·
Letters must be well
informed. Remember, as letters allow
you time to compose your thoughts, you are sending the official a ‘hard copy’
which can be read several times. Therefore, the nature of letters is such that
the content must be very rich and accurate.
·
Letters must be logical and
clearly stated. Your argument and your
demands must be presented flawlessly and clearly. It is absolutely crucial that your argument be solid, and that
you leave no room for interpretations other than yours. Make sure to address every aspect of an
argument, and then explain why yours is the preferred one.
·
Letters should be sent to the
individual or governmental body that has the final or most influential say on
your issue. It does no good for your
cause to send the letter to someone that is not central to the decision making
process.
·
Letters should not sound
threatening in anyway. An angry
official is an irrational official. If
you want to accomplish, you must be firm and convincing, but never out right
threatening.
There
are two types of letters and letter writing campaigns that generally are the
most effective: ‘personal’ and ‘form’. While they both have their advantages
and disadvantages the most effective of the two is, without a doubt, the
‘personal’ letter campaign.
A
personal letter writing campaign entails the recruitment of as many supporters
as possible who you can trust to construct a well-written letter. Similar to other strategies of persuading
politicians, this strategy requires numbers.
However, the beauty of the personal letter is that it takes time for
each person to write the letter. Officials recognize and respect this time
commitment. Generally, for every person
who takes the time to write a personal letter, there are several other
community members who share the same feelings, but would not or could not take
the time to write a personal letter.
The main disadvantage of the personal letters is that you, as the main
organizer, are relying on your recruited letter writers to compose letters that
are equal or better in quality than yours.
Therefore, it is crucial that your letter writers are very well
informed; it is upon your shoulders, as the coordinator, to educate them. After you have generated supporters, hold a
meeting or provide them with an outline of the issue. This communication will
ensure that at least they have the basic understanding necessary to powerfully
yet thoughtfully convey your message.
Finally, have all letters written sent to you, and then forward all
letters together to the targeted official or body. This allows you the ability
to read the letters to ensure that their context is supportive of your cause,
and also to tally the true number of supporters willing to participate in such
a campaign.
The second type of letter writing campaign, the ‘form’ letter, can be an effective tool as well. However, its scope is limited. Because the form letter need only be signed, and not composed, by the sender, the sheer number of letters sent to the politician is where the form letter draws its power. The form letter is also an effective means of educating the public. Often, form letters serve to educate both the ‘signers’ and the politicians about the depth and severity of the issue. Yet, this type of letter is only truly effective with officials that are sensitive to public opinion. Appointed officials, who are not concerned with re-election, are not easily swayed by the form letter.
For examples of good and bad letters, and more tips, click here.