COMMUNICATING with ELECTED OFFICIALS

 

The communication between you and the elected official (and his/her staff) needs to be friendly and on going.  The most important words to remember are follow-up.  If you send a letter, follow it up with a phone call.  If you meet with the legislator, follow it up with a note.

 

HUMANIZE THE MESSAGE…….put a human spin on the message, if possible.

v  Talk about specific programs.

v  Include anecdotal stories about how programs and public dollars affect real human beings. Most people lend a more sympathetic ear to examples of real people.

 

 

GENERAL PROTOCOL IN ALL COMMUNICATIONS WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR

 

v  Be courteous and friendly

v  Be reasonable.  Remember there are always two sides (or more) to any given issue. Reasonable people can hold differing opinions.  Having to pick one side or the other is never easy.

v  Politics is compromise through negotiation.  Be firm and forceful, but realistic.  Don’t be too critical.

v  Intimidation doesn’t work and it alienates people.

v  Remember, tomorrow is another day.  We may lose this vote and win another.  The process is ongoing.

v  Don’t scold, preach, lecture or nit-pick.

v  In response to a legislator’s questions to you, don’t bluff.  If you don’t know the answer, say so, and then go get the answer.

v  Be a good listener.  Give your elected official a meaningful opportunity to state his/her position and explain why s/he may disagree with you. You will have a better chance to address a legislator’s objections to increasing health and human services funding if you know exactly why s/he is opposed.

v  Be appreciative-of the legislator’s time, schedule, and the difficult job in not being able to please everyone.  Acknowledge the legislator’s support in listening to your position.  Take the opportunity to say “Thank you” whenever it arises.

 

 

TIPS to FOSTER COMMUNICATIONS

It is important to keep those responsible for policy development and legislation informed and included in the effect their decisions will have in their districts.  Thank them for what they have done, and help them learn more about the benefits of supporting legislation that will promote a healthy, inclusive community. Below are some suggested strategies that will establish an open and ongoing information exchange.

 

§  Add elected officials to your mailing distribution list.  Invite them to speak at a professional meeting, by sending a personalized letter.  If your agency is holding an open house, invite them.  Be sure they understand that they are being invited as a guest (yours) and are not being asked to pay.

§  State officials send out newsletters or email updates.  Call their office; make sure you are on their mailing list. If a newsletter contains information pertinent to your audience be sure to call the representative and ask them if you can reprint the article in your publications. Be sure to send the elected official a copy with the reprint highlighted.

§  Use letter-writing campaigns for senators involved in health and human services legislation.  As a constituent, use your personal stationery.  Keep the message simple and use a positive tone.

 

TIPS ON PERSONAL VISITS

  • Call first to make an appointment.  Be punctual.
  • Be specific, brief and to the point.
  • Ask the elected official or aide what his/her position is and how they will vote.
  • Give brief reasons why you believe the elected official should adopt the position you are recommending.  Do your homework:  To be most effective, the framework for these reasons should be the legislator’s own viewpoint, interests and concerns (i.e. legislative committees on which they serve), and issues specific to his/her district.
  • State why your position will benefit the elected official and his/her constituents.
  • Leave the elected official or aide with issues--briefing paper, along with your business card.
  • Follow up with a thank you note in which you very briefly restate your position or request.

 

TIPS ON LETTER WRITING

  • Be brief and concise.  A hand written letter is fine, and often preferred.
  • Introduce yourself (mention the city in which you live).
  • State your reason for writing.
  • Indicate the action you want taken and explain how that action will specifically benefit you and your community.
  • Look for any opportunity to send personal congratulatory messages or thank you notes for work and elected official has performed.

 

TIPS ON PHONE CALLS

  • Write down the points you wish to make and use these notes as a reference as the phone conversation progresses.
  • If elected official is unavailable ask to speak with the aide who works on the issue you want to discuss.  Aides can often be extremely influential in the legislative decision-making process.
  • Introduce yourself and mention the county and city in which you live, especially if you live in the elected official’s district.
  • Be brief and concise.  Limit your call to one or two minutes.  Preparing a loose script helps.
  • State your reason for calling, what action you wish taken, and what this action will accomplish.

 

TIPS ON E-MAIL

E-MAIL ALLOWS A LARGE NUMBER OF CONSTITUTENTS TO “WEIGH IN” ON A SPECIFIC ISSUE.  When communicating by email:

§  Put your goal in the subject line, i.e. “Support LB699 to make prescription drugs more affordable to increase overall health. “

§  Keep your message simple – don’t try to cover multiple issues

§  Each e-mail message should address only one bill.  If there are several critical bills, a separate e mail message should be written for each one.  Legislators collect email messages according to the bill number, and use this as an easy “count” to determine constituency impact

§   Briefly state the issue, your position, and what action you wish taken.

§  Again…mention that you live in the district, if you do.

 

 

Excerpted from: NeighborHood Builders Center, Omaha, NE 2007