Nine tips for Personal Meetings with elected officials (Grassroots Lobbying Methods - part 4)

When it comes to effective grassroots lobbying, there really is no substitute for meeting with an elected official personally - and getting others who think like you do to do so as well.  That being the case, you need to take such meetings seriously.

You should treat them just like any other business meeting, (or at least the ones you prepare for!).  Senators, representatives and legislators all have an obligation to vote in the best interest of your community.  Likewise, you have a responsibility to tell them what the best interests of your community are. 

In order to do it right and have the greatest impact, consider the following nine tips for personal meetings with elected officials or their staff:

Carefully plan your visit:

Meet with the officials who represent you.  Elected officials won’t give as much priority to people who are not in their districts.  So if you don’t live in their district, take someone with you who does. 

Identify beforehand which member of the legislative body you need to talk with to achieve your purpose, then be clear about what you want to accomplish.  Also, know what you are going to say beforehand.  If you have a fact sheet or position paper, give it to them for further reference along with your contact information.

Schedule an appointment:

The “higher up” the official is, the more staff they are likely to have.  To schedule a meeting with a congressman, note that each member of Congress has a scheduler or appoint¬ments secretary who you need to contact to arrange a meeting.  Explain your purpose and why you want to meet with them.  Staff members and schedulers can better arrange a meeting if they know what the meeting is about.  Make sure you have an understanding of how long the meeting will last.

Legislators like their meetings short and sweet, (of course, who really likes long meetings?).  Fifteen minutes is a good rule of thumb.  That’s enough time for you to accomplish two goals: 1) tell them what you want them to do and why, and 2) get feedback.

Be on time and be patient:

When seeing any elected official, be punctual.  But remember, it’s not uncommon for them to run behind schedule or to have meetings get interrupted.  If there is an interruption, be flexible.  If the chance presents itself, continue the meeting with a member of their staff.

Be prepared:

Have accurate information and material available on your issue.  Elected officials are required to hold positions on many issues, and there may be an instance where they lack the information you can provide.  So it’s helpful for them to receive information that can clearly demonstrate the pros and cons associated with a particular issue.  Remember that there are always two sides to any issue (at least), and the more you know about the arguments of the opposition, the more effective you will be.

You don’t have to be an expert:

While it’s important to be prepared, you are not expected to be an absolute authority on an issue.  The most important points for you to convey are why the issue is important to you, and that you feel passionately about it.  You’re a citizen with concerns and, more importantly (to them), you’re a registered voter.

Pin them down:

(Surprise!) Elected officials will usually try to be noncommittal because they don’t like to make voters angry.  They would rather make everyone happy and feel that they had their voices heard.  Your job is to get to the bottom line.  It’s nice to feel happy and have the satisfaction that you’ve been heard, but where do they stand?  Be prepared for slick politicians that express great empathy for your position, make you feel good, but then don’t take a position! 

Be polite, but pin them down.  (For example, “I’m glad to hear your concern, but will you vote for or against the bill?”; or, “I’m glad to hear you agree in concept, but will you cosponsor the bill?”)  They may not like it, but they will respect you for it.

Be political:

Elected officials actively seek to represent the best interests of their constituents, (or at least the good ones do).  Whenever possible, draw a correlation between what you want and the interests of your community.  If possible, show them that you are not the only one who feels the way you do. 

Quite apart from the merits of an issue, they might not want to take your side because they might not want to take the “heat” over the issue.  You can help solve this problem by offering “carrots” to counteract the heat and make things easier for them.  Offer to write thank you letters to the editor, make supportive phone calls to local talk radio, or even send out a press release from your group thanking them for their support. 

Find out what “cover” they may need to help get them over the line.  In this case, being political means being helpful.

Be responsive:

If an elected official expresses an interest in your request, be ready to answer questions or provide additional information about it.  Afterwards, follow up with a thank you letter highlighting your discussion, and include any additional information requested. 

If done consistently and professionally, meeting with your elected officials will enable you to be very effective.  Building a relationship with your elected officials will not only further your credibility as a citizen (or organization), but it will also provide opportunities to have a greater impact for the conservative cause in the future.

Don’t be intimidated:

Sure, you are on their turf, but remember, you are their boss.  They work for you.  Just be polite about it.

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Related Entries:

• Grassroots lobbying methods (part 3): phone calls and meetings
• Grassroots lobbying methods (part 2): tips on personal letters

Be sure to check out my complete resource on grassroots lobbying, "The Intermediate Guide to Grassroots Politics", part of my "Grassroots 101" series!