Lobbying
& Government Relations - Ten Tips for Having Effective
Congressional Meetings
View of Lobbying | Lobbying Information | B&A's Lobbying Team
Coalition Services |Current Issues | Lobbying Fees
|
Here are ten tips
that you might keep in mind when you make
Congressional visits:
| 1. |
Be
Informed About Them --
Learn something about the Senator or
Representative who you are visiting. Biographical information is readily
available in various Congressional
directories and on the Internet. |
| 2. |
Be
On Time -- Members and their staff are very busy,
and often have no time to see you if you are
not there at the time your appointment is
scheduled. They may be late, but you should not
be. If
you have several meetings planned, allow
yourself enough time between meetings (e.g.,
30 minutes) so you can be on time to your
next meeting if the last one runs late. Generally, meetings will run between
15 and 30 minutes, but sometimes they can
run an hour. Meetings with a Member usually
are shorter than those with their staff. |
| 3. |
Be
Prepared -- Work out what you plan to say before
walking into the office. Organize your comments. Use an outline if that is helpful. If you are part of a group, divide up
topics and let different people explain
separate concerns. |
| 4. |
Be
Brief and Focused -- Congressional Members and staff are very
busy, and usually overloaded with
information and competing time demands. You should expect them to only
remember two or three major points, so try
to focus on getting just those limited
points across. Mention what you are going to focus
on, then talk briefly and clearly about
those points, and summarize what your
concerns again as the meeting ends. |
| 5. |
Be
Factual --
Provide them with specific information that
is factual and informative. If they ask questions you don't know
the answer to, tell them you will find the
answer and get back to them. Never intentionally provide incorrect
information. |
| 6. |
Question
Them -- Ask them questions, such as whether they
have heard about the issues you are raising,
whether they have a position on them, or
whether they are familiar with the industry |
| 7. |
Be
Courteous -- Do not be hostile or insulting, even if
the person with whom you are talking seems
hostile or not interested. Being courteous never hurts, and its
usually very important in establishing a
positive relationship. |
| 8. |
Be
a Constituent -- If possible, its always helpful to
establish a constituent link with the Member
or his/her state. If you have offices there, employees,
major shareholders, affiliates or customers
in their area, be sure to let them know. They usually will be more interested
and responsive when you or your company has
such a constituent relationship. |
| 9. |
Request
Something --
Ask them for something----such as support of
your positions, or sponsoring or
cosponsoring a bill , or a commitment not to
vote for burdensome legislation. Ask them to contact you for your
views on issues of particular concern to
you. Urge
the Members staff to keep in periodic
contact with your Washington representatives. |
| 10. |
Follow-Up -- Send a thank-you letter to everyone you
meet with, even if they seemed disinterested
or hostile. Try to provide them with some
additional information. Also, remind them if they made a
commitment (e.g., that they would cosponsor
a bill). Periodically keep in contact with the
people you met with (e.g., send them
additional information, such as an
informative news article or report on issues
of concern to you). Try to establish and maintain a
relationship so they will remember you and
hopefully be responsive when you later ask
for help. |
|
View of Lobbying | Lobbying Information | B&A's Lobbying Team
Coalition Services |Current Issues | Lobbying Fees |
|
