Effective Campaigning GCU Students’ Association Elections

Overview General Approach to Campaigning Using Your Time Effectively Campaigning in GCU Elections The role of your Campaign Manager Looking after yourself

Engaging Students in Your Campaign Five Golden Rules: You need to start the conversation The right attitude makes a big difference Each encounter is different You have your own style Every person you speak to furthers the aims of the campaign

Delivery Important aspects of delivery Posture Gesture Movement Tone and pitch

The Pitch Do you know … What we’re doing … … so that …

The Different Types of Student You Encounter The interested informed student – this student know something about the campaign topic and wants to know more. Make sure to listen to what they have to say to find out what they want to know. The uninterested informed student – this student knows something about the topic but may think they know everything. Share some interesting facts with them and encourage them to test their knowledge.

The Different Types of Student You Encounter The interested uninformed student – this student is interested in what you have to say but doesn’t know much about the topic. Make sure to explain the information to them and check that they understand the campaign. The uninterested uniformed student – this student does not know about the topic and does not want to know about the topic. You may have caught them at a bad time. Offer them some literature and let them know they can come back later.

Making the Most of Each Encounter Move towards each person you are engaging with – it helps to start the conversation No student is a lost cause – people response well to friendliness and the right attitude Each encounter is different - don’t let one negative response put you off Even the busiest person in the world can take a flyer and every person matters Try different approaches to see what works best for you to develop your own style

Using Your Time Effectively Nearly all candidates work hard during the Elections Campaign and yet only 16% of our students voted last year This may sound obvious but working hard is not the same as working effectively and candidates don’t always make the best use of their time during the campaign

Using Your Time Effectively Plan in advance If you are printing posters or flyers then do this before election week begins. Use the university timetabling system to create a plan of lecture shouts for every hour of every day (http://timetable.gcal.ac.uk/celcat/) Find out from your supporters in advance what activities they are willing to do and what times they are available Get your election expenses written up at the first quiet period when you have completed your spending – don’t lose time on the last day of campaigning

Campaigning in GCU Elections Students who have campaigned in past elections will have some idea of what effectively campaigning looks like Some of these ideas will be wrong It is generally agreed that lecture shouts are a good method of campaigning but there is no evidence to suggest that large groups of students standing outside the Britannia Building actually influences voting.

Campaigning in GCU Elections What the voting stats tell us: Undergraduate students, particularly from GSBS are the most likely to vote Part-time students, postgraduate and students from SEBE are least likely to vote Consider targeting less engaged groups as you may be the only person to speak to them.

Campaigning in GCU Elections The ideal lecture shout is: Less than one minute long Begins and end with your name and the position you are running for Contains two or three of your elections pledges Ideally is tailored to your audience - what pledges do you have that they will care about?

Campaigning in GCU Elections How to make the most out of lecture shouts: Have a plan (created in advance) of which lectures to target Be aware of nearby lectures starting at the same time as you may be able to target two or even three starting at the same time if you get out quickly Use the stats – some students clearly don’t get targeted very often so make sure you go to their lectures too If other candidates are there, quickly agreed an order of speakers with them to avoid wasting time

Campaigning in GCU Elections How to make the most out of your encounters with students: Work on your opening line – you’ll be doing this a lot so find out what works best for you Have something to say to different types of students – different people will respond better to different messages Don’t get into an argument with anyone about anything – if they want to challenge your ideas that is a good and healthy part of democracy but beyond that it is counter-productive If they have definitely decided to vote for someone else make sure you ask them to give you their second preference

Campaigning in GCU Elections How to make the most out of campaigning in Caledonian Court: Always go to the security office before starting to campaign and let the staff know what you are doing Do not put posters or flyers up in residences. Students can put up posters for you in their own windows if they wish. No campaigning after 8pm If somebody doesn’t want to talk to you, ask if you can give them a flyer and then let them get on with their evening Always act as directed by GCU staff – if they are problems you can let the Deputy Returning Officer know about it the next day

The Role of the Campaign Manager Your campaign manager doesn’t need to be a brilliant campaigner themselves but they do need to be a good organiser Their job is to make sure that you and anyone else helping you knows where they are going next and are kept well stocked with flyers, posters and chocolate (as required) They will also be the person that the Deputy Returning Officer will speak to if they can’t get in touch with you

Looking after yourself Elections can be a busy and stressful time for students but if you are sensible and plan ahead (famous last words perhaps) then the experience will be a lot more fun We don’t want you to compromise you academic work or make yourself miserable during the campaign and so we have some tips for you

Looking after yourself Every morning at 8am we will be holding a candidates’ breakfast in the Students’ Association. Here candidates can come in, get some free food, chat with the DRO and find out how many students have voted so far in the elections If you plan your lecture shouts properly you can always be targeting a room next to where your own next lecture is taking place so you don’t miss out on class time Do you have a coursework deadline during or just after the elections? Why not put a bit of extra effort in now so that you don’t have to deal with it that week.

Looking after yourself The Students’ Association fund the first £50 of your campaign expenses – if you need the money back quickly, speak to the DRO and you won’t have to wait until the elections finish Eating properly and getting enough sleep are incredibly important - take the time to do these things every day as voters will notice the difference Don’t sweat the small stuff! If you are unhappy with another candidate then let the DRO know about it and get on with your own campaign

Summary Be proactive in your campaign Have a clear and concise message Plan ahead Use information effectively Look after yourself Have fun!