If you want an eye-opening perspective on lobbying and what it takes to influence lawmakers, this will be an episode you don’t want to miss. Bob Guyer of The Lobby School gives us a master class on how to be successful in convincing legislators to align with your goals, which is essential for CRNAs as we continue to fight to protect our industry and our paycheck.
Check out the timestamps below to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
On This Episode:
Most people know that lobbying is an essential part of the policy-making process, but what does it take to have success in influencing the decision-makers.
We asked Bob Guyer, a lobbying coach, lecturer and author, to join us on the podcast to give us a thorough breakdown of the lobbying arena and what makes someone effective. Guyer now runs The Lobby School but has experience lobbying in more than 20 states along and multiple countries so he’s seen all types of challenges and scenarios.
Why should CRNAs be interested in this topic? As Guyer explains using a popular quote, “Neither liberty nor property is safe when the legislature is in session.” The goal of lobbying is to take money from one pocket and put it in someone else’s pocket, and if that means taking the money from you, then they could do that.
This is an incredibly insightful conversation with so many tips and best practices, and we hope you get as much out of it as we did.
As you listen to the episode, keep an ear out for these topics:
- The story behind the name ‘Engineering the Law’
- The common threshold question that defines what lobbying is all about.
- Which groups hold the power to influence legislation?
- How money and power drive each side and how balance is found.
- Why you have to motivate via special interests.
- The relationship with legislative staff might be the most important one you build.
- Sharon’s favorite Bobisms and the lessons she learned from him.
- Beyond likability, how do you get legislators to vote for you?
- What CRNAs can do to help that aren’t able to lobby?
- How he feels about hiring and managing consultants.
- Tips for evaluating how your lobbyists are doing and how do you manager your contractor?
- Why campaign donations are effective for lobbying.
- How to take advantage of his free resources and where to find his next seminar.
If you’d like to order Bob’s book Winning With Lobbyists, check out his website here.
Check out the interview at the top of the page and use the timestamps to help you navigate through the many topics we discussed.
[3:18] – Introducing our guest
[5:35] – His organization
[7:37] – Why this topic is important
[8:46] – What groups influence legislation
[10:53] – Convincing legislators of your goal
[13:23] – Motivating special interest groups
[15:00] – Legislative staff
[19:15] – Agency officials
[21:00] – Bobisms
[23:46] – Motivating legislators to vote
[26:43] – What CRNAs can do to help
[28:51] – Simplifying things for lawmakers
[31:57] – Hiring consultants
[34:07] – Managing and evaluating lobbyists
[38:30] – Do campaign donations help?
[43:01] – CRNAs running for office
[45:47] – Final thoughts
“I’m really devoting, especially these last few years of my life, to leave a legacy. A legacy where I can teach people not only my knowledge but the knowledge of my colleagues all over the United States on how the next generation of lobbyists can be better than they ever were.”
-Robert L. Guyer, The Lobby School
