ProgressiveToolkit

Economies are merely representations of the rules of commerce that we have accepted as normal. Normal is what we are willing to live with and we live with what is comfortable to us and what we are taught is well… life. We can learn to build or structure I society in new ways according to what we value as individuals and groups, but that is called politics. If you are not successfully participating in politics - then ultimately you are not taking responsibility for your life.

Why is the price of Oil going up when for the last hundred years we have been told that it will never rise? Ask yourself this - what price am i willing to pay for my car, my job or my relationships? What am I willing to let go of and how am I willing to be an example of how the world is getting better and how the world is changing for the better.

Before running for office, whether for mayor, city council, state legislature or any other position, you have to make an assessment of the district you will be running in. Find out what the voting patterns are. What political party do the people there usually support? And what political philosophy, liberal, conservative, moderate or radical, do they usually support?

Those are not always the same thing. There are conservative Democratic districts, for example. So it’s a good idea to go down to your local election board and study the results, precinct by precinct, of several elections. This is not so much to decide whether to run or not, but to decide what you must do to win. Ask yourself this: What would the results be if the election were held today and the people didn’t know you very well. Then how many votes do you have to turn in order to win, and where are they?

When you finish that assessment you will have a plan for winning. Then you have to work hard to follow that plan.

There will be influential people in your district or town. Approach all of them, once you announce your candidacy, and try to get them to endorse you. Some may seem hopeless. Ask them anyway, in person and sincerely. Give them your best pitch. The worst they can say is No, but if you don’t ask them that’s a No anyway. You might just win some “hopeless” cases over to your side. And very probably you may neutralize some influentials who would have endorsed your opponent.

Try hard to get the endorsements of all newspapers, of course. But try especially hard to get the endorsements of some local weekly newspapers. (The hard reality may be that this will entail buying some inexpensive ads in those weeklies.) But the advantage of endorsements by weeklies is that their endorsement columns make great print outs, using their logos: WILMONT HILL WEEKLY STANDARD: “Smith for City Council”

It creates a notion of acceptance, especially important for new candidates.

Anyone who is thinking…
of challenging something or someone they feel may be having, or will have, a harmful or negative impact on their community or the environment should research how others have dealt with similar efforts. I have some suggestions and there are many other sources of information and inspiration which a person can draw from.

I would recommend that a person locate a short paper by a very insightful Japanese teacher and writer.

The Singularities of Japanese Pollution By Ui Jun, Japan Quarterly, Third Quarter, 1972, Pages 281-291.

This paper describes in very clear language the struggles of several groups in various parts of Japan. What is most helpful is Ui Jun’s description of the five processes that all groups pass through and the variety of very predictable levels of success that will be realized depending on the types of action used by each group. I only wish I had come across this paper when it appeared in 1972 rather than twenty years later.

Another insightful work would be the autobiography of Myles Horton.

The Long Haul.
By Myles Horton, New York, Anchor Books, Doubleday, 1990.
Mr. Horton was the founder of Highlander, a school in Tennessee, which focused on teaching poor people, workers and minorities about effective organizing, social justice, economic justice and how to use the art of songs, storytelling and working with strangers.

Another book I would recommend is one that started what became the environmental movement.

Silent Spring,
By Rachel Carson, 1962
In this classic description of pending environmental disasters Ms. Carson accurately described the incredible loss of beneficial insects, fish and birds which were playing out around the world from the use, and misuse, of chemicals that were disrupting natural systems. Two of her target chemicals were endrin and DDT. While both of these pesticides were touted by their producers as the answer for controlling insect pest these same chemical manufacturers left out the known information about the destructive nature of these wonderful products.

Anyone who wants to challenge arrogant corporations and political systems should read about Mahatma K. Ghandhi and his classic application of non violence. His teachings and life led to the use of his techniques by other agents of change like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandella. These followers of the Ghandhi model changed the world and our understanding of what is possible if we study our opposition and think creatively, optimistically and directly. These three leaders faced unbending opposition and uncertainty to become three of the best models of organizing, direct action, nonviolence and positive outcomes that have reshaped our world in ways that were unimaginable when I was a child.

