How to Win an Election: Political Campaign

Today I want to share something with you that I call Jay Townsend�s political roadmap. It�s for those who plan to seek public office, those who believe they may someday be called to run, people who think we can do better and are willing to try, and those who would like to help good people win. If you are in that category, this video is for you. I am going to explain how to prepare for, organize and run a political campaign. I�m going to make is simple, straight forward and easy to understand. Be

fore I do that let me tell you why. I am a political consultant. I�ve worked with more than 300 candidates during my career�a lot of them very good people. Candidates for President, Governors, Senators, Members of Congress, Judges, Mayors, County Executives in 24 different states. I�ve seen politics up close and personal for more than 30 years. I think it has become too complicated because the people who are in office want it that way. They think by erecting barriers it will discourage others f

rom running, and competing in the marketplace of ideas. I want to fix that by making politics easier to understand and making it easier for people to run. These same people who hold office have made it harder to get on the ballot, harder to raise money, and created road blocks to keep people out. This video is about empowering you and helping you to break down those barriers so that your voice and your ideas can be heard. 1. We need to have more people involved with our political process, and mo

re good people running because we need more competition in the marketplace of ideas. It�s the only way we�re going to make things better. 2. We need more good people involved in the process: -People willing to tell the truth and speak truth the power. -people of integrity who are running for the right reasons. -people who are authentic, down to earth, and want the job not to serve themselves or pad their pocket, but to solve problems and improve the lives of others. If you are that kind of perso

n, this video is for you. If you are a person who has a passion for helping others�if you believe you were born to improve lives, to change minds, to change the way people think�if you believe that you were born to better the course of human destiny, then I invite you to sit back, relax, and soak up all that I have to share, because we going to make the process of organizing a campaign and winning an election simple, straightforward and easy to understand. So, let�s start by going to Jay Townsen

d�s political roadmap, starting with the kind of information that voters will expect to get from you during the course of a political campaign. -- Starting with the kinds of information that voters will expect you to share during the course of a campaign between Point A and Point B Your Rationale: -Why do you want the job? -What will you do with the job if you get it? -clear, crisp, concise; summarized in less than 30 seconds -And one other thing�your rationale had better be about what you are g

oing to do for the people you represent, and not some blather about why you deserve the job. Voters won�t care about you until they first know that you care about them. What is your story? Nobody has your story, your eyes, your voice, your hair, or the unique set of experiences that make you who you are. Why tell voters about who you are? Because they need to know where you are coming from. Your most important experience and how it changed you. Where you were raised and went to school. A teacher

that changed who you are and what you became. Are you married? Do you have a family? Does your spouse work? Have you ever volunteered to a church or soup kitchen or homeless shelter? What have you accomplished? Did you build a business, balance a budget, met a payroll, served your country or taught a class room? These are the experiences that shape your view of the world, how you define compassion, and the role that government should play in our daily lives. If you don�t tell your story voters

will never know what grounds you and make you tick. There is another reason to tell your story. If you don�t your opponent will. And guaranteed your opponent will not tell your story in a way that flatters you. They�ll talk about all the stupid and dumb things you done, and we�ve all done a few. If you�re not telling the good side of your story, voters will only know the bad that your opponent tells. What Are Your Values During the course of a campaign, you need to let voters know something abou

t your core convictions. Your principles. Your passions. The standards by which you make decisions. You can communicate your values to voters through words or symbols or pictures or what you choose to highlight about your biography. Why talk about what makes you tick? Voters know that it is not possible for them to know all the details about every policy decision you may have to make as an elected official. When they vote for you they are hiring you to make decisions for them. Your job in a camp

aign it to let them know they can trust you to do that. How do you express your values? A picture of you staffing a soup kitchen says that you care about poor people. A mother that puts a picture of her husband and six children on a campaign flyer is making a statement about what matters to her. A picture of you thanking veterans for the service speaks volumes. A visit to a classroom and a photo op reading books to kids tells voters that you care about little kids and public education. Failing t

