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Eight
Rules for Speaking to a Committee
Here are some general rules to follow in presenting oral
testimony to a committee:
1. BE
CONCISE.
Except under special circumstances; limit your oral presentation to
less than five minutes. Don’t
try to make more than two or three points.
If you want to give the committee a handout write
it in outline form and limit to one page.
2. BE
PREPARED.
Know your subject thoroughly so that you can answer questions by
committee members and staff. If you don’t know an answer, say so and offer
to supply the facts as soon as you get them. Then supply the information to the
committee the same day, if at all possible or the following day.
3. TALK
IN HUMAN TERMS, BUT DON’T BE EMOTIONAL. Your success will depend upon your
ability to persuade the facts and logic.
Attempts to play up the emotional side of the issue will hurt your
effectiveness.
4.
BE POLITE. Even in the face of questions, which seem
hostile, your responses should be courteous.
5. USE
LITTLE OR NO TECHINICAL JARGON. You may understand
what all those terms or acronyms for government programs mean, but they
confuse legislators who must be generalist.
6.
DON’T
BE INTIMIDATED. It is all too easy for a person holding a
high elective office to fluster a witness in a committee hearing. Be prepared and it won’t happen to you.
7.
BE ADEPT. Rephrase questions, which emphasize
weaknesses in your testimony so that you can speak to the strong points
instead.
8.
DO SOME EXTRA HOMEWORK. If time allows, prior to the meeting,
find out who the committee members are and read about their personal and
political backgrounds. Know what
district they represent, what their voting record on key issues is, what
professional training they had etc.
You may be able to incorporate this knowledge in your answers to
their questions, thus helping to bring points home to them.
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