• Make sure to state your name, address, and indicate that you are a constituent.
• Remember, you will usually be speaking with a secretary or aide who is keeping track of pro and con positions on a bill or issue, so the call will last a very short time.  Keep the phone call under five minutes, unless the aide or legislator prolongs the conversation.
• Since conversations are brief: be prepared!  Plan ahead what you want to talk about.
• Give the popular name and House or Senate File number (the bill number) of the legislation, or specifically state the issue you are calling about (i.e. funding cuts to a specific program located in the Health and Human Services bill).
• State clearly whether you support or oppose the legislation and how you want the legislator to vote.  Include a statement about how the issue affects you personally.
• Listen to the legislator's point of view.  Be polite.  Don't threaten.
• Do not lie or try to talk your way around questions to which you do not know the answers.  Say that you will get back to the legislator or aide, and then do so.
• Take down the name of the aide with whom you spoke so that you will have a contact person in case you need to contact the legislator again.
• Thank them for their time, both on the telephone and with a note of thanks for the conversation that includes a concise summary of your opinion.
• Do not call too often and risk becoming a nuisance.

Questions? Comments? Contact Josh Winters at josh@mncn.org