Don’t waste your money.

Although I previously stressed the importance and significant benefits of retaining a professional consultant to help guide your campaign to victory, there are times when such a move would be a complete waste of money and time.

So, how do you know if you should bring a pro onboard or go at it on your own?

If your PRIDE matters more than your GREED, save your money.

On the surface that may not seem to make sense. Allow me to explain.

Although pride and greed are two of the so-called seven deadly sins, they are both important and crucial factors in any campaign, as I learned during my work on a highly controversial statewide project a few years ago.

We tend to associate pride and greed as negative characteristics, but I urge you to step back and consider a broader definition of these words.

Think of Greed as what you want to accomplish, your goals and objectives.

And think of Pride as your style and approach to accomplishing those goals.

Make no mistake; a commitment to your values and style is important and should not be compromised. But when you enter the public policy arena there will be times when you have to make the sometimes difficult choice between your approach and maximizing the probability of accomplishing your goals. Do the ends justify the means?

Perhaps President Ronald Reagan summed it up best when he said, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

People who play in public policy circles tend to have very big egos. It’s a necessary part of a politician’s DNA. How else could you consider yourself a leader of men or a champion of a cause and set about to lead the charge?

If you are preparing to begin a public campaign, you should be absolutely committed to winning. You should also remember that most people take a dim view of big egos and tend to rally behind specific goals or a mission.

It’s not okay to wander off the ethical map, but to succeed you must be willing to at least consider the advice of your professional counsel and never forget the importance of your goals and objectives.

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BIO:

Randy Seaver is a former newspaper editor who works today as a professional strategic communications consultant and campaign strategist.

Mr. Seaver has successfully served as a campaign manager, communications director and field organizer on a wide variety of statewide referendum questions.

He also has proven experience in grassroots organizing for federal policy campaigns and running campaigns for candidates at the local level.