When it comes to politics, it’s hard (maybe impossible) to change a member’s mind. For a few of your members, the link between politics and business is so clear, they connect politics and the real estate industry, and politics with the way the world works.
For the other 90%, (or fill in the blank to say the % of your members who don’t know about politics, don’t care, or don’t think politics belongs in organized real estate at all) there are proven ways to speak the advocacy language that more members will relate to.
For uninterested, and indifferent members, they might look at your political activities as a clique, or a closed group. (There is a unique language that people who know the political arena use well. For a CEO, GAD, and a small, vocal group of savvy members RPAC rolls off your tongue like the name of your kids.)
But you know your political activities welcomes all members into the tribe. And what a powerful tribe it is when a group of like minded people get behind a cause.
If your end game (your goal) is to put politics in perspective for your audience and entice uninvolved members to pay more attention, borrow a few of these ideas to report back to your membership on your trip to NAR’s Mid-Year Meetings next week:
1. Instead of Politics, or Hill visits, or advocacy, try using language that helps members learn why it’s important (what’s in it for them).
2. Legislative bills don’t have names, they use numbers. Try leading with the issue and tell how it impacts the member’s business.
3. Members make the political process work. Be sure to show pictures of the people who volunteer. Try using a quote from a first time volunteer.
4. Finally, give members something to do next. Use specific Calls to Action and speak their language.
Talking shop (politics) is like anything else you want to sell. Speak in everyday language and show your members how they can join a tribe of interested professionals who fight for the benefit of their industry.
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