Pub. 15 2016-2017 Issue 4

N E W J E R S E Y C O A L I T I O N O F A U T O M O T I V E R E T A I L E R S 19 new jersey auto retailer W W W . N J C A R . O R G community events that the legislators will be attending. Meeting someone mul- tiple times, even for a few seconds, will lead to recognition at first sight down the road. Face-to-face visits almost always leave a longer-lasting impression than other forms of communication. Call the district office and schedule an appointment to meet with your legislator (or amember of their staff) at their convenience. Invite them to your dealership to see your employees and customers. Visiting with themwithout asking for something in return will work wonders when a crisis arises and youneedyour electedofficial to listen toyour position on a particular issue. Before you meet with your legislator(s), be prepared with background about his or her position on specific issues or legislation. Make sure they know what issue(s) you wish todiscuss. Bring a concise “one-pager” that details the issue(s) you are planning to discuss. Make sure you let the legislator and their staff knowwhat you are asking of them (support or oppose a bill, enforce an existing regula- tion, etc…) . Finally- be a good listener, even if the legislator disagreeswith your position. They may be on the same page with you when another issue arises down the road. Phone Calls Calling your elected official’s office and speaking with a living, breathing person is another way to engage with them (and their staff) on a personal level. You can quickly develop a relationship with someone you speakwithon a regular basis. Holding your- self out as an expert on automotive issue (or other issues) can result in the legislator’s office contacting youwhen they need information about a particular issue. And don’t just call them when a problem arises. Call and thank them for voting a certain way on legislation or congratulate them on an honor they recently received. In a world where texting is on the rise and live human contact is on the decline, periodic phone calls can be a very effective means of communicating with elected officials. Letters and Emails Letters and emails are the most common means of communicating with elected offi- cials. To be effective, a letter or email should be clear, concise and focused, and should: • State the issue you are contacting them about. • Clearly indicate your position on the issue. • Support your position with factual evi- dence. • Be clear about what you want the legisla- tor to do. One of the most effective ways to convince a legislator of your position on an issue is showing them how your position benefits their constituents or addresses a priority. Are they always looking for ways to cut government spending? Highlight ways your position does just that. Are they vocal about consumer safety? Show them how your position improves safety. When you can connect an issue important to you to a priority for a particular elected official, you have amuch better chance of engaging them on the issue. Communication Tips All communications need to be simple, concise and to the point. Remember the “5 W’s” (who, what, where, when and why) . Nobody wants to read a college thesis that delves into every last detail. State the issue at hand. Express your position on the issue and explain why you hold that position. Finally, explain the impact a particular action (or inaction) will have on the constituencies important to the legislator (consumers, businesses, State cof- fers, etc…) . Don’t be an alarmist. A calm statement of facts is more likely to be accepted, compared to a “sky is falling, end of the world” plea. Stick to the facts and try to avoid emotional arguments or biased opinions that can’t be supported by facts. If you straight out lie, or even stretch the truth, you risk losing cred- ibility. Elected officials face issues across the spec- trum. They can’t be experts on everything, so make yourself indispensable. You have valuable insight tooffer onavarietyof issues. Make sure your legislator calls you when they need to know what you know. Engagement Is Critical We’ve touched on a variety of communi- cation tools and tips in this article. If you remember nothing else, remember the fol- lowing broad objectives: • Get to know your elected officials (and their staff) well enough to be recognized. Constituents who call, write, attend public events and visit their legislators will get attention • Meet with, call and write your legislators about issues that affect your business. • Know what you’re talking about so you make strong arguments about your position. • LISTEN. Evenwhen a legislator disagrees with you, youmay still be able to find com- mon ground on a compromise. • Contact NJ CAR for assistance regarding background information on legislative is- sues and the legislators themselves. Legislators have a tremendous impact on the franchised auto retailing indus- try in New Jersey. It is imperative that we make them aware of the impact the industry has on the New Jersey economy and every city and town in which we do business.