County Commission | The Magazine February 2017 | Page 45

FROM THE COVER Tips for Effective Communication with Legislators 1. Talk to your lawmakers. Contacting your legislators six times a year by letter, phone, email, or office visit makes you more ac- tive than 99.9% of all citizens, and therefore 99.9% more effective. Lose gracefully. No mat- ter what the outcome, always write a thank-you note to the lawmaker. Never burn bridges; your adversary on one issue may be your ally on the next. Be a teacher. A great way to describe the importance of an issue to your lawmaker is to show him or her up close and per- sonal. Invite your lawmaker to your office or an appropriate space to discuss the issue and to answer any questions that they may have. Most state lawmakers are not full time and value any opportunity to learn about an issue. Be flexible. Compromises are often necessary. Evaluate what you can realistically achieve now, and work on the rest later. Be patient and remember that some decisions may take months. 2. 3. 4. 5. Give and take. Responsibility from you and commitment from your lawmaker go hand-in-hand. The more re- sponsibility you assume, the more support you can expect from your lawmaker. 6. There’s power in numbers. This is true for financial support as well as commu- nication. Remind your lawmaker of how many people in your organiza- tion share your opinion. ALABAMA GUARDRAIL,INC. Catherine Huff President / Owner Physical Address ~ 60701 US Hwy 231, Oneonta, AL 35121 Mailing Address ~ P O Box 126, Cleveland, AL 35049 Office Phone: [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected] A G R Specializing in the Installation of Highway Guardrails, Signs & Fencing 7. Reach out. Include your lawmaker on mailing lists for county newsletters, and make sure that you are on their mailing lists as well. Ask questions. Ask your lawmaker to state their posi- tion, and if it aligns with yours, ask what you can do to strengthen and garner support. If their position is different than yours, ask what infor- mation and show of support would be necessary to change that position. Use examples. Explain the logic of your position in terms that are relatable- jobs, cost, how many people will be affected, etc. Have detailed information you can give to explain yourself. In all com- munications, be sure to include the bill number and/or name of the leg- islation or regulations, as well as your name, postal and email addresses, and home and office phone numbers. Think 15 minutes. Get to your point fast and stay g focused. 8. 9. 10. COUNTY COMMISSION | 45