Mike Fulton is a lobbyist and president of The Arnold Agency’s Washington office. He is also chair of the Media & Public Relations Committee for the American League of Lobbyists (ALL), and is currently a member of ALL's board of directors. Mike can be reached at mfulton@arnoldagency.com
LOBBYISTS, association executives, corporate leaders, higher education officials, and non-profit managers need to become better communicators about their advocacy work and how it benefits millions of Americans.
Those of us who sell our advocacy services for a living have no qualms touting our
capabilities to prospective clients, and the in-house lobbyists among us don't hesitate to jostle for precious budget resources to sustain lobbying campaigns within their organization. So why can’t we use those same skills and resources to share our value to the media? Why can’t we actively seek speaking engagements with communities, schools, and other groups outside the beltway?
Through media interviews, op-eds, blogs, speaking engagements, and classroom seminars, the lobbying community can find its voice. We need to effectively convey why we are excited to get out of bed every morning to help our clients or in-house organizations petition our government. We need, above all, to enlighten.
