In education, if a teacher confuses their students, they lose the student.
In marketing, if a company confuses their customers, they lose the customer.
The same is true in political campaigns. A candidate who confuses the voters is likely to lose the election.
If you confuse, you lose.
One of the very first articles I wrote for The Campaign School, covered the importance of staying on message while campaigning.
During a political campaign many things will be coming at you that can distract you from your message.
Attacks from an opponent, off the wall inquires from the press, or something scandalous on social media.
These are all part and parcel of running for office.
While they can often be minimized, they can’t all be avoided – especially in a contentious race. The truth is every day on the campaign trail someone will say or do something that can distract you from your winning message.
Opponents will stay awake at night trying to figure something out to hit you with.
“Journalists” pride themselves at asking the perfect “gotcha” question that can overtake a news cycle for several days.
Even well-meaning supporters who don’t understand the nuts and bolts of winning an election will unwittingly try to pull you off message.
Your job, and that of your campaign team, is to stay on message.
You need to stick to the theme of your campaign, the main reason you’re running for office in the first place.
You need to tell your winning campaign story over and over again until the voters know it as well as you do.
That’s how you win. Staying on message and not veering off into the weeds — or into a ditch!
Candidates who get off message – or don’t have one – don’t connect with voters.
They talk about things that don’t matter to the people.
Worst of all they stop telling their winning stories. When you’re not telling your winning story, you’re not doing what needs to be done to convert voters into committed supporters.
Instead you’re confusing them about why you’re running.
And when you’re confusing the voters, you aren’t lining them up in your support column.
You’re leaving them out there to be picked up as supporters by your opponent.
Candidate Take-Aways
Candidates who confuse voters, lose elections!
Don’t do that. Instead, remember what’s at stake and what’s truly important: gaining supporters and winning the election!
Stay focused, and:
- Don’t get distracted and confuse the voters.
- Tell a clear and concise winning story.
- Always, always, always stay on message.
And if you want to go deeper into the do’s and don’ts of political messaging, enroll now and get instant access in The Winning Message premium course.