A DOORKNOCKER’S GUIDE TO CANVASSING*

By Moshe ben Asher, Ph.D.

You say you answered an ad for an “activist,” think that being canvassed means being interrupted, went to the interview, and got hired as a canvasser annoyed or ripped off, and that door-to-door solici- for a local organization? Your job, you were told, tors are the dregs of the work force. The reality is would be to go door-to-door soliciting donations quite different. Most social change canvassers are and support for the organization. Now you’re hav- well-educated and deeply committed to what ing second thoughts—feeling a bit anxious, won- they’re doing, and canvassers play an important dering what’s going to happen. Maybe you’re al- role in building strong progressive grassroots or- ready thinking about some of the questions first- ganizations and movements. day canvassers ask themselves: Do I really want this kind of job, even if I believe in the issue? How Two Key Actors long will it take to learn the ropes? Will I be able to An important early canvassing lesson is that two make the “quota”? key actors are involved—you and the contributor. Well, if it is your first day, it may be some relief The contributor must decide if you are worthy of a to know that most new canvassers get hooked by gift. Your personality is often more important than the job’s excitement and the camaraderie, and by the issue or cause. Your sincerity and sensitivity to the chance to learn new skills. And many are suc- a contributor’s feelings and beliefs therefore have cessful with virtually no prior training or experi- significant influence on what happens. ence. Even when major differences in neighborhoods Your questions will begin to be answered as you and issues exist, the same dynamic is at work. The spend your first day on the job as an observer, go- potential contributor’s emotional and intellectual ing into the field with a regular crew and observing openness to you will be decisive. Rigidity, often the field manager or other trainer. apparent in body posture and hostile questioning, is For the first three hours of the shift, from about the hallmark of a non-contributor. On your part four until seven o’clock, you’ll walk with, watch, there must be self-awareness, ability to build trust and listen to a veteran canvasser. With the two of quickly, and skill as an agitator and visionary. Be- you role-playing, you’ll practice the organization’s fore you despair, these are skills that can be devel- regular pitch several times to warm up. Then, for oped in a two- to four-week apprenticeship. about a half-hour, you’ll alternate doors, doing Most novice canvassers mistakenly think that your first canvassing under supervision. Between “success” is getting a contribution at every door. doors the trainer will give feedback and answer But that’s not possible, and the idea sets up a mo- your questions. For the last hour of the evening, rale-busting process in which unavoidable failures from eight to nine, you’ll have a small piece of ter- deflate your self-confidence. Every neighborhood ritory to work on your own. has a ratio of contributors to non-contributors, For most people, personal contact with door-to- which at best might be one-to-one. door solicitors is all from the other side, that is, Since it’s not possible to get a contribution at we’ve been opening doors rather than knocking on every door, experienced canvassers define success them. We typically have a number of popular bias- in two ways. First, success means getting contribu- es about canvassing and canvassers. We tend to tions from those who are sympathetic. Second, suc-

