Have you ever thought that working in the Public Relations sector means you also have to build a relationship with government officials? Yes, apart from the media and influencer relations, you have also to work closely with government officials. When it comes to relating to government officials, I found that it is very tricky. It is because unlike Public Relations, working with the government needs some special skills to be successful in engaging with the government. You need to have excellent skills in diplomacy, negotiation, lobbying as well as knowledge in current affairs. Moreover, they usually leave any communication with their staff. Below are the tips on how to build a relationship with government officials.
1. Formality and etiquette matters
Formality is crucially important when it comes to dealing with the government. Compared with the media and influencers, I would say contacting government officials is tough since they do not have time to reply to emails. They usually asked their assistants to answer their emails. Despite that, you have to retain the formality. Furthermore, using formality and etiquette can leave you a good impression on them as they know you have the attitude to talk to them. Hence, they might get back to you.
2. Keep it simple
Government officials do not like to read a very long email. They do not have time to read the whole message. Therefore, you need to make it brief but straight to the point. Furthermore, using formal language and stating your email clearly and concisely will ease them to read. Considering also to use a simple language will help them to read quickly.
3. DO NOT expect them to respond quickly
Every day, government officers receive hundreds to thousands of emails, whether complaints or assistance from the public. In terms of this, when you need a request from them to attend the event, you have to email them beforehand as they will not reply to the email quickly. I have dealt with government officers many times and I felt that mostly they could not answer my emails or messages as I expected. It took hours or even days for them to reply. However, do not just wait for them to respond, you have to think of another way to reach out to them.
There are many ways that you can reach out to them and one of them is through phone calls. The phone call is proven to be very helpful as they take it more urgently. According to an article by Victor (2016) in The New York Times, a phone call holds more weight rather than an email as they pass messages from one person to another. Nevertheless, do not call them through the phone when it is not urgent as they might consider it rude.
4. Get involved with their programmes
Whether you are invited to the government’s program or only being a volunteer, you can still build a relationship with them. For sure, being involved with their activities will help you to get to know them better by looking directly at their working styles. Also, you can have a face-to-face conversation with them as they will interact with the public during the activities. Nonetheless, you have to be polite and get to the point as they do not have time to listen to everything.
5. Follow-up is a must
If you filed a request or complaint to the government, make sure you have to follow up for a maximum of one week after the meeting. The government officers easily forget the public message as they receive too many messages. Despite the urgency of your request or complaints, you have to keep it righteous, otherwise, they will never contact you anymore.
Working with government officials can be very scary, and frustrating. Despite that, it is also allowing you to increase your portfolio by building the relationship.
REFERENCES
https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/ContactingOfficials/Tips
https://afpglobal.org/meeting-government-officials
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdgovpics/11971786106/ (Photo Reference)