The most important skill a candidate has is the ability to communicate with people. That doesn’t mean that you have to be a gabby person, although given the importance of communication, it’s not surprising that a lot of gabby people find their way into politics. Communication is in part the will, or I might say the need to communicate. This need makes you refine your speaking and writing skills so that you satisfy your need.

When you enter politics you’re going to do a lot of talking. You might as well do it well because, once you enter politics, whenever you are talking you are working. You are trying to convince people, one at a time or in groups, that you are well informed, have the right idea about something and will advance that idea because you believe in it. In other words you are reasonably smart and can be trusted.

Whatever you do, don’t change your stand on an issue just to please a person or a group. They will think, “How can I trust that guy?”

In order to communicate well, you have to listen well. That is sometimes hard if you’re a gabber, but it has to be done. People accept new ideas that are within their frame of reference, and in order to place your ideas there, you have to know what their frame of reference is. That means listening, seeing their rationale, listening some more and then speaking to them within the bounds of that rationale. Again, not easy, but necessary.

Finally, in order to communicate who you are and what you believe, you have to know who you are and what you believe. Go over this honestly, issue by issue, personal characteristic by personal characteristic, with friends and loved ones – not to transform yourself or your beliefs, certainly not, but to know who you are and what you believe. If after you’ve done this, you still want to run for office, go for it! You have already done the hardest part. The rest will be fun.

Bringing your neighborhood or group together.

Once the issue…
or problem has been determined you should try to identify who will be impacted or affected and look for ways to connect these people together. An individual can be very effective and make a real difference but a group always has a better chance at success.

Form a group or use a committee of an existing organization. Give this effort a name specific to the proposed action or the area you are concerned with. Names like “The Concerned Citizen’s of …”, “People United for …”, “The Committee to …” or some similar name that identifies the area, group or issue in the name can help to identify the reason for the group’s existence.

At the first…
meeting of the group there should be an effort to learn more about the members. Where do they live, do they have any particular interest or knowledge about the proposed activity? What assets or interest do the various group members have or have access to? Are any members active in other groups that might assist the new group? Do any of the members have computers, access to copying machines, printing resources, the news media, public officials, etc.?

Are any members of the group professionals such as lawyers, doctors, nurses, pharmacist, writers, bankers, teachers, farmers, fishermen, house painters, students, etc.? Someone in the group may be in the printing business, make t-shirts, mapmaking, pilot, trucking, photographer, etc. Each of these talents, professions, resources and special areas of work may be very helpful to the group . Someone may be a sign maker or a debate student and each of these talents may be the thing that helps the group to prevail in its goals.

You need to raise money…
and everyone in the group should contribute something to support the joint effort. There will be some expenses for copying, phone calls, transportation, meetings, etc. and everyone should join together to make this effort successful. By sharing expenses the burden is on the group rather than one or two individuals.

Elect one or…
more people who can speak on behalf of the group. Everyone should try to direct questions to the leaders of the group and to speak as one voice. Whenever a group can act in solidarity with each member the chances of success are greatly enhanced. All members of the group should be familiar with the position of the group and able to represent the group if needed. All members, including the eldest and youngest should be encouraged to participate and speak at public meetings and hearings.

Make a list of all public officials who represent the areas, people and facilities which may be affected by the proposed activity. Does anyone in the group know any of these officials? The group should establish a system for meeting with each of these officials and letting them know about the group’s concerns. The group should look for opportunities for the officials to meet with the group and support the group. Most people have never met their public officials and they will also be surprised to learn how many public officials represent them. A project like this is usually the first time most people get a real life exercise in civics. Most public officials rarely hear from their constituents and they will also learn from an experience like this. Any meeting with a public official or agency should be followed up with a letter so there is some documentation of the meeting and what was discussed or agreed to in the meeting.

Keep a History….
The group should document what they do. Keep copies of all meeting notes, any letters, news stories, pictures and other things connected with the group or about the issue or problem the group works on. A few months or years later these documents will be very important to the group. Involve the news media in your activities as much as possible. This can be an effective and inexpensive way of connecting with the larger community and increasing the credibility and visibility of your group and efforts. Learn as much as you can about the media, how it operates and what kind of stories will most interest the media. The more you can help the media the more they will be willing to work with you

Always look for opportunities…
to thank members of the group and people who help the group or effort. Look for opportunities to thank public officials, other groups and the news media for their support and assistance. Share the spotlight with others whenever possible.

