The 5 Commandments of Lobbying

by Greg Galdabini

Before attendees at America's Small Business Summit 2008 headed to Capitol Hill for meetings with lawmakers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce head lobbyist Rolf Lundberg conveyed to them the Top 5 commandments of lobbying, which were originally penned by Bruce Wolpe, author of "Lobbying Congress: How the System Works".

Commandment #1 – Thou Shalt Tell the Truth

Lobbyists are only as good as their word. They should tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Failure to tell the whole truth about an issue damages a lobbyist’s credibility with members of Congress.

Commandment #2 – Thou Shalt Not Promise More Than What Thou Can Deliver

If you promise to line up allies on an issue or generate grassroots support, then you had better follow through.

Commandment #3 – Thou Shalt Know How to Listen So Thou Knows What Thou is Hearing

Politics is about language. You must be able to interpret language spoken to you by a member of Congress. Don’t confuse phrases such as "I want to be with you on this," or "you’re right, something has to be done about that" with a firm commitment of support. In addition, even if a member of Congress indicates his or her commitment on an issue, always be prepared for the possibility that they will eventually vote against you, with the explanation of "there was a change in circumstances."

Commandment #4 – Thou Shalt Not Circumvent Congressional Staff

Members of Congress can’t possibly keep up on all of the issues the come before them, so they depend heavily on their staff for guidance and assistance. A lobbyist should develop strong relationships with staff.

Commandment #5 – Thou Shalt Not Spring Surprises

More than any other member of the human species, members of Congress do not like unexpected bad news. They demand relevant and timely information – how much support does a bill have? Where does the committee leadership stand on the bill? Where do other influential members stand? How has the issue been portrayed in the media?

A group of U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbyists offered a few other pointers for visiting small business amateur lobbyists:

• Personal anecdotes from people who run small businesses carry a lot of weight with members of Congress.
• Business owners should attend town hall meetings and other events in a member’s home district. Constituents in the district tend to get the members' ear.
• Before your meeting, know the issue you want to talk about and ask for the staffer who covers that issue.
• Make a checklist before your meeting: Who are you meeting with? What issue are you there to talk about? What are you asking for?
• Try to avoid doing all the talking and listen carefully to determine if the member knows a lot about the issue and where he or she stands on it.