During the past month, I’ve been discussing the components of your message: How to develop your slogan, tell your story, communicate your values, issues positions, and what to say about your opponent.
Looking for Help in Your Campaign? Call Jay at (845) 458-1210. The call is FREE.
Today we turn to the means of disseminating your message. There are at least a dozen ways to do that, which I will cover in the coming weeks. Today, I’ll discuss the most important: You. The candidate. The words that come out of your mouth.
Are your words important?
You be the judge. Compare the words of candidate Reagan, John Kennedy, Winston Churchill, with those of Donald Trump. Words carried three of those four men to the pinnacle of power. Their words won wars, lifted nations, and inspired millions. I’ll let you ponder how far the words of Mr. Trump will carry him.
Donald Trump Running for Office
Words are the most powerful drug mankind has ever known. The internet is the most power weapon ever invented. What a candidate says, what you say and how you say it is the greatest and most powerful asset you will ever have. It is the basis upon which voters will judge you. It is the basis upon which they will decide to trust you with their most sacred of all possessions… their vote.
During the course of your campaign, words will be used in speeches, press conferences, press interviews, in debates, encounters on the campaign trail, the events you attend, in conversations you have if you go door to door.
How a candidate looks, how YOU look when you deliver a message is equally important. Sloppy dress, poor grooming, gaudy jewelry, bad breath, a bad temper or bombastic name calling will always overwhelm your message and make it impossible for voters to hear it.
For all the talk in recent years about social media, micro-targeting, and the high-powered bells and whistles in the political marketplace, too little has been said about the lost art of political poetry. We live in a country that desperately hungers for candidates that offer inspiration… some hope that tomorrow offers a brighter day.
Here is an eternal truth. If you are hitting a responsive chord with the electorate, offering words that lift, speaking with authenticity, connecting with the hopes and dreams of those whose votes you seek… your candidacy will catch fire. If you don’t, it won’t no matter how many bells and whistles you use.
The United States is going through a difficult time, and the problems are mammoth. A suggestion for candidates, and those of you who would lead our communities and country through the present day rough-patch. Lift people up. Use your words to help people believe in what they can do with their God given talent. Allow yourself to be an inspiration to a country that needs some heroes. Rather than denigrate, inspire. Rather than bemoan the present, paint a picture of what can be. Instead of inciting hatred and instilling fear, rise above the chorus of the age and dare to sing a different song.
If you are looking for help on how to do that, reach me at 845-458-1210. Or email me at Jay@JayTownsend.com.
Last Week’s Video: Running For Office? Your Campaign Message- What to Say about your Opponent