[nabs-l] Question about canvassing.

[Cindy]

Just to clarify, I would not be allowed to move from my spot and approach people.

C
indy  

Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 19, 2012, at 10:28 AM, "Brandon Keith Biggs" <brandonkeithbiggs at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello,
> When you want to talk to someone, start walking toward them and possibly look a little forward or what not.
> It would be interesting to go on a trial run with a sighted person and have the sighted person do the first couple handouts and you do a couple and if there is some difficulty have the sighted person review what happened and help you brainstorm ideas.
> Also, you don't need them to see you're blind, it would just distract from your presentation. In conversation, look more at the pamphlet if you are questioning where to look when talking about the pamphlet.
> Thanks,
> 
> Brandon Keith Biggs
> -----Original Message----- From: Cynthia Bennett
> Sent: Monday, September 17, 2012 9:21 PM
> To: Jobs for the Blind ; National Asociation of Blind Students
> Subject: [nabs-l] Question about canvassing.
> 
> Most of my in-person fundraising experience has occurred at
> blindness-related events. But now I have a potential opportunity where
> I would canvas. This means that I would stand on a street, locations
> change on a daily basis, and it is my responsibility to engage
> passersby about a cause in the hopes of signing up members of the
> cause and therefore raising money. My conversation skills are very
> good, and I am also good at gaging peoples’ interest once the
> conversation has started. But I have some fears that I would love some
> advice about. Typically, canvassers make eye contact with people when
> they are about 30 feet away. My first alert that anyone is around will
> be talking or footsteps. Just from my own observations from my
> experience when I need to ask a question on the street, often times,
> by the time I have finished my question and by the time the person
> realizes that I have engaged them in conversation, they are actually a
> few steps past me. So, do you have any strategies for engaging people
> sooner? This may not be an issue since the person will quickly realize
> that I am blind, but it will also be easier for them to continue on
> their way without speaking to me whereas they may have stopped if I
> had engaged them before they pass me. This position has strict
> fundraising quotas, so engaging people in conversation properly is
> essential.
> 
> I am so used to having a table to use as a center for engaging people
> at events the NFB has done in public, but I feel that this position
> really relies on me as a person since I don’t have anything else but
> myself.
> 
> Even though this opportunity is not ideal, I think I could learn some
> great skills, and it is immediately available because I know the
> director of the office. But it is also not something I want to do long
> term. So if I accept it as and opportunity, I want to have some
> concrete methods for attempting to do the job successfully so my short
> time there can be profitable for the causes and for myself.
> 
> I appreciate any feedback you can offer.
> 
> -- 
> Cynthia Bennett
> B.A. Psychology, UNC Wilmington
> 
> clb5590 at gmail.com
> 828.989.5383
> 
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