Scripts are the frameworks that guide the conversations your canvassers have on the doors and phones. They contain the Questions you want to ask your constituents and a place for your canvassers to record the responses!
Jump to:
The Script contains information about your campaign that your canvassers need to know while having conversations on the doors and phones. You can include a bit of context at the top and add specific Questions that are important to track responses for. The Script doesn’t need to be read word for word and is often better when canvassers use their own voices.
We’ve seen it work best when Scripts lead with context about the campaign and the questions are as descriptive as possible. Remember that not everyone will know all your acronyms, and not everyone will share your context! Help the folks you’re talking to understand what you’re talking to them about.
Scripts are required to create a Conversation Code, which is required to launch a canvassing campaign. Do not neglect this step!
✅ Tips and Tricks for Creating a Script:
-
- Staying On Message: Adding context to your scripts helps volunteers answer questions; more information empowers organizers to have more quality conversations and build stronger relationships
- Meet the team where they are: Allow your organizers to access the end-user documentation like this article.
- Use all the tools in your toolbelt: You may want to write the script out in a Google or Word doc and copy text sections into the respective fields.
- Practice, Practice, Practice: Have your canvassers run through your script out loud and practice canvassing each other. This will help ensure the script sounds sincere, allow you to reword awkward sections, and give your canvassers more confidence in what they’ll be saying. Make edits accordingly!!
✏️ Please Note: You can change a Script while canvassers are actively out in the field, and it will update for them in real-time, unless the canvassers are Offline when the change is made. Changing the Script in a Conversation Code while a canvasser is actively canvassing in Offline Mode may result in data saving issues. We recommend waiting to change the Script until your canvassers are back online to avoid any data loss.
Creating Scripts
From your Burger Bar menu, click on Scripts.
The page will show you all the existing scripts available in your Garden.
Add a Script
Click on the Add Script button.
Give your Script a name and description, as well as an introduction.
✏️ Please Note: Name your Script something descriptive! A short name might make sense to you today, but future you will appreciate more information.
Including an introduction paragraph gives your canvassers a chance to introduce themselves and the campaign, making the conversation more authentic and meaningful.
The rest of the Script’s contents will exist in the Questions you add.
How to Add Questions
Questions are the building blocks of your Script. You can add existing Questions or create new Questions.
✏️ Please Note: You can create and edit Questions within the Script builder, or from the Questions tab in your Burger Bar menu.
Adding Existing Questions
You can begin typing a Question name in the text box to the right of the Question Bank to select it. Or, click Question Bank to see a list of all the existing Questions in your Garden.
Check off all the Questions you want to include to add them to your Script. You can select more than one Question at a time from the Question Bank.
To save your Questions and return to the Script builder, just click X on the Question bank. From here, you can continue to fine-tune your Script.
✏️ Please Note: You can search for specific Questions using the Search field at the top, or filter by Question Type to narrow the results.
Adding New Questions
Click the circle icon with a plus sign next to the Question Bank to add a new Question.
OpenField offers several Question Types to help you easily track and format your conversations. Select the Question Type that best fits from the list of options, then click Save.
Question Types
- Collect Decimal Numbers
- Accepts: Whole and decimal numbers.
- Collect Emails
- Accepts: Emails; requires appropriate email format (@; .com, etc.).
- Long Open-Ended Question
- Accepts: Strings (numbers and letters) up to 1000 characters.
- Short Open-Ended Question
- Accepts: Strings (numbers and letters)up to 500 characters.
- Collect Phone Numbers
- Accepts: Phone numbers; requires area code formatting.
- Script Text Field
- Accepts: None. This isn’t a question to be replied to, but a section for adding other text or instructions to canvassers in your Script. It can’t be marked as required.
- True False Question
- Accepts: Unknown, True, or False.
- Collect Whole Numbers
- Accepts: Whole numbers only.
- Drop Down Question
- Accepts: Drop-down options; all available drop-down options will be selectable.
- Multiple Select Question
- Accepts multiple options from a drop-down question type
- Collect Names
- Accepts: Strings (numbers and letters) for title, first name, and last name.
Question Name and Text
Fill out your Question Name and Question Text, then tap Save And Add To Script.
Editing Questions
Click the gear icon to open your Options for that Question, then click Edit Question.
Make any changes to the Question Name + Question Text, then click Save.
✏️ Please Note: Drop-Down Questions have specific instructions; see below.
Adding Drop-Down and Multiple Choice Questions
Select Drop-Down Question for your Question Type, fill out the Question Name and Question Text. Under Options, you can select which options you want to populate for this specific question.
Adding Drop-Down Options
For existing Drop-Down Options, you can begin typing in the text box to the right of the Option Bank to see matching results, then click to add the Option to the Question.
