How to conduct a Congressional meeting

Personal meetings, either to discuss a specific issue or to introduce yourself as a constituent, are the most effective means of political communication. Given a legislator’s busy schedule, meetings are sometimes difficult to arrange; however, making personal connections plays a vital role in building relationships with the individuals who make the decisions affecting our profession. If you are unable to schedule a meeting with your member of Congress, don't overlook the opportunity to meet with their staff, as staff are the experts in their field and inform the legislator's views on the issues.

Don't take our word for it, read this article from The Hill on making 10 minutes with a lawmaker count.

When you meet with Members of the Senate or House of Representatives—or their staff—use these 5 key steps for an effective meeting.

5 key steps to a successful meeting

Target: 30 minutes maximum

1. Introduce everyone present.

   • Briefly give your name, where you live, and where you work. State that you are a national representative for AOTA and a constituent.
   • If you have a large group of people, appoint representatives to discuss each issue.
   • This should be no more than four people—one to make introductions, and up to three to discuss your chosen issues.

2. State the issues.

   • Indicate the overall issue you wish to discuss (e.g., health care reform, education).
   • Share why the issue is important to you (e.g., what kind of work you do, the type of individuals you work with, and the situation as you see it).
   • State why the issue is important to the Member of Congress (e.g., what impact it has in his or her district).

3. Highlight particular issues.

   • Detail two, or at most three, critical issues you think the Member may be interested in or in which you have expertise or experience.
   • Support your arguments with personal stories, which help Members understand the people side of problems in their own states or districts.

4. Ask for the Member’s position on the issue.

   • Determine their views.
   • Ask if they can support AOTA’s position.

5. Thank the Member and/or staff for their time.

   • Express hope that this is the beginning of a useful relationship.
   • Tell them that you would like to continue a dialogue on the issue; ask if you may write or call about the issue in the future.
   • Ask to be added to the Member's mailing list for health or other events in the district or state.
   • Ask about the best way to follow up on the meeting.

Remember to leave them with the packet of information.

Dos and don'ts

To help ensure a successful and productive meeting and to deliver a powerful, unified message for occupational therapy, please follow these basic guidelines:

Do

• Greet the Member and/or staff with a handshake and formally introduce yourself (and all others present).
• Thank them for taking the meeting, as you know their schedule is busy and hectic.
• Obtain information about their depth of knowledge and understanding of occupational therapy.
• Limit your meeting agenda to three topics or issues.
• Present your information in a direct, organized, and timely manner.
• Cite specific bills, titles, and issues to ensure clarity.
• Relate the information directly to the legislator’s constituents (you and the individuals you serve) using personal stories, which helps translate the issues into tangible, realistic problems.
• Demonstrate why this issue is important to you and your Members of Congress.
• Be attentive to the legislators' positions, comments, and feedback.
• Prepare a packet to leave with your legislator, including information on specific topics or requests.
• Offer to provide any additional information or follow up on any questions they may have.
• Ask when a good time would be to follow up with them, and the best method of communication
• Follow up!

Do not

• Arrive late for your meeting. Be professional by arriving on time and prepared.
• Get discouraged if your legislator is late to the meeting or if you end up meeting with a Legislative Assistant—legislators’ schedules are unpredictable and frequently change at the last minute.
• Assume the legislator knows about the field of occupational therapy.
• Assume that the legislator is familiar with your issue(s). Thousands of bills are introduced in each Congress, and legislators and staff will not be able to remember them all.
• Discuss numerous bills or address unrelated issues. This will make it difficult for your legislator to understand your priorities, as discussing side issues diminishes the importance of key issues.
• Maintain a narrow-minded perspective. Be attentive and open to different views and feedback; this will give you a better understanding of what is driving that particular office’s decisions.
• Demonstrate angry, threatening, or confrontational behavior. Leave the office with a positive feeling of occupational therapy and desire for future collaboration.
• Treat the meeting as a one-time event. Develop a working relationship with your legislator.

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