Field Organizer Training

The Essential Equation for Field Organizing Resources + Time + Commitments + Planning + Logistics + Recruiting + Motivation = Success

THE PLAN FOR YOUR FIRST DAY OF ACTION AN INTERACTIVE REVIEW WITH YOUR FELLOW LEADERS AND FIELD ORGANIZERS

Knowing YOUR resources is essential in getting word out and implementing your event. Van County officers/hd officers and pcp’s Websites and social media Other What resources will you use in planning your event and getting word out? Resources

Time management /your schedules/dedication per month or week Time management /your schedules/dedication per month or week. Choosing your date for canvassing SHOULD BE A DATE THAT IS CONDUCIVE TO YOUR AUDIIENCE, Strategies to help you GET WORD OUT AND SAVE TIME: VAN – CALLING LISTS CAN BE EXPORTED OUT/ 3 FOLLOW UPS. SOCIAL MEDIA EVENTS – FACEBOOK EMAIL OTHER HOW MUICH TIME CAN YOUR DEDICATE FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP? WHAT STRATEGIES WILL YOU USE TO SAVE TIME? Time

Commitment and Team Structure is one of the most important aspects of field organizing. A core group of 5 people can bring in 10 times more if the right motivation, hype, and structure exists to bring people in. Commitment

COMMITMENT LEADERSHIP POD LEADERS RECRUITERS (MEET AND GREET) CREATES, PRINTS, AND MANAGES LISTS ORGANIZES STAGING LOCATIONS MANAGES ALL ROLES INVOLVED. REPORTS AND MANAGES RESULTS. ARE DELGATED BY POD LEADERS TO REACH OUT TO VOLUNTEERS IN THE REGION. KEEPS EMAILS AND CALLING LISTS. FOLLOWS UP ON INVITES TO DAYS OF ACTION. MAINTAINS STAGING LOCATIONS ON DAYS OF ACTION. SIGNS PEOPLE IN, COLLECTS NAMES ETC.

COMMITMENT SUPPORTING LEADERSHIP CANVASSERS DATA ENTRY “THE GROUND GAME”. FRONT LINES OF THE CAMPAIGN OR PROGRAM. LISTENS TO VOTERS. RECORDS NOTES. UTILIZES DIGITAL TOOLS: MINIVAN AND VIRTUAL PHONE BANK. UPLOADS DATA FOR CAMPAIGN. TRAINED IN VAN DATA ENTRY FUNCTIONS. UTILIZES GRID VIEW FOR PAPER LISTS. ENTERS DATA BACK INTO MINIVAN NOTES COLLECTED AT DOORS. MAY HAVE RESPONSIBILITY OF EXPORTING NUMBERS AND UPLOADING IN MINIVAN COMMIT.

COMMITMENT FELLOWSHIP AND SITE MANAGEMENT PACK/DEN LEADERS HOSTS PROVIDES ENCOURAGEMENT AT STAGING LOCATION. COOKS, BUYS FOOD AND PROVIDES OTHER MATERIAL NEEDS AT STAGING LOCATION. HELP PROMOTE CANVASS DAY THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH TO NEIGHBORS FRIENDS AND OTHERS PROVIDES AREA FOR STAGING LOCATION. COMMUNICATES WITH POD LEADERS AND CANVASSERS RULES FOR SPECIFIC LOCATION AND SETS TIMES FOR USE. PROVIDES LOGISTICAL NEEDS: TABLES, CHAIRS, TENTS, BBQ, PICNIC TABLES, ETC. FOR CANVASSERS AND LEADERS AT STAGING LOCATION.

What will your commitment be? Take a moment to write down your role: Pod Leader Meet and Greet Canvasser Data Entry Den/ Pack Leader Host

STEPS FOR YOUR ACTION DAY FROM START TO FINISH PLANNING STEPS FOR YOUR ACTION DAY FROM START TO FINISH

PLANNING SETTING LOCATION AND BEGINNING CONTACT STAGING LOCATION CONFIRM CANVASSERS CUT LISTS A CENTRAL LOCATION FOR ALL CANVASS EFFORTS FOR THE DAY. MAKES YOUR LIST CUTS EASIER AS YOU ARE CUTTING IN ONE AREA. EASIER TO WORK IN SHIFTS. 1ST CALL: ASK 2ND CALL: CONFIRM 3RD CALL: RECONFIRM 1-2 DAYS OUT AFTER CONFIRMING CANVASSERS, CUT LISTS. 30 -35 DOORS IS THREE HOURS. CUT 10% ABOVE CONFIRMED VOLS TO BE READY FOR UNEXPECTED CANVASSERS

PLANNING ACTION DAY CONFIRM ROLES TRAIN AT SITE CHECK IN/CHECK OUT HAVE YOUR LEADERS AND SUPPORT IN PLACE. EACH KNOWS THEIR ROLES AND ARRIVES EARLY AT STAGING LOCATION FOR SETUP. FIRST TIME CANVASSERS NEED HELP. ALWAYS TAKE 10-15 MINUTES ON YOUR FIRST AND SECOND SHIFTS TO TEACH CANVASSERS WHAT TO SAY AND DO. PAIR CANVASSERS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. AFTER TEACHING, ASSGIN LISTS TO INDIVIDUALS WITH A CHECK IN/CHECK OUT SYSTEM. THAT WAY YOU KNOW WHO IS WALKING WHAT AREAS AND LISTS AT ALL TIMES.

