The medium is (part of) the message
By Toss Gascoigne
Fifteen years ago, Client Solutions published the second edition of their study, Politicians’ Lobbying Preferences.
Like the original study of 1994, the report was based on a detailed survey of members and senators of Federal Parliament. What were the most effective approaches groups could take when seeking the help of politicians?
The survey asked key questions about meetings:
- where to meet
- when to meet
- what to avoid doing
- the effectiveness of varying advocacy techniques.
The Canadian researcher Marshall McLuhan said that “the medium is the message”. However, getting the message right depends on not just the words, but also the context.
The top five messaging mistakes nominated by politicians were:
- not appreciating time constraints
- ambit claims—proposals so extravagant that they can’t possibly be accepted
- wasting time on insignificant issues
- lack of local electoral focus
- misstating the facts.
Avoiding these mistakes boils down to careful planning and thinking about the audience: what do they want from you? Why have they agreed to meet you? What are they likely to get wrong about your work?
This will shape the messages you take into meetings. With an MP, count on a 20-minute meeting, so get to the point immediately and be specific about what you want the person to do. Don’t raise a problem without having a solution in mind—that irritates politicians, and other audiences, too.
Here’s a script for your conversation.
“Minister, thanks for making time to meet with us. We have a problem and we’re seeking your help to address it.”
Describe the problem. The Minister will probably ask questions. Give examples.
“Now, Minister, there are three things we are asking you to do. These are: 1, 2, 3.”
Times have moved on, but 15 years later the basic lesson rings true: to be an effective communicator, understand your audience.
You can read highlights of Committee Bulletin’s 2006 survey of politicians lobbying preferences. |