Here’s the mistake killing most fundraising and voter contact pieces. Too much explaining, too fast.
You tell the donor exactly what the ask is, exactly how much you want, exactly why, and every detail in between.
And in doing that, you hand them everything they need to decide “not for me” and toss it in the trash.
Think about what actually grabs people. A detective novel. You can’t put it down until you know who did it.
A magic trick. You lean in trying to figure out how they did it. Curiosity, not information, is what makes somebody act.
Most campaigns do the opposite. They pre-sell themselves to death in the first sentence, then wonder why nobody opens the envelope.
Here’s how you use this.
Fundraising: Don’t lead your ask letter with the dollar amount and the whole pitch. Open with something that makes the donor need to know more.
“There’s something happening in this race your neighbors don’t know about yet.” Then reel them in.
Votes: A mail piece that dumps your whole platform on the front panel gets skimmed and tossed. One that opens a question the voter has to flip the piece over to answer gets read.
Volunteers: “We need volunteers for envelope stuffing” closes the loop instantly and gets ignored. “There’s one thing happening in this district that could flip the race, and we need ten people to help” makes them want to know more.
Beating your opponent: While his mailers explain every policy position in exhausting detail, yours opens a question voters can’t walk away from without answering.
The takeaway: Don’t tell them everything. Tell them just enough that “tell me more” is the only thing left to say.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections