Switchboard Talking Points

The goal of a Switchboard conversation is to schedule a prospective volunteer for an event or training. Through this first interaction, you can begin to build a relationship with the prospect that helps keep them engaged with the community and the campaign.

You will encounter people who signed up recently, as well as some people who signed up a while ago. Everyone on your list has indicated that they are interested in volunteering with the campaign, so don’t be afraid to make a big ask!

Here’s some pointers to make the conversation go smoothly:

  • Have multiple events ready: Open events.elizabethwarren.com in a new tab, and find the event you’re going to be asking people to attend. You can open up elizabethwarren.com/training as well to be able to easily sign prospects up for a training.
  • Introduce yourself: “Hi, I’m [your name] and I’m a volunteer with Elizabeth Warren here in [your town name, or use region for larger areas]”
  • Ask how they’re doing.
  • Remind them that they signed up: “You had mentioned that you’re interested in helping elect Senator Warren by volunteering with the campaign…”
  • Invite them to the event: “We’re holding a [event type - debate watch party, phone bank, house party, etc] at [place] at [date and time]. Can I put you down as attending?”
  • If they can’t make it, offer another event: “Sounds like you’re busy that night, what days and times generally work best for you? [Wait for reply] Great! It looks like we have a training for [volunteer task] on [day] at [time]. Can I sign you up for that?”
  • (Optional) If you’re comfortable, invite the prospect to meet you for a 1:1: “We’d love to find ways to get you more involved - is there a time of day that works best for you to meet with me one-on-one [in person/over video]?”

If you’re unable to get a hold of someone by phone call, try sending a follow-up text to continue the conversation. We recommend mentioning something local or unique to your town or community, so they know it’s not a text from the national campaign. Some people are more responsive by text, and vice-versa. Figure out what works best for each person.