Voters want to know three basic things about you as a candidate:

• WHY you are running,
• WHAT YOU WILL DO if elected,
• And, most importantly, WHY IT MATTERS TO THEM.

Here’s a simple two step process I learned years ago, and one that I use with my clients in the early stages of the campaign to set the right tone and launch the campaign with great energy and the right focus:

STEP 1:

Identify and list out what we call your “Mirror Opposites” … this is one of the best ways to flush out an immediate contrast between you and your opponent and create a message in this early part of the campaign.

Here’s how to do this … Sit down right now and list out the following:

1. Your core strengths as a candidate in the three critical areas:

• Your personal strengths – your reputation of integrity, your solid identity as a community citizen who is involved & engaged in local organizations, your age, the stability that comes from being married, etc…
• Your ideological strengths – your religious and political affiliations, geographic regional base, association memberships, etc…
• Your strategic strengths – your ability to raise money, your existing base of party support, strong business and community support base, previous political offices held, etc…

2. Your weaknesses as a candidate – (same thing here, categorize them into your personal, strategic & ideological weaknesses).

3. On a separate sheet of paper write out the same lists for your opposition – listing out his/her strengths and weaknesses.

Once you have completed these lists, contrast your strengths and weaknesses with your oppositions’ strengths and weaknesses – attempt to find what we call “mirror opposites” – ie; your strengths opposite the other candidates’ weakness (and list the mirror opposite for your weaknesses as well).

Once you’ve done that, you will begin to see pretty clearly how you should begin talking about your candidacy – highlighting your strengths and hitting on their weaknesses as a candidate for this particular office.

*(Most first-time candidates fail to complete this step, and therefore fail to draw a compelling contrast message. While there is more to this process, completing step one is the best way to start the process.)

STEP 2:

Take time to write out your message beginning with your reasons for why you are running.

We’ll see if it’s compelling by answering the following questions:

1. Will this message appeal to the various groups I need to have on board in order to win?

2. Does this message focus in on both your strengths and your opponents’ weaknesses … and does it take full advantage of any mirror opposites you have identified?

3. Does this message apply uniquely to you in this race? … [Many candidates fail to understand and apply this concept, and end up with a message that is so generic that any other candidate in any other race could use the same message just as appropriately . . . Don’t be that guy!]

4. Do these issues resonate with the voters in your district? (Is your message big enough to get attention? Is it clear enough for the voters to understand?)

[Again I warn you; don’t create a “status quo” message if you’re trying to garner media attention – there’s seldom any news in a “stay the course” type of message/campaign unless you’re a long-seated and popular incumbent.]

Here are two additional questions that I think are important for you to address in this second step of the process:

• Does your particular message help inoculate you against your weaknesses?
• Are you a credible messenger for your particular message?

Well Jxxxx, there you have it … this is part of the process of how I help candidates think about their campaigns in a strategic rather than linear way. This will work for you because it is one of the fastest and most powerful formulas you can use to instantly create a message that differentiates you from your opponent and inspires tremendous confidence in the voters… and it help you to endure through the primary process.

There are some additional tweaks we can add to this, especially during the general election process, to make sure you’re continuing to get the results you’re looking for.

To get more details on how to create and deliver a message that inspires and persuades the voters of your district – and give you the chance to succeed where other candidate fail, grab a copy of my powerful eBook right now, here: How To Win Free Trial . . . It is the first step to winning your campaign on election night.