The government's referendum working group, made up of prominent Indigenous activists and campaigners, met with crossbench MPs and the opposition leader on Friday.
Uluru Dialogue co-chair Pat Anderson told independent MPs the "yes" campaign would need "all the friends we can possibly get".
"This is getting ugly now and it'll get worse. Hang in there and hold the line," she said.
Independent MP Allegra Spender, who represents the Sydney seat of Goldstein, said the fringes of any debate always had ugliness and Indigenous Australians would be the ones affected by it in the lead-up to the referendum.
She wants to encourage respectful conversations and is optimistic about the tone of the debate.
"That's what our responsibility as leaders is, to have respectful discussions," she said.
Ms Spender said the working group had encouraged her and her colleagues to "lead from the front" and not wait for permission to engage with their communities on the voice.
Fellow independent MP Zoe Daniel said the meeting was a taste of the "direct, practical information and guidance" an Indigenous voice would provide.
Ms Daniel will launch a campaign next week to provide voters in her Melbourne seat of Goldstein with information to understand the voice.
Ms Spender said the meeting was constructive and the group had also offered to hold information sessions in electorates.
Her community wants to know how the voice would make a difference on the ground and whether there would be any unintended consequences of the constitutional change.
"There is strong support and people have legitimate questions," she told AAP.
"The more information we can get out, the better. It was a very thoughtful discussion."
Australians will have their questions about the voice answered through "yarning circles" with referendum supporters.
Uluru Statement from the Heart architects are launching a national program to enable people to participate in online sessions to increase their understanding of the proposed voice.
People can ask questions during the hour-long information sessions, which will run from Saturday as part of a national "week of action".
More sessions will be held later in the year as the vote approaches.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has not yet confirmed whether the Liberal Party would support the voice but said the opposition had taken a "productive approach" to discussions with the working group.
Ahead of the meeting, he said while there might be debate about the pathway to improved outcomes for Indigenous Australians, everyone shared the desire to get there.
A referendum will be held in the second half of this year, with legislation to enable the vote expected to be introduced to parliament in March.
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