Outreach advice for beginners

[Billy L]

How did you start out doing outreach and education with the public? 
What advice would you have for beginners who may not have a large group for support?

What leaflets or brochures do you use?

How do you handle difficult people?

[Angela Wright]

I am not sure what out reach really means. I always mention to any new person in the first 5 min of conversation that I am vegan/veggie.into animal rights/foster dogs etc.etc. This way anyone who is interested will be able to ask questions.  Also they might be veggie and I like to surround my self with like minded people. 

I do stalls on occasion with 2 friends and always push not eating animals/   not using animal tested products/not supporting charities that test on animals esp the well known ones Cancer research UK /Brit. Heart Foundation.etc.

This way people can do something to bring about change. I do not like just asking for money as this won't change people's actions.

I used Animal Aid/Viva /Vegan Soc . leaflets and others less often. eg. CAPS.

If people are wasting my time and arguing for the sake of it. I stop talking to them by saying something like      " My job is to talk to those who ARE interested and you are preventing me from doing that Goodbye" I will then start to hand out leaflets or talk to my companion.I don't spend too long with someone who I realise is a time waster. Sadly people with mental health issues, or those who are lonely often want to chat. I apologise to them and jokingly say "I must get on, or my boss will give me the sack if I don't give out these leaflets." Again I start giving out leaflets. They get the message and move on.

[Mo Orr]

I read all the transcripts in ARZone.  This gave me the opportunity to learn different views, expressed in different ways, seen through different eyes.  They helped me find my feet.

How to handle difficult people? Recognizing when people are button-pushing for the sake of it has been invaluable. I know then to walk away. As for others, it depends on how or why they are being difficult, and I tailor my words to the occasion.

This is a great question,  Billy.  How about you? How did you start?

[Billy L]

I'm asking because another member brought the question to me (I'm looking for tips vicariously).
I took some cards to Berkeley Vegan Earth Day recently, and handed a few out. I'm not experienced in doing things like that, so I figured this would be a great place to drum up support for ARZone, and not meet with resistance. I went alone to the event, so it was a bit awkward approaching groups of people - plus there are so many other resources to promote, like in one case, a new vegan was asking about where they could find vegan take-out or restaurants in their somewhat rural area, and I wanted to tell them about http://www.happycow.net/ but none of us had a pen...

I'm fortunate because I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, there are a lot of open minded individuals here. I'm going to make an effort to get out to a tabling sometime very soon, since it's summer here and farmers markets are filled with pre-vegans.