| “5 Critical Elements of a Winning Campaign” | |
| The Strategic Path to Power and Influence | |
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By Sean McGrath
Someone once said that a campaign is a lot like riding a bike: the more forward momentum you have, the harder it is to knock you over. Your goal in establishing your campaign is simply this – create enough momentum to win on election night. HOW to do that is the key. I have listed out the five most important elements you must secure in order to win your election. |
| Element 1: Win the Respect and Votes of Opinion Leaders in Your District. | |
| How do you do that? … BY DESIGN. | |
| I’m not kidding – you cannot just expect to “show up” and be granted the moniker of “leader” because you put yourself out as a political candidate. You have to design a strategy to go out and meet with the key opinion leaders in your community, listen to their concerns and convince them that YOU ARE THE LEADER they can trust.I do this with my clients using a strategy known as the Donor Dream 250©. It is one of the most powerful ways to build your name identification and reputation as a leader you can employ.In short: Take a notebook and list out the names and telephone numbers of the top 250 leaders in your local community in all areas of society – business, community services (Rotary, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, etc.), political, social clubs & organizations – (local gyms & health club managers, etc.), religious and business associations (realty, home builders, restaurant, etc.).After you list these names contact them methodically over the course of the next two to three weeks (speed & lump calling is important), and begin the process of getting to know them and their concerns.
Note: My eBook “How To Win” goes deep into the psychology of WHY this strategy works so well, and the mechanics of HOW to implement it in your particular race. |
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| Element 2: Build Your Name Identification | |
| Last week I held a private TeleSeminar where one attendee asked about how to build name recognition using free media exposure outlets, aka; social media sites like FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, etc… Here’s my answer:“You’re not going to build a solid reputation using just free media, but you darn sure aren’t going to grow to your potential without it!”Here’s what I mean: Name Identification is essentially the building of public awareness and acceptance of your name – and it’s akin to building brand loyalty. You must use all the strategic fronts available to you with a certain amount of creativity (but not too much) and a lot of consistency (running your campaign long enough to have a real impact).
And in today’s social milieu it’s absolutely essential that you build solid name identification using an integrated strategy that incorporates both online and offline tactics. Because like it or not, most people when they first hear of you, or when they begin to really look at the candidates in a given election cycle, will Google your name to see what shows up. And what shows up better be something that YOU designed, not your opponent. The only way to ensure that is to take full advantage of both free and paid media sources. |
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| Element 3: Walk Targeted Precincts | |
| If you’re a local candidate in a competitive race for City Council, a State Legislative seat, or a County seat, an effective door-to-door campaign is essential and must be a big part of your overall strategy.In going door-to-door, you must be selective in your efforts, only walking targeted precincts and hitting targeted houses.This is in part a time issue (you don’t have enough time to hit ALL doors in your district) and in part a strategy issue (it should be your goal to reach the important undecided voters who will help get you over the 51% threshold needed for victory).A door-to-door strategy in targeted precincts is essential if you have long-term aspirations in your community/district. Because there’s nothing like asking someone for their vote in a direct, face-to-face interaction at their home. And, it’s important to be visibly present/accessible with those whom you wish to lead. | |
| Element 4: Effectively Communicate Your Message | |
| I have written chapters on this aspect alone. Suffice it to say that you better be communicating the basics elements of communication strategy at the very least – the reasons WHY you want to serve in the position you are striving for, and the essential CONTRAST between you and your opposition.If you’re not giving the voters at least this much, then don’t expect them to vote for you on election night, because it ain’t gonna happen! ~ ESPECIALLY if your challenging an incumbent in a CHALLENGER RACE.It is the responsibility of the challenger candidate to give the voters sufficient REASON to VOTE the incumbent out, no matter how obvious you think the facts may be!You do this by mounting an aggressive, well thought-out communications strategy … that relies on good research (and a bit of luck in some races!).
When you establish a solid and effective contrast message in your campaign, you put your opponent on the defensive and you give the voters a reason to be engaged and in some cases involved. It’s good strategy, and it’s an essential part of winning on election night. |
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| Element 5: Work Your Ass Off All The Way Through Election Day | |
| If anyone tells you that you don’t need to work hard to win, run. Because the truth is, in most competitive races you’ll work harder than you thought your body was capable, and you’ll deal with things unimagined when you first idealized the notion of leading people at the highest levels.But you know what?It’s worth it.Leadership has its price, but the opportunity to positively influence the quality of so many people’s lives for the good far outweigh any challenges that come up on your way to achieving that coveted position.
So there you have it. A world-class education on five elements you need to have working for you in order to win. To get the insiders edge to ensure that you win your race – pick up a copy of my eBook, How To Win. It’s the single best resource I know of to learn how to fully MAXIMIZE and MASTER THE ART OF WINNING a political campaign. (And here’s a hint: do it now, because you’re wasting precious time while another candidate who has already read this book may well be positioning himself to take your place.) What you’ll learn in my eBook is an education that will last you a lifetime – and help you to become a more influential LEADER in your community. You can find out all about it here: How To Win Free Trial |
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