinking of Speech as "Right Words"

• Confidence, tone, and clarity matter as much as words
• Know what you're trying to say, not perfect phrasing

2. Think of It as a Conversation

• Best presentations feel like talking with audience, not delivering memorized lines

3. Talk to Audience, Not at Them

• Lead audience somewhere, don't create distance
• Pick friendly faces and explain like you're across a table

4. Try the One-Minute Rep

• Practice first minute without notes
• Pick one thing to improve and run again (4 times, 5 minutes total)
• Next day: work on next minute
• By end of week: connect sections for full reps
• More comfortable than memorizing everything

Action Steps:

1. Treat every speech like a conversation
2. Practice one minute at a time with no notes
3. Don't worry about saying it the same way twice
4. Focus on finding your most natural delivery

For more tips on natural speaking techniques, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

In 1950, two French engineers faced a problem they couldn’t solve the old way. They didn’t have the resources to build bigger seawalls, so instead of trying to stop the wave, they asked how to break it apart.

The result was the tetrapod, a simple design that disperses force from any direction. It doesn’t fight the wave head-on. It absorbs and breaks it.

Campaigns face storms, too.

• Negative ads
• Outside money
• Sagging turnout
• Tough interviews
• A fight for voter attention

When pressure hits, many candidates default to what they are most comfortable with. They knock more doors. They attend more events. They try to outwork the storm in one area.

But resilience in a campaign comes from strength across four areas.

Build Your Campaign Tetrapod:

• A clear stump speech that explains why you are running. Learn more with the links to other episodes below
  • #68- The Gas Station Pitch
  • #57 - Say It Until It Sticks
  • #48 - 5-Part Persuasive Speech
  • #31 - The Lego Man Stump Speech
• Answering tough questions with confidence
  • #24 - Answering Tough Questions
  • #25 - Mastering Unscripted Answers
• A consistent, disciplined fundraising system
  • #20 - Overcoming Fundraising Fear
  • #66 - Create a Fundraising System, Not a Goal
  • #46 - 10 Call Rule
  • #18 - Start Your Campaign Fundraising
• Short, memorable stories voters repeat to others
  • #64 - Start a Story People Want to Hear
  • #50 - Tell the Second Story
  • #22 - Creating Your Character Story

You don’t need to improve all four at once.

Just pick one arm this week.

Because when the next wave hits, preparation is what breaks its force.

Click here for a one-pager handout. 

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

Every candidate needs a short gas station pitch: the 60–90 second version of why you’re running.

It’s the answer you give at a gas station, a coffee shop, or the church lobby when someone asks, “So why are you running?”

The challenge is there’s not much time. Do you talk about issues? Yourself? Them? Do you ask a question?

Here’s a simple formula that keeps your pitch friendly and conversational.

The Gas Station Pitch

1. Say your name and the office you’re running for.
2. Name one problem you’re running to fix.
3. Ask an open-ended question.

For example:

“Hi, I’m John Smith, running for State Representative. I’m running to fix the roads here, they’ve become a real problem the last couple of years. What’s the one issue you’d like to see fixed at the Capitol?”

The goal here is to be remembered.

Most people make a quick gut decision about whether they like you. Being friendly helps, but it’s not enough. When they talk about you later, they don’t want to say, “I just liked him.”

They want to say:

“He seemed nice and I liked what he said about fixing the roads.”

By naming one specific problem you want to fix, you give people a reason for why they liked you.

The pitch worked if someone remembers you an hour later.

If they can’t finish the sentence, “He’s the candidate who wants to fix ___” your pitch isn’t ready.

As you’re running for office, spend time on your Gas Station Pitch. Pick one issue with broad appeal. Practice saying it clearly, and end with a question.

Checkout our one page PDF 

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

After ending Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld threw out his old material and rebuilt a stand-up act from scratch. In the documentary Comedian, you see even a legend bomb, forget punchlines, and get heckled—then keep going.

That’s the lesson for candidates: speeches don’t get good by thinking. They get good by reps.

Your stump speech needs a gym.
Over the next few months, every event—Lincoln Day dinners, Rotary clubs, community meetings—is a chance to test what works.

The Hand Approach (from Winning Edge #48)

• Hook – Story, statistic, or question
• Hold – 3 things, 2 contrasts, or 1 big idea
• Hurdle – Address the objection people won’t say out loud
• Handoff – Clear call to action

What to practice

• Hook: why you’re running, character stories, questions, stats
• Hold: 3 priorities, 2 reasons, 1 defining issue
• Hurdle: name and answer the concern in their head
• Handoff: sign up, give, volunteer

Treat every speaking opportunity as an experiment. Keep what lands. Cut what doesn’t. By spring, you’ll have a clear, tested stump speech that works.

Check out our free one page [Free PDF Here]

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

Most candidates don’t fail at fundraising because they can’t do it.
They fail because they never get started.

In this episode, we break down why systems beat goals when it comes to raising money—and how a small, repeatable fundraising system compounds fast over a campaign cycle.

Key takeaways:

• Why 50–100 focused fundraising hours is usually enough to win
• The hidden flaw in “goal-first” fundraising plans
• How a systems-first approach removes friction and procrastination
• Two simple fundraising systems that work:
  • Time-based: 1–2 hours per week (or per day for statewide races)
  • Activity-based: 10 calls per week (or 20 calls per day)
• How systems shift your identity—from “someone who needs to fundraise” to a good fundraiser

Related episodes:

• The 10-Call Rule – Winning Edge #46
• 4 Steps to Start Your Fundraising – Winning Edge #18

Download the one-page summary:
[PDF Link Here]

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.

Most people know how to start a story. But few know how to keep people listening once they’re in it. 

In this episode, we break down what actually makes the middle of a story work, using a Nate Bargatze clip (played in the episode) as the case study.

Key ideas:

• Why great storytellers rely heavily on dialogue
• How two or three details can paint an entire scene
• Why stories move through action and reaction, not timelines
• The difference between a story and a Wikipedia entry
• How cause-and-effect keeps listeners engaged

A simple framework to use immediately:

• Open strong
• Add dialogue
• Add a few details
• Show action then reaction

Good stories are never great the first time. You need to test it, revise it, and tell it again.

[Free PDF Here for Making a Story Using the Tools Discussed Here]

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.