Share your successes…
Always give credit to others who have helped. Look for opportunities to celebrate your victories and the work of members and supporters of the group. A big celebration at the end of the struggle is important but smaller celebrations over time will help people realize the importance of this work and help to energize the group.

Marketing Mistake #6 - Allowing the owners of media to influence the type of media purchases made by the campaign.
We raise money and then we go to the media (print, television, radio). Say I have twenty grand this week, what will it buy me? Your media has to be tied in to the group you want to reach so directly and concretely that you know if you spend x dollars here you get y result here.

We have been trained to think that the media outlets define the race - but the information age is upon us and it is just not true any more that we are limited or even controlled by the mass media.

I once saw an assemblyman who spent $40,000 on television ads when he had a radio station located in the center of his district. He could have bought the radio station for that price and broadcast his own political updates every day for months for the price he paid for forty television ads that only reached a scattering of his constituency.

Marketing Mistake #7 - Failing to know your target voter.
The greatest sin of bad political marketing is a failure to know your target market in all its depth and intensity. Focus groups are interesting, but there are particular questions that will gain you access to the voters’ world. These questions have nothing to do with what the talking heads on television say are important to your election. These questions will define how you talk to your voter and what you know about the constituency.

Marketing Mistake #8 - Failing to ask your base voters for enough money, voter registrations, votes, contributions or whatever else you need.
This mistake is less common than the others - but in combination with the mistake of not building your marketing campaign with a common thread - can be deadly. If you don’t tell voters repeatedly that you want them to help you, they are just not going to know what to do or how to take action that will really count in your race.

I am constantly shocked at the willingness of politicians to spend hours with voters and not ask them for money. Your base is for fund raising, volunteers and cheering. Don’t be confused by the “I am a voter sign.” If they are a part of your base their job is to give you money. They are going to vote for you – so focus on getting all the support you need.

Marketing Mistake #9 - Limiting Testimonials
Endorsements are all the rage. Few politically experienced people use testimonials effectively. There are dozens of good examples of the good use of testimonials in the private sector and in politics. Just watch any half decent “infomercial” to see the potential for testimonial use in a political campaign.

Marketing Mistake #10 - Failing to educate yourself about how to effectively use good marketing in your political life.
Most people in the United Sates spend one year learning to do their jobs and then they stop learning. Forever. I hope passionately that you are not one of those people who have stopped trying to learn new things, who are forever repeating the mistakes of the 2nd year of their careers. Maybe it is tempting to take the safe course and not rock the boat. Maybe it’s a lot of work to keep getting better at what you do. Whatever the reason, don’t make that mistake!

Read multiple books on marketing. Find your favorite guru of marketing. Don’t buy any of his stuff new, but read all his books so that you are well informed. Read books recommended by authors you trust.

Marketing Mistake #11 - Unwillingness to cross-pollinate with other politicians in the same party.
When you start your next campaign call every single Democrat in your district and ask for their help and advice. If you‘re already elected to office, make it a habit to reach out to people who are running for office for the first time. Build connections, teach others, and practice political generosity within your party lines. In the long run, this will pay off big time.

Marketing Mistake #12 - Insisting stubbornly that coaching will not benefit your campaign or your political career.
I have seen it many times. We all believe that we are masters of our craft. Whatever you do, I hope you do it well. I also hope that you continue to build a deepening understanding and relationships with your voters and your constituency. I want to help you be a more effective campaigner because ultimately I think that the Republican Party is destroying our country. I believe we can take the future into our hands when we learn how to do successful marketing and apply what we’ve learned to the political arena. You don’t need to personally design every piece of marketing your campaign creates. You only have to understand what the end product should look like.

My Coaching style is positive and affirming.>/span?
Look, I want you to be successful. This is a skill that you want to have. Only you will care enough to direct the most important strategic decisions of your political career. Only you can ultimately use this skill to beat your Republican opponent.

I don’t work with Republicans. I don’t care if you have been elected or if you are an independent thinker. If you are like most of the people I have met in American politics today, it would be my pleasure to meet with you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Eric James Wolf

P.S. I would be honored to work with you as a coach to improve your strategic marketing in your campaign. All work is guaranteed; if you do your homework and are not satisfied I will refund your investment. Just call my office at (937) 767-8696.
P.S.S. As the Bible tells us - If you give a man a fish you have only fed him for today, but if you teach him to fish.

