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LobbyingSome Tricks of the Trade

Corporate LobbyingSome Tricks of the Trade

• The Seven Vices of Lobby Campaigns

• The Twelve Most Common Mistakes Made by Lobbyists

• The Seven Personality Characteristics of the Ideal Lobbyist

• Considering the odds at stake and faced with an increasingly demanding ecosystemof journalists, policy makers and activists, companies continue to struggle with thechallenge of advancing their interests and convincing stakeholders to take positiveaction.

• Especially with regard to governments and politicians, mistakes can prove costly.

• Here are seven of the most common errors (one could call them vices too)witnessed in the field of public affairs campaigns, leading to failure at worst ordisappointment at best, and ways to overcome them.

The Seven Vices of Public Affairs CampaignsAnd ways to overcome them

1. TARDINESSToo late is too little.

Shaping the political agenda is much easier when it still is malleable. Inaddition, having to reconsider is much harder for a policy maker than beingopen to debate. A public affairs campaign kicking in too late will be confrontedwith doors already closed and, even worse, minds already made up. A timelyoutreach could even win the day without a fight.

2. TEDIOUSNESS

The best story always wins.

Many companies fail at making their narrative memorable and lasting. Thechallenge is to create mindshare through a compelling and resonating storywhich connects logic with emotion. Only then will the audience be moved, askfor more and share the story among colleagues and contacts.

3. INDISTINCTNESSPublic affairs is not aboutpeople you know but aboutknowledge you have.

Getting a meeting with a high-ranking policy maker is useless if one does nothave a case which is politically relevant. Any company will be heard if its messageis the right one at the right time for the right person. Otherwise, it will only belistened to out of politeness - or not at all.

4. SELF-CENTEREDNESS

Politics is a game of powerwhile business is a game ofprofit.

Companies who try to make policy makers act and think like business people willnever reach their goal. Their games are as different as handball is to volleyball. Anysolution to a public affairs issue will have to be supported by both sides of the dealand will need to serve a common interest acceptable to public opinion. This willonly happen if the private and public sector paradigms are respected.

5. SUGGESTIBLENESSInterest and influenceare not the same whenanalysing stakeholders.

Stakeholder behaviour is easily misread. It is not because some people are very vocal about a certain topic that they will have an important and relevant stake in the decision to be made – and this goes for friends and foes alike. Moreover, the interconnections among key players should also be disentangled. As a consequence the ecosystem of influence will emerge.

6. FEEBLENESSUnity is strength.

Multinational corporations are strictly organised, and for a reason. But for public affairs campaigns to exert a significant impact, an internal cross-functional working group should build and drive the effort, with a buy-in across the board. As such, commercial, technical, regulatory, marketing and communications aspects will be included in the discussions. The group should further co-ordinate all initiatives to external stakeholders, from a content, channel and timing point of view.

7. ONENESSTwo can accomplish morethan twice as much as one.

Mobilising support can be one of the most effective strategies in public affairs.The pooling of reputation, resources, talent and strategy can foster an impressivecampaign to influence policy decisions. But coalitions are hard work and in orderto succeed they need trust, leadership and a give-get ratio acknowledged andunderstood by all members.

When negotiating legislation or policy briefs politicians have a habit of making agreements sentence by sentence. As every word has its meaning, simply reading what is written is most likely to produce an incomplete picture of the political reality.

Not Reading between the Lines

Doing something when doing nothing is better

In politics, doing nothing can be extremely intelligent. And yet many lobbyists are afraid of the void and would rather do anything at all which could prove to be detrimental than simply prepare for a new political momentum.

Not knowing what persistence really means

Politicians are quite capable of grasping the relevance or urgency of an issue. They really can do without repeated interventions about the same topic. Sooner or later, undue pressure on policy makers will backfire in ways many lobbyists cannot even imagine.

Not balancing persistence with patience

Lobbying is all about perseverance, which in turn is composed of persistence and patience – in equal measure. Politics can evolve very slow for a long time but never forget, they can switch to the speed of light in a single day.

Ignoring the lesser gods

Of course, only the top brass make the big decisions. But downstream they are surrounded by a fine-grained ecosystem of people who prepare advice and sometimes have more influence than meets the eye.

Not telling the truth and thinking one can get away with it

In lobbying, coloring the truth or downright lying is by far the most dangerous tactic to use. Policy makers may be fooled some of the time, but certainly not all of the time. The day of reckoning will come and it will destroy the campaign and the corporate reputation completely.

