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All of us by nature respond to our friends or people we
know better than we do to strangers. We tend to return calls
to those we know quicker than we return calls to people we don’t
know. When our friends or colleagues share an opinion or
thought we tend to listen even when we might disagree with
their point of view. Fundamentally, we are more inclined to
listen and respond to people we know. In business, developing
your network of contacts is critical to success. The hallmark
of any successful grassroots effort is a solid foundation of
relationships with public officials. Public officials at all levels are elected by us – we the
people. Most public officials like to hear from their
constituents. They welcome the input. It is important that the
business community’s views on issues be heard at all levels
of government. Therefore, it is essential that business people
develop relationships with public officials.
Grassroots lobbying is simply the process where business
people contact their public officials to express their
opinions and/or request a particular action on a piece of
legislation or issue. Grassroots lobbying is probably the most
effective way to get a public official to act on your behalf.
Why? Because you are an interested constituent who they
know. It is critical for business people to stay well
informed on issues of importance and express your opinions.
Your letters, phone calls, and visits are all effective tools
in keeping contact with your public officials and in
developing relationships.
But how do you build a relationship? First, start with
introducing yourself. Make an appointment to see your elected
official. It is best to begin this process before you have a
specific issue or concern that needs immediate attention. Use
this opportunity to get to know each other. Find out their
interests, background and history. Tell them about your
business (size, type of business, number of employees, where
you are located, etc.). Invite the official to visit your
office or business. Try to shape your first contact by leaving
the official with some knowledge and a positive feeling
(information about your company, type of industry – don’t
assume anything). Follow-up with a letter thanking them for
their time.
Once you have introduced yourself, stay in touch. Drop a
note to the official, pick up the phone and call, or invite
them to attend an event in your community. To further develop
a relationship, you might consider contributing to their
campaign efforts or helping out in other ways. Ask how you can
help.
When an issue does come up and you need help you now can
quickly communicate with someone you know.
Staying in touch is critical.
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