o communicate your values leaves a void in the minds of voters and gives your opponent an opportunity to paint you as out of touch. Once that happens, it�s hard to get your campaign back on track. What is your position on issues of our time? Yes. Issues do matter, and they do decide elections. And don�t let anybody tell you they don�t. This is what voters want to know. Are you someone who would vote the way I would? Would you make the same policy decisions that I would if I had the job? The grea

t thing about free elections is that since it�s your campaign, and your strategy, you get to decide what you are going to talk about and where you are going to draw a line in the sand. For example: Foreign Policy. This is especially important if you are running in a federal race, such as Congress or the United States Senate and especially important when our country is at war. What is your position on when or when not to fight wars, the size of our military, how we take care of our veterans, and

how we deal with despot countries and terrorist organizations? Our posture in the Middle East? How and when we intervene in civil wars in other parts of the world. Economic Issues. Want more jobs? Tell me how. Want to cut spending? Tell me where. Reform entitlements? How? Repeal Obamacare? Replace it with what? Reform the tax code? Good idea. What would your tax code look like? Do you think some people should get more of the federal pie? If so, what programs would you cut? And of course there is

plenty to be said about immigration policy, environmental rules, and the budget deficit�plenty of places where you can stake your ground. Social Issues. And there are the social issues�abortion, Stem cell research, Gay marriage, education, Charter Schools, Tuition tax credits, Merit Pay for teachers, what we do about Global warming, campaign finance reform, drug and gang violence. I�m not here to tell you what your positions should be. I�m merely pointing out that there are plenty of ways to po

sition yourself and plenty of issues you can use to do it. The issues you discuss, and the positions you take, is a statement about your values, what is important to you, and your view of the world and your vision for the future. What Makes you Better than Your Opponent? Or stated differently, what can you tell me about your opponent that will make this decision easy for me? Do your homework on your opponent. Google is a great tool. Use it. Know everything your opponent has said, done, positions

they have taken on issues, where they have lived and by all means, double check your opponent�s biography to make sure it is accurate. If you catch your opponent shading the truth, taking two different positions on issues, inflating their resume, taking money from the wrong people, or on the wrong side of an important issue, by all means, use it. As long as your attack is fair, documented, and legitimate, it�s fair game, and an acceptable way to differentiate yourself from your competition. --

The definition of Media is a means of mass communication: What I am going to do now is give you a brief overview of a dozen different ways you can inject information into the political marketplace, starting with the most important, which is you, the candidate. What you say when you campaign�your speeches, press conferences, the events you attend, the doors you knock on, the interviews you give, the debates in which you participate are a very important part of your message. Keep in mind that it i

s not just what you say; it is also how you look. Therefore, be professional, well dressed, well groomed, get your sleep, exercise, and I always suggest to candidates that they do not drink. If you must, wait until your day is done, limit yourself to wine or beer, and never drink and drive. Your website. You should have a website even if you are running for dogcatcher. What makes a good website? This is the definition of a bad one. Grainy pictures that don�t flatter you, laden with convoluted co

py that is difficult to read or comprehend, with a homepage that looks the same day by day and week by week. A good website is one that is entertaining and informative, one that compels surfers to become volunteers and contributors. Some basics: The home page should be updated frequently with news articles, information on campaign events, fundraisers or commentary so that it has a unique look every time a viewer visits. In other words, make your website sticky. The volunteer/e-mail signup/contri

bute button should be visible on every page of your website, and you should have pictures on every page that flatter you. And of course, use it to tell your story, who you are, why you are qualified, something about your core convictions, why you feel the way you do on important issues, and what makes you better than your opponent. By all means, post your videos and tv commercials, press releases, and allow your volunteers to talk to you and each other via your website. The more visitors you hav

e, the better off you are. How do you drive traffic to your website, pick up volunteers, get campaign contributions and spread your message? Welcome to Social media. If you are not using facebook, twitter, LindedIn, or Google Plus, shame on you. These tools are inexpensive, easy to use, and an essential means of spreading your message to a wider audience, communicating with campaign volunteers, and generating traffic to your website. Social media is the most innovative sector of the U.S. economy

