March 31, 2014
It's campaign season again, a time when candidates flock to stock up on promotional gear to drive name recognition and campaign support. Campaign stickers are a cornerstone of any great political campaign and there's never a better time to distribute them than at the entrance of a fundraising event. Stickers present the perfect excuse for your volunteers to exchange friendly banter with attendees, not to mention a room full of people sporting your lapel stickers is sure to put your opposing candidate on edge.
Though it may sound easy, there are a few methods your volunteers should be sure to employ to maintain a role as a convincing stickerer.
You might be asking yourself whether lapel stickers at a fundraising dinner really matter? Heck yes they do! And here’s why:
- They conveys to your audience that you have driven massive support
- Donors are more likely to write checks to the campaign whose name they see reflected the most
- Running for office really is a popularity contest and people who see a multitude of stickers in support will assume that you're the winning candidate
- Positioning – odds are there will be many volunteers passing out campaign stickers at any given event, so make sure to keep your supporters strategically placed so that they touch attendees both first and last.
- Two lines of offense– schedule four volunteers stickering, two at the front entrance and two 10-15 feet back for a second approach in case the first line of offense was unsuccessful.
- The approach – don’t block the entrance but be close enough that people will see the offer of a sticker. Make sure your volunteers are friendly yet aggressive enough to incite a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. Do not allow your volunteers to stand far away or whisper among themselves. They should be focussed on the task at hand.
- Leverage the ladies – time and again women have proven to be better candidates for the task of stickering than their male counterparts. Speculation aside, it seems harder for people to say 'no' to them.
- Dress to impress – Though campaign t-shirts have become standard attire for volunteers, a fundraising event demands more professionalism. See to it that your supporters take the time to dress in business attire. It will help give them credibility and increase the likelihood that the crowd will accept a sticker from them.
- The candidate greets – It’s hard to decline a sticker when he/she's standing within ear shot. Always keep the candidate at the entrance where they should spend time shaking hands and helping attendees feel welcome. This gives your candidate leadership over the event and supports the sense of popularity.