BEFORE THE EVENT
- If you belong to a campus or local environmental organization, recruit fellow members to table with you. You need at least two people - one to "work the crowd" and another to staff the table. You can have brochures about your group to help recruit people at the same time. Don't forget to make a sign-up sheet for those interested in coming to your meetings and events!
- Pick a good location (one with Internet access and high foot traffic.) Make sure you are allowed to be there. If you are on campus, you may need a permit - be sure to get one, and allow a few days for the paperwork to go through.
- Public sidewalks are usually legally safe territory for comments gathering. Avoid privately owned shopping malls and parking lots.
- The day before your event, go to the site and make sure you can set up your laptop(s) with an Internet connection. If you can't, you can use paper postcards, but the electronic form is preferable.
DAY OF EVENT - you will need:
- A laptop set up pointed to the Greenpeace comments submission page. The address is http://usactions.greenpeace.org/action/start.php?action_id=19.
- Postcards for those who prefer paper. The Forest Service will not accept comments without a complete first and last name and street address (not a P.O. Box). Be sure to communicate this to signers.
- Flyers and fact sheets.
- The banner of your group if you have one.
- A big sign with your favorite forest slogan. We suggest "Save Our Forests - Protect the Roadless Rule!"
- Props if you have the time and energy (a paper-mache tree, someone dressed up in a business suit with dollar bills in his pockets and a chainsaw - anything to catch people's attention).
You could sit behind your table all day, but that wouldn't be very effective (not to mention boring!) Instead, approach people with a short "rap." Ask them how they feel about protecting old-growth forests. If they say they are supportive, ask, "Would you help protect the forests by submitting a comment to the Forest Service?" Then explain briefly what the Roadless Rule is and why it needs to be protected. Most people won't need to know all the details in order to be motivated to comment, so keep it short and don't overwhelm people with information.
On the other hand, some people will have a million questions or want to get into a debate. Do your best to answer them but don't spend an hour talking to or, worse, arguing with one person - refer them to the Greenpeace web site or your group's office. Remember that in the half-hour you spend arguing with someone who is opposed to environmental protection, you could instead talk to 10 sympathetic people and get them to comment.
If you're new to tabling, it's a good idea to "role-play" a little the day before, with one person playing the part of someone who is uninterested, hostile, sympathetic, etc. and the other person trying various strategies.
THE RAP
No matter how you choose to engage people (tabling, door-to-door canvassing, leafletting) you will need a "rap" - a short story you tell people to motivate them to act.
Your rap should be structured, but not canned. You don't want to sound like a robot mindlessly repeating the same lines over and over. Leave room to listen to the other person.
Your rap should include these steps:
- Communicate who you are and what your group does
- Tell them why you are there/why they should care/why YOU care
- Discuss the issue
- Ask a question/get input
- Make your ASK (get people to do something right then & there)
- Get contact info
With your structure, you control the flow of the interaction. With your fluidity, you turn it into a conversation.
A SHORT SAMPLE INTRO:
Activist: "Got a second to protect our forests?"
Citizen: "Well, I'm really busy, what's this all about?"
Activist: "The Forest Service wants to allow logging in our last roadless areas. Greenpeace is working to preserve the Roadless Rule that protects them. We're asking people to sign a comment telling the Forest Service to keep the rules intact."
Citizen: "OK, I can do that. Can you tell me more…?"
Activist: "Sure! The Roadless Rule is the last line of defense for old-growth forests on public lands…" (and you're off and running on your talking points.)
ANOTHER SHORT INTRO:
Activist: "Hi, how do you feel about protecting ancient forests?"
Citizen: "I hate trees, you smelly hippie! Get a job!"
Activist: (unfazed, moving on to the next person) "Hi, how do you feel about protecting ancient forests?"
Citizen: "I'm for it, of course."
Activist: "Great! Do you have a second to sign a comment to the Forest Service? I'm working with Greenpeace to stop logging in our last roadless areas…"
SOME ADVICE:
- Use a clipboard with your info and place it in the person's hands (they feel more committed this way and also can't help but read the info.)
- Practice with role plays. Most people are nervous the first time they volunteer to table or recruit people. Role playing can reduce this nervousness and also make you sound more experienced.
- Always work in teams of at least two. Never table or leaflet alone! (Not only are there safety considerations, but a lone person tends to seem like a "lone wacko" whereas two seem like representatives of a group.)
- Track all contacts/interactions. Keep count of how many people said yes to your ask, how many rebuffed you, and how many seemed sympathetic but said no.
- Ask questions. "So, what made you stop by the table today?" can lead to an interesting conversation about childhood camping trips or previous activist experience. And that can lead to a new person joining your group. Or, asking, "So why don't you want to sign?" can lead to a conversation about being "pro-capitalism" and the fact that taxpayers are paying companies to cut down trees.
- Be polite but be yourself. You're doing this because you care, and at the end of the day that is what will motivate people to take action. You don't have to be "Mr./Ms. Outgoing" or put on a phony act to make a connection with people. Let your passion and your personality shine through.
A NOTE ON THE VOTE:
More than ever this year, every vote counts. If someone is motivated enough to submit a comment, chances are they're motivated enough to vote. Have some voter registration forms available at your table and, after someone has signed the comment, ask if they are registered to vote. If they aren't, you can use this form to register them. This shouldn't be the primary focus of your tabling effort, but is a worthy follow-up.
Note that while you are representing Greenpeace, you can't endorse any particular political party or candidate. You can, however, urge people to vote their environmental conscience and let them draw their own conclusions.