. In fact there are now more than 50 different social media tools available in the marketplace. And all you have to do to find them is look at the websites of other candidates running for office. When you see someone else doing something useful, there is no law that says you can�t do the same thing. Television. Properly done, nothing beats the power of television to persuade, move, inflame, motivate, cajole, anger or convince a voter to support you on election day. A voter need not make an effor

t to hear and see your TV spot. All they have to do is sit in front of a TV or in front of a computer screen. Unlike radio or telephone calls, tv allows you to use pictures or footage to help carry the message. Unlike mail, voters don�t have to read any words. Unlike a website, voters don�t have to click through an address to find you, or make any effort to read something about you. Radio: I love radio, because I get 60 seconds to say something instead of 30. What makes a good radio spot? Spots

that inform and entertain. Spots that trigger pictures in the recesses of the human mind with sound effects, or put you inside an imaginary conversation between two people, spots that evoke one of the seven human emotions, Anger. Sadness. Happiness. Fear. Surprise. Disgust. Contempt. Persuasion Mail. It is a little known fact about political advertising in America. Of the billions spent every election cycle, more is expended on persuasion mail than any other media. Political mail is one of the p

rinciple profit centers of the U.S. Postal Service. Why? It is often the only tool that candidates can afford and the most efficient way for candidates in small jurisdictions to reach their target audience. It does offer advantages over TV or radio. When you air a tv or radio spot, you lose control over who sees or hears it. With targeted mail you have total control over who gets your message. And you can, with a little planning, determine exactly when they are going to get it. Unlike tv or radi

o however, voters must make an effort to get something from your mail. They must look at it. In an ideal world, you�d also like the recipient to read it. When a voter opens their mail box, your piece is competing for attention with everything else they received that day. Bills. Newspapers. Credit card offers. Magazines. Catalogues. Mail from other candidates and perhaps your opponent. Voters may not have five minutes to read your copy, or three minutes or even 30 seconds. From hand to trash can

you may have only three seconds to convey a message to the voter. The job of your designer is to make sure the voter gets a message from your piece even if they don�t read a single word. Voters read pictures before they read words. Pictures and symbols and graphics trigger things in the recesses of the human mind with far more power and clarity than mere words on a page. Make sure your piece passes the three second rule before you print it. Telephones are typically used for three kinds of calls,

and are an essential tool in turning out your election day coalition after you have used your tv or radio or mail to inform, entertain, persuade and convince voters that you are the better choice. ID calls. Usually done by a live caller, you survey all on your phone list to find who is for you, who is not and those who have not made up their mind. Persuasion calls. Typically these are done once voters have been ID�d so that you don�t waste money on persuasion calls to people who may not be for

you. And usually they go only to those who have been identified as �not sure.� GOTV Calls. To those you say they are for you or have been persuaded to support you, remind them that it is critically important that they vote, make sure they know when the polls are open, the location of their polling place, and offer to give them a ride or babysit their children while they vote. Newspaper ads. In certain jurisdictions, newspaper ads are a great way to disseminate a message. What makes a good one? W

hite space. In other words, don�t fill it full of copy. Pictures. Voters read pictures before they read words. Pictures draw the human eyes to the words. Minimal use of words surrounded by plenty of white space. Words and pictures that in combination evoke one of the seven human emotions. In other words, ads that hit the heart. Organization/Volunteers Sending volunteers out to knock on doors 72-96 hours before an election can make all the difference in a competitive race. You can�t do that witho

ut volunteers. If you want them, they have to be given something meaningful to do when they do volunteer, and they must be kept happy so that they want to come back, and they have to have fun. Volunteers can be used to put up signs, write letters to the editor, make phone calls, recruit other volunteers, host events, and knock on doors. How to keep them happy? Don�t waste their time. If you have a group coming at 7 to make phone calls, have the calls lists and scripts ready. If they are walking

a neighborhood, have the walk lists in order when they show up to work, with specific addresses of those upon whose door they are suppose to knock, along with the handouts and a t-shirt or lapel sticker or jacket that identifies them as a member of your team. Have coffee, soda and food at the ready so that they feel appreciated, and remember you can never thank a volunteer too many times. Posters and Yard signs. Yes they work. They are as old as the republic. What makes a yard sign a good yard s

