I've done a lot of phone banking and even went to an early primary state one year to help my candidate before there were these "bank from home" arrangements. It was grueling because there were many candidates running, and each one had a phone bank calling the same people. The people we called we're getting deluged and, unsurprisingly, sometimes got really rude, even to the point of screaming when I introduced myself and hanging up on me.



But I had to keep calling and I honestly got to where I felt sorrier for the people I was calling than I did for myself having to call people who hated me for it. So I altered my script & started my calls saying what I knew 90% of the people I spoke to had to be thinking/feeling:



"Hi! I'm SO sorry to bother you. I understand if you're sick of all these many campaign calls. Believe me, I'm sick of making them! But I have to because this election is so important..."



I can't tell you what a huge difference it made. Usually the response was they'd laugh and tell me how right I was--they were really fed up with phone calls--but more often than not they even said they agreed with me that I had to make these calls.



By being straightforward and sincere, I disarmed people who had every reason to be irate, and removed that barrier of unwelcoming so I could do my job.



If nothing else, I'm sure this bit of commiserating made my calls stand out from from all the many phone bankers who just stuck with the script without acknowledging the imposition being made on someone's time and the very legitimate feelings that caused.



Just my 2 cents. Use it if you think it'll help!



Good luck & thanks for phone banking! It really is important.