PLANNING COMPLETING SHIFT DEBRIEFING WELCOME BACK FELLOWSHIP WELCOME CANVASSERS BACK AFTER 2.5 TO 3 HOURS FROM TIME OF SENDING CANVASSERS OUT FOR WALKING. PACK LEADERS PREPARE FOOD AND DRINK TO WELCOME BACK CANVASSERS. POD LEADERS SIT DOWN WITH CANVASSERS FOR DEBRIEFING. LISTS ARE COLLECTED WITH CHECK IN CHECK OUT SYSTEM. DATA ENTRY LEADERS COLLECT NOTES AND ENTER DATA. MEET AND GREET AND DEN LEADERS SPEAK TO CANVASSERS ON HOW DAY WENT. POD LEADERS PREPARE AREA FOR NEXT SHIFT OF CANVASSERS.

RECRUITING THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTRACTION GETTING OTHERS MOTIVATED TO CANVASS

DISCIPLINE, RIGIDITY, RESULTS DRIVEN PERFORMANCE DOES NOT MAKE THOSE WHO WORK FOR FREE WANT TO COME BACK. RELAX. WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER. ALLOW FOR ERROR. HAVE TEACHABLE MOMENTS. CASUAL CONFIDENCE. GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.

MISTAKES LEADERS CAN MAKE IN RECRUITING CANVASSERS WE CANVASS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DATA AND NUMBERS LETS TEACH QUICKLY AS PEOPLE DON’T NEED TO LEARN ALL OF THIS …. THIS IS WHAT I THINK ABOUT… IN TEACHING, OUR OWN JUDGEMENTS ON POLICY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, IT CAN CLOUD THE OBJECTIVE AT HAND. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO LISTEN. THEREFORE, WE DO NOT DICTATE TO OTHERS WHAT TO THINK WHEN TEACHING OUR CANVASSERS. THAT WILL TRANSLATE TO THE WAY THEY ACT AT DOORS. INSTEAD OF SAYING THE ABOVE, WE SAY… “WE CANVASS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LISTENING TO VOTERS, AND HEARING THEIR NEEDS”. “OUR POD OR REGION FOSTERS A FAMILY OF PEOPLE COMMITTED TO CAUSE”. “WE INVITE THOSE WHO WISH TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR COMMUNIUTES IN A TRUE, AUTHENTIC, PEOPLE TO PEOPLE MANNER”. THIS IS A COMMON MISTAKE OF FIELD ORGANIZERS WHO OFTEN USE A “SHORT ON TIME” EXCUSE TO NOT FULLY EXPLAIN THE CORRECT APPROACH IN CANVASSING. WE OFTEN LET PEOPLE GO WHO ARE NOT READY, AND RESULTS SUFFER.

HYPE COMES FROM A CORE GROUP DO NOT BE AFRAID TO START SMALL. MOST ADULT GROUPS DO. LIFE HAPPENS. EXPECT FLAKING. BUT ALWAYS PREPATE FOR IT. LOW TURNOUT MEANS YOU MAKE THE SCENE BIGGER. WE LIVE IN A INTERNET AND SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD. UTILIZE IT. TAG PEOPLE IN PICTURES AND ALWAYS CREATE THE HYPE FOR THE NEXT EVENT. THE CORE GROUP WORKS TOGETHER THOUGH THE HARD TIMES. A CAMPAIGN IS WHAT ITS WORKERS ARE. BOTTOM TO TOP. TEFLON. (TURN THE CONVERSATION INTO WHAT YOU NEED IT TO BE).

HOW TO TEACH OUR CANVASSERS TO BE EFFECTIVE AT DOORS. SCRIPT AND SCENARIOS HOW TO TEACH OUR CANVASSERS TO BE EFFECTIVE AT DOORS.

ESSENTIAL 101 FOR CANVASSERS WALK IN PAIRS DIGITAL TOOLS LISTENING CANVASSERS WALK IN PAIRS. ONE GUIDES AND INTROUDUCES THEMSELVES WITH MINIVAN, THE OTHER TAKES NOTES. IN INSTANCES WHERE A CANVASSER WALKS ON THEIR OWN, A NOTEBOOK FOR NOTE TAKING IS ENCOURAGED. ENCOURAGE MINIVAN AND VIRTUAL PHONE BANK . WALK IN A PAIR WITH MINIVAN IF SOMEONE DOES NOT HAVE A TABLET OR SMARTPHONE. RUN THROUGH SCENARIOS AT DOORS BEFORE CANVASSING. ADVISE ON ISSUES AT DOORS.

TEACHING A CANVASSER KEY POINTS TAKES NOTES ON KEY PHRASES TO USE AT DOORS OUR “ASK” IS TO GET A VOTER TO SPEAK THEIR THOUGHTS. TAKE THE SCRIPT LITERALLY WHEN INTRODUCING YOURSELF. IT IS OK TO IMPROVISE PAST THAT POINT. MARK SURVEY QUESTIONS

ROLE PLAY – SCRIPTS Hi, my name is (YOUR NAME). I am a fellow Democrat (for Dems), FROM House District 41 campaign. I am here because we are gathering input to share with candidates and elected officials about how they could better serve you. We want to know what issues most concern you and your family, so we can hold our elected officials accountable to the people they represent. [Stop. Listen. Learn. Take Notes. Ask Questions -- Don’t debate] Issue: (LEAD VOTER TO SPEAK) What issue concerns you the most? (MENTION AN ISSUE IF VOTER IS SILENT) What would you want to tell your congressperson if you could tell them anything? If you could tell your congressperson to focus on only one issue, what would you want them to focus on?

PICK YOUR DAY OF ACTION DATE