Help this Phone-aphobe! Are you phone banking? And how is it going?

[tblue]

Help! I'm a phone-aphobe! I am terrified of phone banking since doing it in the '04 primaries when people screamed at me and hung up the phone in my face. No less than 9 candidates had phonebanks calling the same registered Democrats and Independents over and over, night after night for about a month. It was excruciating for us the callers and for the poor registered voters who took the calls. It really did a number on my head.

It got to the point where I'd start out apologizing to the people I called for intruding on them. I went completely off script and talked to them with complete deference and understanding, and I would leave them an out (something not offered in the script). I told them in the sweetest voice I could, 'I'm so sorry to bother you. I know you hate taking these calls because I hate making these calls.' That approach was usually completely disarming, it helped a lot, but still...

I want to help the Democrats win on Nov 7th. I've given money to the DCCC and the DNC. I want to reach out to voters, but the thought of cold calling people who don't want to be bothered is to me like fingernails on the chalkboard of my heart, and I don't know what to do. Help!

How are callers responding when you call them?
What do you do that makes phone banking successful for YOU?
Do you follow the script or do you write your own? What do you say??????

[greeneyedboy]

1. don't take it personally. some of us like hearing from our side.

i don't like random phone calls in general, but appreciate volunteers in political campaigns i support, so i always have a kind word for them around election time.

(not applicable to certain national groups that do fundraising calls more often than i would like, but that's another story. :-) )

[babylonsister]

2. Did you get a list of names from your local Dem hdqtrs?

They target only Dems supposedly (though I've had a few responses that make me suspect, like, "thanks, and DON'T CALL BACK!"). But all in all, the people I have called have been patient. I'm also calling to remind them early voting is now open, so you could look at it as offering a service. Keep the polling places and times handy in case someone needs the info.
Finally, I'm calling during the day. I can, and I don't feel like I'm interrupting family (supper)time.

[madame defarge]

3. I understand your hesitation, but...

please consider trying phone banking again. I had many of the same experiences you had when I phone banked in '04 & still have mental scars to prove it. But you've got to get back on the horse...I mean phone...again. I'd recommend starting out with the script that the campaign provides you, and use your sweet voice as an advertisement for how great & nice the volunteers for your candidate are. As you get into the call, you can go off script if you want.

Times are different now than '04 & I suspect you'll get many more people who want to talk to you. And if you mistakenly call one of the 30% republican base loonies, just be polite, say you're sorry they feel that way & goodbye.

That's my $.02 worth.

[InvisibleTouch]

4. I don't have much advice, but at least I can empathize.

I'm a phone-phobic myself. In '04 I did some get-out-the-vote phone work for Kerry, and even though the people on my call list were registered Dems who all had a positive response, I was in a panic the whole time. And when it was over, I didn't even have a sense of relief and accomplishment - I continued to be in a panic until I could distract myself with something else. Only much later was I able to tell myself that I made a contribution, especially given that I had to overcome a long-standing phobia to do it. So perhaps that's a consolation for you as well - you're giving of yourself and making an important contribution, especially since it's so hard to do. That takes true dedication.

Another thing that helped me was that I had gone to a talk by Michael Moore a few days before the election, and he talked about the "hard work" of making phone calls. He talked about the obstacles faced by, for instance, the women who fought for the right to vote, who were ostracized from society, attacked and belittled - now that was hard! In comparison, making a few phone calls is a cushy job.

Go "off your script," by all means, if it helps you, and take your own approach. Keep in mind that even though your contacts may respond with anger, they can't physically hurt you - they can't see you, they can't reach you. Good luck, and you have my respect!

[Nite Owl]

5. I've been doing the calls

from the moveon.org site. They have a very easy set up and you can sit at home and do it. The response has been much better than ever expected. When I read the names people are saying 'Which one is the democrat? That's the one I'm voting for.' and when you ask them about which issue is most important the answers are some variation of 'everything, it's all a big mess'.