Tips on Tabling
Main Goal: Recruit as many interested individuals as possible.
- It is vital that any interested person be encouraged to provide you with a way to contact them further by signing the information sign up list
- If they don’t want to give you their information—make sure they have yours so they can contact you later (e.g., brochure, biz card, etc.)
Initial Contact
When someone walks by, smile, make eye contact and attempt to engage them in conversation. This is most easily accomplished by saying, “Hello.” When you say hello, they will either keep moving or slow because they are interested. Before they have a chance to get away, ask them something to the effect of, “Are you familiar with humanism/atheism/agnosticism?”
- Note: Some will be familiar, but most will have only a sketchy understanding, or no knowledge at all. Based on their response—you will likely want to provide a quick overview of the philosophy.
- If they already consider themselves an atheist/agnostic/humanist/skeptic, then strongly encourage them to join your organization by signing the info sheet.
- Be sure to explain who you are and what you mission
- It is very important to get THEM to talk. LISTEN to what they have to say. You are trying to find out what their interests and concerns are so you can relate their interests back to specific issues and activities you are working on.
Get them to sign your mailing list
Ask them to sign up for more information—if you don’t ask, they won’t sign up.
- Once they appear interested or have expressed some solidarity with your views, encourage them to sign up for the mailing list: “We’d like to send you more information. Would you please provide your contact information?” or “we are interested in starting a campus group at this university. Is that something you would be interested in?” etc.
- If they do not want to sign your list, thank them and make sure they have a brochure and direct them to your website for more information.
- Once they have completed their contact information, look at it and clarify any ambiguous information. (This is critical since without accurate information, you will not be unable to contact them, and handwriting is often indecipherable.)
Helpful Hints
It is vital you do not to talk too long to any one person. Again—your goal is to meet as many NEW people as possible and to get them to sign your info sign up sheet.
- Oftentimes someone is very eager to keep talking with you. Don’t let this interfere with meeting as many new people as possible. Most lingerers are generally interested in your organization and are supportive and will understand that you need to talk to other people. Continue to smile and acknowledge the statements made by the lingerer, while you also politely continue to meet new people as well. Once you are engaged in a new conversation, the lingerer will eventually move on.
- If someone else arrives at the table, politely thank the person(s) you’re speaking to and say either, “We’ll be in touch,” or “We hope you’ll check out our website.”
Tabling is a great opportunity to meet like-minded volunteers and you will want to get to know them. At the same time, do not get so caught up in a conversation with each other that you miss out on talking to NEW people.
- The best way to avoid this is to be aware of people passing your table and start initial contacts when someone walks close by, regardless of how interesting your conversation is at that moment. This requires you divide your attention, but it is essential for a successful tabling experience. After all, it is very easy to pick up the thread of a dropped conversation, but impossible to bring back a lost opportunity to meet someone new.
*The SSA would like to thank Jennifer Hancock, Executive Director of the Humanists of Florida, for allowing us to use her materials.