* © The Youth Project, originally published in Community Jobs, 4(1):18-19 (February 1981) under my former English name, Mike Silver, and reprinted with permission. cess means efficiently determining that someone is Once you decide to end a contact, act immedi- not going to make a contribution and ending the ately by making a courteous but direct request for a contact with minimum investment, say within 20 or contribution. When it’s refused, excuse yourself 30 seconds. The conservation of energy is crucial, and be on your way. because your vitality and self-confidence are then The failure to consciously qualify contributors saved for “qualified” contributors. has led many novice canvassers (and some veter- ans) to mistakenly accept an invitation to enter a Knowledge and Skill Basics home. Once a contributor is qualified in your mind, Beyond knowing how to define success, productive taking more time to talk in the home is okay. But canvassing requires knowledge and skill in three entering a home without first qualifying a contribu- basic areas: pacing energy output, quick and ac- tor usually ends in lost time and energy—spending curate decisions on the qualifications of potential five to 15 minutes inside only to find the contribu- contributors, and keeping up morale. tion fizzled. Resentment-rush canvassing is symptomatic of Another common qualifying error is the unwar- pacing problems. When people at the door are pat- ranted interpretation of “no” answers as final. An ronizing and condescending—looking down their acknowledged master of persuasion once pointed collective noses—and your energy is low, abuse out that “every ‘no’ is a silent plea to be shown and rejection can lead to resentment. This, in turn, how or why to say ‘yes’.” can lead to mistakes and frantic attempts to catch For instance, when people in middle- or upper- up and make quota. income brackets claim financial hardship in refus- Pacing yourself means regulating the use of ing to contribute, it’s senseless to argue that they your energy over time, to be up for unexpected can really afford the expense. A better approach is pressures and demands. Seasoned canvassers con- to momentarily ignore the turndown and instead sciously conserve physical and emotional energy, talk about how the organization won a recent victo- not only on the job but generally. Not surprisingly, ry or is starting a new service; or to reinforce the this takes self-discipline. Initially, you may have to idea that small contributions—one dollar or even consciously pace yourself, but good habits can be pocket change—are appreciated. developed, and they’ll pay off in the long run. Relevant reasons and means for desired actions At the door you’ll face decisions about the qual- are more helpful than arguments. But when all is ifications of potential contributors. You have to said and done, firm refusals—repeated one or more judge, according to how your pitch is received, times—justify cutting losses. whether to continue investing your time and ener- Because of the potential for personal abuse and gy, given your perception of the likelihood for suc- rejection, anxiety is probably at its highest when cess. It’s best to cut losses when an exorbitant in- you knock on the door. Self-confidence is also put vestment offers only an uncertain probability for to the test when you decide to cut losses with a success. non-contributor after making a big investment, par- Decisions about the qualifications of contribu- ticularly if you’ve had a run of back-to-back re- tors, however, are not only about whether to pro- jections. ceed but how. You have to decide which issues to There is no formula for recovering your self- emphasize and which organizational actions to use confidence. Individuals work out personal tech- as illustrations of victories or accomplishments. niques, although it’s critical to find a way to venti- Arguments are unproductive, particularly with late feelings. Some canvassers simply take time out, people who raise endless and mindless objections forget about making quota, and allow themselves to instead of openly showing their distrust, dis- relax and let feelings dissipate; others get relief by agreement, or general lack of interest in social swearing at their tormentors, unfortunately (for the change. The idea is not to convince people but to organization) sometimes within earshot; some pray give them a chance to agree by answering their or meditate for a few minutes; and for some, phys- genuine questions and concerns. ical activity (one canvasser actually runs around the Your self-awareness and ability to stay sensitive block) does the trick. to verbal and visual cues form a channel for per- Morale can also be managed through ideology. ceiving contributors’ positions and feelings on is- In practice we redefine the meanings of punishing sues. The objective is to measure the potential for a events with ideologies that are grounded in pro- contribution against your past experience: you want fession, organization, social movement, class, etc. to qualify people and get a contribution or, if they Canvassers need not to take bad experiences at the are not good prospects, to quickly cut losses and door—being insulted, patronized, or harassed—as move on. “curses,” or good ones as “blessings.” Both may be accepted as the inescapable challenges implicit in

