How to Get Your Message Heard

How can you go about building a good relationship with an elected official?

Here are several “How To's:

• Communicate with your elected official through a variety of methods -- visits, telephone calls, emails and letters.
  
  
• Be an information source for your official. Provide him or her with helpful, factual information about the clinical laboratory science profession.
  
  
• Attend and express your views at candidate meetings and “town meetings” hosted by the candidate.
  
  
• Work on the campaigns of and vote for those candidates whose views most closely resemble your own.
  
  
• Contribute money to your chosen candidates, and volunteer for their finance committees.
  
  
• Remember that developing a friendship or close working relationship with an elected official is like developing such a relationship with any other business or community leader.
  
  
• Make your watchword: “How can I help?”