Stick Around: The Power of Consistency and Follow-Up

From the Other Side of the Table Series • Part 6

By Shannon Jones

If I could offer one final lesson to wrap this series, it’s this: Don’t disappear after the meeting.

You’d be surprised how often it happens. An advocate walks into a policymaker’s office with a polished pitch, drops off a strong one-pager, says thank you—and is never heard from again. They assume the message was received, the job is done, and now it’s in the policymaker’s hands.

That’s not how this works. Not in the real world.

Policymaking isn’t a transaction. It’s a process—and relationships move the process forward. What builds those relationships isn’t the power of your initial pitch. It’s what you do next.

The most effective advocates stay engaged. They follow up with purpose. They share new information when it becomes available. They offer to connect the lawmaker with constituents or experts. They check in—not to pester, but to be a partner.

And that consistency matters even when the meeting doesn’t go your way. You won’t always be on the same side of an issue. But if you stay respectful, stay constructive, and stay engaged, you’ll earn a reputation as someone worth working with—especially when future opportunities come around.

---

Here’s the truth:

• Ineffective follow-up feels like you’re keeping score or waiting for a deliverable.

• Strategic follow-up feels like you’re offering real value—helping the policymaker stay informed, aligned with their community, and supported through the legislative process.

• If your follow-up helps them do their job better, it’s welcome. If it’s just more noise, it won’t be.

---

But there’s another layer to this that many advocates overlook: supporting a policymaker’s own priorities.

Policymakers—especially in state legislatures—are under pressure to deliver on a limited number of bills. If one of those bills aligns with your values or broader mission, even if it’s not your top issue, consider offering your support. Show up in committee. Provide public testimony. Connect them with constituents who care about the issue. Help them win.

This isn’t just a goodwill gesture. It’s a strategic investment. You’re not compromising your mission—you’re reinforcing shared values. And when you help a policymaker succeed on something they care about, you earn trust and credibility that money can’t buy. When your moment comes, that trust is what moves your issue from the stack of “things to consider” to the list of “things to champion.”

Over the past five posts, I’ve shared what I learned from the other side of the policymaking table—how values, language, credibility, and relationships all shape what gets heard and what moves forward. This final lesson is about what happens after the pitch—because no single meeting moves the needle. People do.

If you want a seat at the table, don’t just knock on the door when it suits you. Stick around. Pay attention. Find ways to be helpful—even when it’s not your bill on the docket.

Because in policymaking, as in any relationship, people show up for those who’ve shown up for them.