It is physically impossible to come into contact with every single one of your constituents during a campaign. But there is a way to get your message out effectively, and that way is automated calling. With the right script and a precise set of leads, calls can be made at any time of the day or evening to any potential voter with a phone.
Here are 5 things you need to do to make your automated calling efforts the most effective possible:
- Prepare or Acquire a Quality Leads List: Don’t waste your money and time calling people you do not want to target. Make sure your political robo calls go to registered voters within your area, and especially to registered voters who might share your interests and issues. Do not spend useless hours calling people who aren’t unregistered and who can’t or won’t vote for you.
- Have an Effective Script: Most campaign calls range from 30 seconds to 45 seconds in length, and the rule of thumb is: The briefer the better. Your name and your message should be the first lines spoken. Because the average person will only listen to an automated call message for a few of those seconds, a confident introduction is key. (For example: “Hi, this Jim Brewer, candidate for Mayor of Jonestown, with an exciting endorsement from Governor Joe Brown …”). And, equally important, do not forget to include a disclaimer at the end of a political automated call (For example: “This call was paid for by Jim Brewer for Mayor, Bob Smith Treasurer”).
- Include a Caller ID: Be sure that your campaign has a caller ID number and that this number shows up when the automated call campaign is active. This number, when called back, should lead to an answering machine or the Google Voice account set up by the campaign. We advise never using personal home phone or cell phone numbers as caller IDs. Even if the size of the call campaign is small, there will be people who will call back to the number given. It’s best to hear the message left before returning a call, as having to deal with agitated people can be trying.
- Get an Approved Audio Recording: Approved audio for use in an automated call campaign must be provided no later than two hours before scheduled. Customers of Campaign Now have the option of either using our free recording line or providing their own audio file. If the customer chooses to use our free line, the number to dial to record the audio will be provided on the work order sheet. A customer can call into the line as many times as is needed, and can stay on the line and record for as long as is necessary. Be sure, however, to identify yourself and the purpose of the audio before reading off the script.
- Arrange for Test Calls: Before an automated call campaign can be launched, a campaign must verify that it has received a test call and is satisfied with its quality. The campaign must provide a phone number where a test call can be sent. If the campaign wants to do both live calls and calls to answering machines, we suggest that two calls be sent — one that is picked up by a person and the other that is sent to voice mail and listened to. Once we receive written confirmation that the call or calls were received and approved, then and only then will we launch the call campaign.
