Tips on Communicating with Your Legislators

Tips on Writing RIGHT!

Here are a few tips to help you get your message past the clutter or "white noise" surrounding almost every legislative issue.

Use your own words. Make it personal. Tell exactly how you, your employees, your community will be hurt by UCITA.

Say exactly what you want. Ask the legislator to vote no in committee or on the floor vote when it comes up. Make it very clear what action you want.

Stick to the point and only address one issue per message/or letter. Don't clutter up your communication on UCITA with other issues -- even if they are technology related.

Include your home address (this says you are a constituent and therefore can VOTE) and your home phone and office phone. This indicates you are sincere and open to learning the legislator's point of view.

Address your message appropriately (Yes, even via e-mail):

The Honorable John Doe
State Capitol
City, State Zip

Dear Senator Doe:

The Honorable Jane Doe
State Capitol
City, State Zip

Dear Assemblywoman Doe:

Track the action. If the legislator voted in the way you asked, send a brief thank you note. If they didn't, express your disappointment and request reconsideration in the future.

Almost Ten Commandments of Successful Verbal Communication

1. Smile when appropriate and keep your face open. The open face is the name we give to the expression you show when you elevate your eyebrows and create the horizontal lines in your brow. It's the face of affection and friendship.

2. Pause often. To be most effective you must learn to think before you speak. It's unnatural to pause, and that means that you have to work at incorporating a healthy pause before, during and after powerful statements.

3. Remain silent in the pause. The pause gives you opportunity to focus and think before you speak. The...uh...intrusions of...you know...unnecessary sounds...kind of like tends to...uh...like detract from your message.

4. Maintain eye contact.

5. Avoid Getting trapped. Some targets are anxious to put words into your mouth to create a greater controversy or, at least, an appearance of controversy. Because of UCITA's complexities it will be even more important to speak with precision and not let words be put in your mouth.

6. Be honest. If you don't know the answer, say so. But volunteer to find out and get back to them. Then do it.

7. Be positive and caring. If you need time to move from the negative to the positive, try these lead-ins: "I can understand how you'd reach that conclusion. Let me tell you why I think it's mistaken." "Let me explain what the facts really are."

8. Keep it simple and easy to understand. Get rid of jargon, acronyms, governmentese, legalese and all other communication killers.

9. Be memorable. Come prepared to give relevant, memorable, unique statements and tell interesting, humorous stories to illustrate your point. The "mobile consumer connectivity unit" instead of >car" is a good example for the UCITA issue.

10. Practice, practice, practice. Winston Churchill would anticipate circumstances and be prepared with appropriate retorts. So should we.

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