What Do I Do When I…only have one minute to make my case?
Lucas Crumley
I'm here to help you think about politics differently | Creator - partofthepossible.com
Two weeks ago I was back in DC with a group of volunteer advocates – and we were all over the place. Agency visits, meeting with other NGOs and, of course, going to Capitol Hill. We met with a LOT of people to bring more of our message into the public debate.
To do that, we prepared. We did homework on our issues, dug into our policy stances, and rehearsed to make sure our teams were clicking. All that prep work goes a long way toward making citizen advocates feel empowered to do the really uncomfortable work of political advocacy.
But often times some of our best moments in Washington don’t fit the mold of a traditional meeting. Instead, they are off-the-cuff moments when you have 30-60 seconds of someone’s attention because of a chance encounter. Those moments – though brief – can make for meaningful exchanges too.
And the prep work you do for those traditional meetings can carry you through these brief exchanges – if you stick to three things.
1 – Have a clear, actionable ask.
There are a lot of mistakes we can make in advocacy. A lot.
One of the biggest though is being vague about the action we want our politicians to take. When we use phrases like “I’d like you to support us on this issue” we leave too much gray area on what?support?could mean.
Elected officials aren’t mind readers. We have to specify what we’re seeking. Before you’re ever stepping out publicly on an issue, ask your advocacy team to help you form a concise, measurable ask. Something as simple as?“I’d like you to co-sponsor bill X”?goes a long way in eliminating that gray area. It will also set a clear context for what comes next.
2 – Tell your story in 30 seconds or less.
Beyond your ask, a 60 second exchange with a legislator has to deliver information in a way they will actually remember. And I hate to break it to you, but that’s not a place for statistics. In a moment like this, you have to use a story.
Raw data isn’t compelling on its own. Human context is what people need when deciding whether to engage on complex issues. And the folks we elect are no different. They are as much storytellers and story listeners as the rest of us. Let’s meet them there.
Compel them by showing how an issue affects real people – like the one standing in front of them. Make it personal. And find a way to help them feel like they could?become the?hero?in that story. Because then, they have a reason to give a damn. And they have a reason to seek you out for more.
3 – Open a door to follow-up.
Credible, sustainable advocacy never relies on one meeting to win an issue. Never.
The real win in a moment like this – when you have a minute or less to talk about your issue – isn’t getting the listener to ‘yes.’ Success is getting them to say ‘I want to know more.’
When you have the rare, chance encounter like this remember this truth: time is our single most valuable, non-renewable resource. If you can turn a one minute exchange into a future 30 minute meeting, you’ve just created one hell of a return on investment.
After your story, be bold – ask them if there’s someone on their team you can contact to share more. Go a step further even – ask them if they’d take a call from you to dive deeper. I think you’ll be surprised how many times you’ll hear yes – especially if you connect with them through your story.
Then it’s on you. It’s on you to pursue that follow-up opportunity. It’s on you to continue building credibility. It’s on you to make that 1 minute just the tip of the ice berg.
When you prep for those longer, more formal meetings keep asking yourself: how can I break this down even more? How can I distill it to what’s most important? And how can I make sure to get invited back to the next conversation?
With practice, you’ll get there. And I think you’ll see that even in advocacy, there are plenty of times when less is more.
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Luke CrumleyApril 6, 2023Posted in
Advocacy,?advocates,?Bridge Builders,?Campaigns,?Citizenship,?communication,?Congress,?decision makers,?grassroots,?influence,?Lobbying,?Personal Development,?Planning,?Politics,?Responsibility,?Self Awareness,?Storytelling,?strategy,?Team BuildingEdit
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