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HELPFUL HINTS FOR CANDIDATES
Political campaigns are complex animals. No two are ever the same; there are no cookie-cutter templates that you can copy to run a winning campaign. However, there are some basic concepts and constructs that have proven their worth over time. In any campaign, no matter how small, your campaign will benefit from investing in some professional advice. Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish. We offer a free one-hour consultation to discuss the “big picture” of a campaign or any specific component with which you feel you may need help. For Red Pillar Consulting, no campaign is too big or too small.
What follows below, also free of charge, and on a rotating basis, are some helpful suggestions and hints. Beyond the one-hour free consultation, we are prepared to work with the candidate, his/her campaign manager, campaign staff and or volunteers to flesh out any of these concepts and put you on your road to victory.
You are welcome to contact us to find out more.
Hint #11: Who are the first people you should talk to if you decide you might like to run for office?
- Your spouse or significant other.
- Other close family members who will be affected by your campaign.
- Close friends.
- Colleagues with whom you often talk about politics.
If all of the above are supportive and indicate they will enthusiastically support you, Red Pillar Consulting should be your next call.
Hint #18: What should I do about photographs?
Many parts of your campaign require photographs – web site, Facebook, palm cards, direct mail pieces, TV Ads, etc. Make sure you get a good size portfolio of good photos early in the campaign for use later in some or all of the above. A professional photographer with some experience doing political photo shoots is best. You don’t want “wedding type” photos or glamour shots.
Red Pillar Consulting can steer you to professionals who will do a good job for you at a reasonable price. (We take no markup or commission from these photographers.)
Hint #31: Be sure you have professional help when purchasing advertising.
Making the most of your advertising budget is something that requires experience and skill in the field. This is true whether we’re talking about print ads, radio ads or TV ads. A poorly constructed ad sends the wrong message about your candidacy and is almost worse than no ad at all.
The experts at Red Pillar Consulting can you guide you through every step of placing advertisements.
Hint #43: Cultivate the art of remembering people’s names and matching the name to the face.
There are many self-help sites on the internet and many books that can help you hone your skills. The experts at Red Pillar Consulting have a few tricks of their own to help you in this regard.
Hint #58: Be receptive and learn from constructive criticism.
Part of the job of your campaign committee is to offer you, the candidate, constructive criticism from time to time. These remarks are only meant to help you. If you can’t take it, go back to your day job...your skin is too thin.
Red Pillar Consulting can teach you how to react to these occasional criticisms with genuine gratitude.