|
|
YOU TOO CAN BE A PROFESSIONAL LOBBYIST! 1. KNOW YOUR FACTS, BE ACCURATE IN EXPRESSING THEM Despite the myth that successful lobbying implies influence peddling, most effective lobbyists trade in facts, not influence. What you may lack in experience and contacts can be compensated by your knowledge and research. Accuracy and thoroughness are the hallmarks of successful lobbying campaigns. Don't overstate your case, manufacture statistics, or misrepresent your opponents arguments. Long term credibility is far more important than any gain you may achieve through prevarication. Remember, you only get one chance to make a good first impression. 2. KNOW YOUR OPPOSITION For every political cause, there will be political opposition. Identify your opposition early, fairly and accurately analyze the arguments and attempt to neutralize them. Be prepared to rebut opposing positions. Almost as much time should be spent on repudiation of the opposition as in developing your own case. 3. CORRECT ERRORS IMMEDIATELY Although every lobbyist attempts to be completely accurate in every written or spoken statement he makes, errors do unfortunately creep in. Sometimes the passage of time changes some facts and figures and other times just misinterpretation of statistics, dates, and other information take place. Mistakes should be corrected as soon as possible after they are discovered. It is important to admit the mistake was made and supply the correct information at the same time. While it's embarrassing to admit you're wrong, its political suicide if you don't. Put a good face on the error, but do not cover it up! 4. PLAN, COORDINATE AND FOLLOW-UP ON EVERY CONTACT Lobbyists who have not carefully planned their legislative approach waste an enormous amount of time and energy. Each contact you make to a legislator, legislative aide, or legislative staff member should be researched in advance. Careful notes should be kept of the meeting and each meeting of substance should be followed up with additional written memoranda. Friends and allies should be kept fully informed of your activities. It will do you no good to develop an advocacy program and then not keep them informed or use them appropriately. 5. AVOID ZEALOTRY The more strongly you feel about an issue, the more important it is to be aware of the danger of zealotry. It neither impresses nor convinces legislators. It is the enemy of credibility, the lobbyists greatest asset. It is one thing to be an aggressive advocate, quite another to replace rational arguments with zealotry. 6. CULTIVATE YOUR ALLIES, MAKE SURE THEY DO THEIR PART There is hardly an issue in your state capitol that does not attract a number of groups for a variety of reasons. If you are able to join forces with such a group or groups, your chances are increased. Allies don't just happen, however, they must be sought out and cultivated. Once you have joined forces, be sure your friends do their part. And, even more important, be sure your allies operate with the same standards of credibility and integrity that you do. 7. KNOW THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS All good intentions, careful planning, research and alliances will do you little good if you miss deadlines or submit insufficient information. You must be familiar with the legislative process. Understand how a bill becomes a law in Virginia, know the rules for submission of materials to legislative committees and follow the process throughout the session and beyond. You can neither affect legislation nor the way it is administered unless you are thoroughly familiar with the game. 8. WATCH YOUR MONEY While professional campaigns often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, you must be very careful about how you spend your funds. Keep in mind that you are a public entity and state funding is generally prohibited for lobbying efforts. Make sure you understand the laws governing lobbying for your interests in Virginia and be careful not to give even the slightest perception of misuse of funds or personnel. 9. GROW A THICK SKIN When you are in the political arena, you should understand it's not always as insulated an environment as a college campus might be. Develop immunity to slights and insults and don't allow them to ruin your concentration on the objectives at hand. And don't take them personally...generally the barb aimed at you is only business as usual. Don't take yourself too seriously, maintaining a sense of humor is the best defense against the political environment. 10. WIN No one should be involved in lobbying as an academic exercise. Its serious business which can affect thousands of lives. Be committed to your cause and believe in what you are doing. Strength of conviction is what often offsets the enormous financial advantage enjoyed by some of the large special interest lobbies. Not only that, but winning is always more fun than losing. Adapted from HOW TO LOBBY CONGRESS, THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HANDBOOK, by Delegate James H. Dillard, Virginia House of Delegates, 41st District, Fairfax, VA |
