Category Archives: Grassroots Influence
The Top 6 Influence Lessons
My colleague, Dr. Kelton Rhodes and I inaugurated our list of “Influence Lessons.” They are influence tactics and /or campaigns that caught our attention and our brief insights on each.
Stealth is Better
We were intrigued that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced their campaign to promote free enterprise. While a laudable goal, it’s never great to announce what you’re doing because it gives your opponents time to ramp up very quickly.
As Kelton observed: “Usually you don’t pre-announce an influence campaign; it’s not S.O.P. to forewarn people you’re going to try to persuade them, because that causes people to resist persuasion more vigorously. Think what “shock and awe” bought us…stiffer resistance….
How to Avoid the Tripping Point During Your Advocate Hill and State House Visits: Part Two
Utilizing the Science of Influence – For Advocates and Professional Lobbyists
There are scores of tools in the influence toolbox, and the savvy agent knows how to use the right tool for a particular client and situation. That said, we’ve noticed that there are some tools that work particularly well for political advocacy across a range of situations. Among them are trust building, proximity, metaphor, and narrative.
Trust building is the essential ingredient in credibility, but it’s a skill that’s often overlooked while attempting to demonstrate expertise. The social sciences have identified several tactics that can establish trustworthiness rapidly. We focus on trust building skills with authority figures, such as doctors, scientists, senior organization leaders and business owners.
Proximity is a humble tool…
Why Everyone Needs Grassroots
Quite simply, local, state and federal governments make decisions that impact what kind of schools we have, how much we pay in taxes, what kind of health care we’re going to have, what kind of cars we can buy and drive, and what kind of energy we should use. The beauty of this arrangement is that elected officials listen to their constituents because they all want to be re-elected and to do that, they need votes, so they tend to listen to people who vote, and even more to those who are well-organized.
Whether or not you pay dues to the AARP, they are lobbying to preserve Social Security and Medicare; even if you aren’t a member of the National Association of…
Advice to People Who Are Trying to Use Social Media for a Grassroots Network
How much time do you have? My top pieces of advice are:
1. Know your end goal – social media are not the same thing as social capital. You can have all of the connections in the universe, but if those people aren’t willing to act on your behalf, it doesn’t matter.
I was reminded of this in a conversation with Betsy Vetter, director of government relations for the American Heart Association in North Carolina. She has learned that “the way you recruit someone is the way they will continue to be active. If you recruit online, that’s probably how they’re going to engage in the future.” And frankly, fair or unfair, online engagement is the lowest form of commitment. It simply doesn’t…
Grassroots and PAC Influence Lessons Learned in 2010
What did you learn in 2010? Watch the video below for insights Amy gained in the last year!
