Some people write to politicians because they’re angry and they want to vent. Fair enough – just be aware that venting doesn’t change a whole lot.
But if you want to actually make a difference, then heat isn’t going to help. Passion and conviction, yes, but not fury. When you’re ready to start writing effective letters to politicians, check out Briana Doyle’s superb list of tips.
I especially liked tip #5:
Send it to people who (might) care. CC your MP and at least one Opposition member. Find out if your ‘big issue’ is a special one for a specific MP, either part of their portfolio (in government or Opposition) or part of their pet causes, and include them in your mailout.
I’d add a tip #6: understand what you’re trying to achieve, and what’s likely to get you there. Write letters by all means – but organize in support of them; work with others who feel the same way.
Hey, thanks Rob.
What I’d really like is to get feedback from an MP on what I’ve said. I tried to put myself in their shoes, but there may be other small things I didn’t think of that would make a difference.
In writing the list, I was thinking of journalists’ response to PR mailouts. The biggest complaints are that too much of it is irrelevant to their beat, that the nuggets are buried in PR-speak (and therefore wastes time) and that PR folks are so concerned with appearance and brand that they use file formats that, while pretty, make it impossible to quickly scan and evaluate the material – PDFs are the worst culprit. It comes down to this: press releases meet PR needs, not journalists’ needs. To be effective, the audience’s needs should take priority over the sending org’s preferences. Press releases are disliked, but at least if they’re relevant, topical, scannable and most importantly *make the journo’s job easier* they just might get results.
I imagine it must be similar for MPs: there are probably small things that we can do to make our letters stand out from the crowd, and can make the MP’s job easier.
Hi Rob, you’re probably laughing at this coming from a PR/lobbying shop, but here’s my two cents; Reverse tip #5 and have the letter go to your MP, cc’ing instead the PM or the appropriate minister(s) related to that issue, given that the real impact is at the constituency level. What I’ve found is that unless you voted for the person to whom you are writing, or are – at least – a potential voter, the impact will be significantly less.
Absolutely right, bree. And as I think about it, the biggest difference for me when I was working in an MP’s office would have been tip #1: making one point, and making it clearly and concisely. This is something where a staffer’s and an MP’s time carry huge premiums… much, as you say, like a busy reporter skimming a stack of news releases.
And Brendan, that’s superb advice — not just because you vote directly for your MP, but because, as much mail as they have flooding their office, the PM, cabinet ministers and party leaders have orders of magnitude more. And there, you’re dealing not with staff who report directly to the MP but with a correspondence unit several layers removed from the person you’re trying to reach.