The Most Common Form of Lobbying
The most common form of lobbying involves communicating with a political decision maker such as a legislator or member of government. This can be in person, by email or via direct mail.
Lobbying can be effective when it is carried out in a well-organized manner. It also is often effective when it is done by a person or group that has a strong connection with the people or organizations that will be affected by a particular policy or law.
Personal Contact
The most common form of lobbying is personal contact, which involves communicating directly with members of a legislative body or government. The goal of this type of lobbying is to influence legislation or policy.
Advocacy is a less direct but often more effective form of lobbying, which involves drawing awareness and public support to an issue, with the aim of changing policy.
Lobbying is often done in collaboration with a team of support staff, and can take many forms. It is a multidisciplinary subject, with elements drawn from law, human psychology and strategy consulting.
The most important factor in lobbying is building good relationships with the politicians and decision makers you want to influence. They will be much more receptive to your message if they are familiar with you and trust you.
Emails or Direct Mail
The most common form of lobbying is to send emails or direct mail to government decision makers. The most important thing to remember is to keep your messages short and clear and address only one issue at a time.
Often the goal of your email or direct mail piece is to get the recipient to take a specific action, like filling out an online form or signing up for your newsletter. This is why it’s so crucial to include a compelling offer or CTA in your message.
Meeting Legislators
The most common form of lobbying involves meeting with your legislator or their staff to discuss issues that affect you. Elected officials run very busy schedules and can be prone to being late or interrupted during meetings by other business, so it’s important to show up on time for your appointment.
In addition, plan your meeting carefully and take notes. Keep it short and focused – twenty minutes or less with a staff person, and as little as ten minutes if you meet with your elected official.
Prepare for the meeting by reading about your lawmaker or their staff member and bringing copies of key documents that you can share during the conversation. This will help you convey that you are knowledgeable and well-informed and that your message is clear and concise.
Drafting New Legislation
The most common form of lobbying is the introduction of new legislation. Legislators receive ideas for bills from a variety of sources, including constituents, government agencies, special interest groups and lobbyists.
A draft bill is often release to the public before it is formally introduce into the Legislature. However, draft legislation is not legally binding and has no legal force.
When drafting legislation, it is important to research the issue thoroughly. This means obtaining the underlying facts of the subject matter, studying and analyzing existing statutes, conducting an audit of the fiscal impacts of the proposed law, and reviewing for constitutional concerns.
Guidance
The most common form of lobbying, and the one most frequently practiced in the United States, is a personal contact between representatives of interest groups and political decision makers. This is often the only way in which interest groups are able to persuade governments that their needs are important enough to address.
This type of contact can include meeting legislators directly or submitting amicus curiae briefs in cases with which the organized interest has a policy interest but is not involve as a litigant. For example, after months of protesting by the Occupy Wall Street movement, one lobbying firm prepared a memo to its clients warning that Republicans may “turn on big banks, at least in public” which could have the effect of altering the political ground for years to come.