Connecting the Dots

I haven’t written any political advice for a while, but I’ve been to a few events and have been listening to plans.  Far be it for me to tell anyone what to do with their time, but I like to think one of the reasons we were as successful as we were is because we were smart about the effort we expended.  To that end, I’m going to share a few basic ideas for anyone who is trying to market themselves, some belief, or some proudct.  Although they are specifically related to politics, I know the principles can be applied much more generally.

Which One is Crazy?

When you see someone running through the streets screaming “The End is Upon Us, Repent!”, you probably don’t drop into a prayer for fear of your impending demise.  In fact, you probably look away if you’re polite, laugh if you’re not, or get up in their face if you are the saucy type.  In any case, you aren’t going to be listening to that person because you think they are strange.

How you carry yourself determines how people will see you.  Dress appropriately for an occasion, or failing that, for the mood you want to convey.  Think of contact as you might an interview, where you’re looking to strike a chord of common interest.  The best connections I’ve made have often had nothing to do with the issue I wanted to promote,  but rather with just making that bridge that builds enough trust for someone to listen to my other words.

To hone this in for the liberty movement, while it is laudable in some ways that people are willing to be zealots and give up their jobs to walk across America, this also screams crazy.  Why would I listen to someone who can’t even make it on their own when they were telling me how to run this country?  Even when I agree with such a person, I find myself questioning the beliefs I hold by mere association.

I think too many people try to come up and start putting an idea in someone’s face.  People believe things for their own reasons, and it is hard to change that.  If you go with the intent of substituting what you believe with what another already thinks, you’re most likely going to fail.  People are very stubborn about change (you’re probably no exception yourself), and getting people to think wholesale differently takes time.

Instead, you’re selling yourself as someone who can be counted on to have a reliable opinion.  If you’re seeing someone for thirty seconds, that just means having a favorable (or at least, not a negative) impression.  If you’re really trying to convince someone, that means getting to know them enough to have a conversation.  Meet them at their beliefs, listen, and see where there is common ground.  Agree to disagree, and work to learn.

As ideological as I am, I have been persuaded that I’m wrong, even though I win more than my fair share of disagreements, because I talk, listen, think, and then consider.  It is a better way to live.  In all things, we are sometimes wrong and our knowledge is always lacking.  I learn so much through listening and being open, and you will also.  Plus, people will trust you.

In the end, the biggest thing you’re asking for is trust.  As a candidate who has walked door to door before, listening to people, and having to reach out, I’ll tell you the old tricks are the only ones that work, and they’re how you reach others.  People go for the glamour and for the hardcore actions to justify their own time spent, and because the idea of sacrifice is redeeming to those who don’t think they will succeed.  That is their choice, but as good as they feel and as much as the people who already agree might approve of their actions, they alienate everyone else and that is a problem.

I offer this advice to my friends out there trying to promote good ideas.  Trust that the ideas will come to those around you if you present them properly.  People like having choice, as we always argue, and you have to trust your own belief.  Practice what you preach.