The stories I could tell you.
Over 8.5 years working for members of Congress, there were a LOT of constituent meetings. These were opportunities for concerned citizens to engage directly with their elected representative – or that representative’s staff – to share a slice of what was happening back in the district.
Sometimes they were big sweeping issues. Other times they were narrow, localized challenges. But too many times I left a meeting, scratching my head and wondering “what on earth do they want us to do?”
And if you’re wondering – that’s one of the worst reactions you can accomplish in an advocacy meeting.
Fast forward to last year when I was training a group of prospective advocates. We’d finally arrived to the point where they were ready to start working in teams and preparing themselves for meeting with elected officials. And as it always does, they asked me an important question: “so what do we talk about?”
If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know I’m keen on storytelling. That’s the communication method that can most effectively deliver the gravity of a problem. But a story is almost useless without a hero to face that problem. A great advocacy meeting sets the decision maker up to step into that heroic role. But how do we make sure we get there?
Always, Always, Always Have an Ask
Each member of Congress represents roughly 750,000 people. Let’s assume they want to give every one of those people an equal amount of time to discuss issues in a year. If that member never ate, slept, or went to the restroom, each of us hypothetical constituents would receive about 45 seconds of equal time in a year.
The reality is that most folks simply have no driving need or inclination to engage in advocacy. So the groups that do show up to engage in the process can get a much more substantial opportunity. But the truth remains: time is a precious, non-renewable commodity. We should never, ever, leave a meeting where the decision maker doesn’t have a clear ask. If we do, we’ve wasted their time and squandered our own chance to win a champion to our cause.
Over time I’ve simplified this in my own work. If there’s not a clear, measurable ask for a specific decision maker, the default answer is that we shouldn’t pursue a meeting with them. And I abide by that with very few exceptions.
But when we do break that threshold, how do we craft a good ask? What gets us over that hurdle and into a proactive mindset to pursue a meeting with a key target? Here are my best practices:
#1 – Simple
An ask shouldn’t take any more than 2 sentences to convey. Constraining ourselves in this way forces us to boil the ask down to its core aims. Here’s an example…
“Representative, we are here to ask you to co-sponsor HR 1234, the Good Governance Act.”
There are some key elements here. First, a simple action: co-sponsor a bill. Secondly, the bill number for them to reference later. And lastly, the bill name that they’ll hear their colleagues and staff use in conversation. These key elements keep your ask short, and to the point, with no ambiguity on the expectation.
#2 – Relevant
Sometimes we don’t know just who should be tackling an issue – especially in the early days of discovering just what the problem really is. But when we crack that code, we should be targeting our engagement to those who can actually do something about it.
For instance, in the example above, we wouldn’t be talking to a county commissioner about a piece of legislation in the US House of Representatives. That’s simply not their job. They may have opinions about it. They may even be able to get you connected to someone to discuss the issue further, but the ask above just wouldn’t make sense for them. They can’t take that kind of action.
Our asks should always be relevant to the target’s position or sphere of influence. Failure to align the ask to the target is a great way to feel like you’re spinning your wheels. You’ll make a lot of noise and go precisely nowhere.
#3 – Measurable
This is the biggie. 
Now there are plenty of ways we can claim “success” in advocacy. If we’re engaging with a target for the first time, simply getting in the room and walking away with a positive connection made can be a big win (especially in the current political climate).
But the ultimate judge of success is whether you can tie one of their actions to the request that you made. That’s why we advocate for the causes that are important to us. We want to move the needle.
In the example above, the ask (co-sponsor a bill) is plainly measurable. It’s a yes-no action. There’s no gray area. And though it can’t always be so cut and dry, we should endeavor to maximize the opportunities for our asks to be measurable.
The alternative is unsustainable. Here’s what I mean.
In nearly every training I’ve offered, the first chance a team has to craft their ask they make it far too vague. The most common approach is that they ask the target to “get educated” on the issue. Well, two things: 1) you just insulted them; and 2) why do you think you’re there in the first place? The entirety of your meeting may be the only chance they have of grasping your issue. YOU are the educator.
If you’re just starting in advocacy, all of this can seem a bit overwhelming. But aligning yourself with an association, a charity, or other civic group can help. Those teams can help equip you to avoid the pitfalls and always show up with a right-sized ask. Find the right one and you’re going to find yourself better prepared to jump into the fray, and deliver an ask that might just get your issue moving.
Failing to recognize either of those shortcomings puts you in a bad spot. That’s why simplicity, relevancy and measurability matter. They’ll keep you from a social faux pas AND keep you on task.
Part of the Possible 