Building Relationships
How to Request a Visit
There’s seldom a better way to build meaningful rapport than in-person contact. But preliminary steps are usually required as a matter of protocol. Most requests for a representative’s, senator’s or other local leader’s time (whether a visit to his/her office or a site visit to your agency) should be put in writing and faxed to the representative’s office. (Note: This is necessary for meetings with members of Congress; and be sure to put such requests to the attention of the “Scheduler.”)
Follow up 2-3 days after your invite/request has been sent by calling to inquire about the status of your invitation. If you can’t get on the government official’s calendar the first time around, ask to meet with a relevant staff member. This may be particularly helpful when dealing with Congress, where the best way to a representative is often through his/her staff members!
Face-to-Face Visits
Meeting face-to-face with your political representatives, and/or their staff, is one of the most effective advocacy tools at your disposal. Here are a few quick tips to help you make your visits successful.
Be Prompt
Try to be on time for all your meetings, even though government officials may keep you waiting. Schedules change quickly, especially on Capitol Hill, but you want to be reliable and courteous.
Be Patient
Be prepared to encounter changes at the very last minute. A visit scheduled with a government official, particularly members of Congress, may suddenly turn into a meeting with staff. Be gracious and go with the flow. Note: You never know where a Hill meeting with your Congressional representative might be held — from a Senator’s grand office to a hallway; or even the building’s cafeteria.
Be Polite
Treat everyone you encounter as a potential ally. Staff members may be young and not know a lot about your issues, but they are often gatekeepers to political leaders and could end up being your best point of contact. See your meeting as an opportunity to build relationships with all those in your representative’s office.
Be Prepared
First of all, know your audience. The more you know about your representative’s philosophy, interests and awareness of your agency, the better you can converse about your concerns in ways s/he can understand. Have your talking points ready and know what you want to cover in the meeting. But, also remember that you will need to be flexible — if you end up with less time than you planned for, present the short version. If you are visiting as a group, be sure to plan in advance who will say what in the meeting. Bring along materials that can be helpful to staff, like short fact sheets, stats on your PSA, etc. Whenever possible, make your case with hard numbers. They often speak much louder — and more convincingly — than words.
Be Persuasive
Be clear about what you are asking for (e.g., increased appropriations, livable communities’ initiatives, etc.) and why it is needed. People are constantly coming to lawmakers asking for more money, so you need to make the best possible case.
Be Passionate
Use anecdotes to bring your programs and services to life. As you know, many government leaders have personal experiences of their own with older family members, friends and neighbors, and they will readily connect with real life examples of how your agency helps older adults remain in their homes and communities. Political representatives and their staff are usually passionate about their work, too, so use language that allows them to get excited about your mission and how they can help you.
Be Realistic
Government officials, and even their staff, have tremendous work loads and are sometimes at the mercy of more pressing issues. (This is especially true in Congress, where floor action or committee schedules may pull representatives away from original schedules.) Do not be discouraged by such events. Simply reschedule and try again. If you are given generous time, use it wisely. But be aware that most visits will be rather short and sometimes subject to interruption. But, keep in mind that even a ten-minute visit can still be very effective!
Be a Resource
Ask the government official and/or staff member what you can do for them. If they ask questions you can’t answer, promise you’ll get back to them later. Offer to send any additional materials or data they may need or be interested in. Invite them to visit your agency to learn more about aging programs and services in the area, and let them know you welcome their calls if they have any questions about aging policy. Your goal is to become their local aging expert so that you can help them advocate for what your community needs!
Follow Up
Be sure to follow up after the visit. Send a thank you note/email, then suggest a next step that will further your relationship with the representative’s office. And stay in touch. You now have, at the very least, the name of a staff member who is tasked with following aging issues. Ideally, you will have such contacts at the local, state and federal level. And, the federal contact will give you a jump on things when the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) send out an Advocacy Alert asking your agency to call or email Congress on certain issues. You will have a personal contact who may be more inclined to listen to your particular concerns on the matter.