volunteer mobilisation guide

7/28/2019 Volunteer Mobilisation Guide

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VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT!

Volunteers are the most important resource for any campaign andshould be treated as such. Its important to expand our understanding of who is a potential volunteer beyond the traditional active branch member so, from now on, every supporter is a potential volunteer. We should allget used to making the hard ask to recruit as many volunteers aspossible.

THE HARD ASK

The hard ask is a direct, straightforward request for a commitment to aspecific action or event. They are the most effective asks for volunteer recruitment, because they are more binding than vague invitations andpeople are more likely to follow through with them and do what youveasked them to do. Hard asks can be made by volunteers, staff, or the

candidate themselves, either in person or by phone.

Hard Asks are:

Specific! Urgent! Personal!

Hard Asks are NOT:

Open!ended! Passive! Vague

! !We!need!help!making!calls!tomorrow!evening!from!6pm!to!8pm.!Can!you!come,!Rudolph?!

" !Do!you!think!you!would!be!able!to!volunteer!sometime? !


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RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES !!

Candidate!Asks!

For! foundational! volunteers,! initial! hard! asks! should! come! directly! from! the!candidate.!These!are!the!most!important!calls!the!candidate!will!make,!as!each!new! volunteer! increases! the! campaigns! reach.! If!candidates! are! resistant! to!making!hard!asks,!they!should!be!reminded!that!every!volunteer!they!recruit!has!the!potential!to!bring!in!an!additional!10!to!100!votes.!!

Phone!Calls!

Phone!calls!are!the!most!efficient!method!of!volunteer!recruitment!because!of!the! sheer! number! of!contacts! a!caller! can!make! in! a! single! shift.! ! Volunteer!recruitment!calls!are!most!effective!when!they!include!a!hard!ask,!so!callers!should!always!recruit!for!a!specific!event!rather!than!a!just!extend!a!general!invitation!to!volunteer.!

Phone!calls!and!hard!asks!work!exceptionally!well,!but!there!are!thousands!of!people!in!each!seat!we!will!not!be!able!to!contact!by!phone.!These!people!will!need!to!be!reached!via!word!of!mouth,!social!media,!or!email.!!

Word!of!Mouth!

Word!of!mouth!will!be!important!to!reach!groups!of!supporters!that!we!will!not!be!able!to!contact!via!traditional!means!for!various!reasons.!!All!volunteers!and! supporters! should! spread! the! word! amongst! family! and! friends! and! be!reminded! that! if! everyone! brought! along! one! extra! person,! the! campaign!capacity!would!double.!It!is!a!good!idea!to!have!dedicated!events!where!every!volunteer!has!to!try!and!bring!someone!who!has!never!phone!banked!before.!Have! little! acknowledgments! like! every! time! someone! refers! a! new! person!they!get!a!prize!or!a!star!on!the!wall.!


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Social!Media!

Social!Media!is!effectively!online!word!of!mouth!and!will!enable!the!campaign!to!reach!supporters!it!otherwise!would!not!be!able!to.!While!social!media!is!an!

increasingly!important!part!of!field!campaigning!it!is!a!more!effective!volunteer!recruitment! tool! than! it! is! for! persuasion! and! winning! votes.! Social! media! is!similar! to! email,! in! that! it! can! be! a! useful! tool! for! informing! supporters! of!upcoming! events,! and! reaching! mass! groups! of! people! very! efficiently,!however!nothing!is!as!effective!as!a!faceLtoLface!conversation!or!a!phone!call.!A!volunteer!ask!via!social!media!or!email!is! NOT !a!hard!ask.!

Emails!

Emails! can! be! effective! for! engaging! those! people! already! active! in! the!campaign,!but!they!should!only!ever!be!used!in!combination!with!another!form!of!communication.!Emails!to!active!volunteers!with!information!about!future!volunteering!opportunities!should!go!out!once!a!week!and!include!a!link!for!people! to! RSVP! online.! This! is! a! good! way! to! inform! regular! volunteers! of!events,!however!even!regular!volunteers!who! sign!up!this!way! still!require!a!

confirmation! call! from! their! organiser! the! night! before! an! event.! CityLwide!emails!should!come!from!one!source!to!ensure!consistency!and!limit!excessive!emails.!

All!volunteer!lists!gathered!from!centralised!sources!via!website!sign!ups!and!emails! etc.! should! be! distributed! to! the! relevant! field! organisers! to! contact.!This!should!be!done!ASAP.!

Constituency!Outreach!

Another!way!to!recruit!volunteers!to!the!campaign!will!be!by!reaching!out!to!existing!groups!and!organisations!sympathetic!to!our!cause.!These!groups!can!greatly!expand!output,!but!dont!get!bogged!down!trying!to!get!groups!who!are!resistant.!

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VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT COMMON PUSHBACKS

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No!time!to!talk I!can!call!back!later!tonight,!or!I!can!keep!this!quick.

!Not! sure! about! volunteering I!was!nervous!too!at!first,!but!now!Im!talking!to!you !We!have!great!people!on!our!team!who!will!take!you!through!the!training!until!you!feel!comfortable.!We!can!start!by!signing!you!up!for!a!phone!bank! and! if! thats! not!your! thing!we! can!find!another!way!for! you! to!help.!Does!that!sound!OK?

I!wouldnt!be!any!good Trust!me,!I!thought!the!same!thing!before!my!

first!time.!But!the!trainers!we!have!here!are!fantastic!and!soon!you!realise!that!you!dont!need!to!know!the!ins!and!outs!of!every!policy!decision,!its!just!like!talking! to! your! neighbour.! Can! you! come! and! attend! one! of! our! nightly!trainings! and! see! what! you! think,! and! if! you! decide! talking! to! voters! is! not!really!your!thing,!we!have!other!ways!you!can!help!out!the!campaign!too.

