Why Face-to-Face Citizen Lobbying is So Impactful

There’s a terrific rule of thumb when it comes to speaking with elected officials:

Emails get lost (or ignored),

Calls get logged,

And a face-to-face meeting is most impactful.

When you’re face-to-face with someone, you’re a human being. Not a social media commentator or a disembodied voice — you’re a person, communicating with another person.

Whether you’re meeting with a congressional staffer — or, better yet, an elected representative themselves — you’re making eye contact. You’re making gestures. You’re giving nonverbal cues. All of these things communicate that an issue is vitally important to you and you’re passionate about it — so much so that you’ve taken the time and resources to meet in person.

They will see you as you are: sincere, motivated, and concerned.

The Numbers

Your impact will be powerfully multiplied through sheer math.

There are 535 representatives dispersed through 7 office buildings on Capitol Hill. If 1,000 citizen lobbyists hit only 11 offices each day, that would be TWENTY visits to EVERY office per day. One week of that alone would turn Congress upside down, and it won’t take millions.