Asking someone to set up a meet-and-greet is a great way to get your feet wet with campaigning. They are smaller than rallies or big fundraisers, and voters can get a better sense of who you are and your style in an informal setting.

They usually happen in someone’s home, but they can easily be at a coffee shop or a popular local diner.

You’ll want to have some literature that has your biography and qualifications for office. And spend just as much time getting to know people as you do telling them about yourself. Take the time to learn their stories. How long have they lived in town? Do they have children? What neighborhood do they live in? What do they like about living in the area? Are there any things that they would like to change?

After you’ve built some rapport with someone, you can transition to talking about why you are running. For example, after they talk about what they like about the area, you could say, “I feel the same way. I just wish we could do something about the abandoned lots in this part of town. There is so much the city could do to clean them up and at the same time make the neighborhoods more attractive and inviting don’t you think? Well that’s one issue I really want to focus my energy on if I’m elected. There is so much we could do if we work together to solve these problems.” You want to talk naturally and in your style of course.

And always be sure to thank people for showing up and ask them if they would be willing to support you and vote for you. That’s something one become more comfortable doing with practice. People are impressed when they are personally asked for their vote. Never assume that you have someone’s support just because you had a conversation – flatter them by showing that their support means a lot, that you respect them, and you are willing to ask for their vote.