Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Using improv to train canvassers

Posted in:

Illinois

If a political canvasser at your door seems as natural as an improv comic onstage, don’t be surprised. This bit of improvisation is utterly planned and completely intentional.

The Blue Beginning chapter of Indivisible Chicago is using improv comedians to help train canvassers before they hit the streets with their clipboards and candidate cards.

Lori McClain, of Chicago’s Second City, said before a “Yes You Canvass” class at the Hideout in Chicago on Wednesday that she’s “teaching some of the basic skills we use that get people engaged right away … so they can kind of make a quick connection while they’re canvassing.”

She paired off about two dozen people attending the class, and put them through exercises such as holding a conversation in which the last word one person says is the first word the other person has to say.

“Skills improvisers use are listening and not shutting down the conversation, but keeping it going by honoring and adding to what the other person is saying,” McClain said.

Other exercises included using the word “should” repeatedly, then replacing it with “could” — “‘Could’ empowers the listener,” McClain said — and listening to someone’s story and repeating it back, first in abbreviated form and then as a headline or hashtag.

These “storytelling aspects,” she said, “keep people involved in the conversation.”

These are also basic sales techniques, which is why I’ve often told young people that their best training for politics, journalism, etc. is a year doing commission sales work for a reputable company. It can often be as soul-crushing as trying to write songs in Nashville, but it gives you valuable life lessons.

What are your favorite techniques at the doors?

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:31 pm

Comments

Dont shoot. This will only take a second.

Comment by BlueDogDem Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:36 pm
Don’t give a spiel, don’t come off overtly rehearsed, stop and listen when the voter speaks, don’t look like you’re dreading it.

Don’t seemingly be push polling, don’t dismiss the voter’s feelings even if you agree… smile.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:41 pm
Do many people actually open their door to a canvasser if they look out the window or sidelight and don’t recognize the person at the door?

Comment by Responsa Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:43 pm
State campaigns don’t always want to hear it, but bringing material for local candidates might be the helpful “foot in the door”. They might not like your candidate, but if they see that you have a sticker on your clipboard for their neighbor running for the County Board, they might feel more comfortable talking with you.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:45 pm
Since Andrew Alexander took over, Second City has done a lot of management training sessions. This is a logical extension of that work. https://www.secondcity.com/works/updates/news/article/improv-training-is-making-management-throw-away-the-script/

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:46 pm
Slightly OT, but: massive props to all who canvass. I always open my door to you, listen briefly, tell you if I’m a yes or no, refuse to put up a yard sign even if I support your candidate, and tell you how much I respect and appreciate your efforts and participation in the democratic process.

Comment by Earnest Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:49 pm
It’s so much more fun to be on a campaign in a district where people still answer their doors. Unfortunately, in many places in our state, that isn’t the case any more.

Comment by Grand Avenue Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:54 pm
It’s a conversation. You listen. Start and end with something nice. Greet them warmly with a hand shake. Thank them for their time. But mostly; listen.

Comment by A guy Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 12:58 pm
I’m a hard “R” my college age daughter is a hard “D”. We now get visits from door knocker for both parties. I had a nice conversation the other day with a Democratic candidate and we both knew there was no way I would vote for him.

Comment by Texas Red Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:06 pm
Observe the area around the door as you approach, often times there will be decorations of some kind. Often it will be a sports team logo, a holiday decoration, or a floral arrangement. I often use that to kick start the conversation by either complimenting it, or asking them a question about it.

Comment by Saluki Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:11 pm
Know a little something about the area you working. If there are a lot of older folks, don’t expect them to answer the door after porch lights start coming on. And, if there are a lot of singles, don’t go ringing doorbells before 11 AM on weekends.

Comment by Give Me A Break Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:18 pm
From the other side of the door…I always open, say politely that I will happily take the literature for later reading, but I don’t want to talk about it. Most comply. Sorry for those who need to put checks on a list, but my opinions and intentions are mine alone. If it is an actual candidate, I might ask questions.

Comment by Jibba Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:18 pm
I remember the soul slashing I got when I tried selling knives during the summer of my Senior/HS and Freshman/College. I guess I wasn’t sharp enough of a salesman.

Comment by Norseman Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:22 pm
Small note from what I just posted: From what I’ve seen locally, this isn’t normally a problem for the Democrats. The Republican statewide campaign’s don’t focus on party-building.

Comment by NIU Grad Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:26 pm
One more thing if you are walking the burbs…..please don’t walk on people’s lawns….they’ll see you and they’ll open the door to tell you not to do that or if you do it on the way out…any pluses will possibly become a huge minus.

Comment by Just saying Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:47 pm
Be aware of the local teams schedule, I don’t envy anyone who makes the mistake of knocking during an important game. Back in ‘16 when the cubs were in the world series we had to stop canvassing when they were playing.

Comment by ItsMillerTime Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 1:51 pm
Selling knives, being part of a street team, making cold calls - if you can survive it, you will succeed in campaigning.

Comment by Anon Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 3:44 pm
Look ‘em in the eye and speak from the heart. People respect honesty. Tell them why you support the candidate.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 8:17 pm
Favorite techniques used at the door depend on who’s at the door. Know who you are talking to. Lots of folks at the doors bringing up Madigan, of course. If you can overcome that and leave with a sign request you know you’ve graduated from Canvass College. But, just keep walkin’ kiddos…

Comment by Plainfield liberal Monday, Oct 1, 18 @ 9:56 pm
I only canvas in my own town, so my attitude is that I’m talking with neighbors. It’s difficult to get started, but give me one or two doors of chatty people to feed enthusiasm and that can keep me going for hours, even if one or two end up being “get off my lawn” types.
Yes to some sort of sales, too. I got way better at social skills in general during the years I sold my wares at flea/farmers’ markets, and came to understand the entertainment power of everyday conversations.

Comment by yinn Tuesday, Oct 2, 18 @ 7:19 am