You are created to communicate and communicate well. It was never meant to be “easy” or convenient or to always make you feel good. But it has been overlooked. 

If good communication can make things better - and it can - isn't it worth the effort to improve your skills? Better communication can only help. ​

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT 
Is communicating inconvenient? Sure. Anything excellent is not easy. But is it worth it? Well, ask yourself if you enjoy tension and misery from your voting block, your target market, and how excited they will be when it comes to re-election? 

• Does your audience currently feel hopeful? 
• Do they feel informed? 
• Do they contact you with appreciation for what you are doing? 
• Are there ways some of the voters can partner with you for success? 

​Newsflash: never treat the voting block as “all the same.” There are soem incredible people out living life who are hungry to be part of what you are doing and to hear how they can help. Yes, communications is worth the trouble.

It’s something Republicans and conservatives can no longer compromise. We must make communications a priority. 
​

• AJH 

As a business you know your market, you have a good product, and you build relationships (for a lifetime) with the customers ...

It is time that Republicans start to see our party as a business. We are not just a clearing house for those who want a stepping stone to become a big deal.

We should stop with the game of “social club” or behaving like we are in 8th grade where the cool kids fight for popularity.

The Republican Party of America should be seen as:

• The group of people with hope
• A team of people with varying perspectives and respect for those who are different than you
• Hard workers, strategic, and pragmatic
• The brand of integrity
• The family always seeking solutions and for ways to serve our community
• The tribe that is aiming to build and not tear down
• People who do what they promise, and act out what they talk about (aka demonstrate integrity)

We should be seen as the happy warriors not the sad and bitter girlfriend who didn’t get her way. (Am I wrong?)

We are the universe where conservatives should know to go for:

• Truth, always based on conservative principles
• Strategies for how to win
• Opportunities for how to serve the conservative team
• Connections for resources
• Opportunities for fellowship, community and friendship

Like a business there is profit and loss, accountability, and a deep understanding of the market. 

Therefore, we should be:

• Producing content our target market wants
• Meeting our target market at their pain points
• Taking time to listen to our target market and community
• Communicating outward what we are thinking and doing
• Always staying fluid for changing our optics and approaches
• Always staying rooted in our fundamental principles

A girl can dream can’t she? What would happen if we started treating our parties like a business? Instead of how they are currently running?
​
It’s time we win as conservatives again. Let’s run this ship like a business. Thoughts?

There is a lot Michigan Republicans should not be saying:

• How nice Progressives and Democrats are at the coffee stand
• How beautiful Gretchen Whitmer looks in the color blue
• And 1000 other things (none of which deserve to be mentioned)

Let’s identify what Republicans should be talking about right now:

• What they are doing
• What the Democrats are doing
• How what the Democrats are doing that is counter to what real American principles want
• How they are assessing things and working to represent those they serve
• Share a couple good news stories (from district, from coffee hours, from experience in Lansing this week)
• And please - for the love of all that is good - give the world a smile and share some hope

Conservatives have these unique and wonderful minds:

• We make everything complicated.
• We consider that “if I don’t understand it fully I should not address it at all.”
• I communicated it once, why do it more?
• I haven’t accomplished anything so how can I talk about what I have done?
• No one will listen to me anyways.

We need to get out of our heads and out of our little “Lansing bubble” where everyone assumes the rest of the world cares and knows about what they are doing and address these principles in all forms of communication:

• Perception is reality.
• Perception is built by what the consumer sees and hears.
• Once they get exposed to a crumb of a message, they start to build their opinion
• Once they form their opinion and they identify others who confirm their opinion they solidify it as truth
• When there is a vacancy for information consumers will grab what they can find
• Silence, avoidance and hesitation is a message.
• Consumers need to hear something up to 10 times to get the message.
• Not everyone listens to the same medium.

You won’t reach everyone but you will reach a lot of people and those people will turn around and reach others for you. But if you do not communicate, they won’t know and in your absence, they will build a message that will reverberate and hurt you.

If Republicans don’t start upping their game NOW they can expect:

• More opposition in their primaries
• More mockery among constituents who are starting to get more engaged
• More bad press
• Less favor in the community
• Fewer donor dollars
• Etc etc etc

“Amy we know how to do communications,” you may say.

Okay, then do it. Because what is happening right now is not working. It hasn’t worked for the past 3 + years and it’s time for some world changing messaging champions to rise and equip leaders to know:

• Admit you need to communicate.
• Let your team know “it’s priority. Let’s get creative to up the game.”
• Let your consumers know I hear you.
• And start communicating today on all platforms that reach your market.
• Make it a habit and a way of life. If you want to win.

*New Note: and if you don't want to win, get out of the political arena because this is what it will take.

Come on Republicans, we have the best message. We have amazing leaders. We have incredible facts on our side. We have a state and a nation to save.

Your friend,
Amy Hawkins

So you are a conservative and you are frustrated that “no one is hearing what you are saying”? Welcome to the arena! The place where you have to learn how to more effectively communicate because your message matters! 

1. Determine what your message is: make sure it is succinct, clear, summarized. 
2. Frame it in a way that will be understandable to your target audience. I.e. if you want teenagers to grasp it, stop preparing a White Paper for them to read. 
3. Be clear about what the issue is and what you want people to do with it. Don't put it on your audience to muddle through to make sense of the issue: tell it to them. If they have to work at it they won't do it. 
4. Build a list of influencers and then invite them to share the information:
   - Influencer: someone who has a group of people they inform, and who has an audience that listens to them. 
   - Share the information with said influencers but in a way that they can skim and grasp quickly, possibly with links to click on for more information.
5. Share it on all your social media platforms, framing it in different ways to fit to that paradigm. 
6. Build your email list and distribute information through your email list. 
7. Lean on Media: If it’s a timely topic, push it with a Press Release or Briefing with the local Media. Ask them, “are you aware of this issue? Here are some ideas your audience might be intrigued by …” And remember to follow up. 
   1. Understand how to advance your topic with media.
   2. Follow up, follow up, follow up 
8. Repeat. Never understand one post, at one spot is sufficient.
9. Have it on a website, or a google drive link. Make sure it is someplace they can come back to, easily find, and refer to again and again and again.
   
10. When appropriate do a video explaining your idea or why you think it is imperative: not everyone reads content. Some people appreciate audio form, or visual form. If it's an urgent topic be prepared to share it many different ways.  
    
    

Bonus ideas:

• I love sending informative pieces to friends I know will be interested via text message. 
• If it’s urgent and timely pick up the phone and leave a message “Hey you should know about …” 
• Never forget snail mail … 
• Advertise in local newspapers 
• And at public gatherings, ask if an announcement can be made 

Sometimes you think the hardest piece is putting the  message together but it’s equally as hard to make sure it gets out there, is received, understood, and acted upon!

Also, don’t be discouraged when you have to share the information in different ways more than once. The word is it could take up to 10 times of repetition before someone connects. 

But if your message is important - it's important to put the time in to distribute the information far and wide. Email me [email protected] if I can help! 

- Amy 

P.S. KEEP LEARNING

1. Review this article that says you may have to repeat your message up to 10 times! 
2. And review this article for more insights on Psychology and Marketing. It has some definitions of terms and style information you might appreciating knowing.