Meeting Scenarios
Prepare for upcoming meetings with your legislative leader or staff member by reviewing the following scenarios.
| Scenario | Legislator/Staff Reaction | Your Response | Other Etiquette |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scenario 1 |
The legislator/staff listens carefully and asks few or no questions. "I will think about what you have said." |
This is a very common type of meeting and allows you to tell your story and express your opinions. For some meetings, this is all that you will accomplish, but try to get specific feedback and commitments. |
Ask questions to find out what could influence a decision.
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| Scenario 2 |
Unless your legislator works on a relevant committee—don't expect the legislator/staff to know much about the issue. "I'm new," and
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Before jumping into specifics, take a step back from your original plan to ensure the legislator/staff has a complete understanding of the issue. Discuss what the issue is, why it's important, and who it will impact. Staff use the information you provide to construct memos about your discussion for the lawmaker. They'll greatly appreciate the perspective you provide. |
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| Scenario 3 |
After introducing the legislative issue, the legislator or staffer agrees with you. "I agree." |
Use this as the gateway to secure lawmaker commitment to your position and ask them to work with others (members of Congress if federal legislation) to secure support on the issue. |
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| Scenario 4 |
After introducing the legislative issue, the legislator/staff disagrees with you. "That is not my position," or "I disagree." |
This rarely happens as legislators/ staff do not like to disagree with their constituents. Try to understand why the legislator may not support/oppose the legislative issue so you can use this information in the future to work toward your position. |
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| Scenario 5 | After introducing the legislative issue, the legislator/staff seems disinterested in what you have to say. | This may happen if the staffer has been delegated the meeting from another staffer. The staffer may not work on the issue, the topic may be entirely new to the staffer and/or the staffer may lack context to understand the issue. If the legislator seems disinterested, they may not have an interest in health care or education issues due to their own background and/or committees on which they serve. |
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