You should send every office that you meet with on Capitol Hill a brief letter thanking them for meeting with you. A follow-up or thank you letter aids in building a formal relationship with your legislator and their office, and it will keep doors open for future meetings. Your visit is the beginning of the relationship, not the end.
Right after you finish meeting with an office, fill out the feedback form with the details of your meeting while the information is fresh in your mind. Be sure to note any immediate follow-up that might be needed, and include any concerns or comments you have in order to help AOTA’s Federal Affairs staff determine the outcome of all of the Congressional meetings. Please provide your feedback and share your advocacy story with us using AOTA's Legislative Action Center.
Before leaving Washington, DC, write a quick thank you letter (e-mail is best) to each Member of Congress and/or staff member who met with you. This will create an instant positive memory of you and will work to facilitate further visits.
Like any relationship, it is important to plan for the future to ensure your success. Use these steps to create your plan.
Most individuals and offices have a preferred method of communication. Some offices like to keep in touch over the phone, others prefer email. District offices may still prefer to use postal mail, but because of the security and screening process, this is not a practical route of communication with offices in Washington, DC.
When speaking directly with staff or legislators, and as a final point at the end of your meeting, be sure to ask for their preferred method of communication and their ideal time frame for follow-up on the issues you presented.
Most staff will appreciate your thoughtfulness and will receive your follow-up much better if it is through their ideal communication outlet.
Although you've provided an immediate follow-up thank you, don't expect immediate action on the requests you made. Give the Member some time to digest the issue and take a position.
Sometimes staff will respond to your thank you with an update on what happened as a result of your meeting. If not, wait until their “ideal time frame for follow-up” has passed, and then contact them to see if they (or the Member) have had a chance to consider the issue. Then maintain patience—it may be a while before you hear back.
To keep the momentum rolling after your meeting, continue to follow-up, as appropriate, throughout the year. The best communications will be useful to the staff, relevant to the district or state, or include new information on the issue. It is important to stay on their radar screen; however, you do not want to become a pest.
Keeping in touch will let the staff know that they have someone in the district who really understands the issues and will continue to be a resource to them and the Member. Convince them that you are the one to call to get the details they need to make the best decisions.