What can you do to get to officials and politicians to agree with you

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A lot of people – both  NGOs and Industry –  get surprised when officials and politicians don’t agree with them.

The impression of many lobbyists  is that when they, or their client,  meet an  official or politician, they will be so convincing, through  a combination of their physical presence and persuasive oratory,  that the  official/politician can only but to declare their absolute support.

Few people are that instantaneously persuasive.  I’ve met a few. You or your client are not one of them.

Why people don’t agree with you

There are some simple reasons why have not managed to persuade people to agree with you. Here are the most common:

  1. The Party Line is against you. The official/politician can’t support you, even if they want to.
  2. The decision has already been made. This is a courtesy meeting.
  3. Your client is simply not trusted. This is common.  There is some action in the past that blemishes your client.
  4. You don’t spend a moment to think about the audience wants to learn or their point of view.
  5. You turn up too late in the process. Whatever you say or do can’t influence minds as minds have been made up.
  6. What you say does not make sense. You are talking/writing gibberish.
  7. You send in experts to make your case. Many experts can’t communicate with people outside their field of expertise.
  8. You deliberately or accidentally offend your audience.
  9. You don’t have the right evidence and information to support your case for your intended audience.
  10. You don’t have a solution, or plausible evidence to support your solution.
  11. You have not rehearsed for the meeting.
  12. You repeat discredited mantras, e.g. (1) if you do this, we will leave Europe, (2) if you do this, X environmental disaster will happen tomorrow.
  13. Your allies are on the fringe. Backing you would be tantamount to agreeing with those allies.
  14. Your position is off the reservation.
  15. The allies of the official/poltician are your adversary.   Those allies have asked for the support of the official/politician,  Even if they supports you, their bond of loyalty will be stronger.

A Solution

I think there is a solution.

Most people can’t use it.  It is not hard to do, but most people have a simple mental block doing what needs to be done.  Here is a checklist:

  1. Look at the issue from the official’s/politician’s perspective.
  2. Identify their values – what makes them tick.
  3. Take your position and mirror it back so it resonates with the audience.
  4. Check the Party Line and see if it is firmed up. If the Party Line is fixed, you are likely wasting your time.
  5. Check if your client is trusted. If they are not, see if there is any public or private atonement of their sins that can be made that can be made to improve or restore trust. If not, you are likely wasting your time. See if there is someone else, who holds a line to you, who can make the case on your behalf.
  6. Turn up on time. Keep your ear to the ground when the wheels of the decision making tree are moving. Turning up too early is usually pointless as well.
  7. If your position reads/sounds like gibberish bin it. Get a good editor in and turn your words into something clear and persuasive.  If your client does not want to tarnish their brilliance by clarity, go forward in the knowledge that your work is likely going to be pointless. Your audience just won’t understand you.
  8. If you send in an expert, make sure that that they are coached to explain the issue in terms the audience can understand.
  9. If someone feels empowered by offending officials and politicians, my only recommendation is to block them going to any meeting. I have seen years of hard work set back by people opting for weird displays of rudeness, myfsgony , racism,  and promoting personal ideas that are only discussed on anonymous sites on the fetish dark web.
  10. Brussels is a policy heavy city.  Your audience want real evidence to support your case, and likely a working alternative solution. If you don’t have both, you are likely consigning your case to oblivion.
  11. I’ve know a few people – less than a handful – who can do a meeting with little to no rehearsal  You are not one of them.
  12. If you opt to use long discredited mantras, the meeting will shut down quickly.
  13. Keep your alliance with the political fringe quiet.
  14. If your position is outside the boundaries of civilised policy wonkery, e.g. climate change denial, there is nothing that can be done to help you.
  15. Long established political alliances or friendships are stronger than any case you can make. Accept it and move on.

 

If you are interested in this area, read and apply the ideas of  Robert B Cialdini.