ign? A picture of you, or a clearly stated slogan that makes people think. Your name displayed in a large font size. Yard signs that are placed in people yards mean a lot more to voters than ones placed along a highway. The Press. Please don�t make the mistake of ignoring the Press. Reporters write stories. They cover press conferences, photo ops, endorsements, debates and candidate forums, all of them useful ways to get your name and your message in a newspaper, in a radio broadcast, or on tele

vision. Oh, don�t forget the bloggers and on-line media. Their importance in politics is growing exponentially. -- Before you begin your journey as a candidate for public office, there are some things you should do in preparation for your trip. Things you need to know at the outset of your journey unless you like unpleasant surprises. The first is know what you are getting into be studying the state or jurisdiction where you plan to run�the political affiliation of the electorate, the turnout pa

tterns by year, and the kind of people who vote in odd year versus even year elections, the age breakdown of the electorate, income and education levels, the principle occupations of those who live in your jurisdiction, and the names of the major employers. You cannot properly navigate your journey without knowing this information. Issue Research As a candidate you should expect to be asked questions by reporters, people you meet, in debates and forums. A basic knowledge of important issues in y

our state or jurisdiction is imperative unless you enjoy looking like fool. Start your day by reading the newspapers. If you plan to make an issue of education, you�d best know something about what is spent per pupil, graduation rates, test scores, the number of kids who go to college, pension and salary costs. What is the unemployment rate where you plan to run? What does the census say about migration, small business startups, wage rates, manufacturing trends. Most ordinary voters don�t know t

his kind of information, but as a candidate you will be expected to. You�ll need to draft a preliminary budget, and have a good idea what you plan to spend on what, including the kinds of media that I mentioned in the previous section. If you do not have a budget, you do not have a campaign strategy. Imagine that you are about to leave on a 2000 mile journey without any idea what you are going to spend on food, hotels, gas, daily necessities or emergencies. Not a good idea. Unless you are wealth

y and plan to spend your own money, you�ll need a Fundraising Plan. A solid idea of how you are going to raise the money you need to finance your journey. Don�t want to bother with that? This is what happens to candidates who refuse to deal with the realities of raising money. They run out of money before the journey has concluded. It�s a very lonely place stranded on the side of the road in the dark of night in the pouring rain. Just ask some of the candidates who have had to lay off staff in t

he middle of a campaign because they ran out of money. Do in inventory of the press outlets in the jurisdiction where you plan to run, the names of the reporters, their emails, phone numbers, the bookers at the tv stations, the talk show hosts at the radio stations, the bloggers and the columnists that cover politics. Why? If you are not using the press to help disseminate your message, you are wasting a valuable and free means to disseminating your message to the voters who need to hear from yo

u. I mentioned earlier in this presentation the importance of knowing your opponent. Best if you do that kind of preliminary research before the campaign begins. Where they went to school, what they do for a living, how they have made their money, things that have said or done, positions they have taken on issues, and their voting record. Why? For the same reason the a basketball coach watches the films of an upcoming opponent. Finally, in a very sophisticated and complicated campaign it is some

times very helpful to do what we call a benchmark survey before the campaign begins as a guide on how to best navigate your journey, the cheapest of most efficient way to get from point A to point B, and to discern the kinds of information most likely to have the greatest impact on the electorate. -- My Offer: There you have the basics of a political campaign, how to plan one, the kinds of information the voters will expect to hear from you, and the many ways you can communicate the message to t

he electorate. Look I know this can seem overwhelming, but it�s not if you take it one bite at a time. I�ve helped more than 300 candidates during my career plan and execute their journey, many of whom have gone on to serve their states and jurisdictions with distinction. I�d like you to have the same tools and information I�ve shared with my clients. We�ve put together a state-of-the-art on-line training program to help candidates and their key aides develop their own political roadmap, and to

devise a winning campaign strategy. It�s called our High End Candidate Achievement Plan. This is a program for those who want to run for office and win. It�s a program for those who would like to better serve their community, state and country. It�s a program for those who have a passion to serve who believe that were born to alter the course of human destiny and better the lives of others. It�s especially suited for candidates and campaigns that don�t have a lot of money to spend on consultants