I!dont!have!time!to!volunteer We!understand!that!people!are!busy,!but!most!of!our!volunteers!are!working!full!time!and!raising!a!family.!They!just!

put!aside!a!couple!of!hours!in!their!week!or!month!to!come!by!and!make!some!calls.! When! people! come! in! once! and! see! firsthand! the! difference! they! can!make!they!usually!end!up!coming!back!again.!Would!you!be!able!to!just!attend!a!brief!training!or!come!by!the!office!and!pick!up!a!poster!for!your!house?!

I! dont! want! to! make! calls ! I! understand.! To! be! honest,! I! dont!particularly!like!calling!either,!but!I!do!it!because!it!really!is!the!most!effective!tool!we!have!if!were!going!to!win.!Would!you!be!able!to!come!and!attend!a!

training!and!watch!other!people!make!a!few!calls?!Then!if!you!decide!that!its!still!not!for!you!we!can!find!other!ways!you!can!help!out.!

!I!can!only!make!calls!from!home We!do!prefer!people!to!come!into!the!HQ!because!then!we!can!all!be!on!the!same!page,!however!Id!be!happy!to!set!you!up!with!a!virtual!phone!bank!so!you!can!make!calls!from!home.!Do!you!have! access! to! a! computer! and! the! internet?! Ill! just! need! you! to! attend! a!training!in!our!office!on!how!to!use!virtual!phone!bank,!and!then!we!can!get!

you!started.!


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!I! dont! give! out! my! contact! information Were! working! to! win.! We!dont!waste!time!to!bug!people.!If!we!email!or!call!you!its!only!because!its!

important.!Any!information!you!give!us!will!be!kept!private!and!confidential.

I! already! get! the! emails Do! you! get! them! from! your! local! organiser!talking!about!upcoming!events?!The!emails!the!campaign!sends!are!different!to!the!ones!you!may!receive!from!the!party.!We!are!not!asking!for!money,!we!only!email!about!local!volunteer!opportunities.!

Ill!just!go!to!the!website You!can!do!that!too!but!its!really!important!to!us!that!we!build!a!strong!grassroots!campaign!so!Id!like!to!talk!with!you!L!this!can!take!less!than!2!minutes.

The! election! is! too! far! away Our! best! chance! of! winning! is! taking!advantage!of!the!time!we!have!now.!Efforts!later!in!the!year!will!simply!not!be!enough.!Can!you!find!a!few!hours!next!week!when!youll!be!able!to!join!us!to!do!this!work?

!This!is!a!safe!Labor!seat That!might!have!been!the!case!historically,!but!

the!polls!show!that!this!election!is!going!to!get!down!to!the!wire,!and!every!vote!is!going!to!count.!Thats!why!what!were!doing!is!so!important.

Labor!has!no!chance !While!we!are!down!in!the!polls,!the!election!is!not!lost.!We!are!going!to!be!working!hard!until!election!night!talking!to!voters! in!the!community!and!telling!them!about!the!values!that!you!and!I!so!strongly!believe! in.! This! seat! is! very! much! a! winnable! seat! and! with! a! strong! local!member!we!think!we!can!hold!it.!

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VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT TARGETS !!

Active!branch!members! Inactive!branch!members! Friends!and!family!of!your!candidate! Constituents!that!have!been!helped!by!the!candidate! Booth!rosters!from!previous! ocal,!State,!and!Federal!elections! Volunteer!lists!from!previous!campaigns!

People!with!an!old!Electrac!account!from!the!2011!State!election! Ethnic!groups!within!your!electorate! ocal!community!groups! Union!members! Personal!networks! Candidate!Christmas!Card! ists! Donors!

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VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES !!

Gone!are! the!days!when!stuffing!mail,!letterboxing,!handing!out!for!a!couple!hours! on! Election! Day,! and! having! a! poster! in! your! front! yard! are! standard!expectations! from! our! strongest! supporters.! Our! volunteers! need! to!understand! that! in! order! to! win! votes,! we! have! to! talk! to! voters.! Every!volunteer! should! be! strongly! encouraged! to! participate! in! voter! contact,!because!posters!dont!win!votes !!

VOTER CONTACTOften!volunteers!are!resistant!to!engaging!in!voter!contact!because!they!are!too!nervous!or!lack! confidence.! Trainings! are! an! excellent! way! to! combat! this,! because! they! introduce!volunteers!to!voter!contact!in!a!comfortable,!nonthreatening!environment.!!Volunteers!who!attend! a! comprehensive! training! feel! more! confident! and! prepared,! and! are! much! more!likely!to!try!their!hand!at!voter!contact!than!those!who!do!not.!This!is!a!key!element!of!the!campaigns!culture!and!overall!training!program,!and!is!the!reason!why!it!is!so!important!to!have!as!many!people!attend!the!trainings!as!possible.!!

Volunteers!Who!Refuse!to!Engage!in!Voter!Contact !Some!people!will!be!very!resistant!to!phoning!or!doorknocking,!but!only!those!who!are!still!unwilling!after!a!both!a! hard"ask !and!a!soft"introduction !(invitation!to!attend!a!training),!should!be!given!other!options! !

!Volunteers!Who!Are!Not!Well!Suited!to!Voter!Contact !Not!everyone!is!suitable!for!voter!contact.!If!it!is!clear!that!someone!is!struggling!on!the!phone,!getting!into!heated!conversations,!or!lowering!the!productivity!of!those!around!them!they!should!be!guided!to!a!more!suitable!role.! !

