CED

July 2014

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July 2014 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 61 In Politics, A Little Hospitality Can Go A Long Way Inviting elected officials to visit your company is an educational experience they won't forget. With the 2014 congressional elections fast approaching and distribu- tors facing unprecedented political risk, AED is stepping up efforts to coordi- nate visits by members of Congress and congressional candidates to member facilities. Not only are congressional visits easy to set up and host, they also yield major benefits for you and AED. Simply put, there's no better way to build the relationship between your company, your association, and your elected representatives than by bringing them to your facility. Coming to Washington, D.C. for the AED Fly-In and meeting with legislators on Capitol Hill is important because it shows you're committed and invested in the process. But a facility visit makes abstract concepts more under- standable, shows first-hand how you impact the local economy, illustrates how you're affected by congressional decisions, and puts names to faces (specifically, yours and your workers). If you don't think outreach matters, keep in mind that roughly one-third of the members of the House and Senate have been elected in the last five years. That means there are a lot of new people on Capitol Hill who know nothing about our industry. If you don't think they're interested in coming to see you, think again. Most of the lawmakers I've met want to do the right thing for their constituents; they just don't always know what that is. Visiting your company is way to collect vital intelligence to guide their political decision-making. And then there's the fact that our industry has a big "wow" factor. Whether male or female, Democrat or Republican, every member of Congress is a former kid who prob- ably played with construction equip- ment and would love to see real machines up close (and maybe even sit behind the controls). Coming to your company is their opportunity to do that. It's also your opportu- nity to build the emotional connec- tion between them and your business and plant yourself in their political memory. When an issue comes up that affects you, they'll remember and (hopefully!) do the right thing from a policy perspective. If you haven't had a politician to your company before, the concept might seem a bit intimidating. Just remember that you're a voter and that every elected official works for you. Also keep in mind that you know infi- nitely more about your company, your industry, and how you're affected by federal policy than they do. If you're worried that the process of sched- uling and hosting a visit may be difficult or confusing, don't. Over the years, AED has helped organize countless meetings between AED members and elected officials. We've got it down to a science. The first step is to contact AED's Washington office. We'll help you identify your members of Congress and the appropriate staffer to reach out to about scheduling a visit. Then we'll contact them on your behalf or give you a pre-written note to send extending an invitation. It may take a few weeks to work out the details, but it's rare that members of Congress don't ultimately seize the opportunity to come and see you. The visits themselves usually take place mid-morning or mid-after- noon and start with a meeting in your conference room with your congressional guest and your compa- ny's senior leadership team. That meeting is your opportunity to educate the member of Congress about your company, what it does, and its economic impact. It's also a time to put policy issues in a real world context and explain how you're affected (AED can provide talking points to help guide the conversation). After telling your guest about your company, take them on a tour to show them. During the tour, explain how various types of equipment are used, which helps illustrate the markets you serve. Where the opportunity pres- ents itself, point out how federal policy affects your operations and markets (for example, that service technicians with commercial driver's licenses are subject to hours of service rules). Of course, introduce your employees, show the lawmaker your machines up close, and take lots of pictures. If they want to do so, you can even gather your employees together and let your guest make some brief remarks. And don't forget to give them a company cap to make the visit even more memorable. Let us know if you're ready to take the plunge and set up a visit. You'll find that in politics a little hospitality goes a long way. BY CHRISTIAN KLEIN CHRISTIAN KLEIN (caklein@aednet.org) AED's vice president of Government Affairs and Washington counsel. He can be reached at 703-739-9513. Washington Insider

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