Guide to Successful Facility Tours

• Presidents' Day (mid-February)
• Easter/Passover (March or April)
• Memorial Day (late May)
• Fourth of July
• Summer (mid-August to a week after Labor Day)
• Rosh Hashanah (one day occurring in late September or early October)
• Yom Kippur (one day occurring 10 days after Rosh Hashanah)
• Columbus Day (October)
• Veterans Day (November)
• Thanksgiving (usually at least one week, if session has not formally adjourned)
• Christmas (generally, the first session of Congress has adjourned for the month and will reconvene after New Year's Day)

Invitations
When inviting a legislator for a facility tour, be flexible. Allow for several options. If your choices are still inconvenient, ask the legislator to suggest a date. Don't become discouraged if you are turned down the first time. Rejections do not reflect on you, personally, but rather reflect the chaotic nature of a legislator's schedule. If a date is set, be prepared for last-minute alterations that may occur because of unexpectedly long sessions or unpredictable travel delays.

Announcing the Event
Once you invite a member of Congress to your facility, remember that this is essentially a public event. The member wants press coverage, and so do you. Naturally, the large news media in your area should be contacted, but don't forget about the local weeklies and "shoppers." Each will be inclined to cover your event if given appropriate notice.

If the city editor of your large metropolitan daily is not interested in the facility tour, contact the business editor. If the business editor is not interested, contact the political writer, or, if appropriate, the suburban or regional editor. The last resort is the personalities (gossip) writer. If possible, schedule a tour on a Friday or a Monday. Saturday and Monday newspapers and television news programs are notoriously thirsty for news. And, the two days surrounding the weekend should match with the member's schedule.

If possible — especially in a small TV market — have someone tape the event and provide footage to the local station. Don't forget about cable television. Some public access channels and 24-hour local news channels will take anything you can provide on videotape. Obviously, you should have a standard press kit available and, if possible, stock video of your company.

The Committee Members
Set up a small committee to plan for each aspect of the tour. You will want planning help and participation from the people listed below. To actually conduct the tour, select a spokesperson with complete knowledge of your manufacturing process.

• Chief Executive Officer. Always have the most senior executive available to greet the legislator and, if possible, accompany him or her through the facility. It is a good idea, as well, to invite the owner if different from the CEO. The greeter must not act like a babysitter; let the legislator wander from the tour route and, if appropriate, speak with your employees if he or she wants to.

• Government Relations Officer. This person should be knowledgeable on the details of legislative proposals relating to your business that are before Congress. On a first visit, it may be better to avoid lobbying the legislator about specific issues and, instead, to generally acquaint him or her with your company and its philosophy on government relations.

• Public Relations or Communications Officer. This person will be helpful in inviting local media, preparing press lists and press releases, arranging photo opportunities, and publicizing the visit in the company newsletter. Use as many staff or volunteers as necessary to ensure media needs are met.

• Employee Relations or Office Manager. This employee knows the most about individual employees and personnel policies, both of which will be of interest to your guest. The personnel office or department supervisors may want to recommend some employees interested in meeting the legislator. Include both salaried and hourly workers.

• Facility Safety Supervisor. You must ensure that all safety precautions are observed. Keep the legislator and other guests away from hazardous areas.

Do Your Homework
Do some homework on your guest's biographical, political, business, social, educational and legislative background, so that you can identify areas of common interest. Find out what committees and subcommittees your lawmaker is on and try to match your legislative agenda with his or hers. In short, show the same interest in your legislator's activities that you expect him or her to show in yours. Be sure to have an information package the legislator can take back to Washington, emphasizing the benefits that good security jobs bring to workers, suppliers and your area's economy.

The Security Industry Association's Government Affairs Department can help you determine your legislator's record on business and economic issues and provide you with facts and issues to discuss with your guest.