Other!Volunteer!Ac;vi;es!

Data!Entry! Cons tuent!group!leader! Front!desk/Sign!in! Provide!food!for!volunteers! Social!media!outreach! Host!a!campaign!event!(large!space)! Host!local!event!(residence)!

Photograph!events! Donate!campaign!materials!

Envelope!stuffing! e erboxing! Display!a!poster! Deliver!and!put!up!street!poster! Street!stalls!at!markets!etc.! High!visibility!ac vi es! Hand!out!on!Elec on!Day! Ask!poten ally!interested!friend!


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VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE!

Volunteers!are!our!most!valuable!resource,!but!they!are!also!people.!Always!keep!in!mind!that!volunteers!are! human,! and! never!ask! a! volunteer!to! do!something! you! wouldnt!do!yourself.!Volunteers!are!not!paid,!so!they!will!not!come!back!if!they!have!an!overall!negative!volunteer!experience.!A!good!volunteer!experience!should!make!volunteers!feel!like!they!are!on!the!inside!of!something!special!and!engaged!in!something!worthwhile.!They!should!always!feel!valued!by!staff!and!the!candidate!for!their!hard!work,!but!when!possible!their!work!should!also!be!fun.!Working!to!improve!the!volunteer!experience!will!go!a!long!way!to!creating!an!inclusive!campaign!culture!and!a!strong!army!of!happy!volunteers.!

New Volunteers

New! volunteers!can! often!feel! intimidated!or!out! of! their!element,! so!it! is!important! for!organisers!to!make!them!feel!as!comfortable!and!welcome!as!possible!before!asking!them!to! get! to! work.! ! At! the! very! minimum,! new! volunteers! should! be! warmly! greeted! by!organisers,!shown!around!the!call!centre,!and!introduced!to!other!volunteers!before!getting!started.!!

One on Ones

In!order!to!engage!with!volunteers!and!make!them!feel!valued,!organisers!should!hold!10L20!minute!one!on!one!meetings!with!new!volunteers.!During!one!on!ones,!both!volunteers!and!organisers! should! share! their! personal! story.! ! This! helps! the! organiser! understand! the!volunteers! background! and! why! they! want! to! help! out! and! gives! the! volunteer! an!opportunity! to! ask! questions! about! the! campaign! and! learn! more! about! the! organiser.!When! organisers! and! volunteers! connect! during! One! on! Ones! the! entire! team! is!strengthened!and!the!campaign!becomes!more!productive!as!a!whole.!!

One! on! Ones! are! also! a! chance! for! organisers! to! assess! the! ability,! availability,! and!constraints! of! each! volunteer! and! identify! potential! volunteer! leaders.! For! example,! a!volunteer!who!is!highly!capable!but!works!long!hours!would!probably!only!be!able!to!attend!a!limited!number!of!events,!but! someone!who! is!relatively! inexperienced!but!has!a! lot!of!free! time! should! be! encouraged! to! come! to! additional! trainings! and! take! on! more!responsibility!as!the!organiser!sees!fit.!!


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Share Stories

Everyone!should!be!encouraged!to!share!particularly!good,!bad,!or!funny!conversations!with!other!volunteers!at!their!table.!Sharing!these!stories!helps!bring!people!together!and!breaks!

up! the! monotony! of! calls! while! still! staying! on! focus.! If! conversations! get! out! of! hand!however,!it!is!the!responsibility!of!the!Phone!Bank!Coordinator!to!get!a!chatty!group!back!on!track.!

Recognising Volunteers

All! volunteers! should! be! recognised! for! their! efforts! and! thanked! for! their! contributions!both!verbally!and!in!writing.!When!volunteers!leave,!organisers!should!always!debrief!and!

thank!them!for!their!work!(and!send!them!off!with!a!hard!ask ).!!Volunteers!who!attend!special!events!or!go!above!and!beyond!to!help!should!receive!a!call!or!handLwritten!thank!you!note.!!

Additionally,! volunteers! who! take! on! leadership! roles! or! assume! extra! responsibilities!should!be!further!recognised.!A!designated!volunteer!wall!is!a!nice!way!to!recognise!regular!volunteers,!and! having! name! badges! made! for! table!captains!and! volunteer! trainers! is!a!small!gesture!that!speaks!volumes!to!the!value!of!their!role!to!the!campaign!structure.!!!

Volunteers! should! also! be! recognised! by! the! candidate.! This! should! be! done! not! only! in!statements!to!the!media!but!also!to!volunteers!directly.!!

Taking Care of Volunteers

Volunteers!should!always!enjoy!volunteering,!and!should!never!be!unhappy!about!coming!to!the!field!office.!Organisers!and!campaign!staff!should!treat!volunteers!with!respect,!and!have!time!to!listen!to!their!concerns!and!answer!their!questions.!!

It! is! important! not! to! rely! constantly! on! the! same! volunteers.! Give! volunteers! a! break,!otherwise!even!the!most!passionate!supporter!will!burn!out!before!the!final!stretch.!Dont!let!people!take!on!too!much,!and!if!their!help!is!not!absolutely!essential!ask!them!to!go!home.!The! tip! here! is!to! constantly! be!on!the! lookout! for! new! volunteers!and! to!have! a!much!larger!pool!to!draw!from.!Some!volunteers!may!only!come!in!once!in!a!blue!moon,!but!they!are!still!considered!active!volunteers,!and!still!have!a!role!to!play.!

