Phone Banking with ThruTalk
Phone banking is currently the best technique for communicating with voters. Think of it as a virtual form of the door-to-door canvassing, which was standard in previous election years.
With phone banking, you can:
- reach voters in Swing States to talk one on one about the importance of voting and the 2022 election
- gather data on voters for better targeting of messages
- let voters know about Vote by Mail and Absentee Ballot options
- Get in-state volunteers to help reach out to Democratic voters
ThruTalk, an automatic dialer system, allows volunteers to quickly call voters using a list of phone numbers already uploaded into the system using a computer or Android tablet. It automatically calls through lists to skip through voicemails, busy signals, and disconnected lines to connect you directly to voters. You can reach up to 10 times the number of voters than you normally would in the same amount of time!
After being connected, just use the script you’ve practiced, and follow the process for recording data. Calling is simple and effective.
Watch this video to get really convinced of the need to phone bank.
Get Set Up
1. Equipment
To begin making calls, you’ll need:
- a computer or Android tablet (Some iPads may not be compatible with ThruTalk.)
- reliable internet connection
- a phone (if you would like to use it for audio).
Note about browsers: ThruTalk is is most compatible with newer versions of Firefox or Google Chrome; it is not compatible with the Safari browser.
2. Sign In and Make Calls
Follow the steps below or watch this ThruTalk dialer training video to get signed in. You can also print out the PDF version of these steps at the end of this guide if needed.
- Follow the link to the ThruTalk page provided by your team. The URL starts with https://thrutalk.io.
- Enter your name, email address, and phone number, then click Get Your Login.
- Copy the temporary campaign Login ID and password at the top left corner of your screen and paste them into the corresponding boxes in the middle of your screen and click Next. Note that each time you log on to the dialer, you will receive a new Login ID and password.
- Decide if you would like to use your computer for audio and either select or clear the Call Using Computer check box. You will typically have better audio with your phone, so uncheck this box if you want to use your phone.
- Select the service (given to you by the campaign), and click Sign In.
- To use your phone’s audio, call the number provided on the Call In Instructions pop-up screen and enter the code.
- Now, you’ll be able to speak with voters through your phone. You will essentially leave your phone connected through the entire shift and not hang up between calls.
- Click the green button that says Click here to start calling. It may take a few seconds to a couple of minutes to be connected.
- When you hear the beep, it means you’re connected to a voter. You will see a screen with information about the voter and the script. Ask to speak to the person listed on your screen, and go through the script!
After the call:
- You’ll now see an alert reminding you not to hang up your phone (if you are using your phone for audio) and to enter the correct call results on the left. If you need to change any of the responses you marked, you can scroll up and do that at this time. You can also update the Notes section with any feedback that would be helpful for staff.
Term Codes: On the left side of the page, you will need to mark one of three options at the end of each call, within one minute of ending the call:
NEXT CALL – Talked to Correct Person (if you spoke with the correct person).
NEXT CALL – No Contact (if the voter was not home, busy, or refused to complete the call).
NEXT CALL – Remove Number (Select for disconnected lines, wrong number, moved, deceased, or hostile.)
2. Once you have marked the appropriate Term Code, you will be prompted to indicate if you are ready for your next call.
3. Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting technical problems:
| Error message when you try to log in | Check to make sure you entered the provided login and password correctly: did you accidentally add a space before or after the entry? Are the correct letters capitalized?
Try using a different email address. Try a different browser. Make sure you are using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, not Safari. |
| Audio trouble on your computer | Your browser may have blocked audio on this site, or you may only have internal mics on your computer.
Log out and log back in and use your phone for audio by deslecting the check box Call Using Computer. |
| System logs you out before you’re done entering call notes/data | Per default ThruTalk settings, you must enter a Term Code within 1 minute after ending a call or you will be logged out. |
| Script layout is problematic/difficult to use | Try a different browser. Make sure you are using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, not Safari.
Make sure you are using newer versions of Chrome or Firefox. |
