Tips For Visiting Capitol Hill
Make an appointment.
Nowadays, it is not very considerate or productive just to drop by a legislator's office unexpectedly. If you want to make sure that your visit is productive, make an appointment. Even if there is only a few minutes notice, give the legislator or the staff assistant the opportunity to prepare themselves for your arrival.
Sell yourself.
Remember that in actuality, you are not selling a legislative proposal or your company (or association), but yourself. If you are friendly, helpful, understanding, and not hostile, you can be successful.
Get to the point.
When making a visit to any elected official, do not take forever to make your pitch. Tell them who you represent, the number of members and employees you represent, what your primary concerns are, and how and why these concerns are related to "X" piece of legislation.
Keep your meeting short.
Do not take longer than 10 or 15 minutes to express your concerns, unless invited to do so. If you can get in the office and get out quickly, you will get in a second time.
Use good manners.
When making a visit to a legislator's office, make sure that you do not use any facilities in the office unless offered (this includes the telephone, copy machine, and restroom).
Be kind to staff members.
Whether in person or speaking over the telephone, always be kind to staff members. They will end up being the individuals who have the greatest potential to help or hinder you and your cause.
Don't make any promises unless you intend to deliver.
Just as it is not very good to threaten an elected official, it is also not wise to make false promises.
Do not forget to say "please" and "thank you".
On Capitol Hill you can never say "thank you" too often.
Check your facts and figures.
Make sure that you are presenting accurate facts and figures, not ones that you made up.
Do not try to sell a bad bill.
If you do not truly believe in the merits of a bill, don't expect others to believe in it. If a bill is ill-conceived or poorly written, it could end up hurting you and your Industry far more than benefiting it.
Give full credit for a bill to the sponsoring legislator.
Do not become discouraged.
As you become more familiar with the legislative process, you will discover the many ways that legislation and people can become thwarted. If you are looking for a big win the first time out, don't be discouraged if you fail. Remember, visiting elected officials rarely activates or converts them; it reinforces them.
If you believe in your cause, do not give up. In time you will succeed.