Helpful Information
Lobbying tips
Consider this list of suggestions while planning for your next congressional visit:
- Make an appointment – Ask to meet directly with your Congress member or with his/her staff. Make sure you are registered to vote.
- Plan your visit carefully – Be clear about what you want to achieve. If you are going as a group, plan who will speak first. Choose one person to speak about your issue. After initial discussion, each attendee should briefly provide input and support the main speaker.
- Come Prepared – Know the issue and who your member is. Has he/she supported us on this issue in the past? Does he/she serve in a leadership role? What is his/her voting history? Also be familiar with your opponents' arguments against your position.
- Be specific and Brief – Describe the issue briefly and get to the point quickly. Give personal examples of the issue to explain why the issue is so important to you. Remember you may only have 15 minutes for your meeting. Let the Congress member know of any other actions you are taking.
- Be a good listener – Determine if the Congress member supports you. Write down and follow up on any requests the Congress member makes. Never argue with a Congress member or staff. Be respectful and courteous.
- Answering Questions – Be prepared to answer tough questions. If you don't know the answer, promise to follow up with the answer at a later date. Provide the Congress member or staff with background information and materials supporting your position.
- Ask for Help and Advice – Ask the Congress member/staff member for a specific thing, i.e. co-sponsoring, voting correctly, etc. Also ask if anyone else should be contacted about the issue and what else can be done to further your chances.
- Be Positive – Be serious, but polite and upbeat. Try to emphasize the positive aspects of your visit. Do not badmouth other Congress members or staff members.
- Give Recognitions – Always end the meeting by thanking the Congress member for their support (if appropriate) and for their time. Ask staff for business cards so you can correct name spellings and addresses for follow-up letters.
- Write a follow-up letter – After visiting with Congress or staff member, immediately send a 'thank you' letter to acknowledge the time taken to meet with you. Include any follow-up answers you promised during your visit. Give staff a fair share of the credit and thanks for the meeting.
