Yes, some people are annoyed by phone calls but, the thing is, for someone who has been purged from the voter rolls, your call can be a conversation of hope. There are many stories of reluctant phone bankers who had such inspiring phone conversations that they are now phone bankers for life.
Now there are amazing technology tools that let you phone without revealing your phone number. In addition, there are new ways to mask your number (See instructions here). The rewards of a successful call are substantial. Imagine helping someone get registered so that they can exercise their most fundamental democratic right at the next election.
WHAT IS PHONE BANKING?
When you Phone Bank, you are calling voters. It is an effective way to personally connect with people to encourage them to vote. Engaging a potential voter over the phone gives them an opportunity to talk, to ask relevant questions and perhaps discuss issues they can not discuss at home. A secondary benefit to phone banking is that it helps clean up lists so that future phone bankers and campaigns can be more efficient with their calls.
As a member of the ReSisters, you can participate in Phone Banking during our Resistance Café. It is nice to have company when you are Phone Banking, and it is a great opportunity to share tips, celebrate successes and commiserate with others when you think you have bombed (you probably haven’t!).
WHY DOES PHONE BANKING WORK?
Outside of face-to-face canvassing, phone banking is the most effective way to Get Out The Vote (according to Lessons from GOTV experiments, a report from the Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies). Marie Jonas who Phone Banks for the Sister District Project says, “While one call might not do a lot, it’s not about one call. It is about being part of a movement. Hundreds of people, making dozens (or hundreds) of calls, reach thousands of people. Combined, we make a difference.” Jonas describes her journey from a reluctant phone banker to a believer in this article.
TRAINING FOR BEGINNERS
If you have never phone banked or if you haven’t done it recently, you will be impressed with the slick and easy-to-use tools that enable you to make a maximum number of calls with a minimum amount of administrative work.
We partner with various organizations for our phone banking activities. They provide regular training sessions, tips and tools to get started.
See our Weekly Menu for phone banking actions.
Also, some campaigns use Slack. You are connected to coaches with the ability to ask questions and get quick answers as you do a campaign.
WHERE AND WHEN CAN I DO PHONE BANKING?
Phone Banking can be done with fellow ReSisters during our action focused meetings or on your own. To Phone Bank you will need your Smartphone and a computer or iPad. Typically, organizations limit calling to the daytime hours in the location where the calls are going.
HOW DO I BECOME AN EFFECTIVE PHONE BANKER?
ARE YOU NEW TO RESISTERS?
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