Making poor background checks

Convincing policy makers of your interest is also about human interaction. Even more so when a solution needs to be found through negotiations. Being successful will be much easier if one knows the opposite side better than one’s own self.

Acting without coverage by the higher level

Having a voluntarist state of mind is not an advantage for a lobbyist. It might result in engaging in conversations and even negotiations with policy makers without coverage on the content of those who have responsibility for managing the campaign.

Thinking a compromise is a defeat

Politicians are professional deal makers used to the fact that in all things political, the winner never takes it all. Trying to leave them empty-handed will never yield a solution, even if they are completely wrong and the lobbyist is completely right.

Coming out of the gates storming

Do not start a war without being certain you are going to win it. Lobbyists who aggressively try to advance in a campaign will end up in misery as policy makers have far more instruments to embark on in an endless guerrilla war time, for example, will be mainly on their side.

Sending the wrong messenger

A solution for any policy issue is always reached through dialogue. To make this kind of interaction fruitful, both sides need to feel comfortable and in tune to enter the process. It is rarely the best idea to send a lawyer ahead as this will suggest legal action. Or putting forward the CEO at the start of the campaign.

Thinking people will go your way because you invited them to lunch

Lobbyists adhering to the habits of the past, are bound to be made irrelevant by the new generation of politicians and the rising pressure on ethics and transparency all around. Moreover, thinking a lunch or a present might do the trick supposes that policy makers are either stupid or corrupt – which is quite a gamble to make.

The Ideal LobbyistSeven personality characteristics of effective and successful public affairs professionals

The Ideal Lobbyist

Seven personality characteristics of effective and successful public affairs professionals

• In order to effectively operate in a triangle of politics, management, and media, lobbyists must be

men and women of all seasons. What does this mean?

• Some academics suggest versatility, sensitivity, and a strong character as the main success factors in

public affairs.

• Others state that lobbyists should combine the abilities of a detective, a diplomat, a doctor, a teacher,

an entrepreneur, a journalist, a conductor, a reporter, and a salesman. Then there are those who

believe that smooth-talking, friendliness, humour, empathy, and good manners will make all the

difference.

• And still, there are the few that emphasize the utility of charm and even a certain kind of “halo.”

• The following seven personality characteristics dig deeper and unveil the core skills of an ideal

lobbyist.

1 – Listening

When talking to politicians, hearing what is not said is key, next to assessing the relevance of the things they do say, in how many words, and more importantly, in which words. Politics is more of an art than a science and, above all, it is always contextual.

2 – Observation

Collecting and interpreting information and intel l igence is only half of the game; the abil ity to read a pol icymaker ’s body language, speech, and outward appearance is equally important. Always look for circumstantial evidence. The answers to the least obvious questions are l ikely to be the most relevant. As Sherlock said in Si lver Blaze: “Why didn’t the dog bark?”

3 – Relationship-building

Lobbyists should be able to engage in long-term relationships with the entire spectrum of decision-makers and influencers, while building and developing these connections in a sustainable way. It takes talent as well as knowledge and experience. In any case, there is no room for misanthropists in public affairs.

4 – Courtesy

One of the most imprudent things a lobbyist could do is burn bridges because of inadequate behavior. Some, for example, still feel the need to behave in a threatening way. That being said, a lobbyist should not be humble or even subservient; clarity in making one’s point and courtesy are not mutually exclusive.

5 – Honesty

Perhaps the most fundamental aspect of them all. In practice, honesty simply means that pros and cons of a certain issue are elucidated and that information provided is reliable, presented accurately, and transparently. Moreover, honesty also implies consistency in thought and action.

6 – Integrity

The quality of having strong moral principles is a crucial driver of a lobbyist’s reputation among policymakers. And we all know that reputation is hard-won and easily lost. In addition, integrity keeps dodgy issues at a distance, which is always highly appreciated in the political arena.

6 – Integrity

7 – Credibility

Being a trusted and believed counterpart of the public sector is a quality any lobbyist should cherish. Of course, this has a lot to do with adhering to various codes of conduct and rules of engagement. Although credibility is linked to honesty and integrity, it is also won by ongoing demonstration of expertise.

Contact

Karel Joos, Partner | InterelRue du Luxembourg 22-24 Luxemburgstraat | B-1000 Brussels | BelgiumTel +32 2 213 13 00 | Direct +32 2 213 13 15 | Mobile +32 496 22 48 22karel.joos@interelgroup.com | www.interel.be

Interel in Belgium. The communications and public affairs consultancy.

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