Most!importantly,!be!sure!to!have!fun.!!Have!nights!off!for!the!volunteers!that!have!nothing!to!do!with!politics !Team!building!and!camaraderie!go!a!long!way!to!building!a!successful!campaign.!Friday!afternoon!drinks!at!the!local,!or!a!movie!night!are!simple!gestures!that!go!a!long!way!toward!creating!a!strong,!dedicated!team.!!!


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TYPES OF VOLUNTEERS!

Everyone! is! different,! but! there! are! generally! 10! types! of! volunteers! on! any! campaign.!Understanding! which! type(s)! of! volunteer! someone! most! closely! resembles! can! help!organisers!improve!their!volunteer!management.!!

1.!In!it!for!the!cause !

Driven!by!a!very!strong!connec on!to!the!larger!cause!that!will!keep!them!coming!back,!no!ma er!what.!Organisers!should!acknowledge!their!commitment!and!push!them!to!become!volunteer!leaders.!!

2.!In!it!to!feel!part!of!it !

Driven!by!the!sense!of!involvement!in!volunteering!provides.!Organisers!should!go!out!of!their!way!to!include!them!in!discussions.!

3.!In!it!for!the!experience !

Seeking!to!gain!campaign!experience!and!learn!new!skills!from!volunteering.!Organisers!should!offer!them!a!wide!variety!of!tasks!and!invite!them!to!strategy!mee ngs!and!staff!mee ngs.!

4.!In!it!for!social!reasons !

Driven!by!being!around!other!volunteers.!Organisers!should!make!sure!they!are!always!invited!to!fun!social!events,!and!get!to!work!collabora vely!with!other!volunteers!as!much!as!possible.!

5.!In!it!for!the!CV ! Driven!by!an!interest!in!working!in!poli cs!or!future!campaigns.!Campaign!leaders!

should!offer!to!be!a!reference!following!the!campaign,!and!talk!about!future!career!opportuni es.!

6.!In!it!to!ll!;me !

Volunteering!because!it!is!something!for!them!to!do.!Organisers!should!ask!them!to!volunteer!as!o en!as!possible,!including!arriving!early!to!help!set!up!for!events.!

7.!In!it!to!gain!condence !

Seeking!to!use!their!volunteer!experience!to!build!selfLesteem.!Organisers!should!help!them!set!a ainable!goals!and!provide!them!with!lots!of!posi ve!reinforcement!and!acknowledgement!for!their!efforts.!

8.!In!it!for!fun !

Driven!to!volunteer!in!their!spare! me!because!they!nd!campaigning!fun.!Organisers!should!take!care!not!to!be!nega ve!about!campaigns!or!appear!jaded!around!these!volunteers.!!

9.!In!it!to!do!something!meaningful !

Driven!by!contribu ng!to!a!cause.!They!need!to!see!that!the!work!they!are!doing!is!genuinely!effec ve,!so!organisers!should!share!metrics!and!numbers!with!these!vols .!

10.!In!it!to!appear!to!be!volunteering !

Driven!by!making!others!think!they!are!volunteering.!Organisers!make!sure!these!volunteers!actually!do!what!they!are!supposed!to!do!(talk!to!voters!rather!than!dial!and!hangLup,!etc.)!and!avoid!assigning!them!leadership!roles.!!


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METRICS AND FORMULAS!

Metrics!and!formulas!are!general!guidelines!to!help!organisers!plan!for!events!and!calculate!how!many!volunteers!are!required!to!reach!goals.!Metrics!will!naturally!vary!for!different!types!of!scripts!and!call!formats!because!some!types!of!calls!are!just!more!involved!and!take!longer!than!others.!For!example,!a!persuasion!conversation!that!requires!volunteers!to!ask!multiple!questions!and!relate!their!personal!story!will!take!longer!than!a!simple!voter!ID!call,!so!a!persuasion!script!will!result!in!fewer!calls!per!hour!than!an!ID!script.!!

Volunteer!Shifts!

All!volunteers!are!different.!Some!will!sign!in,!have!a!snack,!and!leave,!while!others!will!help!set!up,!dial!straight!through!call!time,!and!stay!to!help!enter!data.!Because!some!volunteers!will!end!up!getting!much!more!done!than!others,!it!is!more!useful!to!quantify!volunteers!in!terms!of!productivity!rather!than!raw!attendance.!The!most!straightforward!way!to!do!this!is! by! using! volunteer! shifts,! which! represent! the! average! productivity! of! an! average!volunteer!over!a!threeLhour!period.!

1!Volunteer!Shift!=!3!Hours!=!50!Dials!

Volunteer!shifts!are!useful!for!both!evaluating!the!productivity!of!a!completed!event,!and!for!projecting!the!number!of!volunteers!required!to!meet!goals!when!planning!events.!For!example,!if!a!4!hour!event!with!30!volunteers!only!resulted!in!1,000!calls,!that!means!each!volunteer!only!completed!about!two!thirds!of!a!shift.!The!low!productivity!of!this!event!is!a!red!flag!that!something!about!the!event!did!not!go!as!planned,!and!action!should!be!taken!to! prevent! similar! challenges! at! future! events.! Conversely,! if! a! 4! hour! event! with! 15!volunteers!resulted!in!1,125!dials,!that!means!each!volunteer!completed!roughly!1.5!shifts.!In!this!case,!the!high!productivity!of!the!event!means!that!something!probably!went!better!than!planned,!and!special!attention!should!be!given!to!discussing!best!practices!of!the!night!

to!learn!from!this!success.!Volunteer!shifts!can!also!be!used!in!several!formulas!to!help!plan!for!events!and!set!reasonable!goals!for!events!based!on!expected!attendance.!!

