Scheduling Events to Maximize a Candidate’s Time

With Labor Day behind us, and voters being more focused on the upcoming elections, properly handling requests and filling out a candidate’s schedule becomes all that more critical.   Below are five helpful points to ensure that you are maximizing a candidate’s time.

1.) Don’t let the candidate handle scheduling requests.  Most candidates will feel the need to accept every invitation even when it might not be in their best interest.  Saying “no” to groups isn’t easily, particularly when they are friends.  Instead, campaigns, no matter the size, should have someone tasked with this responsibility.

2.) Get all requests in a written format.  Since no candidate will be able to attend every event, campaigns should get requests in a documented format.  This helps campaigns keep track of pending requests and enables them to easily share with staff.  Having requests written out also limits the downside from organizations claiming that a campaign never responded to an invitation.

3.) Schedule events around targeted voters.  It makes no sense to hold event after event with voters that you know are already voting for you.  If you have targeted precincts or counties (which every campaign should have) being visible in these areas is imperative.

4.) Don’t attempt to fit too much into a day.  It might sound impressive on paper that a candidate has eight events scheduled in one day but ask yourself, is this really practical?  Often times it is not.  The candidate will soon run out of energy if such a schedule is kept up for an extended period of time.  You also run the risk of being late or perhaps finding yourself doing a last minute cancellation, something that certainly will frustrate not only the candidate but, most importantly, those in attendance.

5.) Get a portable GPS unit.  Every campaign needs to have one of these.   Spending day after day traveling on the campaign trail is very intensive for everyone involved.  The candidate has more important things to do while traveling, such as making fundraising calls or going over briefing materials, then being constantly preoccupied with figuring out how to get to a certain location time and time again.