Historical Context:1965: Darrell Huff testified before U.S. Senate about misleading statisticsAuthor of "How to Lie with Statistics" - best-selling statistics book everSecret: Tobacco industry paid him to di...

The Scale of Growth:Pennsylvania's population: grown only 10% in 50 yearsState government budget: increased over 40% in just 5 yearsGovernor Shapiro's budget: crosses $50 billion mark for f...

9 Insights from the Latest PA Polling:Governor Shapiro's Standing:58% favorable, 24% unfavorable rating personallyBut voters don't like his budget9 Key Poll Insights:1. Cautious O...

Historical Context:1996: President Bill Clinton signed welfare reform despite internal oppositionSigned due to political reality that the public wanted reformCurrent Poll Results (Communication Concepts, May 31...

The Peter Marsh Story - British Rail (1977):Ad executive faced challenge of marketing failing British Rail systemTrains didn't run on time, ridership falling, public hated experienceMarsh staged a powerful demonstr...

The Power of the Second Story:Jimmy Breslin's famous 1963 article about Clifton Pollard, the man who dug President Kennedy's grave<...

School Choice Messaging: One Statistic, One Story, One SolutionTailoring School Choice Messages to Different Regions:Key Statistic:Pennsylvania spends nearly $22,000 per student (top 10 nationally)Despite high...

The Hand Framework for Persuasive Speeches:Thumb - The GoalWhat you want your audience to dd, and why they aren't doing it already?Shapes every part of your talkIndex Finger - The HookStar...

Applying "One Statistic, One Story, One Solution" to Education Reform:One Strong Statistic:$22,000 in funding per student in PennsylvaniaSupporting number: Nearly $7 billion in school district reservesOn...

The 10 Call Rule: How 1 Hour a Week Transforms FundraisingZig Ziglar's principle: "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great"Persistence matters more than perfection in fundraising

The Noun Exercise - Finding the Right Story:Challenge: Identifying compelling stories that illustrate policy impactsSolution: Use the "Noun Exercise" from Kindra Hall's book "Stories That S...

Regional Approach - Tailoring the Message:Consider regional perspectives (Bucks County vs. Westmoreland County)Simplify complex issues like RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative)One Strong Statistic: "Pennsy...

One Strong Statistic:State spending has grown 40% in five years to $50 billionCreate contrast: Government grew 40% while average paychecks barely changedFocus on memorability over precisionOne Relatabl...

Florence Nightingale's persuasive approach to reforming military hospitals:One StatisticNeed clear, memorable numberHelp people realize seriousness of problemExample: 2,800 preventable deaths in one month

Franklin's "Join, or Die" snake cartoon became America's first political cartoonSimple image of snake cut into parts representing coloniesBecame 18th-century version of viral memeFranklin's visual persua...

The Scrooge Story StrategyDickens' insight: People are moved by stories, not statisticsA Christmas Carol changed public opinion and led to real policy changesThe Scrooge Story Strategy - Three-Part Framework:

The election is over and here's what to do next. For Candidates Who Didn't Win:Keep the NetworkMaintain connections with supporters and donorsSend handwritten thank-you notesGive Yours...

Scott Sagan's quote: "Things that have never happened before happen all the time"Amanda Ripley's Survival Arc:DenialDeliberationDecisive ActionOODA Loop for rapid decision-making:

The Feel, Felt, Found technique is a classic sales approach for connecting with peopleIt involves three steps:Feel: Acknowledge someone's concernFelt: Explain that you and others have felt the sameFound: ...

Eisenhower's 1952 "I will go to Korea" speech provides a template for addressing undecided votersKey elements of Eisenhower's approach:Respect and honor past sacrificesShow what's changed and offer a plan...

Close elections happen frequently, with some decided by just 1 or 2 votesDoor-to-door campaigning is a secret weapon for reaching undecided votersPersonal follow-up with a handwritten postcard can leave a lasting impressi...

Importance of listening to voters' actual words:Voters often use specific phrases to describe election issuesThese phrases can be powerful for campaign messagingExamples:"Figure out the election"...

Creating memorable introductions and discussing issues:Allan Dib's formula for introductions: Problem + Solution + StoryExample for an electrician: "You know how [Problem: there's that one light that doesn't work]? Well, [S...

When going door-to-door, think of building trust as climbing three steps:Are You Normal?Quickly establish common ground and relatabilityPrepare a brief introduction showing you're part of the community

Like a LEGO minifig, a powerful stump speech requires three key components:  1. Head – Logical Appeals: Facts, statistics, and logical arguments  2. Body – Emotional Appeals: Stories and vivid pictures to connect...