How Persistence Pays Off

In this continuing series, we explore the results of a survey conducted among more than 50 state and local new leaders asking for any voluntary advice they might give to new or inexperienced new leaders seeking elected office.  Part 9 can be found here.

In all things related to your campaign, keep trying. Be persistent! Is fundraising not going well your first four weeks? You certainly will not get anything if you give up. Calvin Coolidge once said the following:

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race

This mentality is one that you should adopt wholeheartedly in your campaign. Unless something comes up that forces you to withdraw completely, you will always be able to recover from something that you have seemingly failed at or messed up. Big errors in campaign yard signs that the printer refuses to take back or fix? Use them for a bonfire fundraiser! So many opponents in a primary that nobody remembers your name? Do something off-the-wall for the community that the news media will cover (mow lawns in the community while throwing in a message about cleaning up the legislature the same way you cleaned up those yards). Opportunities abound for those persistent enough to pursue them.

In regard to financing in particular, money will come if you genuinely put in an effort to secure contributions. At first, it might be very small — a couple dozen $20 bills in the mail every other week but, sooner or later, you will receive significant funding. That is, if you remember to be persistent. As the saying goes, patience is a virtue and persistence is its teacher.