Tips for Working with Legislative Staff

The following tips are particularly helpful when working with US Congressional staff in either face-to-face meetings or conference calls. All of them may be adapted for state-level meetings or local advocacy efforts.

Requesting a Meeting

Find out as much as you can about how the office works;

Start with a call to who you know in the office eg ask the state staff to arrange a meeting or conference cal with the Washington legislative staff;

If you don’t know the office, brainstorm who can help you ‘get’ the meeting eg ask the group with strongest connection to request the meeting or ask an ally to assist you in getting the meeting eg banker;

Preparation

Need to prep beforehand;

Bring all the stakeholders to the table so that you can speak with one voice;

Know your purpose – is it a get-to-know you meeting, are you informing the staffer about activities in the state, or are you asking for specific legislative action?

Have a specific “agenda”;

Prepare talking points ahead of time and assign roles;

Personalize the message as much as possible eg story (not program)

Have a specific “ask” but not too many!

There is always an “ask” no matter how supportive the member of Congress is on your issue. You want them to go from ‘support’ to ‘leadership’ on the issue eg you can ask them send around a “Dear Colleague” letter; or ask them to give a floor statement; or ask them to talk with specific members of Congress;

Don’t assume much knowledge;

Prepare “leave-behind” paper for the staff;

Provide contact information to leave with the staff after the meeting;

At the Meeting

Approach staff in a sympathetic way ie empathize with staff – they may have 5 to 10 meetings in a single day;

Listen!!!

Start off with a question & then gear your comments/discussion on what you hear;

Tell staff a story, not a program;

Make sure they know that you vote and that the people you advocate for vote;

Provide specific information about what’s going on back in the state;

Members of Congress always want attention and credit, so offer to set up a site visit for their member (and staff!), especially one tied into an issue that Congress will be considering soon;

Leave staff with specific ways to follow up – not only email & phone numbers, but web sites, good contact lists, etc. If you have a listserv on an issue that you’d like to invite them to join, let them know about that;

Keep in mind that staff are very open to learning from you – but may be reluctant to ask questions because they don’t want to reveal how little they know;

Also keep in mind that staff often don’t realize how much preparation goes into a meeting and may not be sensitive to it;

Don’t feel discouraged by a short visit – it’s a start in building a relationship; you’re getting on the agenda. Think ahead to next year – you want to get called on for your opinion;

Don’t fret if your meeting gets canceled. Staff get pulled into meetings; hearings run late. Leave materials with the receptionist, and follow up with a phone call to the staffer later on;

After the Meeting

Follow up is critical!

Send a communication from the whole group (eg letter);

Stay in regular touch!

Don’t worry about being a pest – that’s your job! (Although, keep in mind that your issue is just one of many that staffers handle, so have realistic expectations);

Keep the Relationship Alive

Be a resource of information for staff eg “pen pal” – write regularly;

Provide timely info eg fax articles regularly with comments;

“Staff” the staff eg draft memo for them with data analysis (ie don’t just send the report);

Give a heads up to the press staffer when you are issuing a report, offer to draft a quote;

Get to know more than one staffer eg LD, LA, State office staff, Communications Director/Press Secretary;

Big difference w/state legislators (ie no staff) so don’t assume that by saying something to the member you don’t have to talk to the staff