Contact!Rate!

The!contact!rate!is!highest!between!5:30!!8:30pm!Monday!L!Thursday.!!With!lists!that!have!had! bad! numbers! removed! from! robocalls! the! typical! contact! rate! during! these! hours! is!around!33%.!During!the!daytime!and!on!weekends!this!rate!drops!to!around!25%.!

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FORMULAS FOR PERSUASION CALLS!These!formulas!are!only!a!guide,!and!will!change!slightly!from!seat!to!seat.!The!script!being!

used!is!not!the!only!factor!to!consider!when!calculating!metrics,!and!there!are!several!ways!the! call! list! itself! can! affect! dial! and! conversation! numbers.! The! way! a! particular! list! is!presented!will!impact!how!quickly!volunteers!can!make!calls.!Generally,!callers!with!paper!lists!can!dial!more!quickly!than!callers!using!virtual!phone!banks,!which!take!a!few!seconds!to!refresh!between!calls.!!

In!addition!to!time!spent!in!training,!we!should!also!keep!in!mind!that!a!threeLhour!shift!is!very!rarely!three!hours!of!continuous!call!time.!People!like!to!move!around!and!talk!to!their!neighbours,! and! theyre! even! allowed! to! go! to! the! toilet,! so! its! better! to! assume! that!

volunteers!call!for!approximately!two!thirds!of!each!shift.!!!

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!!

A!standard!persuasion!script!and!paper!list!will!result!in!a!single!volunteer!making!25!dials!and!approximately!8!conversa ons!per!hour.!!

Allowing!for!training!and!breaks,!this!results!in!approximately!60!dials!and!20!conversa ons!per!shi .!!

This!means!if!the!nightly!goal!is!1,000!dials!and!330!conversa ons!there!would!need!to!be!17!volunteer!shi s!completed!to!meet!the!goal.!!

Paper! ists:!1!shi !=!60!dials!=!20!conversa ons!!

A!standard!persuasion!script!and!a!virtual!phone!bank!will!result!in!a!single!volunteer!making!20!dials!and!approximately!7!conversa ons!per!hour.!!

Allowing!for!training!and!breaks,!this!results!in!approximately!50!dials!and!16!conversa ons!per!shi .!!

This!means!if!the!nightly!goal!is!1,000!dials!and!330!conversa ons!there!would!need!to!be!21!volunteer!shi s!completed!to!meet!the!goal.!!

Virtual!Phone!Banks:!1!shi !=!50!dials!=!16!conversa ons!


16/28

GOALS!

Dials!and!conversations!are!important,!but!it!is!important!not!to!lose!sight!of!what!is!most!important,!which!is!moving!voters.!This!is!difficult!to!measure!in!quantitative!terms,!which!is!why! qualitative! feedback! is!so! important.! Volunteers! should! indicate! if! they! feel! like! the!conversation!they!had!moved!the!voter!towards!a!strong! abor!vote.!This!is!a!good!way!for!organisers! to! track! the! effectiveness! of! scripts,! training,! and! messaging.! When! the! goals!drastically!increase!in!the!final!phase!of!the!campaign!this!assumes!volunteers!will!complete!multiple!shifts!throughout!the!week.! These!goals!assume!a!33%!Contact!rate!and!50!dials!per!volunteer!shift.!

Week$ Dates$ Contacts$ Dials$ Volunteer$$

22$ April$13:19$ 165$ 500$ 10$21$ April$20:26$ 165$ 500$ 10$

20$ April$27:May$3$ 165$ 500$ 10$

19$ May$4:10$ 165$ 500$ 10$

18$ May$11:17$ 165$ 500$ 10$

17$ May$18:24$ 181$ 550$ 11$

16$ May$25:31$ 198$ 600$ 12$

15$ June$1:7$ 214$ 650$ 13$

14$ June$8:14$ 231$ 700$ 14$

13$ June$15:21$ 247$ 750$ 15$

12$ June$21:28$ 264$ 800$ 16$

11$ June$29:July$5$ 280$ 850$ 17$

10$ July$6:12$ 297$ 900$ 18$

9$ July$13:19$ 313$ 950$ 19$

8$ July$20:26$ 330$ 1,000$ 20$

7$ July$27:Aug$2$ 412$ 1,250$ 25$

6$ August$3:9$ 660$ 2,000$ 40$5$ August$10:16$ 825$ 2,500$ 50$

4$ August$17:23$ 990$ 3,000$ 60$

3$ August$24:30$ 1,072$ 3,250$ 65$

2$ August$31:Sep$6$ 1,237$ 3,750$ 75$

E:Week$ September$7:13$ 1,320$ 4,000$ 80$

$TOTAL! 9,900! 30,000! 600!


17/28

ELECTORATE GOALS!

!

!

!

0!200!400!600!800!

1000!1200!1400!

2 2 2 1 2 0 1 9 1 8 1 7 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

E L W e e

k

Week!

Conversa;ons!

2 2 2 1 2 0 1 9 1 8 1 7 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

E L W e e

k0!

1000!

2000!

3000!

4000!

5000!

Week!

Dials!

0!

20!

40!

60!

80!100!

2 2 2 1 2 0 1 9 1 8 1 7 1 6 1 5 1 4 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

E L W e e

k

Week!

Volunteer!Shi s!


18/28

TRAINING!

