Meeting with Decision Makers Advocacy Training Module

What do you gain from meeting regularly with decision makers? Victories! Clear establishment of your power! Exciting activities for your members! Build a relationship and trust! Develop leadership skills of members! Build the PTA name and brand!

A Meeting with Decision Maker IS: One tactic in your overall campaign strategy. An opportunity to display your organizational power. IS NOT: A lobby visit. A media event with a Representative who supports your positions.

Step 1: Identify the Primary Target Who can give us what we want? Always a person, never a committee, legislature, board.

Step 2: Decide if you need a Secondary Target A roundabout way to pressure the primary target. Must satisfy both: someone you have more power over than the target AND someone who can make your target do what you want.

The Meeting Set the tone. Get outside the experience of your target. Stay within the experience of your members. Be aware that your target is also trying to get you outside of your experience.

Steps to Planning a Meeting Prepare for the meeting. Plan the meeting itself. Have a fallback plan. Follow up.

Prepare Get an appointment. Analyze your power. Select, invite and prepare attendees. Consider inviting press.

The Meeting Case the place. Rehearse. Have your facts right. Showcase your power.

The Meeting Key Roles to Fill: Spokesperson and exit signal. Supporting lines. Two organizers – one in front and one in back. Note taker to identify: Concessions Refusals Quotable quotes

The Fallback Agreed upon in advance. Consists of two parts: – What to do when the target doesnt show up. – What to do when the target says no.

The Fallback for NO SHOW Based on your prior agreement you might: – Find out where they went (bathroom?). Announce that you will sit and wait if possible. – Reschedule or meet with a staff person (or both).

The Fallback for NO Keep pushing: Dont you have the authority to make this decision? We would like to send our members a statement, can you put this in writing before we leave. When no means no: Will you accept less? What exactly is acceptable?

If No Means No There was a miscalculation – the group either: – Asked for too much given the amount of real power they have OR – Did not make its power explicit Now the group must come up with new demands, more power, or both.

The Follow Up Meet quickly outside. Put agreements or refusals in writing. Celebrate! Hold a formal debrief.