When we launched our boutique advocacy firm two years ago, we didn’t make the jump from a congressional office, an association, or a large K Street lobbying firm. We came from the corporate world: boardrooms, budgets, and the pressure of proving value to leadership and shareholders.
In most corporations, public and government affairs functions are considered “cost centers,” which means they’re constantly under pressure to show business value to maintain or grow their budgets, people, and, yes, consultants.
For years, we were the client and engaged lobbyists of all stripes. Our experience with these firms shaped our perspective of what we found effective.
For organizations that depend on public policy in an increasingly complex and fractured Washington, finding a second curve—the idea of beginning something new before the first arc peaks and declines—is just as challenging and equally important to stay ahead.
Lobbyists can help corporate clients find their second curve by:
Understanding the policy drivers. Washington does two things—policy and politics—and the two are rarely separate. But at the end of the day, policy wins and losses are a business organization’s true government relations key performance indicators.
Decades in the private sector showed us the real commercial impacts of government regulation. We knew what it was like to sit in a business compliance meeting, which proved useful when a client wanted help navigating a complex fuels rule.
Those representing clients before policymakers need to have a healthy respect for and understanding of the policies affecting them. As importantly, they need to be able to communicate effectively about them, both to Washington and the C-suite.
Assessing the why and the how. Textbook lobbying informs clients of what is happening in the halls of Congress or the administration, and who carries the right influence. Those are table stakes. A lobbyist’s greatest value is delivered by connecting that intelligence to the actual business strategy of an organization.
Knowing who, what, and when matters. Understanding why and how takes advocacy to the next level. We work with a foreign company that was considering a multibillion-dollar investment in the US. That investment is measured in decades, not two, four, or six years.
We know why that investment matters regardless of who is in office, and how a corporation’s public and government affairs strategy needs to be based on long-term success and not political winds.
Realizing the fierce urgency of now. Corporate clients operate on quarterly timelines, annual budgets, and executive or board-level accountability. They can’t afford an advocacy strategy that is perpetually “in progress.” Washington offices, in particular, abide by the mantra of “no surprises.” Their business units or corporate headquarters shouldn’t read about a policy milestone in a trade publication before they hear about it from their own team.
Just as importantly, the Washington team needs to work quickly to frame the milestone for headquarters, advising on next steps and business impacts. A trusted consultant needs to operate with the same urgency that a company brings to every part of their business. When a regulatory threat emerges or a legislative window opens, the most effective consultants help organizations move with purpose and prepare to win.
This tested,bespoke, and business-driven boutique model is particularly well-suited for organizations that have never had eyes, ears, and a direct voice in Washington, but are beginning to understand why they need them. The political and policy environments no longer permit the luxury of distance.
What clients need is a seat at the table, not as a symbolic gesture but as a practical one. They need lobbyists to identify who is making the decisions affecting their organization; to build relationships that create access; and to make an advocacy case with credibility, consistency, and creativity.
We continue to ask ourselves the same question that we posed when going out on our own: What do corporate clients find most valuable, and how can we deliver it? The answers represent a formula that we believe has yet to be solved in the corporate consulting and lobbying space. It’s a code that, once cracked, can help shorten the advocacy second curve.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.
Author Information
Jennifer Linker and Steve Forde are founding partners of Second Curve Strategies, a bipartisan government relations and advocacy firm in Washington, DC.
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