EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY
Here are some pointers to follow when communicating with candidates and
elected officials to ensure that your communication receives
the attention it deserves.
Communicating with any public officials really comes down to four simple
steps: Knowing what you want; Knowing who to ask; Knowing
how to ask; and Knowing how to follow-up.
Knowing
What to Ask
This section details why it is important to ask for something specific
and how to find out more about policy decisions in the
Houston area.
Knowing
Who to Ask
Under our representative system of government, it is always most
effective to work with the elected officials that represent
you.
Knowing
How to Ask
Elected officials, candidates and their staff want you to tell them your
feelings about particular issues.
However, it is essential to deliver your message in
the proper way. Otherwise, your communication will be lost
in the flood of mail, e-mail, phone calls, and faxes that
public officials are faced with everyday. Here are some
pointers that will help make sure that your voice is heard. This section includes tips and techniques for ensuring that your message
is heard.
Effective
Letters and Phone Calls
This section describes how to make a letter or phone call to an official
have the greatest impact.
Following-Up
This section shows how following up is almost as crucial as the initial
contact.
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A special thanks to Congressman Earl Blumenaur, whose
website provided the model for this section, some of the
material comes almost fully from the site.
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