By Brandy Bailey, ElectWomen Contributor

As you begin to develop your field strategy as part of your overall campaign it is important to remember that in order to win you need the help of a strong team of dedicated volunteers working phone banks and canvassing for you.  Getting volunteers is one thing, but making sure they are productive and keeping them coming back is another.  So here are some ideas to help you get the most out of your volunteers and to keep them signing up for more.

Be organized and ready.  Before your volunteers ever arrive at your office or staging location be prepared for them; know when they are coming, what they are coming to do, and have their materials ready for them.  If a volunteer is coming to make calls at a phone bank have a call pack ready and waiting for that volunteer.  Each call pack should contain a call list, script, talking points, and instructions.  If a volunteer is coming to canvass have their walk pack ready.  Each walk pack should have a walk list, script, talking points, instructions, candidate literature, pen, map of the area being canvassed, and a map from the staging location to the first house being canvassed.  Being well organized will help you get your volunteers trained and out the door or on the phone faster as well as help eliminate confusion.

Build rapport.  Take the time to build a rapport with your volunteers.  When a volunteer arrives for the first time take a few extra moments to get acquainted, ask questions about their family life, work life, and hobbies.  By developing a relationship they will feel as if you are invested in them and they will become invested in you; as a result they will be more likely to sign up for extra volunteer shifts and less inclined to cancel on shifts they have already signed up for.

Train your volunteers well.  For many this is their first experience working for a political campaign; others may just need a refresher course in phone banking and canvassing.  Clearly explain the purpose and mechanics of each task.  Show the volunteer his or her call sheet or walk sheet, explain what each of the check boxes means and why accuracy is important.  Present the script to your volunteer, but encourage them to make it their own.  If necessary make a couple of calls with them or walk a couple of houses with them.  Furthermore, you should try to set realistic goals for each volunteer.  For example, if a volunteer is phone banking for two hours it is realistic to expect them to make 80 calls.  By clearly understanding the task and what is expected of them volunteers will feel more comfortable and will take more ownership of the job they have been given to do. 

Create an environment that volunteers enjoy.  Keep your office space clean, organized, vibrant, and cheerful.  Hang posters on the walls thanking your volunteers for all their hard work.  Use butcher paper to create large calendars outlining phone bank and canvass shifts; be sure to write in your volunteers names in the times they have signed up for.  Hanging campaign posters on the walls will also help create a more lively and energized environment.  Finally, be friendly and gracious; people naturally want to be where they are welcomed and appreciated.

Have alternatives.  While voter-to-voter contact activities such as phone banking and canvassing are the most effective at getting more votes have alternative activities that volunteers can do in the event there is a problem.  I once had a volunteer who came to the office and went through phone bank training.  After she made a couple of calls she informed me that it terrified her.  She was visibly upset and felt as if she was letting me down.  But instead of letting her walk away feeling defeated I asked if she would be willing to stuff envelopes for a mailing my candidate would soon be sending out.  She took me up on the offer.  After that, she came back every week to help stuff envelopes and prepare canvass packs for other volunteers. 

Have a backup plan.  In a campaign it is impossible to control everything, so it is wise to have backup plans.  If your volunteers are supposed to make phone calls using an auto-dialer you should also have paper call lists available in the event the auto-dialer stops working.  Keep umbrellas on hand in the event it rains on your scheduled canvass time.  This will keep your volunteers working and minimize downtime. 

Know your resources and plan accordingly.  Even though a campaign budget is tight, ideally you should try to have enough Cricket phones or landline phones for your volunteers to use so that they do not have to use their own.  If you know that you are going to be faced with a situation where you are short on resources such as phones make a plan ahead of time.  For example, ask a volunteer who you know well if he or she would be willing to use their own phone thus freeing up one phone for another volunteer.  By having a plan and being prepared you will be able to keep your volunteers working.

Running a political campaign is hard work but hopefully the ideas I have presented you will help you manage one of your most valuable assets; your volunteers.  While you have a lot on your plate managing your campaign you should remember that happy volunteers are productive volunteers and that is how you win!