Best Business Deals!

Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individual’s or organization’s point of view is represented in the government. A lobbyist is a person who is paid to influence legislation as well as public opinion. However, any business owner or interested person can lobby local councillors or parliamentarians if they know how to do it effectively. The following advice was provided by Australian Democrat Senator Lyn Allison to Public Relations students at Deakin University.

How you too can persuade your parliamentary representative to work for you.

1. Establish your credibility
• Know the issue inside out
• Know the counter arguments and why they are wrong

2. Know thine enemy
• Read up on your MP’s party policy
• Check that you have the right person for your issue
• Check the Hansard and clippings for statements your MP might have made on the subject and mention them in your conversation
• Assess your MP’s capacity to influence their Party or Cabinet

3. Behave yourself!
• Don’t exaggerate the case
• Keep calm, smile and avoid being shrill or argumentative
• Don’t turn up with a big mob
• Don’t take more time than you have to

4. Have a plan
• If you are unsure about how much your MP knows about the subject, establish this early in the conversation so you don’t waste time telling them what they already know
• Put your case simply and be clear about your preferred outcome
• Decide who says what beforehand
• Rehearse if necessary and try to anticipate responses
• Have what you intend to say in writing too – preferably in point form
• Bring background material, figures if necessary and contact names and other details
• Keep good notes of the conversation

5. Know what you are asking for, which might be:
• Speeches, questions, motions in Parliament
• Disallowance of a regulation
• An amendment to upcoming legislation
• Letters to colleagues/cabinet/ministers
• Items in newsletters
• Setting up meetings with colleagues
• Lobbying on your behalf
• Practical assistance with campaigning – photocopying, etc.

6. Don’t forget the politics
• Explain why you have sought out this MP
• Tell him or her who else you are talking to/asking for assistance from (you will get more help from your MP if he/she understands you have not asked every other MP to do the same)
• If appropriate, explain the response/offer you have had from others
• Be aware of the political ramifications of your request

7. When you get a ‘Yes’
• Send a copy of your notes, including a record of the undertaking to take action
• Follow up
• Thank them
• Invite them to open your next fete, mention their good work in your newsletter, and tell the press.

The following link is to a Lobby Kit provided by the Wilderness Society for concerned citizens
who wish to lobby government. It is based on a particular campaign, but the ideas can be transferred to any campaign that you wish to run.

Hamish Jones of Best Business Deals has also started up a Squidoo Page related to Lobbying and Public Relations for community groups which can be found here.