Ever watch a kid try to get a cookie from the top shelf?
He can jump all day long. Ain’t happening. But if he gets Mom on his side? Boom. Cookie acquired.
Too many candidates make the same mistake.
They spend all their time chasing the big donor, the local influencer, the newspaper publisher, or the party heavyweight.
Wrong target.
The people who matter most are often the people standing next to them. The trusted friend. The longtime volunteer. The spouse. The adviser.
The person who already has a seat inside the trust circle. Those folks are the gatekeepers.
And here’s the part many candidates miss…
The gatekeeper doesn’t care how great you think you are. They care about one thing: Will introducing you make THEM look smart?
If a respected activist introduces you to a donor and you impress that donor, the activist wins.
If a community leader recommends you to volunteers and those volunteers get excited, the leader wins.
That’s the game.
So stop leading with your resume. Stop talking about yourself. Nobody cares how wonderful you think you are.
Instead, give gatekeepers a reason to feel confident putting their reputation on the line for you. Make them look like a genius for knowing you.
Do that and you’ll raise more money. Recruit more volunteers. Earn more endorsements. And get more votes.
Because campaigns are built on trust long before they’re built on yard signs.
Remember: The shortest path to the king is often through the kingmaker.
Win over the gatekeepers and the gates start opening all by themselves.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections