"grasstops: An Excerpt From 'persuading Congress'"

You may not be as familiar with the term "grasstops." In the lobbying world

, it refers to efforts to influence Congress through contacts with corporate CEOs and other VIPs. In this context, though, VIP is a loose term. For example, if the American Medical Association seeks to persuade Congress of something, the VIPs may be the members' personal doctors. Or a member may have a friend whom the member believes knows more than anyone on the subject. The member may listen to that person and no one else on a particular issue.

Like grassroots efforts, grasstops efforts can persuade members and staff. Like most of us, members and staffers like to meet and talk to VIPs. It is part of the fun on the job.

But grasstops pressure can also be hard to activate. CEOs are busy people and they do not have time to call members unless the issue matters a lot to the company. If the situation involves personal doctors or friends or something of that sort, it may be difficult to identify who those people are.

In most cases, however, the organizations have an easier time applying grasstops pressure than grassroots pressure because organizations control their own leaders. Those leaders will usually know who within their sphere shares their interests and what other prominent leaders may be interested.

Basically, you face three issues when you are trying to activate grasstops pressure. Which members are you trying to influence? Whom do they listen to? And within that group of people that those members listen to, who has sufficient interest to make the contact? Once you have thought through those questions, they way forward will usually be fairly clear.

If you have decided which VIP should contact which member, then you need to work out the time and place. A personal meeting works best if the timing of the issue allows it and the VIP can get to the member. You can do this in the member's office if that is convenient, but it need not necessarily happen there. It can take place at a social event, a charity dinner, or whatever they two may happen to meet. If time is short or the VIP is across the country, a phone call is the next best option. Most members will make time for a short conversation with a VIP within a day or two.

However the contact occurs, the principles discussed in Chapter 35 on meetings apply even more forcefully in this situation. Hone the VIP's message to the bare essentials and get right to the point. Members are busy people and you will waste the opportunity if the VIP spends too much time dawdling over pleasantries.

VIPs can have a significant impact on members. Organizations should use them when and where appropriate.

by: Joseph Gibson

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