Reaching Out to Your Legislator (Part II)
Reaching Out to Your Legislator (Part II) – Powerful Tips for Writing to Your Legislator that Will Get YOUR Letter Noticed
When you’ve been moved by an issue enough that you decide to write to your legislator, make your effort worthwhile by going that extra mile to craft your words so that your letter is the one that makes them stop and pay attention. Legislators on both the state and federal level get mail and email every day from constituents like you, and while they represent your interests, it’s your job to churn out that dynamic letter that will make the legislator and/or his or her staff take notice. Here are some of Brett’s Best Tips do just that:
1. Who are you? Make sure you identify yourself off the bat. Why you are passionate about this issue? Include information about any key connections to the issue or any related organizations you are part of (but no bragging, please). This is also the appropriate time to let the legislator know that you are from his or her district. Legislators like to hear from their constituents, and are more likely to act on constituent opinion.
2. Be specific. If you are writing about a particular bill, reference that legislation not only by its bill number, if you have that handy, but its name and a brief description. Legislators see a whopping amount of legislation each year. You can take the bull by the horns and help them out by more clearly identifying your cause.
3. Simplicity reigns supreme. Always keep your letter to one page or less, be as brief as you possibly can while still providing the adequate information. If you have personal examples or details you wish to share, by all means do so, but don’t unnecessarily prolong your point.
4. Common courtesy always counts. Address them by their proper title (such “Senator” or “Representative” followed by name) and include their mailing address at the top of the communication regardless of whether you are sending a physical letter or an email. And please, please don’t threaten them or berate them, or tell them that you supported their opponent in the last election.
5. Get to the point. Specify the response you are looking for from them, be it a policy change, legislation, or a simple follow-up from them or their staff. (and then thank them!)
Remember that it’s usually a best practice to only write to the representatives or senators who represent your district. The fact that they are from your geographical area has much more pull when it comes to getting results. Almost all legislators can be contacted via email as well as regular postal mail, and you can oftentimes send them a message via the internet. To find out how to contact your Congressional senators and representatives, visit the Congressional Directory. To find your South Carolina legislators’ addresses or email information, visit the South Carolina statehouse website and click “Find Your Legislator” on the left-hand side.
When you’ve been moved by an issue enough that you decide to write to your legislator, make your effort worthwhile by going that extra mile to craft your words so that your letter is the one that makes them stop and pay attention. Legislators on both the state and federal level get mail and email every day from constituents like you, and while they represent your interests, it’s your job to churn out that dynamic letter that will make the legislator and/or his or her staff take notice. Here are some of Brett’s Best Tips do just that:
1. Who are you? Make sure you identify yourself off the bat. Why you are passionate about this issue? Include information about any key connections to the issue or any related organizations you are part of (but no bragging, please). This is also the appropriate time to let the legislator know that you are from his or her district. Legislators like to hear from their constituents, and are more likely to act on constituent opinion.
2. Be specific. If you are writing about a particular bill, reference that legislation not only by its bill number, if you have that handy, but its name and a brief description. Legislators see a whopping amount of legislation each year. You can take the bull by the horns and help them out by more clearly identifying your cause.
3. Simplicity reigns supreme. Always keep your letter to one page or less, be as brief as you possibly can while still providing the adequate information. If you have personal examples or details you wish to share, by all means do so, but don’t unnecessarily prolong your point.
4. Common courtesy always counts. Address them by their proper title (such “Senator” or “Representative” followed by name) and include their mailing address at the top of the communication regardless of whether you are sending a physical letter or an email. And please, please don’t threaten them or berate them, or tell them that you supported their opponent in the last election.
5. Get to the point. Specify the response you are looking for from them, be it a policy change, legislation, or a simple follow-up from them or their staff. (and then thank them!)
Remember that it’s usually a best practice to only write to the representatives or senators who represent your district. The fact that they are from your geographical area has much more pull when it comes to getting results. Almost all legislators can be contacted via email as well as regular postal mail, and you can oftentimes send them a message via the internet. To find out how to contact your Congressional senators and representatives, visit the Congressional Directory. To find your South Carolina legislators’ addresses or email information, visit the South Carolina statehouse website and click “Find Your Legislator” on the left-hand side.
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2 comments:
Very interesting post !!
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