Tools to Craft Your Message to Lawmakers

January 30, 2013

Congress, Content Strategy, Public Affiars, Public Relations

Primary Message:The Challenge (Background/Summary of the problem)

Secondary Message: What needs to change, barriers, issues? What is the desired change or outcome? What do we hope to achieve? (this could be a policy change, funding, etc.)

Your Message/Experience/Story:

Why do you have the solution or are a leader in finding solutions? What do you do? Why do you do it? This should include personal stories tied to emotions to create a story and an image in the legislators mind, complete with research or statistics/numbers to show positive results.

The Ask: What is the call to action or solution?

KEY TAKE AWAYS These will become are key messages so what do you want them to remember about your visit.

LEAVE BEHIND

Don't forget to always leave something with them -- a folder, brochure, fact sheet etc. and then don't forget to follow up with them after your meeting.

Daniel Cherrin

DANIEL CHERRIN |served the City of Detroit as its Communications Director and the Press Secretary to Detroit Mayor, Ken Cockrel, Jr. He is a public relations + affairs specialist who just happens to be a lawyer, with 20 years of experience providing senior public relations and government relations’ counsel to organizations on state and federal regulatory and legislative matters, as well as issues affecting corporate and individual reputation, crisis management and the media. Daniel is the founder of NORTH COAST STRATEGIES (Est. 2005) an independent public relations consultancy that combines the best of a big agency with hands-on executive-level experience and support. As a signatory company to the United Nations Global Compact, we are dedicated to addressing issues around human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. We are also focused on redefining your brand and changing the conversation to create an impact.