I was initially going to share this item only with paid subscribers to my monthly Psephology Today newsletter, however, it’s such an important point I decided to share it with all my Campaign Hot Tips subscribers today…
Some candidates still don’t get it. They think their campaigns are about themselves.
They’re not. They’re about the VOTER. The voter doesn’t care about you. The voter only cares about the voter…and what you’re going to do for THEM.
Nevertheless, too many candidates can’t help but constantly talk about themselves. It’s a recipe for electoral disaster. Case in point…
An astute Campaign Hot Tips reader noticed a candidate announcement in his local newspaper. He immediately recognized it as an “I Disease” letter and proceeded to circle in red all the references to “I.”
Take a look…
It’s actually worse than it appears at first glance. Our sharp-eyed subscriber didn’t circle all the “me’s,” and “my’s.” And get this…
Not a single “you” or “your” appears anywhere!
The good news is, this is easily curable. But first you have to recognize you have the problem. Once you do, it’s simply a matter of re-writing from the perspective of the voter rather than the perspective of the candidate.
Now, I’m not saying you don’t tout your own unique qualifications and experience. You should.
What I’m saying is you have to couch them in messaging that is voter-focused. It’s the old feature vs. benefit analysis used by professional marketers.
“I have this (feature), so you get this (benefit).” For example:
“I’m a professional accountant, so you’re getting someone who actually understands how to read a budget and find if and where your tax dollars are being wasted.”
So grab a red pen and apply it to all your communications – bio, blog posts, social media posts, fundraising letters, voter contact mailers, etc.
If after circling all your I’s, me’s, and my’s – not to mention all the our’s and we’s – you’re seeing a lot of red, you need to re-write.
Remember, again and always, it’s about THEM, not YOU.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“Take classes, read and attend seminars. I search newspapers and the Internet for new, interesting classes, many of which are free or inexpensive. I also attend and pay for expensive seminars on what I want to learn. I am wealthy and free from needing a job simply because of the courses I took.” – Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”