Dialsmith

Photo by: bredgur from Flickr

“It’s a pretty good zoo,”

Said young Gerald McGrew,

“And the fellow who runs it

Seems proud of it, too.”

Zoo Keeper First Impressions:

Young Gerald McGrew gets his first impression of the zoo from the “fellow who runs it” and “Seems proud of it too.”  First impressions are talked about extensively, from when your parents tell you to “stand up straight, don’t slouch” to business mentors teaching you what to wear, how to smile, what to say, how to mimic behavior and all the other tid bits we have heard, read about and been taught over the years.  In Gerald McGrew’s world, pride is the first impression he gets of the zoo keeper.  However, we learn as we turn the pages that young Gerald McGrew does not necessarily feel the same way that the zoo keeper does.

The Politics Of The Zoo:

We are in the midst of some amazing political times. So I imagine instead of a zoo keeper, a political candidate, and they need Gerald McGrew’s vote. You have 30 to 60 seconds to promote your platform on TV and radio and/or you have 45 to 60 minutes in a debate to clarify and showcase your views, while challenging your opponent(s).  You may be proud of it, and pundits will do what pundits do, but in the end what really matters is what is Gerald McGrew’s perception? Right now, probability is that Gerald McGrew is an independent voter.  There are many stories and studies and polls right now discussing the growth of the independent voter.  The Washington Post recently posted on this very topic “The amazingly unpredictable voter.”

Unpredictable is right, and while that may be an exciting notion for voters, what about the candidates?  How can they possibly get a grasp on what these unpredictable voters are responding too?  As our two party, black and white (red and blue) system takes on shades of grey (and purple) this political season it is more vital than ever to utilize non-group-think political research methods, most notably the Perception Analyzer®

What is young Gerald McGrews Perception::

At Dialsmith we get to provide political candidates honest feedback on that all important first impression. More importantly we give them a chance to make a more qualified second impression.  Sometimes the proud “fellow who runs it” does not want to hear that Gerald McGrew does not like “it,” or only thinks “it’s pretty good” or as is the case in Dr. Seuss’ If I Ran The Zoo, Gerald McGrew thinks it the same as every other zoo. This is the exact feedback, and trackable data that can create your winning zoo.  That swing vote for you could be one question away, or even one moment-to-moment overlay away.  Watching your ad from your proud zoo keeper perspective may create a warm fuzzy for you and those that already support you, but what matters is watching second by second how the voting Gerald McGrew feels about your ad or how you responded to an answer in a televised debate or town hall.

If you are willing to put your pride aside and listen to honest perceptions directly from your base, the other zoo, and, of course, those unpredictable independent voters regarding your first impression, you will get a chance to create a second impression and be able to build a zoo for that Gerald McGrew, and then he will vote for you!