Building relationships with lawmakers and their staff often appears intimidating, confusing and – worst of all – a waste of time. However, a survey of congressional staff conducted by the Congressional Management Foundation showed “in-person visits by constituents” was the best strategy to influence an undecided lawmaker. But how do you do it?

Here are five, basic strategies which will make you more influential that the most powerful lobbyist in Washington. 

1. Learn About Your Legislator - The rules of relationship building haven’t changed since Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends and Influence People. One of Carnegie’s rules is to learn about who you’re trying to influence. What committees does the legislator sit on? What legislation did he introduce? Where did she go to college? Any data that builds a connection to you or your issues is valuable.

2. Become a Reliable Expert - All elected officials rely on individuals with unique knowledge about how issues affect communities. You may not feel like an expert, but you are because you can communicate how policies impact people’s lives – and that’s incredibly more valuable than the best research report.

3. Communicate Frequently - In a focus group of congressional Chiefs of Staff I asked a question, “Who do you listen to?” One staff member replied, “I hate to admit it, but I listen to the squeaky wheels.” That doesn’t mean calling every day – it means building a rapport through persistently and politely persuading politicians.

4. Have a Specific Ask - All successful advocacy efforts have some level of metrics – a measure of accountability the lawmaker is held to. It can be cosponsoring a bill, sponsoring a letter or agreeing to attend an event. Many groups fail this test and send milk-toast messages to “support the environment.” Or, “stand up for justice.” This will result in guffaws from the staff member who drafts the response and no clear way for you to determine whether the legislator supports your position.

5. Tell a Personal Story - It’s hard to underestimate the power of a personal story. It can put a human face on an issue that no statistic or data point can do. Think about an “Amber Alert” or “Megan’s Law” – legislation that stemmed from a personal tragedy. Your story doesn’t have to have kind of narrative – but it does need to speak in real-life terms how a law could affect you, your friends, your company, an your community.