Training! is! the! secret! to! running! a! good! field! campaign.! A! good! training!program! will! be! the! difference! between! an! average! campaign! and! a! great!campaign.!!Training!can!be!time!consuming,!but!it!always!is!beneficial!in!the!long! run! because! volunteers! are! longLterm! investments,! and! the! more!knowledge! and! experience!volunteers!have,! the! more!effective!and! invested!they! will! be.! The! skills! they! acquire! will! be! useful! for! this! campaign! and! all!future! elections,! so! we! should! be! training! these! volunteers! to! become! the!leaders!of!future!campaigns.!!

Trainings!do!not!need!to!be!long!and!tedious.!On!the!contrary,!they!should!be!interactive! and! heavily! based! in! roleLplays! and! practical! experience.! onger!trainings!should!be!broken!up!with!fun!games!and!prizes! for!correct!answers!along!the!way.!

!

MESSAGING!Understanding!what!makes!an!effective!persuasion!call!is!the!hardest!part!of!a!voter!contact!program,!but!it!is!the!key!to!a!successful!campaign.!Simply!telling!an! undecided! voter! to! support! your! candidate! is! not! nearly! as! effective! as!having! a! genuine! conversation! about! the! voters! concerns! and! clearly!communicating! what! the! candidate! is! doing! to! address! those! concerns! and!

why!the!candidate!deserves!their!vote.!The!conversations!our!volunteers!will!have! with! undecided! voters! should! emphasise! the! candidates!accomplishments,! but! volunteers! should! focus! almost! entirely! on! those!accomplishments! that! have! most! impacted! their! lives! personally! and! avoid!simply!listing!every!high!point!of!the!candidates!record.!!Not!only!does!this!take! the! pressure! of! having! to! be! political! experts! off! volunteers,! it! also!communicates!a!much!stronger!message!to!an!undecided!voter.!!


19/28

PERSONAL STORY !

A! personal! story! is! a! volunteers! most! valuable! persuasion! tool,! and! time!should!be!spent!developing!each!volunteers!personal!story!to!be!as!effective!as!possible.!!Personal!stories!should!focus!on!the!key!event!or!pivotal!moment!in! a! volunteers! life! that! motivated! them! to! support! the! candidate! or! the!values!the!candidate!stands!for.!Personal!stories!should!also!relate!back!to!why!the! volunteer! is! involved!with! the! campaign!and! what! they! hope! their!work!will!accomplish!for!the!future.!!Everyone!has!a!personal!reason!for!supporting!the!candidate!even!if!its!just!that!the!candidate!is!a!nice!honest!person!and!

you! trust! them.! Thats! a! powerful! message,! so! tell! it ! No! matter! what! your!personal!story!is,!bullet!points!are!no!match!for!a!genuine!conversation.!!!

!

When!you!let!someone!off!the!leash!and!let!them!share!their!personal!story!for!why!they!are!giving!up!their!Monday!night!to!make!volunteer!calls!for!a!candidate,! it! sends! a! powerful! message! to! undecided! voters! and! inactive!supporters.! A! carefully! scripted! message! about! the! candidates!accomplishments!is!great,!and!does!have!a!place!in!voter!contact,!but!its!when!volunteers!are!encouraged!to!listen!to!the!voter,!find!a!connection,!and!relate!with!their!personal!story,!that!grassroots!campaigning!is!at!its!most!effective.!!

!


20/28

!

PERSUASION CONVERSATIONS!

Persuasion!conversations!can!seem!intimidating!at!first,!but!they!are!actually!very!easy!to!do!well.! The! first! step! is! simply! asking! the! voter! what! they! are! concerned! about! and!establishing! common! ground.! It! is!much!easier! to!have!a!conversation! with!voters! about!issues!that!are!important!to!them,!so!a!good!persuader!should!listen!more!than!talk.!After!finding!out!what!matters!to!the!voter,!persuaders!should!acknowledge!those!concerns!and!relate! them!back! to!elements!of! their!own!personal!story!to! form!a!personal!connection!with! the! voter.! After! showing! the! voter! that! they! share! common! interests,! persuaders!

should! relate! the! interests! they! share! to! the! values! of! the! candidate! and! a! key!accomplishment! that! demonstrates! this! shared! value.! Finally,! the! conversation! should!conclude!with!a!contrast!between!the!shared!values!of!the!persuader,!voter,!and!candidate!with!the!values!of!the!opposition!in!order!to!illustrate!the!negative!effects!of!an!opposition!victory.!!These!steps!are!outlined!below!in!the!persuasion!model.!!

!

ACKNOWLEGE! the!voters!concerns!and!relate!those!concerns!to!

your!personal!concerns/experiences.!

!

RELATE! the!values!you!share!with!the!voter!to!values!you!

both!share!with!the!candidate!or!party.!!

PIVOT! !to!one!of!the!governments!accomplishments!that!

impacts!the!voter!or!relates!to!your!shared!value.!!!

CONTRAST! your!values!with!Tony!Abbo s!stance!on!those!

issues!important!to!the!voter.!!


21/28

!

Example Persuasion Conversation 1 Swinging Labor/Liberal Voter

Voter :!The! abor!Party!is!corrupt !

Volunteer :!I!understand!how!it!seems!that!way.!I!must!admit,!even!as!a!supporter!of!the! abor!Party!Ive!been!very!upset!with!recent!events.!However,!I!still!believe!it!is!very! important! to! rebuild! the! party! in! NSW! and! I! think! it! is! crucial! to! have!good!honest!local!members!like!Candidate!X!there!to!be!the!future!of!the!party.!Im!proud!to! support! Candidate! X! who! has! helped! deliver! accomplishment! A,! which! has!impacted!me!personally!by!_________.!I!strongly!believe!in!accomplishment!A!and!Im! afraid! that! if! Tony! Abbott! becomes! Prime! Minister! he! will! reverse!accomplishment!A,!which!would!hurt!_____.!

