The most recent Advocacy Leaders Network event, Come Fly-In with Me: Best Practices for Capitol Hill Lobby Days was a great success! Advocacy professionals gathered at the Beekeeper Group offices to hear advice from our presenters with the aim of learning the tips and tricks for planning and implementing a stress-free organizational Lobby Day on Capitol Hill.
The event began with a keynote address by Congressional Management Foundation President, Bradford Fitch. Brad unveiled findings of a recent Congressional Management Foundation survey that polled Chiefs of Staff from House offices, including the fact that “64% of offices prefer to hear from a constituent rather than a DC representative when scheduling a meeting.”
He also added that, according to House schedulers, “Afternoons on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to request constituent meetings with Congress.”
Brad’s presentation was followed by a panel of speakers from prominent corporations and associations who also imparted their seasoned wisdom to the audience. Here are some of the top takeaways:
- Be strategic about what time of year you do your Lobby Day. Pick the best time of year for YOUR issue so that Members are more likely to focus on it.
- Help staff prepare (and get the Member prepared) by sending your leave-behinds a few days ahead of time.
- Segment your participants by sending people from different sectors of your industry to talk about different issues.
- Bring your facts to life by telling stories, along with sharing data.
- Using technology is great way to liven up your Lobby Day – from apps, to videos, to even a basic Twitter feed.
- Post-meeting follow ups are a critical part of the Lobby Day process. Something as small as sending short thank you notes impart a great impact on a Member and their staff. (Expert hint: Send the thank-you over the weekend, when they get less email and are less busy, so they’re more likely to notice and enjoy it!)
Join us in September for the third event in the 2013 ALN series, Boosting Key Contact Programs: Turing Players into Coaches. Information about the event is available here.
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