. In this course you will learn How to articulate your campaign message and rationale clearly, crispy and concisely�in less than 30 seconds. How to tell your story, convey your values and clearly articulate your issue positions during the course of a campaign. How to discern which voters need to hear your message, and how to target your advertising dollars toward those most likely to vote for you. How to write and confidently give a good campaign speech that attracts campaign volunteers, contrib

utors and tell stories that touch the heart of your audience. The secrets of an effective political website that will generate traffic, campaign contributions and volunteers, and how to use social media to get volunteers, spread your message and generate campaign contributions. The secrets of how to write and produce a good television commercial and radio spot that voters will remember. The secrets of effective persuasion mail, how to target your mail to the right audience, and make the most of

your campaign dollars. When and when not to use newspaper advertising, how to write and design an effective ad that gets you votes. How to develop a good and effective volunteer organization, keep your volunteers happy and ready to work. How to use telephones to convey useful information to voters. How to speak easily with print reporters, handle television question and answer sessions, and valuable tips on how to prepare for a radio, television or newspaper interview or a candidate debate. How

to prepare for a campaign before it starts, including: How to construct a detailed and well-researched campaign budget. By the way, if you don�t have a campaign budget you don�t have a campaign strategy. Developing a fundraising plan, in which I�ll explain in detail the different kinds of campaign contributors and seven different time tested ways to raise money. The kind of research you�ll need to conduct on your jurisdiction, where to find it, what you need to know about important issue where y

ou are running; where and how to find useful and accurate information on your opponent. How to develop a coherent campaign strategy, stick to a campaign budget, prosecute your message, and prevent problems that can derail your campaign. How does this work? In week one I�ll send you a video that you will be expected to watch and study. Once you�ve watched the video you�ll be expected to email me any questions you have. In week two you�ll be expected to participate in a conference call in which I�

ll address the questions in your email, and answer any other questions you may have or to help you solve any special challenges your are facing. You�ll also benefit from hearing the questions from other program participants as I address their concerns and answer their questions. We�ll repeat this process for the duration of the four month intensive training course. One week you get a video to study, and the following week we�ll have a conference call to review it in depth. Twelve different train

ing videos. Twelve different question and answer training calls lasting 60-90 minutes. Each video that I send you will be yours to keep so that you can watch it as often as you�d like along with handouts and training guides. And each conference call will be recorded and emailed to you. I�m offering this course to a limited number of candidates for a one-time payment of $4,997, or three monthly payments of $1,799. Enrollment in the course is limited. And there is only one way to enroll. You have

to apply. Go to JayTownsend.com/HighEndAchiever. That�s JayTownsend.com/HighEndAchiever. Once you have completed your application, we�ll schedule an appointment to talk either by Skype or telephone. I will not take your money unless I am first sure that this course is right for you. I won�t take it unless I am sure that you can benefit from the knowledge, information and the training I can provide you. If we decide that the training is right for you, you�ll immediately receive my special audio r

ecording on the 10 worst mistakes that candidates make, yours free as soon as you make your payment. You�ll also receive a bonus video � a special tutorial on how to hire campaign consultants, how to make sure that you are getting good people who know what they are doing, how to check their references, negotiate their fees, and get good value for your campaign dollars. You may be wondering about the investment---is it worth it? Having worked in the political arena for 30 years, I know how valuab

le this information is, which is a lot more than I am charging. It�s the most intensive training course you�ll find at this price�you�ll not find this kind of training anywhere else. But there is another price to be paid for not having this kind of training�for without it you�ll made needless, costly, and fatal mistakes. If that happens, it�s not just you that gets hurt. You see, at the end of your journey on the campaign trail there will be a winner and a loser. Those who lose don�t govern. The

y make no laws. No policy. Their voice falls silent. And those that they have run to help, the very people and causes that you hoped to advance will be left without you and your voice. If your campaign is worth doing, if those people you hoped to help are truly worthy of your time and energy, then the most important think you can do at the outset in invest in yourself so that you run a campaign worthy of your cause and those who need your voice. You can apply now by going to JayTownsend.com/High

EndAchiever. Please fill out your application now and send it back to me as soon as possible so that we can schedule your interview. I�m Jay Townsend.