TOP 5 (Lame) Excuses for Not Using Key Contacts

Here is a simple fact: The most effective way to deliver your message to a lawmaker is through a constituent who has a relationship with the lawmaker. If you disagree, then stop reading now. And still, while a lot of government affairs professionals know this they continue to risk their organization’s success, and frankly, their own professional reputation, by relying primarily on social media posts and mass emails to mobilizing their advocates and influence legislators. Is that smart? Is that safe?

We talk with a wide range of groups about their advocacy programs and we’ve heard a lot of excuses about not having a key contact program. See if any of the following applies to you?

Top Five Excuses: For Not Having a Key Contact Program 

1. Too Difficult to Capture Data: “With everything else going on, who has time to put together a plan to get this information?” RAP Index's proprietary customized interviews do the work for you. We ask the right questions, in the right way, to get the right results with a minimal investment of your time. 
2. Too Hard to Manage: “The information gets lost on outdated Excel spreadsheets or cumbersome databases.” Critical information on your best messengers needs to be easy to find. Having RAP Index allows you to quickly segment lists, identify your best messengers and build a record of their engagement.
3. Our People Don’t Really Want to Get Involved: “We've tried this in the past and it just doesn't work for us.” Depending on your organization's culture of advocacy, our experience shows that anywhere from 3-15% of your stakeholders want to be more involved. It’s just a matter of efficiently identifying the right voices. 
4. Can’t Validate ROI to My Boss: “With other priorities, we just don't see this as a critical piece of our advocacy program.” So, you can you afford to ignore your most powerful advocates - the ones most likely to be heard by and remembered by legislators? These influencers are clearly seen as more effective than lobbyists, email blasts and tweet storms. Hear about this from one group.
5. Other Programs Take Priority: “We have a lot of other tools and services, so this just isn't on our radar for now.” And yet it is clearly recognized as the most effective approach to successful advocacy so maybe, it's time to reconsider?

Don't let a few excuses stop you from being more effective and more successful, professionally and personally. Let us help you find your most authentic messengers, those individuals with valuable relationships who can and will take action. It’s simple, proven, and effective as our results and our clients’ success clearly shows. No more excuses.