One of my favorite parts of being a VISTA would be all of the great training that we get. There are
cool webinars, brown bag breakfast meetings and brown bag lunches. We are not just "released
into the wild" to perform our tasks. We get so much support!
Recently our VISTA leaders invited the "canvassing queen" (my words not theirs because she was
spot on) to come speak at our Zoom meeting. Elyshya was funny, warm, passionate and experienced
in canvassing. I just love listening to people who are good at what they do AND enjoy what they do.
If another VISTA has found my blog, maybe my meeting notes would be helpful? I could definitely see
any nonprofit benefiting from Elyshya's experience and advice. Enjoy and happy canvassing!
Remember your who, what, when and why before you go out.
One out of four people will do what you want them to do.
The magic number seems to be 100.
Talk like you have known them your whole, entire life. Warmth builds trust!
Who are you? (name and where you are from)
What are you talking about? Be specific and tell the most important things. Pick two or three supporting
details and stick with those. What drives you? You can “sell” it better if those points speak to you
personally.
When is your event happening or when is the deadline?
Where is your event happening?
Use confident language! “I know that you will be there.” “I know that I can count on you to be there.”
“No backing out!” “What time should I come to get you?”
Make it as fun as possible for yourself but limit the cutting up at the door.
Use your body language. Look people in the eyes and you will convey your message to their soul! Don’t
fidget.
What kind of tone do you have? Avoid the police knock (boom boom boom). Don’t increase your volume
if the house is loud because police do that. You can kindly ask them if they would be able to turn down the
volume.
Safety- Don’t go into a house alone; if you have a partner, text them the address.
Safety-Shake the gate multiple times. Whistle. You don’t want a dog to bite you.
Safety-Be mindful of your dress. No revealing necklines or short shorts. Dress for the weather and dress
for the occasion. Bring something for self-defense, like pepper spray.
Conversation-Awkward silence is your opportunity to steer the conversation back to your topic.
If they are discussing something near and dear to their heart, how can you tie it back to your topic?
Are they linked? “I’m sorry to interrupt but…” Let them know that their topic is important and set a time to
return to discuss it. Text them before the next house so they know that you are validating their issue. You
could be talking to a leader in the community or someone who will be your biggest ally!
Talk about your connection on the second visit. Talk about your issue on the third visit.
Sometimes it is best NOT to get a “yes” right away. Build the relationship. Find connections.
Don’t scare them with words like “leadership”. Lead people to leadership in their community.
Don’t overestimate the number of houses that you can EFFECTIVELY reach.
Know your neighborhood and if that issue will be important to them.
Don’t talk like a robot. Be warm, genuine and personable. Make sure to brighten someone’s day!
Leave them with adequate information. Use smaller flyers. If you make a mistake, no one else will
know. Be kind to yourself.
All opinions expressed here are solely mine and are not a reflection of the opinions of the Americorp VISTA
program or of City of Refuge in Columbia, MO.
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