Wars are won through effective communication and managing logistics. Political campaigns are no different. Effective campaign managers, like generals, must have an ability to rally staff to execute on an established plan with a central goal in mind. While political campaign battles are waged with words, the technology used should be just as cutting edge and tactical as modern warfare and that means using a great Hosted PBX platform.
A Hosted PBX platform represents the backbone of this vital communication channel for political campaigns. The system itself is uniquely designed to provide a wealth of functionality critical to every campaign manager’s outreach goals. A great PBX platform comes equipped with an arsenal of features that help make these efforts easier and provide complete control at a technical level.
“Gentlemen, the officer who doesn’t know his communication and supply as well as his tactics is utterly useless.” ~General George S. Patton
The Remote Campaign
Hosted PBX systems are, by their very nature, tailor-made for a remote workforce that is constantly on the go. Likewise, a campaign that covers a wide geographic area or includes volunteers who are themselves working off-site can benefit greatly by using a phone system that works where they are.
The system allows for a unified view of the official campaign staff by providing each member with a specific extensions and features that routes calls to any device, making staffers accessible anywhere and on the schedule they choose. A hosted PBX system also offers scalability and on-the-fly administrative changes to help campaigns remain agile, allowing them to add or remove extensions in the field, should the unexpected arise.
Engagement is also a breeze with on-demand conference calling that allows staff to easily connect and attracting would-be volunteers with the vital information they need to get active. These calls can be recorded and made available to help accommodate wider audiences and their unpredictable schedules.
Cost-Effective Outreach
Another vital piece of voter outreach is the ability to distribute targeted messaging via phone lists. This practice, known as the robo call, allows campaigns to record a message and have it distributed to a set list of phone numbers. This touch point is easy with a Hosted PBX system and a simple spreadsheet list of published numbers uploaded to the system along with the recorded message.
The low cost of this approach offers wide appeal for a campaign that is budget conscious and fighting for every donation they can muster. For just a low monthly fee plus a $0.03 cost per minute call, this feature provides fast voter outreach at bargain pricing. The added benefit is campaign messages are not subject to the restriction of federal and state ‘Do Not Call’ regulations, leaving staff free to manage other important data entry tasks.
Weeding Out the Interference
Call blocking may also be an attractive feature of a Hosted PBX system. Any potential issue can be mitigated by blocking a specific number or IP address. This allows the campaign to avoid potential issues from opposing campaigns and their supporters, should the need arise. Extensive reporting options add to the control campaign leadership can rely to help them understand what communications channels are being used effectively and what opportunities are available.
Winning campaigns use an effective strategy backed by the right technology. The goal is to achieve at least five ‘touches’ of each potential voter to influence outcomes. This can be an expensive and time consuming prospect, certainly without an army of volunteers and an unlimited source of PAC funds. Great technology used effectively is a vital part of the logistics battle and so necessary in the effort to win hearts and minds during a contentious election season. It would be difficult to forecast a win without it.