By Gary Gray
Who needs a consultant to run a political campaign anyway? They cost money and if you've followed politics, you can pretty well figure it out on your own. That's the condensed version of two conversations I had at a reception lately with two different people who were considering running for office.
The first ran for office two years ago and committed several huge tactical errors in running his own campaign while virtually ignoring a large potential base of donors in favor of writing his own checks. He lost. He says he's figured it all out now.
The other, thinking of running for the first time, is unsure how much money he can raise and wants to cut potential costs by eliminating any professional help from his budget figuring he'll need every penny for campaign materials -- tactical, fundraising, planning, and budgeting concerns, but no professional help.
Well, who indeed does need a consultant? My short answer is just about every candidate. Up ballot or down ballot, certainly any candidate considering putting real effort and real bucks into an attempt to win benefits from professional help.
Why? Consultants—starting with the general consultant or manager—bring not only experience, tools and insight to the campaign, they add an objective view which candidates can't always muster when under attack and charged with things they can't even imagine, much less do. And, with the right approach, candidates usually find their consultant helps save money—or at least brings a spending discipline to focus the use of hard-won campaign dollars.
If the primary function of a candidate is to meet voters and raise money, then every free hour spent on a do-it-yourself campaign is an hour forever lost to actual campaigning. A division of labor does work.
No consultant can bring you an instant campaign, just a better one. The key is how a candidate approaches hiring, then following through during the campaign. Here are steps to take—and pitfalls to avoid—when searching for the right consultant and making her or him part of the campaign.
Start at the top
Before hiring anyone, get a general consultant or skilled manager. The pressure is always on to get someone in place—a press secretary, a media consultant, a field coordinator—and get the campaign moving. The trouble is, moving where? Without an overall plan, budget, direction and someone to implement that broader view, the rest of the campaign often just flies off in different directions.
If you hire others first, then bring in a manager to oversee them, resentments build. Often the early hires try to do end runs around the manager, bringing you into conflicts within your own organization that you don't want and shouldn't have to deal with.
Ask around. Who has a good record locally as a general consultant or manager? Who ran a race that appeared to be the style you would like to have? Who has gained campaign experience and is ready to step up? Refer to the Winning Campaigns directory of campaign professionals. Even if some of them can't take on your campaign, they often know of skilled new people eager to gain a reputation as a winning general consultant.
HINT: Hire a manager and let the manager (in consultation with you) do any other hiring.
Set the guidelines before doing the deal
Discuss organizational structure ahead of time. Remember the consultant probably has been through many more races than you. Ask for his or her thoughts. Don't tell a manager how to run the campaign, but do ask for specific, comprehensive concepts from the manager on how he or she would organize and direct. Clearly state your preferences and listen carefully to the responses. Discuss who, exactly, you will deal with—the consultant or someone down the chain of command.
HINT: Don't look for a “go-fer.” Hire someone you trust to bring you bad news as well as good.
Negotiate, negotiate and then settle
You're a candidate for public office. Elected officials are negotiators by necessity, and you might as well start now. Consultants are used to negotiations done right. Don't take their first number as gospel.
Find out what they can do to make their offer more valuable to you, or less costly. Suggest paring back the payments in lieu of a generous winner's bonus if you are successful. Ask what they can do to help make the numbers work.
And remember, most consultants look at what they need to make in a race for it to be worthwhile. That means you can often bring them in early and get the full benefit of their advice as you start up for the same price you would pay to bring them in late in an attempt to fix things.
HINT: Look for value added. What does this person bring that enhances your campaign even more (win record, political contacts, appeal to funding sources)?
Get it in writing
Never hire a consultant who says he has the whole plan right there in his head. Sure, things change in campaigns, but that's no argument not to have a plan, especially one which actually plans how to meet unexpected challenges.
That plan, from every professional coming on board, should be a clear statement of what needs to be done, by whom, for whom, when, how, and what the costs will be and when the bills will come due. And it must be in writing.
HINT: If they can't produce a detailed campaign plan (or a plan for their part of the campaign in conjunction with your manager), you have no real way of measuring whether they are meeting campaign goals.
Protect yourself
99% of campaign professionals are just that—professional. You can count on them to work hard and be loyal. Because they are professional they should not object to signing a confidentiality / non-compete agreement. Most political party organizations have a draft agreement on file which you can modify to meet your specific needs.
One example tells the story. A candidate, without benefit of a confidentiality / non-compete agreement, tried to demote his general consultant. The consultant, in a huff, took highly confidential information with him and joined the opposing campaign inflicting real damage to the first client.
HINT: If they won't sign a standard agreement, alarm bells should go off.
Move ahead and expect your team to do the same
Learn the important difference between motion and action. Ask yourself every day if you are taking real action to accomplish something or simply going through motions to have a sense of busyness. Ask the same of your team and be certain you serve as a good example.
Make sure the campaign plan—as written—is being implemented on time and within budget. Have your manager set measurable goals. Discuss them. Monitor them.
HINT: If everyone seems to be working really hard yet nothing seems to get done on time or within budget, you have motion, not action.
Communicate regularly
Discuss the campaign at regular intervals with your consultants—don't spend hours on the phone with them every day. Look at the campaign plan and follow it, measuring progress in that reference. Understand that if you are comfortable, you are probably losing. Campaigns aren't meant to keep a candidate comfortable, they are designed to win.
Don't divert staff from the plan just to get your comfort level up. And don't forget to coach when you have to, praise when you can.
HINT: You are the symbol of the campaign. Show confidence in yourself, your campaign plan, and your team.
Consultants. Who needs them? A winning campaign generally needs the help a consultant can bring—if the candidate makes a careful choice to start with and sees the consultant's role as a key part of the team effort. It's up to the candidate to make that happen.
Gary Gray is president of Gray and Associates based in Las Vegas, NV who
has written for Winning Campaigns and has lectured throughout
the country at various political training seminars.
Gary can be reached at Click here to contact this Author
