Successful Relationship Marketing with Elected Officials
One of the greatest challenges confronting UA Cooperative Extension continues to be the development of high quality, relevant educational programs that address real issues facing the state along with persuading county, state, and federal governments to financially support extension. Quality educational programs that meet critical community needs are a prerequisite for funding. However, quality programs are not enough. Targeted marketing programs aimed at raising extension's visibility and credibility with decision makers are no longer a luxury but a necessity for public funding.
Decision makers have only a small window of exposure to view Extension programs. It is critical that Extension focus its message on the difference it makes in the lives of people. Keys to successful communication with decision makers include:
- Market Research. Collect important personal, political, and professional data regarding decision makers. Data can be gathered from voter pamphlets, the League of Women Voters, and public voting records.
- Systematic, comprehensive and creative year-round communication.
- Periodic visits and letter writing by volunteers, customers, and faculty.
- Implementing a year-round marketing plan that includes faculty from all levels of organization.
- Quick and effective responses to budget challenges.
- Appeal to the head and the heart. Decision makers are influenced by reports of real program impact that affect their constituents' livelihoods and personal lives.
- Appeal to their objective and subjective judgement. Use creativity, enthusiasm and logic in constructing balanced messages that respond to the particular interests of decision makers.
Effective communication with elected officials is essential for all extension programs. The following ideas may be helpful:
- Communication with elected officials should be coordinated with county and state extension administration. This coordination eliminates duplication of efforts and maximizes the impact of extension's educational message. The elected officials should be contacted by both faculty and well-trained customers.
- Get to know your elected officials.
- Identify all local, sate, and federal elected officials in your area.
- Collect basic information on their background and interests. (This data collection can be done by volunteers.)
- Elected officials should be visited personally by a team of faculty and volunteers on a year-round basis.
- Prior to the visit, review information sheets and, if possible, attend a meeting in which the elected official is participating. This "homework" will help identify and target critical issues in which the official is interested.
- Target the educational message to meet the official's interest.
- Develop a file of success stories on significant program issues that can be shared with elected officials on a regular basis.
- Develop a communication plan.
Pre-visit Planning
Face-to-face visits with local, state, or national elected officials who live in their districts are most effective. When a group is involved, there should be one spokesperson.
- Make an appointment for a short, well-planned visit.
- Present your views in a rational manner.
- Facts, figures, balance sheets, and other evidence can be convincing.
- Remember to include the elected official's administrative staff.
These staff members are literally the eyes and ears of the elected officials. It is imperative to get to know these people on a personal basis and to communicate the details of your program through the elected official's staff.
Should you be unable to see your elected official, make your views known to a staff member.
- They often need information on issues.
- Contact staff members regularly, on a year-round basis; don't wait until budget season.
- Get to know them, and give them a chance to know you.
Conducting the Visit
Be sure all your information is factual and accurate. Brevity is most important. Long, detailed studies simply do not get the attention desired.
Avoid criticizing an elected official. Being critical of positions or actions is seldom beneficial unless done in a constructive manner which suggests alternatives.
Follow-up After the Visit
After your meeting, follow up with a thank you letter and a reiteration of points made at the meeting.
If you are unable to visit personally with your elected official, letters can be effective in making your views known. When you write, be sincere. Say what you want in your own words. Don't copy a form letter. Cover only a single issue in each letter.
Personal visits and written communications must be planned as part of a continuous, year-long dialogue with local, state, and national, elected officials. One-shot visits are not effective.
Other methods of reaching elected officials
- Invite elected officials to Extension educational events. If appropriate, allow them a visible and active role in the meeting, such as keynote speaker, or member of a panel. Often, if the officials can't come, they will send a representative from their staff. When they visit, make sure they are given proper recognition and media coverage.
- Send newsletters and other pertinent information to elected officials. Include information about elected officials when they are involved in your program;
- Send success stories, copies of letters from customers supporting program efforts, and news of staff awards.
- Collect news clippings of programs, photocopy them, and sent them to elected officials periodically. If you have a feature article, a personal delivery is often effective.
- Seek input year-round from elected officials. Ask elected officials if Extension faculty can serve on appropriate committees that match faculty responsibilities. This facilitates two-way communication.
- When appropriate, invite elected officials or their aides to board meetings, program committees, and advisory committees.
- Build networks with other community leaders through participation in boards, attendance at appropriate events, and co-sponsorship of programs. Publicize these cooperative efforts to elected officials.
- When a citizen who is particularly pleased with an Extension educational event asks "What do I owe you?" or "How can I help you?", suggest that he/she drop a note of thanks to your mayor, county manager, board of supervisors, state representative, or senator expressing appreciation for supporting Extension.
- Use elected officials to help in budget lobbying. State and federal officials can write letters to county officials to support local requests and vice versa.
- One of the most effective methods of educating decision makers is breakfast or dinner forums. These forums can feature short reports outlining Extension's goals and accomplishments and informal conversation and feedback between decision makers, faculty, and key customers. Make meetings short - no longer than 1 hour - and lively.
- Deliver what you promise on time and in a visible fashion.
- The most important thing to remember is communicating with elected officials is to keep the communication constant and consistent. Use a blend of written and oral communication.
Resources
Strategic Communications Toolkit: This Web site provides resources and links to help Michigan State University Extension educators build strong community relationships and communicate effectively about our educational programming in Michigan . ( http://ceenet.msue.msu.edu/home/strategicommunications/index.htm )