| EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION 101
Deliver your message in a way that
will make Elected Officials and their staff sit-up and take notice!
Elected Officials and their staffs are not mind readers.
They won’t know how you feel about an issue unless you tell them. But
you have to be sure to deliver you message in the right way. Otherwise,
your communication will be lost in the flood of mail, e-mail, phone calls,
and faxes that comes in to a Congressional office everyday. Following
List below are some tips and techniques that will help ensure that your
voice is heard above the fray.
Method of Communication
The methods of communication you chose should depend
on the type of message. A simple request to vote for a particular bill
can easily be relayed over the phone, while a more complicated message
might better be put in writing. Think also about what works best for you
in terms of time, energy, personal preference, and money.
Volume Does Not Necessarily Equal Effectiveness
Highly controversial issues that are national in scope
can create a flurry of communications to Legislatures. Many offices consider
the numbers volume of communications when making a decision, but only
to a point. In fact, one thoughtful and well-argued message from a constituent
can have more of an impact than a thousand letters or calls.
Always Identify Yourself
It is a waste of time to communicate with your congressional
office without identifying yourself. Unidentified information will generally
be ignored and thrown awaydiscarded. Because the main duty of a congressional
office is to represent the people who live in the congressional district,
they need to know who is trying to communicate with them.
Be Specific
If you know of a particular bill, ask him or her your
elected official to cosponsor. If your concern is with a federal agency
action, ask him or her to send a letter. Whatever it is, the best way
to ensure that the office pays attention to your issue is to force a decision.
Prioritize Your Requests
If you ask for too many things without making it clear
what your top priorities are, the legislative office may feel overwhelmed.
Let the office know what actions need the most attention, or time your
requests so that you are not asking for more than a few things at once.
Offer To Be a Resource
Legislative staff usually are not experts in the issue
areas they cover and often turn to trusted outside experts. Knowing that
there’s someone in the district who really understands patent law, or
ancient fishing rights, or how to build a widget can be very helpful.
If you are an expert in your field, let your legislative office know that
you can answer any questions they may have.
Be Polite
Treat the staff and the office with the same respect
you expect. If you are disagreeable, it will make the staff far less likely
to want to work with you in the future. You can be forceful about your
views and opinions without being rude.
Be Patient and Follow-up
You should not expect an immediate response to your
comments or concerns. In many cases, the issue may be one about which
the member has not yet formed an opinion. Do, however, ask when you should
call back to see if the member has taken a position.
Always Tell the Truth.
Legislative staff turn to outside individuals for
advice and assistance on important policy issues all the time. They must
feel that they can trust the individuals with whom they are dealing.
Don’t Vilify Your Opponents
At the very least, you should refrain from labeling
those who disagree with you as unenlightened idiots. In fact, you can
go even further by fairly presenting the other side’s argument and then
explaining why you have the stronger counter-argument. It’s a great way
to build trust, especially since the staff person you are dealing with
most likely will hear from the other side. He or she will realize that
you have developed your position based on a careful evaluation of the
facts.
Don’t Talk About the Campaign with Staff
Most legislative staff get very nervous or even offended
when people they are meeting with mention the member’s campaign. The laws
against staff involvement in their member’s campaign are very strict.
The only exception is the chief of staff who, under law, is allowed to
be involved in campaign related activities. In particular, any suggestion
that the staff person’s help on a legislative issue may translate into
a campaign contribution is strictly forbidden. Such a suggestion may,
in fact, make a staff person avoid helping you because they are worried
it would look bad for their boss.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember in dealing
with Elected Officials and their staff’s is that persistence pays. In
many cases, you may have to ask two, three, or even a dozen times before
your legislative office is able to respond to your request. So keep plugging
away – and happy advocating!
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