Voter :!Well!I!dont!mind!Candidate!X,!I!think!they!are!a!decent!local!member.!

Volunteer:! Well! I! agree,! and! it! is! really! important! that! the! good! members! like!Candidate! X! are! not! punished!for! the! mistakes!of!others.! So!I! am!asking! for! your!support!on!September!14 th!

It! is! okay! to! acknowledge! corruption,! or! leadership! change,! or! show! displeasure! about!something!about! the!party.! Persuasion! conversations!need!to!be!genuine! otherwise!they!wont!be!effective,!so!be!honest!and!let!the!voter!know!if!you!dont!like!something.!This!is!

all!part!of!the!persuasion!model.!If!you!acknowledge!and!relate!to!a!voter,!they!are!much!more!likely!to!listen!to!your!next!point!and!be!receptive!to!the!key!message.!After!all!there!must!be!a!reason!you!are!still!volunteering!even!though!you!dislike!something!the!party!has!done.!

!

Example 2 Swinging Labor/Green Voter

Voter: !! abor!hasnt!done!enough!for!marriage!equality!

Volunteer: ! Gay! rights! is! very! important! to! me,! and! its! actually! the! reason! Im!volunteering!my!time!to!reach!out!to!voters!like!you!today!instead!of!spending!the!weekend!with!my!friends.!Many!of!my!best!friends!are!gay,!and!I!would!like!them!to!have!the!opportunity!to!marry!the!person!they!love.!However,!it!has!been!a! abor!government!that!has!delivered!full!legal!recognition!of!same!sex!couples,!the!right!to!adoption,!hospital!visitation,!and!will!be!the!party!to!legalise!the!last!remaining!step.!I! really! believe! gay! rights! will! only! go! backwards! if! Tony! Abbott! is! elected! Prime!Minister,!and!that!is!really!just!unacceptable.!My!friends!deserve!better,!and!they!are!the!reason!why!it!is!so!important!we!vote!1!for! abor!on!September!14 th .!


22/28

Make!sure!you!say!you!are!a!volunteer.!No!one!wants!to!listen!to!someone!who!is!paid!by!the! candidate.!The! fact! that!you! gave!up!your!Saturday!afternoon! is!a! strong! message! in!itself.!You!can!be!candid!and!say!that!you!are!nervous!or!that!you!dont!like!calling!people,!but!you!do!it!because!its!important!to!you.!

PREFERENCE PERSUASION CONVERSATIONSIf!a!voter!identifies!as!a!supporter!of!a!candidate!who!will!not!likely!feature!in!a!twoLparty!preferred! count,! it! is!still! important! to!hold! a! persuasion! conversation.! If,! after!having! a!standard!persuasion! conversation,! the! volunteer! believes! the! voter! is!unlikely! to! change!their! first! preference! it! is! important! to! move! into! a! second! preference! persuasion!conversation.! This!conversation! relies! on!the! same!persuasion! method! to!use! a!common!

value,!whether!it!is!the!environment!or!education,!and!find!a!contrast!with!what!an!Abbott!led!government!might!look!like.!In!these!conversations,!it! is!especially!important!not!to!be!condescending!or!hostile,!but!the!point!needs!to!be!made!that!ultimately!their!preference!will!likely!flow!to!either!the! abor!candidate!or!the!Coalition.!!

If!the!voter!is!openly!hostile!towards!the! abor!Government!and!is!effectively!protest!voting,!volunteers!should!just!thank!the!voter!for!their!time!and!end!the!conversation.!!

!

Preference!Persuasion!Example!1!!Voter!who!mentioned!they!had!young!children!!!

Voter: !I!just!dont!like!either!of!the!major!parties.!!

Volunteer: !I!understand.!I!feel!a!little!frustrated!sometimes!too!but,!as!a!mother!of!two!primary!school!children,!education!is!very!important!to!me.!!Under!this! abor!government,!school!funding!has!almost!doubled!and!I!can!see!a!real!difference!in!the!quality! of! their! schooling.! I! am! worried! that! an! Abbott! Government! would! cut!funding!to!education,!and!my!kids!would!miss!out!on!the!education!they!deserve.!!

Voter: !Well,!I!dont!want!Abbott!as!PM.!

Volunteer: !Well!neither!do!I.!Its!important!to!remember!that!in!our!electorate!it!is!likely! to!come!down!to!a! two!party!count,!which!means!that!who!you!put!as!your!second!preference!will!matter.!So!if!you!dont!want!Tony!Abbott!to!be!your!Prime!Minister!its!very!important!to!put!his!candidate!last!on!your!ballot.!

Voter:! Well!I!certainly!wouldnt!wish!that!on!anyone,!hes!the!worst!of!the!lot !

Volunteer: !Im!glad!we!can!agree!on!that !!


23/28

Different!styles!work!for!different!people.!Some!people!fumble!their!way!through!and!still!get!good!results.!It!can!be!disarming.!Some!people!bully!information!out!of!people.!It!just!depends.!

Example!2!!Voter!who!says!they!will!be!voting!Green!

Voter: !The!Carbon!Tax!just!didnt!go!far!enough.!!

Volunteer:! As!a!grandmother!of! three,!I! worry!about!climate! change! as!well.!The!Carbon!Tax!wasnt!the!answer!to!all!of!our!problems,!but!it!was!certainly!a!step!in!the!right!direction!towards!making!sure!my!grandchildren!and!their!children!have!a!secure!future.!

Voter: !Well,!what!else!is! abor!going!to!do!to!make!sure!that!happens?!

