Using the Holidays to Work with Legislators

Are you about to go on a holiday break? Chances are good that your elected representatives are going to do the same thing.

In the United States, the Congress (our version of the Parliament) adjourns shortly before Christmas, and reconvenes just after New Year’s Day. During this time, members of the Senate and House of Representatives return to their home districts, where they conduct business from their offices.

In the meantime, the Washington, D.C. offices on Capitol Hill remain open, and it’s very easy to get an appointment to talk with a senior staff member. When Congress is in session, these people are very hard to catch.

So, why would you want to travel to D.C. or to your Congressional District Office to meet with your elected representatives? Here are three reasons:

1. You may have noticed that, in this economic recession, the federal government is spending money. Lots of it. You may have thought about doing business with the federal government. Members of Congress periodically hold public seminars on how to do just that. Or you could just drop by a District Office and ask for information on how to become a federal contractor.

2. Members of Congress tend to be pretty happy with their jobs. That’s why so many of them keep running for re-election. And here’s where we come in. They need us. Yes, they really do. Think those campaign websites just launch themselves onto the Internet? Or that those candidate photos just materialize out of nowhere? Or that that campaign volunteer and donor database runs without a single hiccup until Election Day?

In the U.S., campaigns are run separately from the Capitol Hill and District Offices. So, these aren’t the places that will hire you to create a website, photograph the candidate, or provide database programming and support. What you’re looking for is the contact info for the campaign manager. Once you have it, go perform your sales song and dance for him or her.

Note: If your member of Congress is running for re-election in 2010, you may be too late. The communication staff may have already contracted for the necessary services. But, take heart. Campaign managers are like politicians. There will be other elections in the years to come. So, make the contact anyway.

3. Politicians are very well-connected people. They wouldn’t be in office if they weren’t. Perhaps their contacts might be helpful to you and your business ventures.

Okay, that’s the theoretical, 40,000-foot level view. Let’s get down to the ground-level view and put this article to good use.

In a previous Freelance Switch article, I mentioned my father’s work on technology that may be of interest to the federal government. Late last year, Dad, one of his scientific colleagues, and I went to a Congressional District Office to make a presentation. We didn’t meet with the U.S. Representative – and that’s typical. It’s very rare that you’ll get to say anything to your member of Congress on your first visit to his or her office.

But we made a good impression on one of the Congressman’s aides. He urged us to stay in touch.

Dad has continued to work on his research project, and he is making some progress. He figured that my holiday visit would offer a good opportunity to bring the Congressional aide up to date. So, I called the District Office, and was greeted with the news that the aide was no longer there. He’d been promoted to the Washington, D.C. office.

[Woo-hoo! The Retallicks are going to Capitol Hill!]

So, time to set up a meeting on said Hill. I called the Congressman’s office, left a message, and it wasn’t too long before the words “US Capitol” popped up on my caller ID.

[This is looking mighty official, isn't it?]

The aide and I set a date and time, and I alerted Dad to the need for us to get Amtrak rail reservations ASAP.

Then it was time for me to get to work on the talking points. These took the form of an Executive Summary and a Curriculum Vita.

Here’s what the two-page Executive Summary contained:

1. A two-paragraph introduction stating the environmental problem that my father’s research is seeking to solve.
2. A two-paragraph description of my father’s professional qualifications for carrying out this research. This description was followed by a list of his academic degrees, memberships in professional societies, and other notable achievements.
3. The request for assistance. At this time, my father isn’t seeking federal funding for his research, but he would like to find contacts within and outside of the government.

And here’s what the two-page Curriculum Vita covered:

1. Dad’s contact information
2. Academic degrees
3. Professional Experience
4. Professional Affiliations
5. Publications, Awards, and Accomplishments

If you’re getting the impression that the Retallicks are into brevity, you’re right. The word “succinct” is one of Dad’s favorites. So, that’s why I kept the Executive Summary and Curriculum Vita so short. Besides, Capitol Hill people have enough reading to do as it is. No need for us to drop War and Peace on them.

Once Dad approved what I’d written, I e-mailed the documents off to Washington, and the aide acknowledged receipt a few minutes later.

So, we have a meeting set, and talking points sent well in advance. Now it’s time for the moral of the story. Here goes:

You never know where your freelancing/life experience will take you. Had I not been so active in community affairs – and out of that, developed such a wide network of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances – I wouldn’t have the first clue as to how to deal with a Congressional office. So, don’t just huddle in front of your freelance computer and lose touch with your community. Get out there.

And don’t be afraid to take advantage of opportunities during times that many people view as down times. They may be up times for you.

ThinkGeek Giveaway: Hidden Bookshelf

Today’s giveaway is this Mini Shopping Cart Desktop Organizer from ThinkGeek:

“In squirrel-land, Mr. & Mrs. Squeeplecheep go shopping every Thursday. They take their little shopping cart and make sure to get all the best nuts and berries for their family. The Mini Shopping Cart Desktop Organizer is just like the one Mr. Squeeplecheep puts his nuts in when he’s heading for the checkout line. Except this one is for your desk and your office supplies. It makes office organization a bit for fun.“

This one’s for the bloggers among you. Simply write a post that references this giveaway, including a link to this page, and write about your number one organizational tip that you’ve picked up as a freelancer. Then come back here and tell us the URL in the comments. Ensure you use your real email address when you leave your comment so we can contact you if you win. Nobody other than Envato staff will see it. See this post for terms and conditions.