Let’s go over some tips and tricks for tracking follow ups during call time!
As you may know by now, call time will require you to follow up on good conversations and donation pledges. Follow up calls are reserved for people that you had a good conversation with, so it is essential that you keep a good record of calls.
Detailed notes greatly contribute to successful follow ups, so if you’re not leaving proper notes after the initial call, I suggest you start now!
When you’re making hundreds of calls each day, it can get difficult to remember specific details about someone. But recording the calls effectively ensures your Call Time is efficient. You only get to speak with a small percentage of the contacts you call, so leaving out information in the notes can result in a waste of your time. That’s why it’s important that you stay organized with your Call Time Data!
Remember, you are making these calls not only to fundraise, but because you want to find out what voters are passionate about and better connect with the community. So, if you are able to have a conversation about what issues matter most to someone, make sure you write it down, type it in the notes-whichever works best for you at the moment. I like to have a notebook and pen handy and jot anything down that comes up, transferring the information to the data sheet afterwards. When you reach out in the future, mentioning or discussing the matter again can go a long way in making them feel heard as an individual.
Another thing to take note of is personal details: e.g. Someone mentions their profession, that they have kids, go to school, etc. You can then use these details at the appropriate time to help build the connection. Even just asking how a family member is doing that was ill when you last spoke to them can really show voters that you listened.
If someone mentions a time of day or day of the week that they are available for a call back, make sure you take note of that as well. It helps to put it in the calendar on your phone, so you get a reminder to make the call!
Because establishing a connection with voters is often needed to gain their support, taking notes is essential to tracking follow ups. You can read over the notes right before you make the follow up call and the information will be fresh on your mind. If a stranger calls me asking for money, grassroots candidate or not - it would take a lot for me to give my hard earned money to someone I’ll likely never hear from again. This mentality is natural and common among people, so you need to get them invested in you. Keep track of people’s interests and build that relationship. You can make all the calls in the world, but if you are not properly tracking the details of the conversation, then you're not going to be as successful winning people over.
Make the most of your time and use the information you learn about voters to tie back into your campaign!
About Sole Strategies:
Sole Strategies is a woman and minority-owned organization built by a team of political experts who specialize in strengthening grassroots campaigns at the community level. Running a race is tough on a shoestring budget– but we’re here to make that possible. You shouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for consultants who tell you how to do the work they themselves have never done. Here at sole strategies, we know that words of guidance are empty if they’re not backed by real support and tangible results