Maybe you’re thinking about getting into the campaign manager game. Or maybe you’ve somehow been hired without knowing the full extent of what you’ve gotten yourself into. Well, as any seasoned campaign manager will tell you, this job is no joke. Twelve plus hours a day, seven days a week, for months at a stretch. Your phone is always on, and believe us, it will ring at all hours of the night. Email will flood your inbox by the hundreds. Meticulous planning and organization will be called for every step of the way.The work is monumental, and there’s still no guarantee your candidate will win. And if not, what then? Simply put: you and your team are out of the job.
It’s not a career for the faint of heart. But if you’re the type who enjoys adrenaline-fueled chess matches, and you want to do a little good along the way, being a campaign manager might be just the thing. Read on for our tips to running a successful campaign.
Assemble a top notch team. Whether we’re talking sports or political campaigns, no team can rely on just one star player. Maybe that star is your candidate. Maybe it’s you. It won’t matter if you don’t surround your heavy hitters with skilled supporting players, coworkers you can depend on. Of course, their unique skill sets can only take you halfway. They need to be able to work together as a harmonious unit as well. If not, you’ll waste valuable hours sorting through disagreements and drama.
Now, every campaign needs at least three roles filled: campaign manager (that’s you), treasurer, and fundraiser. Depending on the size of the campaign, each role will require supplemental help from other paid employees and volunteers.
Determine your budget. In politics and everything else, money makes the world go round. Running a campaign will cost a pretty penny, and long before things get started you want to have a clear estimate of what you’ll need to see your campaign through to the end.Various events and dinners, polling, getting out on the streets and “pressing the flesh,” salaries for paid employees. You can attach a price tag to all of these things, though thankfully you’ll find reasonable prices for some of your campaign necessities.
For instance, when it comes to posters and signs, we recommend eSigns political signs. And just for safety’s sake, you’ll want come up with a few estimates for what you might need to pull in through your fundraising. What’s the bare minimum required to run a solid campaign? Can you reasonably expect to get that? If not, you have some real thinking to do. And what if you bring in more that you expect? You’ll want to put that money to good use, so you’ll need to have a plan already assembled should that happy day arrive when fundraising exceeds expectations.
Come up with your message. “Without vision the people perish.” So said Solomon, an Old Testament ruler known for his wisdom. Well, the same can be said for a campaign. You’ll need a unified story and a clear call to action for your candidate once he or she wins. A loose campaign with a shifting message will make your candidate appear either uniformed or like a waffler blown about by the political winds of the day. Neither look good. So, what does your candidate care about most? Can you reach the people with that message? Does it need finessing? Or is it too hard to sell? If so, can you and your candidate agree on another platform upon which to run? These questions need to be confronted well before announcing candidacy. Failure to do so will prove disastrous.
Run your campaign on what you’ve built in the planning stages. You’ll find that actually running the campaign involves the daily implementation of what you so painstakingly planned ahead of time. Yes, surprises will come up, and yes, adjustments will have to be made. But with a great staff, a sufficient budget, and a consistent message, you’ll be able to navigate the uncertainties and difficulties with confidence.
