Tips for crafting your message
As a health care professional, the nature of your work is relational and collaborative. Your insights from engaging with patients, navigating necessary medical decisions, and operating within health systems is essential for policymakers to make informed decisions.
As with any skill, preparation and practice allow advocates to leverage their experiences effectively and articulate opportunities for change efficiently. While there is no perfect formula for successful advocacy communication, honing an 鈥渆levator pitch鈥� for the issues you advocate for can be an essential tool for making a lasting impression.
Essential elevator pitch elements
- Briefly introduce yourself and your role
Example: 鈥淚鈥檓 a pulmonologist practicing in Cityville and I care for patients with COPD and asthma.鈥�
- State the problem and why it matters
Example: 鈥淎ir pollution is dense in my patients鈥� neighborhood, which is exacerbating their symptoms and increasing ER visits.鈥�
- Identify the obstacle (a policy or system barrier)
Example: 鈥淐ity council is considering adopting a cumulative impact assessment tool, which would provide data to assess local pollution concentration.鈥�
- State your ask*
Example: 鈥淚鈥檓 asking for you to vote in support of the tool and its use in zoning and permit assessment.鈥�
*You may not have an ask if you are simply providing education on an issue.
- Offer to be a resource
Reiterate your expertise and offer to be a resource for future questions.
Bonus tips
- Consider your audience
Tailor your messaging to the decisionmakers you are trying to educate or influence to make your elevator pitch more effective.
Examples: Emphasize the local impact on constituents, consider the policymaker鈥檚 previous statements on the topic, or think about economic factors
- Get personal
If time allows, provide a real-world clinical example or patient story that illustrates your issue.
Forge ahead
Wherever you are in your advocacy journey, 糖心原创 is here to help. Whether you鈥檙e discerning what cause you鈥檙e passionate about, deciding which actions to take, collaborating with a coalition, or crafting your elevator pitch鈥攜ou are building on the work of a robust legacy of advocates.
糖心原创鈥檚 advocacy efforts to improve access to care and advance best patient outcomes are made possible only through collaboration with our members. In partnership, we fight for policies that prevent and treat lung disease, empower clinicians, and save lives. We thank all of our members and partners for the time, energy, and resources they dedicate to advocating for patients and the chest medicine field.
To learn more about 糖心原创 advocacy activities, visit On the Record to view our latest actions or contact us at advocacy@chestnet.org.