How To Contact Your Elected Officials

Remember, they’re people too!

One of our duties as U.S. citizens to make sure our elected officials, whether local or national, understand the effects of their proposed legislation. However, writing officials is not something many of us do. So here is a primer for those of us who don’t do this for a living.

One of the goals Drone Service Providers Alliance is to assist smaller DSPs without additional  resources put together a well written email or letter helping the recipient understand your concerns.

If you’ve never written your Congressional Representatives before, we’ll attempt to walk you through it. Even if you have, hopefully you’ll gain a nugget or two for your next political communiqué. First, be professional and respectful. Plan your email or letter. Write it out, read it, edit it, and read it again. Once you’re satisfied, send it.

Tips:

• Tell them briefly about your business, and how many people you employ if that’s relevant.
• Be succinct. Email should be able to be read in just a few minutes and not longer than one page. These are read by real people, don’t bore them.
• Be specific in your concerns, and have a call for action. 
• Be honest. Don’t exaggerate your concerns.
• Be courteous. An angry email will get you nowhere, it will just make you feel better.
• Plan out your remarks. The email should flow well, and not ramble. Tell a story.
• Let them know if you are a constituent. They will listen to constituents first. And respond to them first. If they respond, follow up with a Thank You.
• End your email with a professional signature that includes your phone number and website. If they intern or staffer takes the time to go to your site, they’ll understand you are a legitimate business in their district.
• Don’t mention anything about not voting for them in the next election cycle. That’s a threat, and they are not helpful or professional.
• Make sure you understand the law or ordinance. Understand the nuances. Understand the consequences. If the points you’re making don’t line up with the actual law, you’re wasting your time and their time. 
• And we’ll say it again, be professional. You are writing as a business. Write it like you’d write to a client.
• And remember, their job is to serve your interests. Help them understand what your interests are. Also remember, there may be someone else with competing interests. 
• And since this is the DSPA, 

So how do you find your representative?

The US Government actually makes this very easy. They’ve publish a website the lets you quickly find your Federal, State, and Local government officials. Sometimes your government makes things easy. Go here for this little federal gem: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials.

And finally, if they answer you, or reach out for more information, thank them. 

And if you’re writing about UAS regulations (this is the DSPA after all), see if you can make yourself one of their office’s go to folks for all things UAS. Take advantage of it.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Kenji or Vic.