Home

Site Index

Sign up for the AdVanced Consulting Newsletter (the Advocacy Tipsheet)

"Leave the Kitchen Sink at Home" Say Hill Staffers

Congressional staff survey suggests need for advocacy training

On Capitol Hill, "KISS"ing (or "Keeping it Short and Sweet") goes a long way in guaranteeing that an advocate's message is heard, according to the results of a new Congressional staff survey from AdVanced Consulting. With anthrax scares interrupting mail service, spam blockers intercepting emails and orange alerts raising security in Washington, DC, advocates on Capitol Hill are rethinking their approach. With this in mind, AdVanced Consulting launched the "What Makes an Effective Advocate" survey in order to provide these advocates with up-to-date and accurate information about how best to deal with Congressional offices.

Click here for the Executive Summary

Click here for the Press Release

Click here to download a PDF of the entire study

Questions? E-mail us at info@advocacyguru.com or call Stephanie Vance or Cindy Klein at (202) 244-4866

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background
AdVanced Consulting launched the "What Makes an Effective Advocate" survey in order to provide advocates with up-to-date and accurate information about how best to deal with Congressional offices. The online survey was conducted from February 14, 2003 to April 18, 2003.

Survey Results
Respondents overwhelmingly recommend the "less is more" approach to advocacy. With their busy schedules, they appreciate short, focused presentations and correspondence. One staffer commented "Use the KISS method, keep it simple stupid." A significant number of respondents are turned off when advocates come by just to chat. More often, they encourage advocates to "have an action plan" and be clear about what they want the staff to do.

Interestingly, no one form of communication stands out as the most preferred; each staffer has his/her own preference for fax, emails, phone calls, etc. E-mail, long reviled by some as completely ineffective for advocacy, received mixed results from respondents, with comments ranging from "Don't do it" to "E-mail is very good." However, most seemed to agree that e-mail can be effective if used properly, i.e., to send out relevant, timely information. As one staffer put it "Do a little research first. Know who you are emailing and that it is the right person for the issues. Also, get to the point. Staff don't have time to read through the fluffy promotion. The email should be smart and to the point."

As for meetings, respondents put a tremendous amount of importance on how they are treated. They are offended by advocates who are disappointed to meet with "just me," and many remark that it is highly unlikely that the advocates will get to meet with the member anyway. Not surprisingly, respondents want to see advocates who are from that member's district and recommend that one to three people attend a meeting in their office.

In considering the steps that advocates should take before coming to meet with an elected official, respondents strongly supported the ideas of looking up a legislator's record (60%), knowing something about the district (80%), and organizing information so it can be presented in five minutes (98%). The results for the survey show real opportunities for advocacy organizations to better train their members, as respondents also agreed that most advocates generally do not take these important steps.

Respondents agreed most on the following issues:

1. Advocates should organize their information so it can be presented in five minutes (98%),
2. Feb. thru April is a busy particularly busy time for constituent contact in DC (96% strongly agree or agree),
3. Advocates should know something about the district (80%),
4. Advocates should leave limited, highly relevant and focused information (80%),
5. One to three people is the ideal number to come to a meeting in the office (78%),
6. It is better for advocates to come in for a meeting to request something specific versus coming just to chat (76%).

Survey Details
Respondents were reflective of a cross-section of different positions in a Congressional office, from Chiefs of Staff to Staff Assistants. The "What Makes an Effective Advocate Survey" was conducted from February 14, 2003 until April 18, 2003 on Zoomerang (an online survey program). Flyers about the survey were hand delivered and faxed to every legislator's office on the Hill and emailed to the offices' legislative directors, press secretaries and staff assistants with the request that the email be passed along to other staff in the office.

It should be noted that AdVanced Consulting is not a survey research firm, nor do we in any way suggest that this survey is reflective of the opinions of all Congressional staff. Rather, the purpose here is to offer valuable insights into the perspectives of those Congressional staff with an interest in these issues. In addition, we hope to provide anecdotal evidence for advocates on how to be most effective in dealing with their elected officials.

In conclusion, AdVanced Consulting would like to acknowledge and thank the Congressional staff who took time from their very busy schedules to respond the survey.

Press Release

"Leave the Kitchen Sink at Home" Say Hill Staffers
Congressional staff survey suggests need for advocacy training

April 22, 2003

Washington, D.C.--On Capitol Hill, "KISS"ing (or "Keeping it Short and Sweet") goes a long way in guaranteeing that a citizen advocate's message is heard, according to the results of a new Congressional staff survey being released today from AdVanced Consulting.

With anthrax scares interrupting mail service, spam blockers intercepting emails and orange alerts raising security in Washington, DC, advocates on Capitol Hill are rethinking their approach. With this in mind, AdVanced Consulting launched the "What Makes an Effective Advocate" survey in order to provide these advocates with up-to-date and accurate information about how best to deal with Congressional offices. The survey report can be found at www.advocacyguru.com/staffsurvey.htm.

A majority of the Congressional staff who responded to the survey urge citizen advocates to keep their messages simple and to the point. However, no one form of communication stands out as the most preferred; each staffer has his/her own preference for fax, emails, phone calls, etc.

"Clearly, what you say is more important than how you say it," says, Stephanie Vance, the Advocacy Guru of AdVanced Consulting. "Our survey reveals that many Congressional staff appreciate and respond to the 'less is more' approach to advocacy."

Respondents, who ranged from Chief of Staff to Staff Assistant, encourage citizen advocates to "have an action plan" and be clear about what they want the staff to do. In fact, a significant number of respondents are turned off when advocates come by just to chat.

Moreover, the survey results show real opportunities for advocacy groups to better prepare their members for interactions with elected officials. A large percentage of respondents assert that advocates do not take the basic steps to prepare for a meeting, such as looking up a legislator's record, knowing something about the district and organizing their information so it can be presented in five minutes.

"There are four or five very specific, very easy things advocates can do to really make a positive impression on Congressional staff. Unfortunately, most advocates do not take advantage of these opportunities," Vance said. "What this tells me is that there are tremendous opportunities for associations and other advocacy-oriented groups to better train their members to be more effective."

Congressional staff strongly agreed on the following responses:

1. Citizen advocates should organize their information so it can be presented in five minutes (98%),
2. Feb. thru April is a busy particularly busy time for constituent contact in DC (94% strongly agree or agree),
3. Citizen advocates should know something about the district (80%),
4. Citizen advocates should leave limited, highly relevant and focused information (80%),
5. One to three people is the ideal number to come to a meeting in the office (78%),
6. It is better for citizen advocates to come in for a meeting to request something specific versus coming just to chat (76%).

AdVanced Consulting is a Washington DC-based firm focused on effective advocacy training, writing and consulting. Our mission is to build trust between citizens and their government. AdVanced Consulting is not a survey research firm, nor does the company in any way suggest that this survey, which was conducted February 14, 2003 through April 18, 2003, is reflective of the opinions of all Congressional staff. Rather, the purpose of the survey is to offer valuable insights into the perspectives of those Congressional staff with an interest in these issues. In addition, the survey provides anecdotal evidence for citizen advocates on how to be most effective in dealing with their elected officials.

Stephanie Vance, the Advocacy Guru of AdVanced Consulting, is a 15-year veteran of Washington, DC. She has worked in various capacities in and around Capitol Hill, including as a lobbyist and in Congress as a Legislative Director and Staff Director. At AdVanced Consulting, Ms. Vance offers workshops, seminars, keynotes and general consulting and advice on effective advocacy techniques.