Lobbying 101 - Elements of Lobbying

Lobbying entails different elements which must be addressed for the effort to be a success. To keep this simple I have divided the process into two main elements with sub-elements that further define the main ones.

"RETAIL" LOBBYING: This is why, most often, a lobbyist is retained. "Retail" lobbying usually takes place within the Capitol and relies on the relationships a lobbyist has fostered with legislators and staff.

Meetings: Face-to-face meetings with legislators, their staff, and House or Senate staff to insure that your message is heard. Q & A: Being able to answer questions concerning your issue that may not be covered by any literature you give them. This can include providing testimony in the various committees and sub-committees.

Diplomacy: This is where most amateurs fail. By being overly passionate, they can sometimes insult the very people (legislators) they're trying to win over. A lobbyist should have the reputation of a professional with strong relationships in both houses and, more importantly, both sides of the aisle.

"WHOLESALE" LOBBYING: This type of lobbying is more general than "Retail". It includes more wide ranging campaigns such as: mass mailings, rallies, press conferences, and coordinating constituent visits to legislators. This type of political persuasion is in the background, so to speak, and less one-on-one than retail lobbying. A good lobbyist should be able to these types of campaigns to ensure awareness of the issue at hand.

Mailing Campaigns: A mailing campaign is often one of the least effective methods of lobbying. Legislators receive tons of mail per day and most often don't recall any one piece of mail. This type of lobbying can be more effective if it has aspects of "Retail" lobbying in that a letter from a particular legislator's constituent can be more persuasive than a letter from a faceless organization. This campaign will be comprised of both snail- and e-mail.

Rallies: If your business or organization is large enough to support an effective rally, a lobbyist can plan, coordinate and execute a rally that gets attention and results.

Press Conferences & Releases: The stalwart Press Conference is the king of applying political pressure and can be essential to a successful campaign. A steady stream of press releases to influential reporters can also be incredibly valuable. A lobbyist can draft press releases and organize a strong press conference for you.

Constituent Visits: A legislator will listen to no one more than one of his or her own constituents. Constituents=VOTES! Although this particular element of lobbying can also fit under the umbrella of "Retail" lobbying, often a group from an organization will coordinate visits on a single day. They then split up and visit their respective legislators. A lobbyist will match up any individual with his or her legislator using our relationships to open the door.

By Shawn Garza

Corporate Lobbyists and the Political Blog Scene

Well it seems these days that Political Blogs are all the rage. Most citizens agree that everything should be up for debate and discussion to find the best possible answer or even discover a "third way" which is best for all concerned. In fact a free civilization, which has no sacred cows is by far the easiest to maintain in an ongoing and changing way to fit the needs of her people. Currently the hottest topic on the Internet is the Lobbyist Scandal and this time it has to do with Indian Tribes and many politicians; most Republican this time around, but it spans both sides of the isle indeed.

The Corporate Lobbyist issues are a big concern of the people, although big business needs to be able to talk to government, without communication things can really get divisive and actually cause a worse situation for the citizenry. The communication between business and government needs to be seamless really.

The lobbyist methodology is born out of necessity; it evolved that way for a reason and continued that way because the system was flawed. Unfortunately there is a lot of unequal input and that makes those who have the juice less efficient in the market place, because they have such a leg up on the rest that, well they do not have to be competitive in reality.

So, that is another side of the debate one, which you may wish to consider. Some say the Corporations and lobbyists and Congressmen are all greedy, yet greed in of its self is a human motivator and it should be made to work for the system and not against it. Motivation to get things done in business is good. Greed is innate and a known human quantity and should be used to promote the end game of the civilization; productivity, freedom, liberty and choice. It does all that and more and we know we cannot get rid of greed at any level from the man on the street in a cardboard box to the corporate exec whose monetary compensation is tied to the performance of the stock, shareholders equity and the quarterly profits.

Indeed I myself have had to lobby for my company, because of outrageous legislation promoting barriers to entry into markets, when the laws served no purpose and were so old they should just have been better completely removed. So I see both sides. The good of open communication between government and business, the bad where one company incites government investigations over another and the ugly where actually illegal bribes and BS occur. But, I hold short on the condemnation of business, they are only doing what children do at the super market when they want mom to buy them a candy bar. I believe it is mom's fault for giving it out, especially when it is the taxpayer paying for her food stamps. Consider that analogy for a moment.

By Lance Winslow