This section of our website is a bit lighthearted - but it's also intended to help you avoid some common pitfalls as you interact face to face with decision makers at every level of government. Remember to contact me if you have any questions, and please pass along any good tips that you'd like to share!

Eventually you'll have a chance to talk to policy makers, either face to face, on the phone, or at a public hearing. Remember, you're trying to persuade folks to your point of view. Making the most of that contact is a lot easier if you follow these tips:

1. Be informed. You have to know about the issue you're discussing. Look at our  Policy Updates and Bills Worth Watching webpages for more information if you need it.

2. Be ready. Some folks are naturally organized - the rest of us aren't. You probably won't have a lot of time to talk to decision makers, so have a communications plan in your head before you start talking.

3. Be friendly. Of course, you already are. But some of us can get loud, or upset, or sarcastic under pressure. Keep smiling, and being pleasant, even if you don't feel that way inside. Rude never works.

4. Be perceptive. You're there to talk, but make sure to remember to listen too. Often the person you're talking to will start giving you information - use it.

5. Be specific. Talk about the details of the issue, and the details of how the issue relates to you. You'll feel much more comfortable talking about what you know - your situation. Avoid theories, generalities, rhetoric and blather - leave all that to the politicans and lobbyists!

6. Be gracious. Arguing doesn't work - but respectful disagreement, backed up with specific fact, is a killer response to anyone who contradicts you. And try to be patient if someone just doesn't get it.

7. Be careful. If you don't know something, say so. Do not guess. Do not get creative with the facts. And never answer any question that begins with "Isn't it true that ... ?" - they're just trying to put words in your mouth.

8. Be focused. Keep #2 in mind - use notes if it helps. Stay on point - most conversations only convey 2 or 3 items of information - make sure you're talking about the most important things, so your communications count.

9. Be brief. Unless you're remarkably gifted, or very lucky, almost everyone stops listening to you talk after no more than 5 minutes. You must be concise if you want to be effective.

10. Be repetitive. The essence of communication is repetition. Hit your central points at least twice in your talk. Leave a written piece behind if you can, because not everyone you want to talk to may be available, and sometimes it's hard for your audience to remember all the good things you said later on.

11. Be demanding. You want something - it's why you're there talking to folks, instead of being back at work or at home. So remember to ask for what you what. You'd be amazed at the number of times folks forget to say what they want.

12. Be persistent. Follow up every conversation with an email, or a letter, or a call. Most folks show up once to talk, then they disappear. If you let decision makers know that you're going to be engaged for the duration, they will start listening to you (if only to find out how to make you happy, and then get you to go away!)