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Top Ten Tips for Calling Your Decision-Maker

Making a phone call to your decision-maker is quick and easy—and can be done at a moment’s notice, making it an attractive method for contact. For these same reasons, it is critical that the phone call be effective. You don’t need to be an expert on the issue to be persuasive; you just need to give your personal perspective.

Follow these steps for an effective call to your decision-maker:

1. Plan: Before you make the call, plan what you are going to say. Your phone call will be very brief, so keep your message simple and to the point. Take a moment to think about it—you might even want to make some notes—and you’ll find that your call goes more smoothly than if you were to call "off the cuff." State your request in as few words as possible.
2. Message: After identifying your request, think about a key point or personal story that supports your position.

For all ten tips, sign up with INCS and request a free copy of the Grassroots Toolkit.