Writing Introductions That Build Real Confidence

In January 2018, I sent out two versions of an action for Seattle Indivisible in the same week. We wanted Congress to force a vote on a clean DREAM Act, no poison pill riders that would gut other immigration protections. Same target: Representative Jayapal. Nearly identical scripts. The only difference was the introduction.

The first version jumped straight in: “Call Rep. Jayapal and tell her to keep pushing for a clean DREAM Act vote.” The second opened with a paragraph explaining why “clean” mattered, what riders were being proposed that would undermine the bill, and what Jayapal could do to force the vote. Same ask. The second version significantly outperformed the first.

The introduction is where campaigns succeed or fail. Not the script. Not the target selection. The part most organizers treat as throat-clearing before they get to the “real” content.

What an Introduction Actually Does

Your introduction has one job: close the confidence gap between what your volunteers know and what they need to know to feel ready to act.

This isn’t education for its own sake. Nobody needs a policy briefing. They need just enough context to answer the question running through their head: “Do I understand this well enough to talk about it?”

That question is the gate. Your intro either opens it or leaves it shut.

The Three Questions

Every effective introduction answers three questions, in this order:

What’s happening? Not the full legislative history. The current situation, in plain language. “A bill that would cut funding for school lunch programs is getting a vote in committee on Thursday.”

Why does it matter? Connect the policy to something your audience cares about. “If it passes committee, it goes to the full Senate for a vote, and right now there are enough votes to pass it.” Make the stakes concrete and immediate.

Why can my call make a difference? This is the one most campaigns skip, and it’s the most important. “Senator Murray is on the HELP Committee and hasn’t announced her position. Her office told us they’re tracking constituent calls on this bill.” Your volunteer needs to believe their specific action matters before they’ll take it.

Answer all three and your volunteer has what they need. Skip the third one and they’ll wonder why they’re bothering.

Here’s what those three questions look like stitched together in a real introduction:

“The Senate HELP Committee is voting Thursday on a bill that would cut school lunch funding for 200,000 kids in our state. If it clears committee, it has enough votes to pass the full Senate. Senator Murray sits on the HELP Committee and hasn’t taken a public position yet. Her staff told us she’s listening to constituents this week. Here’s what to say when you call.”

That’s five sentences. A volunteer who reads them knows what’s at stake, why this specific call matters, and that someone on the other end is actually listening. That’s enough to pick up the phone.

Show Your Work

Here’s a pattern I learned the hard way: your introduction should make the reasoning visible, not just the conclusion.

“We’re asking you to call Senators Murray and Cantwell about the Gorsuch nomination because Murray voted to confirm John Roberts to the Supreme Court in 2005, and both senators were noncommittal for weeks before we started pressuring them. That history tells us constituent calls matter on judicial nominations with our senators” does more work than “Call your senators about Gorsuch.” The first version lets your volunteer see your thinking. They know the targets were chosen deliberately. They know there’s a reason to believe the call might matter. They can even repeat that reasoning to a staffer if asked.

This is an intro-writing technique, not just good manners. When volunteers see the logic behind an action, they stop feeling like they’re following instructions and start feeling like they’re part of a strategy. That shift is what gets people off the couch.

How Long Is Too Long?

This is the tension every campaign writer faces. Too short and people don’t feel prepared. Too long and they don’t read it.

For experienced audiences, two to three sentences is usually enough. State what’s happening, why it matters, and why the target. Your regulars will fill in the gaps from experience.

For newer audiences, two to three short paragraphs. Cover the three questions, define any terms that aren’t plain English, and acknowledge that calling can feel intimidating if you’re writing for newer volunteers. Don’t write an essay. Write enough that someone who knows nothing about the issue could explain it to a friend in thirty seconds.

The test I used at Seattle Indivisible: read your intro out loud. If it takes more than forty-five seconds, cut it down. If you can’t explain the issue clearly in that time, you probably don’t understand it well enough yourself.

Common Mistakes

Starting with the ask. “Call Senator Cantwell at 202-555-1234” as the first line kills participation. Your volunteer hasn’t been given a reason to care yet.

Assuming knowledge. “As you know, the markup session…” No. Don’t assume they know. If they do know, skimming one extra sentence costs them nothing. If they don’t, you’ve lost them.

Policy jargon without translation. “Cloture vote,” “reconciliation,” “continuing resolution.” These words mean nothing to most people. Use plain language, or define the term in the same sentence you use it.

Burying the stakes. The reason this matters should be near the top, not the bottom. Lead with why your audience should care, then fill in the details.

The Bridge to Action

A good introduction doesn’t just inform. It builds momentum toward the script. By the time your volunteer reaches “here’s what to say,” they should already want to say it.

The best introductions I wrote ended with a sentence that created urgency without panic. “The vote is Thursday, and her office is taking calls through Wednesday evening” gives a clear window for action. “This is an emergency and we need you to call right now before it’s too late” makes people anxious, not motivated. Urgency with a deadline works. Urgency without one just feels like noise.