Or, click Option Bank to see a list of all the existing Drop Down Options in your Garden.
Check off all the Drop-Down Options you want to include to add them to your Question. To save your Drop-Down Options and return to the Question, just click X on the Option Bank.
You can also add New Drop-Down Options by clicking New Option.
Fill out your new Option, then click Add. Your new Option will be added to the Drop-Down Question.
Removing Drop-Down Options
Click the x next to the Option you want to remove to remove it from your Drop-Down Question.
Changing Drop-Down Option Order
To change the order of your Drop-Down options, just click and drag the handles to rearrange them.
Making a Drop-Down Question Multiple Choice
To allow your canvassers to select more than one response on a Drop-Down Question, click the toggle next to Allow Multiple Choices to Yes.
Removing Questions
Click the x next to the Question you want to remove to remove it from your Script.
How to Change Question Order
By default, Questions added to Scripts will appear in the order they were added. To change the order, click the handle to the left of the Question and drag it, then click Save to update the Script.
Making a Question Required
When a Question is required, a canvasser cannot save their conversation without providing an answer. Required Questions have an * next to them in the canvasser’s view of the Script and will show an error message if a canvasser tries to save a conversation without filling them in.
To make a Required Question, click the gear icon to open your Options for that Question, then click the “Make question required?” toggle to Yes.
Branching Questions in a Script
Branching Questions can be used in a Script when multiple conversation paths should be available to canvassers, depending on the answer the person being canvassed provides.
✏️Please Note: Branching currently only works with the Drop Down Question type.
Adding a Section
To build out a Branching Script, you will first need to create Sections within the Script that represent the various paths available for contacts to follow.
All Scripts will begin with a default Section.
Click the folder icon with a plus symbol to add a new Section.
Name the Section by clicking the pencil icon. Naming Sections makes it easier to choose which Section should come after a specific response.
You can choose what happens after each Section at the bottom of the Section. The options include Continue to next Section, go to a specific Section, or Submit.
Reordering Sections
You can change the order of a Section and all the Questions within it by clicking the dots to the left of the Section header and dragging it to the desired order.
Deleting Sections
To delete a Section, click the X next to the Section title.
Adding Questions to Sections
You can add new Questions to a Section by clicking the plus icon beside the Question Bank. This will open the New Question form.
You can add existing Questions by clicking the Question Bank text to bring up a screen with all existing Questions in your Garden, or searching for a specific Question name in the box beside the Question Bank.
You can change the order of a Question or move it between Sections by clicking the dots to the left of the Question text and dragging it to the desired location.
✏️Please Note: You cannot add the same Question to the same Section more than once.
✏️Please Note: Making a Question required, editing Questions, and removing Questions all work the same as with Scripts without Branching Questions.
Enabling Branching on a Drop Down Question
To add a branch to a Script, select a Drop Down Question from your existing Question Bank or add a new one. Click the gear icon for that Question, then set the toggle for Enable branching? to Yes.
All the available options for that Drop Down Question, and an area to select which Section each response should proceed to if selected, will appear.
The options are Submit Form, Next Section, or go to a specific Section.
✏️ Please Note: Only one Question per Section can have Branching enabled. This prevents contradictory flows from being created.
Reviewing the Flow Logic of Branching Questions
You can review the flow of the branches from the Script Preview section of the Script builder. This can help you be sure your flow works as you expect.
When selecting a response to a Question that has branching enabled, you will see a preview of the first Question in the next Section.
This mirrors how Branching Questions will appear to your canvassers in the canvassing app!
Duplicating Scripts
On the Scripts page, tap the checkboxes next to the Scripts you want to copy.
Click the Action drop-down, select Copy selected Scripts, then click Go.
The copies of your Scripts will now appear at the top of the Scripts homepage, and will read Copy of [Original Script Name]!
Deleting Scripts
You can delete Scripts individually or in bulk.
✏️ Please Note: Once you delete a Script, it cannot be recovered. You will need to make a new Script.
Deleting Individually
On the Scripts page, click the link to the Script you’d like to delete.
From the Edit Script screen, click Delete.
You’ll be taken to a summary page to review what will be deleted. Tap Yes, I’m Sure to delete the Script.
Deleting in Bulk
On the Scripts page, tap the checkboxes next to the Scripts you want to delete.
Click the Action drop-down, select Delete selected Scripts, then click Go.
You’ll be taken to a summary page to review what will be deleted. Click Yes, I’m Sure to delete the Scripts.
Have more questions? Email us at support@openfield.ai.
If you have feature requests or suggestions for how to improve OpenField, stop by our Product Suggestion & Feature Request page!
Comments
0 comments
Please sign in to leave a comment.