The Power of a Face-to-Face Meeting with Your Member of Congress!

In today’s world, much is accomplished through emails and phone conversations. In fact, in your business affairs, you likely are inundated with numerous voice mails and emails on a daily basis. No doubt, the volume of electronic communications you receive makes sorting through and identifying the communications of real consequence challenging, to say the least.

Now think about the level of electronic communications that your elected officials receive. Can such communications on a subject such as surety bonding, which few persons have knowledge of or understand, have the intended impact? Can you convey adequately the points you wish to make in a brief voice mail or email? Will your message truly resonate with the person receiving it if you are unfamiliar to that person? The not-so-secret “secret” of advocacy is simply that things progress when parties have the ability to form positive, trusting, and strategic relationships with elected leaders. So what is the most effective means of doing that?

Emails and voice mails certainly can bring connection and can register your position on an issue, but nothing comes close to face-to-face meetings for lasting impact and the ability to lay the foundation for a positive relationship. You likely already know that. As a skilled bond producer, you practice the art of face-to-face dialogue with clients on a regular basis and know its importance to make a lasting impression and to deliver good and not-so-good news.

Those same skill sets translate directly to the world of federal advocacy. Whether you know it or not, bond producers are uniquely qualified to be effective advocates on Capitol Hill; your professional skills suit you for this purpose better than most from other fields. I hope that such a realization will help you dispense with any hesitancy you may have about attending the 2013 NASBP Legislative Fly-in, scheduled for Thursday, June 20. Click here to access the NASBP web page on the 2013 NASBP Legislative Fly-in.

Just like last year, NASBP has critical legislation, H.R. 776, and other issues, such as exempting the Miller Act from periodic adjustments for inflation, that need recognition and advancement in Congress. The always challenging Congressional pathway forward for these efforts can be eased substantially by your personal presence in the offices of your elected leaders. You will not be left to your own devices; we have a morning orientation program planned that will have you off on the right foot. You will hear from Congressional leaders, such as Representative Richard Hanna, the sponsor of H.R. 776, and the Chair of the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce of the House Committee on Small Business, and senior Hill staff, among others, providing you with unparalleled insight into the current political climate in DC. Speaking points will be distributed, and you may choose to band with colleagues in making your Hill visit rounds. The day finishes with a reception in the Senate Hart Office Building.

With so many groups and individuals vying for the attention of members of Congress, and so much at stake for the health and welfare of our industry, surety professionals cannot afford to be among the faceless. No higher compliment to us and to our efforts can be paid than a Hill staffer exclaiming “here come those surety folks again”!

To register for the June 20 NASBP Legislative Fly-in, click here.