Running Start is a nonpartisan organization empowering young women to get involved in politics and transform our world, one elected female leader at a time. Learn more at runningstart.org.
Politics can be a tricky thing for anyone to get involved in, but more so for young women and women of color. Political education and opportunities for advancement seem few and far between. Luckily, Running Start was created for just this issue: to help women learn the ins-and-outs of leadership, campaign strategy, and teamwork through a nonpartisan lens.
Running Start’s programs teach you more than just intricate details of local, state, and national governments; they also help you leverage your networking skills and build upon connections. As you lay the groundwork to one day run for office, use these tips to keep your support network on track!
The Basics of Networking
It’s not about what you know, but who you know. That’s the reality of the game, so let’s teach you how to play.
Some basics of networking include a solid handshake, eye contact, and proper introductions with both first and last names. When introducing yourself to someone, you want to be remembered.
Be prepared. Having business cards in hand shows that you mean business and are a serious political candidate. Being prepared also means taking initiative. When networking, asking for business cards or contact information can open up doors for learning and career opportunities. While few will go out of their way to help a stranger, many are willing to have follow-up conversations about their field, and how they got involved.
Sometimes networking can come easier to you – sometimes it can’t, but that’s what practice is for. These are the first steps to start building your network.
What are Elevator Speeches?
Being prepared means more than just having a business card in hand; it also means knowing what to say. That’s where elevator speeches come in hand. The reality is you rarely have more than a minute or two to introduce yourself and your campaign, so you need to make every word count. Elevator speeches, which are 30 seconds to a minute long, should include your first and last name, the position you are running for, your issue, why it matters to you, why it should matter to your audience, and a request for votes.
Now, I know that’s a lot of information to state in a minute, but try writing out your speech to see which words and sentences you can shorten. Once written, practice! Practice makes perfect, and over time, your speech will change to encompass which issues you want your campaign to focus on.
When networking, make every word count. You’re trying to convince someone to support your campaign in only a minute or two. By being prepared and knowing what you need to say, you have a better shot at garnering support.
Building Your Support Network
Learning how to network is only one part, the other is identifying who you want as an ally for your campaign. Not every person you meet is going to support you, and that’s okay. However, it’s much more time efficient to sort out which apples you want in your basket, and which ones you don’t.
When thinking of allies, you need to ask yourself two questions: Who (individuals or groups) do I want supporting me and my message? Who do I think will spread my message to a wide audience? These two questions will help you determine which ally is going to fully support your campaign and issues you’re advocating for.
Building your network is more than just charming your way through different groups of people. It’s knowing which groups of people you need to charm in order to build up support for your campaign. Ask yourself these five questions to begin:
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Who is there to support you no matter what?
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Who has special skills to help your goal?
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Who is someone well-known that you would most like help from?
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Who does not agree with you? How will you get them to listen to you?
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Who have you been afraid to ask for help from but could be helpful?
Next time you’re networking, you can rely on these individuals to leverage your connections!
Networking is hard, especially for young women just trying to get a foot in the door. However, these tips can make it easier on you to develop professional relationships in a not-so-hard way. And, if you’re still struggling with promoting yourself and your campaign to strangers, remember that it only takes practice.