It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving is an annual event where
families come together, share stories, grow closer and stuff their face. Minus
the stuffing their face part, there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between
Thanksgiving and Advocacy Days. Advocacy Days are an annual event where advocates
come together, share their stories on Capitol Hill, and build relationships
with Members of Congress and their staff. Furthermore, the various components
of Thanksgiving dinner can be used as a metaphor for the perfect congressional
meeting (yes, these are the things I think about). Here’s a breakdown of how
you can use everyone’s favorite holiday meal as a guideline for your upcoming Advocacy Day:
1.
The turkey is the “ask”. It
wouldn’t be Thanksgiving if we didn’t start with the turkey (or tofurky for you
vegetarians out there). The turkey is the highlight of the dinner, the
centerpiece that makes it Thanksgiving. If you take the turkey out of the equation,
the rest of the dinner is almost pointless. This is why the turkey is just like
the “ask” in your congressional meeting. You can have the most productive,
friendly, informative meeting, but if you leave that office without asking your
Member of Congress to do something specific then you have just wasted your
time. Legislators and their staff have a lot on their plate, including taking
time to meet with constituents like you, so unless you ask them to do something
tactile they will likely shake your hand as you leave and then forget all about
you.
2.
The stuffing is your story. The
turkey might be the most important part of the meal, but the stuffing is always
the fan favorite. At least in my household, the stuffing is the most enjoyed
part of the meal and is usually what everyone leaves the table still talking
about. That’s why the stuffing is like your personal story. Members of Congress
and their staff want to meet with their constituents for one reason—they want
to hear your personal story and how you are affected by what they do as a
legislator. Leaving out your personal story would be like leaving out the
stuffing in Thanksgiving dinner—the staffer will feel underwhelmed and
unfulfilled.
3.
The green beans are your hard
facts. Green beans certainly aren’t as popular as stuffing when it
comes to Thanksgiving dinner. That said, they are a necessary supplement that
help to complete the meal. This is why green beans are like the hard facts of
your congressional meeting. Not everyone loves eating their veggies, and not
every staffer loves dealing with figures and percentages. Still, they need to
be included in your meeting as a way of backing up whatever it is you are
asking for. Using numbers effectively to show how a certain policy will affect
you, your business or a large number of people in their district will help you
to drive home the “ask.”
4.
The pumpkin pie is your follow up. Hours
have passed, the football game is on, you’ve taken a little tryptophan nap, and
you’re almost fully digested. By now you’ve almost forgotten that you ate this
huge, delicious dinner—but wait! Suddenly it’s time for pumpkin pie, a reminder
that Thanksgiving isn’t over yet. Pumpkin pie is like the follow up in a
congressional meeting—you want to make sure the meeting isn’t forgotten without
any action taken. It’s important to continue to build your relationship with a
congressional office throughout the year, and you can start by following up a
day or two after your meeting with a “thank you.” In the weeks ahead, make sure
to send over any information you didn’t have in the meeting that you said you
would get back to them on and remind them of your “ask.” This is a good
foundation for maintaining contact throughout the year and developing that
relationship further. Congressional staff always appreciate follow up, and I
always appreciate pumpkin pie.
Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving/Advocacy Day preparation
meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment