[nabs-l] Question about canvassing.

[Brandon Keith Biggs]

Hello, The Canvassers I have seen walk in a 20 foot area around their area, 
so I mean walk from that. It isn't really like a table where you are 
stationary all the time.
But again the good canvassers I have run into literally are in front of me, 
so I have to almost run into them to get by.
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message----- 
From: Cindy
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 12:05 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Question about canvassing.

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
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/brandonkeithbiggs%40gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/clb5590%40gmail.com

_______________________________________________
nabs-l mailing list
nabs-l at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nabs-l:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/brandonkeithbiggs%40gmail.com