2 working for your own brand of social justice. Tak- highlight key issues, you tap feelings—resentment ing rejection as a curse stimulates resentment and is usually close to the surface—and uncover the breaks down morale, and treating contributors as motivation necessary for a contribution. More than blessings can create a euphoria of over-confidence passing along abstract data, effective agitation dis- that also compounds morale problems. But by ideo- covers the personal meanings of issues, emphasiz- logically defining these events as part of the day-to- ing the emotional content for each individual. day challenge, a sense of achievement follows eve- Vision-making is the foundation of a successful ry encounter. pitch, the underpinning of a contributor’s convic- tion that things can actually change. Following agi- Parts of the Pitch tation, when a prospective contributor asks “What The pitch is your stock in trade. It excites people by can be done?” or says “You can’t fight the people telling the organization’s success story and by con- downtown,” your job is to point out not only the veying a vision of a better future. When pitching past accomplishments of the organization but its people you aim to create a sense of a new reality— vision for the future. The vision is not a vague hope a world in which powerlessness and alienation are for “democracy” or “economic justice”—these are replaced by a potent democratic organization, a of course are our core ideals—but for specific weapon to fight for political, economic, and social goals, sometimes far in the future, that follow from justice. Your doorknocking pitch is usually the feasible strategies and tactics for their attainment. citizen’s first face-to-face contact in the process. Closure is that part of the pitch designed to get Your pitch should have seven parts: identifica- an overt commitment, usually a contribution or a tion, credentialing, diversion, agitation, vision- signed pledge. Your decisions about when to close making, closure, and escalation. and how much money to ask for are likely to cast Identification involves introducing yourself by the final outcome. name, hopefully with friendliness and sincerity, and A desirable pre-closing step is to set up an ex- is essential at the beginning of the pitch to establish pectation for the close very early in the pitch by a personal interaction, to avoid being perceived as mentioning “a small contribution” and then, with- “flat” or two-dimensional, somehow not human. out pause, moving on. Later, when the close is Credentialing begins with a statement that iden- made, the contributor is not surprised to be asked tifies your organization, such as “I’m working with for money, expects it in fact, and reacts positively. the Citizens Action League—we’re fighting to low- The rule for amounts is to be specific and give er utility rates and property taxes.” This may be an acceptable range—“from $5 to $15 [ca. 1976], enough legitimization for some contributors. Others whatever you can help with today.” Remember, may doubt your integrity of the organization’s and people frequently do what they think others are say things like, “I’ve never heard of your organiza- doing or what they think others expect of them, so tion before,” or “Where is your organization locat- keep your expectations relatively high and keep ed?” Or they may ignore the pitch altogether and larger checks visible at the top of your clipboard. scrutinize your I.D. card, police permit, or other Escalation is often the pivotal factor in how papers on your clipboard. They want more to know much income your canvassing produces. You must more about your credentials. decide if and when to ask for a larger contribu- Diversion gambits are found throughout politi- tion—say to promote a $15 subscription to your cal, commercial, and religious canvassing. Their organization’s newsletter. The decision to escalate purpose is to gain time and interest and to avoid be- usually comes late in the pitch, when you’re more ing turned down without a hearing. Encyclopedia certain of the contribution. A common flub when and vacuum cleaner salespeople are notorious for escalating is to bring up first the financial burden, getting into homes with the ruse of surveying ad- that is, the larger contribution required, rather than vertising effectiveness or by giving away free sam- the benefit or incentive to make it. Using the news- ples. Religious canvassers hand out free literature letter example, it’s best to first describe it as some- as a diversion. Nonpartisan political action organi- thing practical or enjoyable, then to talk about its zations use petitions, which, when targeted to influ- availability for a $15 contribution. ence legislators and bureaucrats, can also be a gen- While you’ll undoubtedly start your pitch by uine political tool. The procedure is to present the identifying yourself, from then on there’s no con- petition and then, while it’s being examined, launch sistent order or fixed style of delivery suited to all into the pitch. settings and situations. Experience will teach you Agitation is fundamental to successful canvass- what to emphasize, when and how much, as well as ing. You try to imagine the other person’s experi- what to play down or leave out entirely. ence of injuries and injustices, and replay it in sto- ry-telling language. By telling short anecdotes that

3 Myths and Facts approach—incorporating the basics of canvass- Like most beginners at canvassing, you may be ing—is the most direct route to success. tempted to undermine your own success by invent- New canvassers face many pitfalls, but three ing myths that block understanding and your ability occur with unfailing regularity. First is the tendency to correct your mistakes. Since every new canvass- to deal with anxiety by orating, lecturing at rather er is a potential mythmaker it’s not possible to list than talking with people. If you use a pitch consec- all the fantasies in this realm, but a few that repeat utively in an identical way, you’re probably orat- themselves should make the point. ing. Myth: It’s difficult or impossible to make quota A second pitfall is to ask questions that predict- in territory that has recently been canvassed by ably set up negative answers. Avoid asking ques- another organization. tions like, “Do you want to contribute $15 to help Fact: This isn’t relevant. Canvassers learn to our campaign?” and “Have you heard of our organ- distinguish between their own organization and any ization?” These questions get “no” answers and put other that has been working in the same area. Each you in a one-down position. It’s better to get into has its own goals, methods, and successes, as well the habit of translating questions into statements, so as its liabilities. that “Do you want to contribute $15?” becomes Myth: It’s probably not a good idea to canvass “We want you to contribute $15!” where “no soliciting” signs posted. Lastly, you can avoid the most prevalent pitfall Fact: The signs are meaningless and outcomes by being psychologically prepared for children’s aren’t related to them. Most of these notices are interruptions, barking dogs, phone calls, and slam- directed at commercial sales agents. ming doors. Myth: It’s best to suppress personal style while It’s no secret that it takes effort to master can- canvassing and instead learn a successful set of vassing. Those who keep at it more than a few techniques. weeks acquire the confidence and capability that Fact: Every canvasser, after overcoming initial come from meeting the challenges. And for a few, fears and uncertainties and learning the ropes, set- what began as a temporary job becomes the first tles down to a personal style. That much is in- rung on a career ladder, followed by canvass- evitable. When relaxed and natural, your individual organizing and full-time community organizing.

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