Get Prepared

It's critical that you run a well-organized, well-prepared doorknock.  Not only will it ensure effective, efficient contact with voters, but also provide a valuable volunteer experience and portray the campaign as having their stuff together.

A good doorknock operation starts with well organized walk packets.  These key materials are what you give your volunteers and will help make sure they are successful in their conversations at the doors.

Walk packets should include:

 

  1. Map - their "turf", or area that they will be expected to cover, should be clearly marked.
  2. Walk lists - name and addresses of the people, based on targeting data, that the volunteer will be talking to today.  This will correspond with the map.
  3. Script - A guideline for the volunteer's conversations with voters (see more on scripts below)
  4. Tally sheet - This is where volunteers will record the results of their conversations - who they actually spoke to, what they said, how many of them will vote for the candidate or come out to volunteer.  This is the most important item in the packet!
  5. Literature
  6. Talking points or special instructions.

 

Check out the following video for a visual:

Making the Rap

 

When it comes to writing a good script, there are a few tried-and-true guidelines.  You don't want it to sound too "scripty", you want to make sure that your message gets delivered, while still allowing the doorknocker to have a genuine conversation with the voter.  You want the script to move the conversation along quickly, ultimately getting to the "ask" and commitment from the voter.

Consider the following "formula", with the basic components of a good rap:

  1. Introduction - who you are, what you are doing
  2. Problem -- what it is you're trying to solve
  3. Solution -- how your campaign can be the answer to the problem
  4. Ask for action -- a concrete, specific ask for what you want them to do
  5. Record data - following the conversation, track the information collected in the conversation.

 

While this formula is a good guideline, if you've been on the receiving end of a bad doorknocker (or a bad script), you know that it's easy for these conversations to sound more like verbal junk mail.

To avoid this pitfall, make sure that you incorporate questions into your script, starting early, to engage the voter.  For sample scripts, click here and here.