Phone Bank Bumming? Battle your Bias!

Ok, so in real life I’m a sales rep a health insurance sales dude. You guys will need to put me out of business, but that’s another diary. For some reason people see the sales rep as used car sales person, or the guy that keeps coming to your office asking for the boss, but come on that’s cruel. The sales rep is the sharp tip of the spear to your organization. They know more about your product then just about anybody in your firm, and take your company’s message to the wide world. I’ve been in sales now for over 25 years now. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done.

In the fullness of time I’ve graduated from front line door knocking to the hallowed halls of management and training other sales reps, and I know why although you want to phone bank and help the team you can’t make more than 13 calls. You know how easy it is. All you have to do is go here Click here to get started making calls. The site supplies all the scripts to use when talking to your neighbors, it provides easy interaction for entering the notes of your victorious calls, and it yields that most precious of commodities – Democratic votes. Yet when you try you call 13 or 27 times in a whole hour and the phone looks like it has grown fangs and a taste for your dialing finger. Well let me share a little of why that’s happening to you and how you can overcome what we in the sales game call reluctance and become a phone banking superstar.

I have to break something to you first. You are BIASED! Yes, I know you are good and progressive, but you are biased none the less, but that’s not a bad thing. Bias warns us to fight or flee, it tells us right from wrong, it makes us shed a tear when we see that sweet baby picture, or it makes people hit the roof when they see people burning old glory. It actually always operates, and smart advertising companies manipulate your biases when they give you slogans like baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet.

Rejection is a horrible thing to feel. People telling you no or I’m busy or take me off your list, or you have a big head and your mom dresses you funny. Mr. Bias gives us negative shocks to the lizard brain every time we see hear or do something we don’t like even if we want to do it. You don’t even recognize him working, but all you know is that the Scrubs repeat or pulling weeds in the garden is way more important than picking up that phone for Barack.

Now we know what’s stopping us from earning the next level of greatness with your Barack points let me share some techniques that can get you on your way.

Republican thinking

I like how Republicans can say things that completely fly in the face of facts or reality. It’s as if by repeating a statement over and over again they make it reality. Like when Sarah kept saying she told Congress thanks but no thanks on that bridge. Well for them I believe it is reality, and they are using a powerful mind trick that works well in overcoming the fear of phone. What we want to do is re-wire Mr. Bias to feel that being rejected is a good thing. You want to actually delude yourself into thinking that no is heaven and that black licorice tastes good. You do that by engaging in Republican thinking.

Your goal will be to seek and embrace rejection. You will want to set your goals around hearing the no or negative reaction. Barack’s site gives out your contact numbers in multiples of 25 your first assignment will be to hear 25 people tell you to take a hike. Every time some one tells you to go get bent stand up from your chair and cheer as loud as your neighbors and friends will allow. Scream hurray or whatever it is you say when you are happy. Eat a piece of candy, congratulate yourself, tell yourself that the person that you just called, and you woke up their baby, and is cussing at you like you are the devil himself is the most wonderful thing that could have happened to you. Engage in Republican thinking. This will build a callous over the old sensitive spot of call reluctance. Once you have reached your first goal of 25 no’s you will find that getting to your next 25 is easier, and you are less likely to dust the furniture than make some dials.

Now the cat is out of the bag. I want you to engage in purposeful delusion, and in order to do that you are going to have to arm yourself. Your weapon will be uncontrolled unabashed good attitude. In order to foster that good attitude we are going to make one addition to the comfortable well lighted space you will make your calls from, a mirror that you can see yourself well in as you make your calls. Here we are going to take a cue from soon to be Senator Al Franken’s character Stuart Smalley and do a per call affirmation. Look into the mirror and smile. We are going to engage in some Democratic thinking.

Democratic thinking

One of the things that can makes anyone shy to call a stranger is that they are afraid that your product roofing supplies or Barack Obama isn’t wanted or needed by the person you are trying to reach, that you are a plague on society with your desire to get your message out. You are wrong. The next person you call needs to hear your message more than they need their next breath. Your message is imminently important and you are doing a great service to your nation by delivering it. That you participated in this effort is something you can share with your grandchildren and to steal a phrase from the other side be very very proud of. So, give yourself a great big grin every time you make a call. This is another nail in Mr. Bias’ coffin. Looking at that lovely face with that happy smile will reinforce that what you are doing is really fun. That smile will also leak into your call making the person you are talking to far more receptive.

If you believe in your product roofing supplies or Barack Obama this shouldn’t be so hard, and with Barack it is very easy. His product is hope and that’s a very easy thing to sell.

We have seven days and at least that many battle ground states to call. There are thousands of us from safe states and we can make a difference. We’ve moved into GOTV so in many states you can call and not do any converting just insuring that they will come out next Tuesday. Every little effort counts, and even if you only reach the first goal of 25 no responses you will have made a difference. So, go here Click here to get started making calls and beat Mr. Bias.