turning on the power: face-to-face with your legislator
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Turning on the Power: Face-to-face with your legislator. Based on “The One-Hour Activist” by Christopher Kush. Powerful Actions. Letter Telephone Email. Super powerful actions. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
TURNING ON THE POWER:
FACE-TO-FACE WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR
Based on “The One-Hour Activist”
by Christopher Kush
Powerful Actions
Letter Telephone Email
Super powerful actions
Meeting in person with your elected officials is the single most powerful grassroots action you can take to fight for the issues you care about.
You are the super power
Your life, your professional expertise and your local experience provide you with almost everything you need to know to fight for the issues you care about – no matter what specific request you make.
Five conversation your legislators want to have
What the local statistics are Real-life stories that illuminate the
statistics The specific legislative action that would
make you happy. How state money is being spent in the
district. Your visibility and connections within the
district.
Stay on Message
Delivering different messages confuses your issue.
Grassroots action works if you convince a large group of legislators to do the same thing.
It’s not fair to your colleagues to deliver a message not agreed upon.
Unsympathetic legislators will try to sidetrack you.
What does an off-message conversation sound like?
Discussion of the day’s headlines. Discussion about elections or partisan
politics. Discussion of aspects of your issue not
under the jurisdiction of the legislator like talking national policy with state lawmakers or vice versa.
How to keep from going off message
Don’t participate if you don’t agree with the message.
Have a pre-meeting to review talking points and agree on remarks.
Acknowledge interesting topics and then get back to your message. “That's an interesting topic but we’re here to talk about….”
Common pitfalls to avoid in face-to-face meetings
Don’t go off message. Don’t be late or fail to show-up. Don’t dress down. Don’t let them make you too comfortable. Don’t engage in excessive praise or scorn. Don’t lie or bluff. Don’t argue if they give you a “yes.” Don’t discount a meeting with staff. Don’t address unrelated issues. Don’t forget to follow-up.
Hook, line and sinker
Hook – Who you are. Line – A Strong argument or
personal story. Sinker –Your request for an action.
The Thank-you note
Remember to request a business card from every person you meet in a legislative office.
Send a thank-you letter or email. Reinforce your message.