Winning Edge

Franklin's "Join, or Die" snake cartoon became America's first political cartoonSimple image of snake cut into parts representing coloniesBecame 18th-century version of viral memeFranklin's visual persuasion principles:Keep it SimpleCreate visuals understood in under 5 secondsAvoid complex charts or detailed graphsUse What's ThereLook for powerful visuals in your environmentReferen

The Scrooge Story StrategyDickens' insight: People are moved by stories, not statisticsA Christmas Carol changed public opinion and led to real policy changesThe Scrooge Story Strategy - Three-Part Framework:Look BackShow where we've beenCreate nostalgia and hopeDemonstrate change is possibleLook DownHighlight current challengesCreate a sense of urgencyShow what's being lostLook Fo

The election is over and here's what to do next. For Candidates Who Didn't Win:Keep the NetworkMaintain connections with supporters and donorsSend handwritten thank-you notesGive Yourself TimeProcess the resultsAppreciate skills gained and lessons learnedConduct a Post-mortemDocument what worked and what didn'tRecord details while freshTake the LongviewView this as one chapter in y

Scott Sagan's quote: "Things that have never happened before happen all the time"Amanda Ripley's Survival Arc:DenialDeliberationDecisive ActionOODA Loop for rapid decision-making:Observe the situationOrient yourself to think about changesDecide on a course of actionAct on your decisionStrategies for unexpected campaign situations:Tough Question: Use two points or story plus insight

The Feel, Felt, Found technique is a classic sales approach for connecting with peopleIt involves three steps:Feel: Acknowledge someone's concernFelt: Explain that you and others have felt the sameFound: Share how to solve or fix the issueExample on rising crime:Feel: Understand their concern about safetyFelt: Many families share the same frustrationFound: Propose solutions like lo

Eisenhower's 1952 "I will go to Korea" speech provides a template for addressing undecided votersKey elements of Eisenhower's approach:Respect and honor past sacrificesShow what's changed and offer a planProvide a path forward free from blameUndecided voters want to feel they're making the "right" decisionStrategy to help undecided voters feel confident in their choice:Respect the

Close elections happen frequently, with some decided by just 1 or 2 votesDoor-to-door campaigning is a secret weapon for reaching undecided votersPersonal follow-up with a handwritten postcard can leave a lasting impressionPostcard Strategy:Order postcards with campaign logo/picture on one sideWrite three lines:Friendly reminderPersonal connection or issue focusClear ask for their

Importance of listening to voters' actual words:Voters often use specific phrases to describe election issuesThese phrases can be powerful for campaign messagingExamples:"Figure out the election" - used by non-voters to explain why they didn't vote"Shady" - used to describe a casino developer, which became a central campaign theme"Voice of the Voter" concept:Similar to "voice of th

Creating memorable introductions and discussing issues:Allan Dib's formula for introductions: Problem + Solution + StoryExample for an electrician: "You know how [Problem: there's that one light that doesn't work]? Well, [Solution: I'm an electrician who fixes lights]. In fact, [Story: I just replaced 8 fixtures for a customer]."This framework also works for campaign issues:Inflati

When going door-to-door, think of building trust as climbing three steps:Are You Normal?Quickly establish common ground and relatabilityPrepare a brief introduction showing you're part of the communityCan You Do the Job?Ask an open-ended question to engage voters, such as:"If you had the power to change one thing in our state, what would it be?""Imagine you're governor for a day -