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© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Grassroots Advocacy Activities that are Safe for Everyday Use
Amy Showalter
www.showaltergroup.com
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Therapy team since 2012Registered Pet Partners team since 2014
Amy and Finn
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
The Big Picture: What Won’t Change
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Jeff, what do you think is going to change most in the next 10 years?
That’s a good question. But a better question is: What’s not going to change in the next 10-20 years? What won’t change is people’s desire for lower prices and faster delivery. When you have something you know is true, even over the long term, you can
afford to put a lot of energy into it."
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Advancing Your Issues
Industry Think Tanks,
Academia, Legislator
Relationship Development,
Legislator Champion
Development
Social Networks, Activists,
The Media
Political System: Legislators
& Regulators
Extensive Work Required Here
More work here means less work here
More Here
Triggering Event
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
1. Constituent meetings 65%
2. Lobbyist meetings 60%
3. Roundtables/briefings 51%
4. Website 50%
***********************************
• Podcasts 3%
• Webinars 2%
“How do you prefer to learn about issues from advocacy organizations?”
The Policy Council, 2007
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
In-person visits 46%Representative of constituent group 36%Personal postal letters 20%Personal emails 19%Phone calls 14%Phone town hall comments 17%Lobbyist 8%Form email 1%Social media site comments 1%
Congressional Management Foundation, 2011
Effective Advocacy Tactics“A lot of positive influence”
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
“Persuasion Tactics that Change Legislators’ Minds”Showalter & Rhoads
1. L move in your direction?
2. L speak for your issue?3. L lobby colleagues?4. L add name to your
legislation? 5. Relations improved? 6. Was your campaign
successful?
Larger Number of FTF Meetings w/ L.*
*Yes, we also measured email, phone, & letter
contact. They did not attain significance.
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Legislators and Social Media: Is It Their Listening Tool or Their Talking Tool?
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
• Attending district events 86%
• Responses to constituent communications 83%
• Local media 80%
• Official website 64%
• District office hours 54%
• Telephone Town Hall meetings 45%
“How important are the following activities for communicating views to your constituents?”
CMF, 2011
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
1. Family member
2. Personal friend
3. Campaign worker
4. Contributor / Business owner / Local elected official /
CEO / Interest group leader
“What Type of Constituent Is Most Influential?”
Amy Showalter, 1996
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
1. Providing consistently reliable information
2. F2F meetings
3. Concise argument / Presenting opposing views
4. Bringing in constituent supporters
5. “Do my job for me.”
-Dr. David Rehr, 2017
What are the most effective lobbying activities?”
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Amyism #82
Maximizing Social Media Influence
“Legislators who agree with your cause may cite your social media messages as an authentic influence on them, while those opposed cite the same messages as inauthentic ‘noise.’ Both characterizations cannot be true. To increase your social media authenticity and hence, it’s influence, you must have real, credible advocates on the ground pressing your case.”
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
The Advocacy Path: Know Yourself, Know Your Story, Know Your Stuff
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Don’t be Intimidated – Flick off “Authority Traps”
Arizona
Pennsylvania
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© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Know Your Story
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
Amyism #47
Grassroots Narrative: “As influence agents, we must learn to think in story, talk in story, and present our arguments in a narrative form. Because story can persuade and inspire where reason and logic and argument fall flat.“
- Kelton Rhoads, PhD
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
1.Who is your audience?
2.What do you want them to do?
3.Think about the defining moments and/or experiences that convinced you of the benefits of AAI.
4.What lessons did you learn from those experiences?
5. How do those lessons support your call to action?
PRO TIP: Test / practice your story with non-Pet Partner affiliated friends, family members, or colleagues. What is their impression of
your story? Be open to feedback, recalibrate and refine!
Exercise - What’s Your Story?
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
• “Those who play by the rules and work hard go to the top of my list.”
• -Former Congressman Jim Ross Lightfoot
• “This woman had exhausted all other resources, she could have taken government assistance and refused it. I was her
last resort.” • – Former Florida State Representative Janegayle Boyd
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
• Legislator’s web site
• Social media channels
• Set Google Alerts
• www.votesmart.org
• www.govtrack.us
• www.opensecrets.org
Know Your Stuff: Do Your Homework. . .
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Professional History & AccomplishmentsLegislative History & AccomplishmentsCommittee AssignmentsLegislative Priorities
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Walking the Advocacy (and persuasion) Path
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• Send your newly-elected lawmaker a note of congratulations & good luck, ditto for staff
• Offer to be a resource on AAI issues / the human-animal bond, ditto for staff
• Invite them to speak at one of your club meetings
• Interview them for club newsletter / website
• Promote their social media posts on your issues via your social media channels
PRO TIP: Be consistent! Keep in touch all year, not only when you need them.
The Art and Science of the BFF”
© 2016 www.petpartners.org
About the Presenter
What do International Paper, Pfizer, the American Kennel Club, the National Association of REALTORS® and Pet Partners have in common? They have all turned to Amy Showalterfor her expertise and motivation to elevate their government relations influence. Amy is a grassroots and PAC influence expert who founded The Showalter Group to help associations and corporations increase their grassroots and PAC effectiveness. In fact, over 85% of her long term consulting clients have experienced an increase in budget, staff, PAC contributions and senior management recognition after collaborating with Amy.
She has delivered over 300 workshops and keynotes to over 25,000 grassroots advocates, PAC contributors, and PAC boards of directors, government relations staff, and non-profit volunteer leaders about how to maximize their political and civic influence. For nine years she directed the efforts of the highly acclaimed Nationwide Insurance Civic Action Program (CAP). During her tenure, over 2,000 public affairs professionals across the country ranked Nationwide's program as one of the top two corporate grassroots programs in the country. (Ed Grefe and Martin Linsky, The New Corporate Activism)
Amy’s blog “Politicking the Bottom Line” was published on Forbes.com, and she wrote a regular column for Bloomberg Government. Over 500 media outlets have featured her insights, including the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, Politico, CNN Money.com, Foxnews.com, CNBC.com, and Roll Call. She is the author of “The Underdog Edge: How Everyday People Change the Minds of the Powerful . . . and Live to Tell About It.” (Morgan-James) and “The Art and Science of the BFF: 105 Ways to Build Relationships on the Hill, at the State House, and in City Hall”, which has sold over 16,000 copies. Amy also is the Executive Editor of Creating and Managing an Association Government Relations Program, published by the American Society of Association Executives.
She has served as a faculty member at the U.S. Chamber's Institute for Organization Management, and as a guest lecturer at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. Amy has served in several national government relations leadership positions, as a past Chairman of ASAE’s Government Relations Section Council, as a board member of the Washington Area State Relations Group, and produces seminars and learning experiences for political involvement professionals.
Amy has a BA in Political Science from Wright State University and an MSA from Central Michigan University.
She and her husband, Randy Boyer, co-exist with their dogs Eli and Finn in the greater Cincinnati area. Finn is a registered Pet Partners® therapy dog. He and Amy are regular visitors at the Cincinnati Ronald McDonald House and the “Barks and Books” program at the Clermont County Library.
amy@showaltergroup.com
showaltergroup.com
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