Tips on Communicating with Your Policy Makers

A collection of techniques and strategies to effect change.

SHOWMANSHIP TECHNIQUES are aimed at publicizing and drawing attention to the issues.

• Demonstrations include marches, vigils, sit-ins, phone-ins, fax-ins, sing-ins, leafleting and picketing.
• Demands can take the form of a bill of rights, a list of grievances, consumer needs, and/or contracts.
• Symbolic acts involve mock events or theatrical renditions of an actual problem.
• Boycotts may include non-cooperation, slow compliance, stalling, refusal to pay for services.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNIQUES employ a variety of communications and media to educate the community about the issues.

• Fact-finding forums include citizen investigation panels town meetings, community polls, seminars by panels, questions and answer programs.
• Communications avenues include booklets, pamphlets, seminars, workshops, slide shows, videos. Resource guides, show, public service announcements, press releases, speeches, consumer meetings, and posters.

LEGAL ADVOCACY has been a favorite strategy of nearly every social change movement in America.

• Legal rights advocacy includes law suits, legal memoranda, legal rights booklets for lay citizens, civil rights statements, legal advice, legal representation at fair hearings and/or other negotiations.
• Lobbying for legislative change or administrative policy change includes public statements, phone calls, petitions, alternative plans, telegrams/mailgrams, letter writing campaigns. (Note: sending copies of letters to supervisors, legislator, monitoring bodies and/or other key organizations and individuals can have powerful political effect.)

Fran Smith
February 1997

MEETINGS MATTER
OR HOW TO INFLUENCE A POLICYMAKER

One of the most effective ways to influence the decisions of a legislator is in face to face visits. Frequent contacts may be necessary to gain name/face recognition. Whether you plan to meet one-to-one or with a group, plan the meeting and develop an agenda to cover the pints you wish to make. The following tips will serve as an agenda…. And move you from start to finish.

• Always introduce yourself (yes). Even at a second or third meeting give your names so your legislator won’t be in the awkward position of trying to remember your name(s).
• Thank the legislator for some good work he/she has done. Try to find out something worthwhile in the voting record, authorship of a piece of legislation or championship of a cause. Legislators like to know that you know the record. If nothing else, thank him/her for meeting with you.
• Identify the issue or legislation you want to discuss. Give the topic, the Bill number, the title and the author. State your position and what you want him/her to do.
• Educate on the issue. This is where you tell what is right, what is wrong, and what needs to be done. Use any data and statistics you have. Talk about how people (constituents) will be affected.
• Use personal stories. A personal story will leave an image that will be remembered long after the data and statistics fade.
• Ask for his/her commitment. Ask for what you want. Get them to say yes or no.
• Ask what you can do. Ask if you can provide further information, set up a meeting with folks in the district, arrange a tour of a program. Try to become a "reliable resource."
• Leave written materials. Fact sheets, charts, testimonials, and a list of you names, addresses and phone numbers will all be placed in the file on the issue and will be referred to when time for the vote.
• Thank him/her again. Legislators are very busy and taking even ten or fifteen minutes out of a day to meet with voters is time away from something else.

Fran Smith
April 1997

Sample Letter

On The Value of Advocacy - Charlotte Cronin