Consider this scenario. You’re sitting at home one day and your doorbell rings. You get up, answer the door, and a person who lives a couple houses down from you is standing there. You’ve seen this guy before but you’ve never spoken.
Neighbor: “Hello. I live a couple doors down. We’re baking a cake and are out of eggs. Do you have a few eggs we can have?”
You (being the nice person you are): “Um. Sure. I’ll be right back.”
Borrowing a few eggs is not that big of a deal. Now, try this scenario.
Neighbor: “Hello. I live a couple doors down. We’ll be leaving town in the morning and wondered if you would take care of our dog while we’re gone.”
You: “Um. I am not sure. I’ve never met your dog. As a matter of fact, this is the first time we’ve ever spoken. We love dogs, but I’m not sure we’re comfortable committing to that.”
How differently would these interactions have been if you had a positive relationship with this neighbor? Maybe if you’d spoken before, things wouldn't be so awkward. If you put yourself in the shoes of the person being asked the favor, it’s natural to be hesitant and it’s okay for you to say ‘no’ to either request.
Now, let’s look at a different scenario. Our legislators in Jefferson City often are asked to do ‘favors.’ We go into their offices and ask them to vote for our issue, which is a big deal. How much better would our requests be received if we’d have prior conversations with our legislators? Instead of immediately asking them to do what we want, what if we take the time to get to know them, to find out their interests and the issues they are passionate about?
Having prior conversations also could help us understand what key factors a legislator will consider when deciding to vote for or against legislation. This helps us craft a successful message when speaking with a legislator about the Convention of States Project. Time is precious. Why not invest the time necessary to maximize the chances for our success?
This is true whether you’re a volunteer meeting with a legislator or meeting with a prospective volunteer. Taking the time to have prior conversations is a must if we expect to successfully engage people. During a COS block walking campaign in North Carolina, a volunteer knocked on the door of one of our supporters. The supporter said they were going to go swimming with their state legislator later that day. How much more valuable will that conversation be when the legislator is speaking with a trusted friend?
Next year is an election year. In Missouri, there are several legislators whose terms are ending in 2022. In fact, every State Representative and one-third of the State Senate are up for election. This means we’ll have about 60 new legislators when the 2023 Legislative Session begins in January 2023. Even though the filing deadline isn’t until March of next year, it isn’t too early to begin cultivating relationships with declared or possible legislative candidates. It isn’t too late to recruit candidates to run for the legislature or run ourselves.
Eternal vigilance is necessary for liberty to survive and flourish. Our movement is all about relationships and being servant leaders. Thank you for your support and being ever mindful of how much impact each interaction can have.
In liberty,
Brett
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