Volunteer: !I!dont!know!exactly!what!other!policies! abor!would!put!in!place,!but!I!would!hate!to!see!even!the!smallest!steps!reversed,!which!is!what!Im!afraid!would!happen!if!Tony!Abbott!is!elected!Prime!Minister.!!

Voter: !I!agree!that!Abbot!is!the!wrong!choice!for!PM.! abor!might!not!be!my!first!choice,!but!Abbot!is!definitely!my!last.!!

Just!relax!and!be!yourself.!Youre!not!going!to!lose!a!vote!by!saying!the!wrong!thing.!Its!ok!to!say!I!dont!know!.!You!are!a!supporter!of!the!candidate,!not!their!media!representative.!You!dont!need!to!know!all!their!stances!on!every!issue,!just!the!reason!you!support!them.!

ADDITIONAL THINGS FOR PERSUADERS TO KEEP INMIND:

L You!dont!have!to!change!the!mind!of!every!voter!you!talk!to.!L You!dont!have!to!move!a!voter!very!far!for!it!to!be!a!successful!call.!L Moving!a!voter!is!a!relatively!subjective!practice.!L Often!a!good!conversation!just!plants!a!seed!in!the!mind!of!the!voter,!who!may!go!

away!and!think!about!the!conversation,!!

L A! successful! conversation! might! influence! a! voter! on! Election! Day,! or! just! soften!them!for!a!future!call!from!the!campaign.!

L Sometimes!just!leaving!a!positive!impression!of!a!polite,!dedicated!volunteer!can!be!enough!to!sway!a!voters!opinion!

L If! the! voter! is! still! undecided! and! would! benefit! from! a! conversation! with! the!candidate!there!will!be!an!option!to!indicate! candidate"call"back. !

!


24/28


25/28


26/28

and!learn!how!to!use!Campaign!Central!and/or!fill!out!paper!list!call!sheets.!Part!of!this!training!will!include!role!play!with!a!partner.!!

6:308:25pm:!Call!Time!!By!6:30!new!volunteers!will!have!finished!training,!and!all!volunteers!should!be!calling!voters.!At!8:25pm!volunteers!should!finish!the!call!they!are!on.!All!calls!should!be!finished!by!8:30pm.! !

7:00__8:00pm:!The!Hour!of!Power :!!This!is!by!far!the!best!time!to!call,!and!during!this!period!distractions!should!be!minimised!to!encourage!all!volunteers!to!focus!on!the!task!at!hand.!!!

!

8:30!!8:40pm:!Debrief !!!After!the!last!calls,!everyone!will!meet!for!a!10Lminute!debrief.!Organisers!will!ask!volunteers!to!share!examples!of!both!positive!and!difficult!conversations!they!had!with!voters.!!This!is!a!good!time!to!share!best!practices,!and!often!other!people!have!great!suggestions!on!how!they!dealt!with!a!similar!situation.!This!is!good!for!everyone,!including!the!organiser,!who!can!see!how!effective!the!script!is!and!the!call!universe!of!the!night.!The!organiser!should!end!by!going!over!the!numbers!for!the!night/week/!month/!campaign.!These!numbers!can!be!total!dials,!total!conversations,!total!IDs,!total!moved!votes,!total!volunteers!recruited,!total!volunteer!shifts!completed.!Remember,!qualitative!measurements!are!just!as!important!as!quantitative!measurements.!

8:45YY9pm:!Clean!up!

Phone!Bank!Coordinator!and!organisers!clean!the!room!and!lock!up.! !

!


27/28

!

THE FLAKE RATE!

The!flake!rate!is!the!percentage!of!people!scheduled! to!attend!a!phone!bank!who! simply! do! not! show! up,! and! is! one! of! the! most! frustrating! things!organisers!deal!with.!Flake!rates!will!vary!depending!on!how!volunteers!were!scheduled,!but!typically!50%!of!invitees!will!not!turn!up!unless!steps!are!taken!to!counteract!the!flake!rate.!!

MINIMISING THE FLAKE RATE

Invite!with!a!hard!ask.! Invitations!with!a!hard!ask!are!a!good!first!step!towards!minimising!the!flake!rate.!People!naturally!feel!more!obligated!to!attend!when!they!commit!to!arriving!at!a!specific!time!versus!simply!agreeing!to!try!to!come!by.!!

Email!event!details.!! Volunteers!who!sign!up!should!receive!a!reminder!email!with!event!details!and!a!contact!number!to!call!in!case!of!questions.!!

Confirm! 24! hours! in! advance.! Confirmation! calls! the! day! before! are! very!important,!and!they!significantly!increase!attendance!levels.!They!can!be!short!and!sweet,!but!they!should!never!be!forgotten.!Confirmation!calls!are!one!of!the!only!times!its!a!good!idea!to!leave!messages.! "

Ask!them!to!bring!something.! Volunteers!who!are!responsible!for!the!success!of! the! event! are! much! more! likely! to! attend.! Ask! volunteers! to! bring! extra!pens,! paper! plates,! a! snack! to! share,! etc.! and! remind! them! of! their!

commitment!in!the!confirmation!call.!!

Follow! up! with! no_shows. ! Call! the! noLshows! and! let! them! know! they! were!missed.! Ask! them! why! they! didnt! attend! and! try! to! reschedule! them! for!another!event.!This!holds!volunteers!accountable!for!their!actions!and!can!help!build!for!the!next!event.!Keep!track!of!people!who!consistently!noLshow!for!events!and!take!them!off!the!invite!list!to!avoid!wasting!time!inviting!someone!who!will!never!show!up.!!

!


28/28

NSW

volunteer mobilisation guide

Documents