NATCA Bookshelf

17 M e e t i n g s N A T I O N A L A I R T R A F F I C C O N T R O L L E R S A S S O C I A T I O N | W W W . N AT C A . O R G N i W To d a y Congressional Meeting Tips M e e t i n g P re p Do your homework. Review your NiW materials. Refer to the Congress In Your Pocket phone app to find out if your members of Congress sit on any committees that affect NATCA. Know the name(s) of the staffer(s) with whom you will be meeting. Assign tasks for meeting attendees. Two people per meeting is ideal. • Choose a lead speaker for the meeting. • Designate someone to take notes. Understand The Ask. Review NiW Today and the leave-behinds to understand the issues at hand. DO NOT leave this NiW Today magazine behind in Congressional Offices. B e p re p a re d , f r i e n d l y, a n d o n t i m e . Create a meeting agenda. Refer to the Quick Reference to create an agenda ahead of time. Practice. • After you create an agenda, each person with a speaking role should practice it with another person. • Be brief, clear, and to the point — and don't be afraid to show your passion. • Practice potential rebuttals to members or staffers who may challenge our position. • Don't be nervous. You don't have to be a polished speaker. Just be yourself and speak from the heart. As a constituent, air traffic controller, or aviation safety-related employee, you will be a great advocate for NATCA. S S S n Introduce Yourself • Who you are • Where you are from (note if you are a constituent) • Where you work • What you do (in layman's terms!) n Thank the member of Congress or staffer for taking the time to meet with you. n Mention Voting Record Before each meeting, check the Voter Guide on page 64 to see how members voted on our issues. If they voted with us on any of our issues, thank them for their support. If they did not, be polite and thank them again for meeting with you. n The Ask Begin your conversation by stating our "Ask." n Educate Elaborate how our "Ask" impacts the member of Congress and their constituents. Be specific, but don't provide excessive details. Whenever you introduce them to a problem, always bring possible solutions. This is usually the "Ask." n Repeat The Ask • Thank them for their time, and recommend a tour of their closest ATC facility. • Follow up with a thank you note and an offer to meet in their district. Quick Reference

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