Being a new lobbyist on the block — an individual assigned to influence an institution — can be an intimidating experience, at first. It's a mission that no college or university prepares anyone to perform, and there are few good books on the subject. Most of the professional knowledge on how to lobby is handed down in pieces and stories from one generation to the next by those, including legislators, who’ve gone before.
David Karem, a former Kentucky state senator, passed on pointers based on his 27 years of experience as a legislator. “I tell people to use basic common sense,” he said.
For instance, he said, “Be polite to others as you would want them to be polite to you.”
Lobbying is like life: It can be navigated okay with walking-around sense; on the other hand, it's so complicated nobody understands it all. Somehow, the best lobbyists know what's important and stay focused. You can, too. ...
Karem said some lobbyists, especially citizen lobbyists (who are not lobbyists, technically), make the mistake of becoming very unpleasant and aggressive, apparently through some feeling of ownership of elected officials. He said a legislator may smile and take the abuse, but “when the person walks away, (he’s) made a big enemy.”
Tips from Sen. Karem
• Stay on your own turf. If you come to see him about an issue, “You’re there to talk about one subject, so don’t digress and get into some other subjects. …
• You can't do it alone. “Almost every group, or every organization, or every cause has the capacity to network. Make sure you're networking with people who live within the legislator's district. That's who they want to hear from first.”
• Being truthful is critical. “When I say truthful, I mean completely truthful. Don't shade something to make the case look better for you than it is. Because that will come back to bite you, big time.”
[More in the book.]
