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Case
| HBS Case Collection
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2010
(Revised from original 2009 version)
Congressional Candidate Dan Silver and KNP Communications
by
Amy J.C. Cuddy and Nithyasri Sharma
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Abstract
In the 2006 election cycle, Ron Klein was running for the U.S. Congressional seat from Florida's 22nd District. He was up against Rep. Clay Shaw, a popular 26-year incumbent with significant name recognition in the district. Leading up to the election, Klein's campaign manager realized that Klein had to find a way to relate to his voters on a personal level if he wanted to win the election and advised him to work with KNP Communications, a consulting firm. Over the course of a few sessions, Klein worked with the team from KNP to learn techniques that would help him connect with his voters. On election night, Klein wondered if KNP's training had allowed him to successfully connect with his voters and, more importantly, if this personal connection mattered more to voters than his competence and skills.
Keywords: Interpersonal Communication;
Competency and Skills;
Political Elections;
Personal Characteristics;
Public Administration Industry;
Florida;