Making Your Case - tips for success!

We advocate to legislators and their staff to help our community get the care we need. The basics of how to make your case are simple, and once you learn them you’ll be better able to advocate for yourself, your family, and your community.

What is legislative advocacy? Asking a legislator or their staff for help to pass, change, or block laws and policies that affect the care we receive.  

The A.B.C. formula

The A.B.C. formula is a way to make your case to legislators and their staff that will help you have the greatest impact.

A = Ask: What do you want from the person you’re speaking to? Legislators and their staff are busy people and they know you want something. Starting with what you want focuses the conversation on what’s important and saves time .

B = Because: What is the logical reason for your Ask? Legislators serve many people besides you. They need to know how doing what you want is good for the people they serve. They also need to be able to explain that to other legislators and advocates they meet. Know the logical reasons for what you want and be ready for questions because not everyone will understand or agree on the issue.

Connect: How does the issue affect you, your family, or community on a personal level? Telling the legislator/staff how this personally affects people is important because laws are ultimately about helping people.

When you use the A.B.C. formula to advocate to legislators and their staff you save time and keep the focus on what’s important. Legislators and their staff need to understand what you want and why in a way they can explain to others, so help them help you by making the best case you can. It’s as simple as A.B.C.

Tips for success!

Legislative advocacy takes more than one meeting. You may have to meet many people over several months or even years. Knowing your A.B.C.s is essential. To help you succeed, follow these 3 rules.

Be Prepared: Know who you’re meeting with and how they can help. When talking about a specific bill, know the bill numbers and the details. It also helps to know who is opposed to a bill because they will also be advocating on the issue.

Be Persistent: Many people you meet will need time to check on things and decide if they can support you. Let them know you will get them more information if they need it and you will meet again if they want. This shows you are serious about the issue and will work with them to get things done.

Be Polite: People will remember how you treated them and it will affect their decision to do what you ask. Being persistent is okay; being pushy and rude won’t change their mind.

How you advocate to legislators and their staff creates a reputation for our community. Always fight the good fight and you will make a difference.