1 - What is the issue or problem, who is, or will be, impacted and how can you make a difference?

Before you start anything…
try to get a clear understanding of the issue, proposal or problem. Develop a complete list of who is involved and how they are connected. Also develop as complete a list as possible of the people and geographic area which may be adversely impacted by the project or issue. If a company is involved, are they local, regional, national or international? Where is their local office and where is their corporate headquarters? Do they have to get any permits or approvals from government agencies at the local, state or national levels?

Know Your Area…
This is sort of like the song by Mr. Rogers. “Wouldn’t you like to know who is in your neighborhood?” Most of us know very little about our neighborhoods and here is an opportunity to learn who and what we have always taken for granted.

A key way of approaching a problem like this should be to know the answers before you ask the questions? The more you know the more effective you will be and your chances of success are greatly improved.

Develop a map,
or list, of all roadways, railways, pipelines, power lines, waterways, schools, residential areas, farmland, forest, wildlife areas, historical sites, parks, businesses, churches, graveyards, etc. that might be adversely impacted by the project or facility. Who owns, uses or has an interest in any of these resources? Do you or any of your neighbors know any of these people?

Look for Connections…
What is the history of the individual, corporation, agency, etc. which is proposing this project? What is the history of any agency or officials who are either connected with the project or who will approve or regulate the proposed or existing activity? Are there any similar activities in your neighborhood or anywhere else? Are there any individuals or groups who have dealt with this same, or similar, companies, or activities, in other locations? Where do the various government and corporate officials work and live?

Which financial institutions, including banks, insurance companies, etc. deal with this company or similar companies? What is the economic and environmental history of this company or type of company or operation? Has this company, or related companies, had any problems at other facilities or operations? What is their social justice history? What is the company’s labor history? Do any labor unions work for this company or agency? The answers to these types of questions will help immensely in developing your strategies over time.

Ask the Media…
Have there been any stories in the news media about what is being proposed or the issue that concerns you? You should contact the reporter and learn as much as you can from the reporter. Most people in the news media will be glad to assist you if you are nice to them and work with them.

Marketing Mistake #1 - Not targeting voters enough
You deserve to have marketing that works because people feel like it is personally addressing their needs. No one wants to read a piece of campaign literature that is addressing problems they don‘t care about.

Everyone lives somewhere unique and different with its own peculiar tone and set of ground rules. You know your city and state so well that you understand how a target voter inside the city limits might be connected with differently from a target voter outside. Have you sent a mailing directed to the voters who have emigrated from another country? Perhaps in your district there are people who love the same sports as you, or you have three children and you can target those voters who have three children.

Marketing Mistake #2 - Failing to track the campaigns marketing effectiveness
It is no longer necessary to operate blind, without a sense of whether the campaign money is being effectively spent in a particular marketing plan of action. Along with tracking volunteer hours spent, money in the bank, and voter ID sheets, your campaign manager can have a campaign marketing plan. This marketing plan has a cost benefits continuing analysis of how each separate marketing action is doing.

Except where I have personally intervened, I have never once seen a politician create a successful marketing piece that tracked its response rate. Every piece of literature needs to have a yardstick by which you measure it. There is no excuse for having marketing that cannot demonstrate its effectiveness. The temptation is to get out there and start winning the good fight. I know how seductive this can be, but all marketing connected to your campaign needs to have a yardstick by which it can be measured.

Marketing Mistake #3 - Not evaluating marketing pieces.
Every piece of marketing literature needs to be evaluated constantly based on the cost versus the benefits. How are you going to do that if you are not tracking the response rate from each mailing, telephone call, canvas visit or media purchase? Every week you have to be throwing away material because you tried and it wasn’t good enough.

20% of the material that exists in politics is good enough, but if someone was really pushing to make your marketing better, what could it be? Don‘t be satisfied with average marketing campaigns. Find what really works and then stick to it.

