Professionally-Led Advocacy Tutorial Given at Public Policy Institute

By Adam Modzelesky
EpilepsyUSA staff
Posted: July 20, 2006

The Epilepsy Foundation's 13^th Public Policy Institute brought over 300 dedicated epilepsy advocates to Washington, D.C., March 28 through 31. Their mission: to deliver two messages successfully to Congress.

This spring, Congress was debating and revising the proposed federal budget for Fiscal Year 2007, and the Epilepsy Foundation had critical concerns that required powerful voices and a cohesive message to effect needed changes.

The first message PPI participants needed to convey was that Congress needed to restore funding for critical epilepsy public health programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as increase funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Institutes of Health, which conducts a significant portion of primary health research. Secondly, advocates were asked to highlight the importance of the Medicaid program in supporting the health and well-being of children and adults with epilepsy. It is crucial that Members of Congress enable all Americans with low incomes and disabilities to have access to affordable health care services through Medicaid.

For some PPI attendees, presenting a message to Congress was business as usual because they had attended the Public Policy Institute or Kids Speak Up!, the youth component, many times before or had participated in the Speak Up Speak Out grassroots network on the Foundation's website. But for others, the event marked the first time they had ever played the role of Congressional lobbyist.

Both to train new participants and to offer an advocacy skills refresher course to experienced participants, the Foundation enlisted the support of Joseph Gagen, a professional grassroots trainer with more than 30 years experience in politics. Gagen conducted a heavily-attended tutorial that touched on everything from in-person delivery strategies to visit follow-ups.

"Advocacy is the same as sales," Gagen said. "You are basically selling something, and you have to make sense to the buyer. You have to find out what's important to the buyer, not focus on what's important to the seller."

Gagen outlined some of the basic principles of successful lobbying. He revealed a dozen vote-influencing factors and discussed the art of developing relationships with a congressional leader.

Factors That Influence Congressional Votes

Gagen wasted no time putting the most significant – and obvious – influential factor on his list: voters. According to Gagen, politicians most value their constituents' opinions. It is the voters who put the lawmakers in office, and the voters could ultimately remove them. Therefore, Gagen said, it is important for voters to visit their elected leaders.

"If you don't speak or contact your congressman or congresswoman's office, then they assume you don't care or they're doing everything right," Gagen said. "It's good to make officials react."

According to Eric Hargis, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation, "while medical professionals can relay clinical needs to lawmakers, and voluntary health agencies can work on legislation details, visits from children and adults humanize the condition for lawmakers and their staff."

Other top factors that influence a politician's vote include: facts, their personal beliefs, their campaign volunteers, personal experiences, voter interest/passion, media and their staff.

Congressional staff was the focus of much discussion during the hour-long presentation, as Gagen continuously reinforced that advocates could expect to speak mostly with the congressional leader's health aide. This is not a bad thing, he said. Congressional leaders have busy schedules and may not have time to read every piece of legislation that comes across their desks. Therefore, a staffer's opinion and synopsis is of great value to the representative.

During some visits, a Member of Congress will find time in his schedule to greet constituents and have a picture taken, but staff members are most likely to dedicate more time to individual meetings. And a strong discussion with a knowledgeable staff member, highlighting key points and conveying salient personal stories, can have an enormous impact, either when a Member considers existing legislation or when that Member introduces new legislation. Staff members assist in drafting floor speeches, often using the personal stories of constituents to highlight the urgency of a particular issue.

Relationship Development and the 'Rule of Seven'

Gagen's Rule of Seven pertains to the amount of times an advocate should contact a congressional leader's office after a visit.

"After a certain point, a congressman will trust you and your opinions," Gagen said. "Trust takes multiple contacts, and seven contacts will help the 'customer' remember who you are."

The advocates in attendance seemed to grasp this idea, but they all didn't quite know how to keep each contact fresh in subject matter. Gagen understood their concern and offered a couple of strategies. One strategy was to have their pictures taken with the congressman or congresswoman, have it published in the local paper and then send it to their office. A second strategy was purposely answering a Member's question with, "I don't know, but I'll get back to you with the answer," then sending a note addressing both the specific issue and synopsizing the critical messages of the visit.

Vehicles for following up on a congressional visit include letters, emails, phone calls and faxes. Also, contacting local newspapers and television stations following the visit to Washington can generate hometown stories. Even an article for your Epilepsy Foundation affiliate's newsletter is a good item to forward as a follow-up to a personal visit.

According to Gagen, it is not unusual for a congressional leader to develop a rapport with an advocate and ask their opinions come voting time. By following the Rule of Seven, an advocate stands a good chance at developing a influential relationship.

Sharing and Creating Influential Personal Experiences

"Your strongest resource as an advocate is your story," Gagen said.

Gagen closed his presentation by saying advocates shouldn't be afraid to tell their story with feeling. Be brief, but be specific. By bringing a politician into one's world, the advocate is creating a heartfelt personal experience for the politician that might stick with them and shape how they vote in the future.

"When speaking with a congressman, the most important thing to do to influence their vote is to cater to their personal experiences," Gagen said. "Sometimes you'll remind them of an incidence from their past, or you actually create one just by being there and bringing them into your world."

Get Involved

To find out more about the Foundation's advocacy efforts, the status of epilepsy funding in the budget, the ongoing Medicaid discussions and more, please visit our website at http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org. Here, you can also join the Speak Up Speak Out advocacy network and find out more about the Public Policy Institute.