If you've managed to arrange a meeting about a historic preservation issue with a busy elected official — or a member of the official's staff you'll need to make the most of their limited time. Three things will help make your lobbying efforts a success:

• Careful preparation before your meeting
• Respectful behavior during your meeting
• Thorough follow-up after your meeting

The tips below describe what you should do before, during, and after your meeting with an elected official or staffer.

What To Do Before Your Meeting

Prepare for your meeting with an elected official by doing the following:

Express your thanks. Start your relationship off the right way by thanking the scheduler for setting up the meeting. If you are courteous with all members of an elected official's staff, you are more likely to be invited again.

Do your homework. Before meeting with an elected official, gather basic information about that person. This information includes his or her voting record on preservation issues and a roster of the official's committee assignments. The best information source about federal-level legislators is a Library of Congress website used by professional and grassroots lobbyists around the country. The database on this site, called "Thomas" (in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson), provides the latest information about bills and committee work. It is also a helpful learning tool for grassroots advocates who have forgotten most of what they learned in civics class. The State of Wisconsin has an equivalent legislative database.

Develop a file on each of your elected officials, including local, state, and federal representatives. In addition to legislative information, your files might contain personal information, such as whether an official lives in a historic house or if his or her spouse participates in local historic preservation. Knowing where an elected official went to school may help your group make a personal connection. Many legislators got their college degree in history. This kind of information can be extremely helpful when you make your case for preservation. Simple web searches should provide you with useful information for your files.

Coordinate your efforts. As a grassroots lobbyist, you are likely working with many others in your own group or with partner organizations. When you are planning your pitch to an elected official, make sure everyone in your group understands:

• What you are asking for
• Who will lead the conversation
• What each person in the group will be doing before, during, and after the meeting

Prepare your message. Assume that your elected officials and their staff are completely swamped. Plan a five-minute version of your conversation, but be prepared for an hour. One of the best ways to prepare brief versions of an hour-long conversation is to practice with a friend or family member who knows nothing about what you're doing. Pick a friend who will be completely honest with you. Your message should anticipate a response of "Who cares?" Prepare two or three talking points for your own response. If a five-minute pitch doesn't provoke your friend's interest, you can be certain your hour-long version will need revamping too.

Bring the right materials. Bring a one-page request, minimal background materials, and a CD of materials to leave behind that may help your elected official or staff better understand your concern. This CD should be much like the CD you would include in your media packet. Include digital versions of press clippings and information about your organization. Leave a membership brochure and your latest newsletter at the office. Make everything support your request, but don't overwhelm your audience with too many facts.

What To Do During Your Meeting

Your behavior during a meeting with an elected official may be as important to your success as the content of your request. Follow these behavioral guidelines during your meeting:

Be on time, but be flexible. By all means, be prompt. Be prepared with the official's office number and your cell phone in case something disastrous happens on the way. An elected official's schedule is tight, and your tardiness could delay a series of other meetings on the official's schedule. If you are late, you may be asked to reschedule. If you are asked to reschedule your meeting due to someone else's tardiness or unexpected events, don't take it personally.

Respect staff. Often, the first person you speak with in an elected official's office is the secretary or an aide. An aide at any level of government may be quite young, and you may be tempted to dismiss that person's importance to your cause. Don't make this mistake. Never underestimate a staff member's influence, and always try to make connections with everyone who works in an elected official's office.

Express thanks again. Start your meeting with gratitude: "Thank you for taking time to talk to us." Thank the official again before you leave. If this person has supported preservation in the past, thank him or her for the past support.

Pay attention to body language and unspoken communication. Body language may help you understand how you're coming across, but don't get discouraged if your listener seems a little stiff or tired. Try to engage the official by asking what issues he or she has been working on the most. Adjust the rest of your discussion based on the official's response so you are not merely an added burden. If you feel as if your listener is simply not interested in what you have to say regardless of how you say it, do not take this personally. Share your impressions with fellow advocates and plan another visit once you sort through how you might connect more effectively.

Notice your surroundings. Listen carefully during your conversation and take note of visual information. Pay attention to photos and mementos in your elected official's office. Many decorate with local historic photographs. If so, ask about them. You could end up with an expansive conversation about your audience's interest in local history.

Make your request early in the conversation. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of talking to an elected official. Conversations with interested staff members can also be distracting. If you are meeting with an official to gather support for a bill, request funding for a project, or stop harmful changes to a preservation law, remember to state your request during the meeting. Try to do this in the first few minutes in case your meeting is cut short abruptly, (which is not uncommon during a legislative session).

What To Do After Your Meeting

Your lobbying activities don't end when you walk out of your meeting. Make the most of your lobbying efforts by following up with these tasks:

Follow up with staff. When you engage in lobbying, you should be working toward a long-term relationship with your elected officials. Developing this relationship will require constant attention. Follow up with the lead staff member on your issue via email immediately after each meeting.

Send a thank-you note. As soon as your meeting is over,send a thank you note to your public official via email or snail mail. In your note, briefly restate the reason for your visit. Mention something positive that occurred during the conversation to jog the official's memory about your visit. Also, remind the official of any promises he or she made during the meeting.

Document your experience. Record your experience in writing and file this document in a place that is accessible to anyone who might be continuing your work. In your document, describe the following:

• When you met
• Who you spoke with
• How things went
• What you asked for
• What was promised (from your organization and from your elected official's office)

Learn More

Historic Preservation Advocacy Guide

Find more how-to articles about historic preservation advocacy.