Making Effective Calls Congress

One of the best ways to make an impact when calling Congress is using one of our call scripts. Call scripts make it easier for those new to civic engagement (and for some, new to talking on the phone 😉) to communicate with their elected officials and voice their opinions on important issues. Most importantly, these scripts help callers to focus their message into clear actions their representatives can actually take.

You can now find call scripts in every shape, size, and style — 5 Calls being one of the many providers out there today. But how do you actually use them? How do you not sound like a robot? How do you effectively get your message across and make sure you’re properly being heard?

DO be polite.

The staffers or interns answering the phones are just trying to do their job. Save the confrontational emotion for a town hall event!

DO change the wording to fit your natural speaking style.

We know you’re not a robot. Make sure staffers know that, too.

DO have a clear, actionable demand.

It may feel cathartic to unload your thoughts or concerns with the staffer who answers the phone, but unless you give them a specific, concrete action to take in response, they won’t know how best to help you, nor will they feel pressured to actually take action. Don’t just tell them what’s upsetting you, ask them to do something specific about it. Concrete actions representatives can take include voting for or against bills, writing or co-sponsoring legislature, and making public statements.

DO add reasons behind your demand.

A good way to individualize a message is to add specific reasons why you are asking your rep to do something. 5 Calls provides background information for each call, not only to fill you in on what is going on, but also to give you context and talking points to add to your message.

DO personalize your message with a story when you can.

As congressional office insiders and the latest research has made clear, personal stories are king when it comes to affecting a rep’s policy stance. If a personal experience has led you to hold the policy beliefs that you do, share it with your representative’s office.

DO NOT limit yourself to office hours.

Calling outside of regular office hours is a great way to make your voice heard if you’re uncomfortable talking to a live person on the phone. Offices will have voicemail boxes set up that are reviewed and tallied each day, just like if you reached a real person. When leaving a voicemail, make sure to leave your full street address to ensure the call is tallied.

DO NOT copy and paste a script into an email, letter, or fax.

Another well-proven aspect of congressional contact is the ineffectiveness of “form” style messages — online petitions or actions often generated by advocacy groups. Staffers use software to filter out these similarly sounded emails, and can spot letter and fax templates a mile away, but there is no way for a staffer to filter out conversations with real live emotion-wielding human beings, even if they kind of sound similar.

Call scripts are just that, call scripts. Copying & pasting them into emails, letters, or faxes increases the risk of them being dismissed as impersonal, third party organized “forms,” especially when paired with a commonly used delivery system with a distinct format.

DO use abbreviations for bill numbers.

You may not know what ‘H.J. Res’ means, but staffers do. Don’t worry about spelling out the bill’s full number and just use the abbreviation provided in a script. You’ll sound cool using staffer slang! (By the way, H.J. Res means ‘House Joint Resolution’ 🤓)

DO give your address.

Staffers may not always ask for your address or zip code — they may already have you on file, or they may forget. But be sure to give it to them anyway so they know you’re a constituent.

DO NOT combine multiple scripts into one.

While this varies from office to office and staffer to staffer, and although it is tempting to just make one call and list off all your issues in it, the general rule of thumb is that single-issue calls are the most effective. Why?

• Staffers may not tally every issue as a caller lists them, and some demands may fall through the cracks.
• ‘Laundry list’ phone calls may be written off by staffers as impersonal.
• Call volume speaks volumes. The more the phone is ringing, the more a rep knows something is up.

Call scripts serve as a simple guide to help you focus your message down to a clear, actionable ask, but remember, you don’t always have to stick to the script. The sheer volume of constituent messages can make a representative question a stance, and a real, meaningful human connection has the power to ultimately sway a vote.