General Speaking Tips When Calling Out

We have done many articles and podcasts that include tips on how to call out effectively. One listener asked if we could compile all those tips into one podcast. We thought that was a great idea!

• Friendly, winsome affect and tone is crucial
• Stick to 3 talking points: God, resources, humanity of the baby
• Do not use condemning words that put up barriers to enticing them to talk with us
• One person at a time calling out
• Avoid name-calling
• Paint a positive picture; e.g: “You can be the mom God designed you to be!”
• Use Scripture to support your message; e.g.: “Nothing is impossible with God.”
• Call out about what are likely main issues and address them: fear, boyfriend pushing abortion, not right time, baby unwanted, not enough money, too many kids, world is unstable. HAVE ready responses to ALL of these. They are common issues you will hear over and over again.
• Stay focused. Avoid conversation with others including teammates and people who support abortion. If you lose focus, it is hard to be as ready and sharp as you need to be in such a difficult setting.
• When not speaking, be in prayer.
• When not speaking, be gathering clues over what to say – are they in and out of the clinic a lot, are they crying, are they looking at you when you speak, etc.
• Use your name when you call out
• Invite them to come and talk with you
• Use the words FREE and HELP often
• If there is a more antagonistic pro-life group on the sidewalk, put distance between you and them. You can not make them leave, but you can speak in a gentle, compassionate and truthful manner that will distinguish you from approaches you don’t like.
• Do not argue on the sidewalk with anyone. Not those who support abortion. Not other pro-life groups. Not passersby. Keep the main thing the main thing.
• Use unamplified voice if possible. More personable
• If using amplified sound, keep the “monologues” brief. Otherwise your words become background noise. People in crisis do not have the bandwidth to focus for very long especially if the message is one they do not want to hear. Short talk time on the mic, and then give them time to process.
• Do not be afraid to use scripture and Biblical truths. This is the only thing that changes hearts and minds eternally.
• If someone is antagonistic to God and asks for other reasons not to abort, have things prepared to say (SLED method is good and we do talk about this in another article/podcast); however, find ways to weave God into even the “scientific reasons” not to abort (design of womb, miracle of life, complexity of life even at moment of conception BEGS for the truth of a Designer).
• Tell them if they don’t feel like talking, please just come get the FREE information. Remind them we put our name and number on the back so they can contact us at any time.
• Have prepared brief statements to call out to all groups you are likely to encounter: moms, dads, abortion workers, grandmothers, etc.  We have prepared a list of such statements.
• Do NOT GIVE UP! Call out each time you see a mom, no matter how many times you see her. Try to call out something different each time with a different focus on the three talking points. If you run dry, ask a teammate to take over.
• If they engage with you, but are calling across a parking lot, ask them to come near so you can have a quieter discussion. If they will not, stay engaged if you can. Be VERY mindful of not “getting in the flesh” which can happen if you are frustrated by their blindness to what they are doing.
• Offer to pray with them. 
• If you do pray with them, avoid the ideas of forgiveness or love of God without mentioning love of God FOR THE BABY.  Pray in a way that convicts them of God’s call for justice, repentance, righteousness, and His love for the unborn and His call for all of us to protect the vulnerable. Pray for them to do what God would have them do and for Him to empower them to do what is right, to save that precious child.