By now, the budget has been settled in California. Organizations and authors alike are aware of where their legislation stands. What do we do now? Is it time to kick back and drink those Mai Tais that you’ve been dying to drink all year? We hate to disappoint you all, but the answer is no — to truly make an impact, you cannot just sit back and relax for two months. We encourage organizations to take breaks for maybe a week. However, you should always be thinking about where you’re going to be picking up after you come back from your vacation as an organization. We have made a statement in previous articles about the fact that legislative individuals make engagement events during the holiday season. This is true every single year, regardless of who is in the office. So, what is your organization’s plan to stay engaged during the holiday season? The opportunity to engage in a public setting is barely gaining momentum now in October; you should be aware of what the legislature is up to. Are public events going to be hosted? Do you have a team of representatives ready to attend that event? Do you have your introductory speech or statement? This is a time for relationship building with the offices of legislature and it should continue to the end of the year. This is a concept that you have no doubt heard from us before. Why we seem to be preaching it is because it truly works.
A few months back we attended an event with an organization of which we volunteer with as a board member. From that meeting we not only gained connections to offices of legislature but also obtained a meeting with one of the legislative offices for one of our clients. We obtained this meeting by utilizing the techniques that we always talk about: staying engaged with the legislature, attending events, and saying thank you. Building that relationship. It will make your lives easier as organizations if you take time out of your busy schedules to attend these events in the offseason. We also want to hear from you. To see how you’re getting along. So get out there, get active and stay active.