Marketing Mistake #4 - Sending one-time mailings with little connectivity.
Everybody is more influenced by multiple contacts. Why would you throw away money by just contacting a voter once? Every piece of literature you send out needs to be logically connected to the next piece of literature. Each voter needs to feel he or she has a personal connection to his or her elected representative. Who is more likely to give you more money? A wealthy constituent who has never heard of you or a working class voter who you met in person at his residence.

We live in an electronic age where spam is a regular training device teaching all of us the value of personal communications. Clearly you can’t continue 30,000 personal relationships, but you can personalize your relationship to the 200 micro-communities in your district. Each piece of marketing material can be directed at an individual community.

Marketing Mistake #5 - Using boring branding and impersonal marketing pieces.
This is the most common marketing mistake that politicians make. Most people just assume that they want to be like Coke or Nike. Hey it took YEARS and MILLIONS of dollars to build that sort of brand recognition. You can‘t expect that sort of name recognition to happen in a short three to nine month period. It‘s just not reasonable to expect that people will identify with a new brand - unless, of course, you have a few million dollars on your side.

If you have millions of dollars, why would you throw that money away on an indistinguishable and interchangeable advertising campaign? You could be building real long-term relationships with your target voter populations. You could be creating marketing campaigns that can be judged and evaluated for their effectiveness.

Like this article? Check out by this author. —-> The twelve most common marketing mistakes made by politicians. (Part 2)

I see a lot of liberal politicians out in America who, in their effort to not offend, are held in silence. Their silence is caused by their fear that they may isolate themselves, or far worse, engender opposition from conservative voters. In seeking to not offend, they do not attract voters to their cause.

You Have to Stand for Something.

I can see the look of wonder on many campaign managers’ faces when they read the above line. I can hear them saying right now.

“If I stand for something then I will galvanize my opposition. I will become a lightening rod of negative and disrespectful attacks.”

Are you satisfied with your campaign’s energy level?
Are you satisfied with your campaigns ability to attract volunteers, money, and voters?
Do you believe that, win or lose, your campaign will influence the agenda for the next election cycle?
Do you believe that you have the respect of Republicans and Democrats alike?
If you do not have their respect, how can you expect to get away with standing up for what is important?

You Can Earn Their Respect.
I’m in the middle of recording, “Election 101- Getting Elected in the Urban Environment” with Ed Sullivan. Ed is the most experienced New York Assemblymen I could find. He has run for office over thirteen times. He has built up an amazing real world experience at running for office as a liberal and politician with integrity.

“For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.”
King James Bible, 2 Corinthians 11:19
When I was interviewing Ed about his ability to be elected repeatedly, he quoted to me this Bible verse. Now, neither Ed nor me are church going folk, so needless to say, I was surprised at Ed’s biblical knowledge. He pointed out to me that in the Bible there are many verses that deal with politics and the art of getting elected. I am always interested in any perspective on getting elected.

Don’t let the old language fool you! This one is a real humdinger!

A good politician knows how to galvanize their base without energizing their opposition. It’s not enough to passionately express your perspective in a way that excites your base. You also have to spend energy learning what stands or ideologies will bring the mob with the torches to your door. Of course mobs are a specialty with some politicians. If you are one of those brave folk, ignore this advice.

American politicians who just want to be liked, if not loved, must take this biblical advice to heart. Suffer fools gladly and ye shall reap election after election. Then will come the real question that will show wisdom and integrity.

How do you suffer fools gladly?
Well, I’d start by never closing the door to a particular group or constituency inside your jurisdiction. That means practicing the art of listening to people who may not like you and looking comfortable when you are not. The art of listening is not to be underestimated. We will return to this subject later, sometime after November. But for now, just know that you have the power to defuse and deflate your opposition. Seek out opportunities that may allow you to become familiar to them. It’s hard to hate or fear those we know are really good, even if we don’t agree with their intentions.

Something familiar is rarely recognized as dangerous.
Just ask cigarette smokers. Most voters are willing to forgive you for disagreeing with them, as long as they believe that you are being authentic and have integrity.

Good luck. Remember to deflate, not transform your opposition. They probably won’t vote for you, but at least you can get them to stay at home if it rains.

Smile like you believe it, and make sure you do something this week that is not related to your campaign. If I can be of any assistance to you at all, please give me a call.

Sincerely,

Eric James Wolf