Facility Preparation
Prepare your facility to show its best side. Make it easy to get around and keep hazardous areas well marked. Prepare a map of the tour route and have clear signs showing the tour route inside the facility. Be sure your guest knows what entrance to use, have people there to welcome him or her, hand out name badges and have hard hats and safety goggles, if necessary, for everyone in the parry.

Before the big day, have a briefing with all the people involved. A script of events, with times to guide you, is important to keep everyone on schedule. Conduct a mock tour to assure a smooth event.

A typical tour should last two to three hours. Try to schedule it around lunch or breakfast, with the tour either preceding or following the meal. A limited number of company officials should participate in the meal.

Transportation
Usually, the legislator will make his or her own arrangements to travel to the facility. You may offer to arrange transportation as a courtesy, but consult with the lawmaker's staff to be sure your offer is in compliance with federal law concerning gifts.

However your guest arrives, be sure he or she knows exactly where to be, when to be there, and have the proper people there for a great welcome!

Displays/Literature
Proudly display your products for your visitor to see. A special exhibit, promotional materials and company literature will enhance the visit. The display of SIA material will serve as a reminder of your commitment to the security industry.

Talking Points
You have an important story to tell, so prepare specific answers to expected questions, particularly about the impact your company has on your lawmaker's district. But try not to reveal all of this information at once. Rather, spread it out during the tour to make the visit both interesting and informative. When developing your presentation, work in the following information:

• Success stories. Discuss how the facility has improved the lives of workers and executives. Reveal how your company has overcome adversity. Inform visitors about the history of your company and this facility, including total investment in facilities and equipment. Mention expenditures for modernization and R&D.

• Products manufactured/services rendered. Describe how the products/services are used..

• Jobs. Discuss the number of people employed in your facility and others around the state or country; labor unions represented in your facility; and worker health, safety and training programs.

• Payroll. Talk about wages and the types and value of employees' benefits in cents-per-hour-per-employee or as a percentage of the basic wage rate.

• Employee benefits. Describe programs your company offers to employees, including profit-sharing, recreational programs, health or sports facilities, credit unions, child care, educational support and discount purchases of company products.

• Community impact. How many dollars are paid in federal, state and local taxes? What are your local expenditures to purchase supplies, materials and services? Does your company participate in community charities? Do you promote environmental programs?

Follow Up the Tour
The purpose of your facility tour is to enhance mutual understanding between you and your elected official. To make certain that he or she remembers your company, follow-up efforts are important, including

Follow-up correspondence; Write a thank-you note reminding your representative of some of the key points you made during the tour. Be sure to invite the legislator to return at any time with or without notice. Consider inviting your legislator to your company's annual picnic, golf tournament, July 4th celebration or other event. These companywide celebrations offer great political opportunities.

• Tokens. If you have not already presented your lawmaker with a token of appreciation, send one. For instance, a baseball cap or hard hat is a good souvenir. Members of the U.S. Congress are only permitted to accept commemorative gifts or gifts of nominal value. Laws for local and state officials may differ. Consult your in-house counsel to assure that you are in compliance with applicable laws.

• Photos. Send the photos your public relations staff took. Many times they will be used in a constituent newsletter, and, often, they will wind up on the legislator's office wall.

• Press coverage. Provide the lawmaker's office with your company newsletter and other publicity the visit generated. Usually, a congressional office subscribes to a clipping service or has the local office provide clips. If no one showed up to cover the tour, have your publicity staff immediately contact as many local media as possible to generate some press coverage.

• Follow up with aides. Don't forget to thank all of the legislator's staff who attended the tour or helped set it up. These people are key contacts for you and your company. You may need them in the future, so do not let their needs go unnoticed. Needless to say, at every stage of the visit, and in your thank-you letter, offer the member substantive policy advice and, if warranted, political and lobbying assistance. Keep track of how your legislator votes on future legislation, and express your thanks when he or she votes in favor of your positions.

• Write us. To help the Security Industry Association assist other companies, let us know how the tour went. Be frank in assessing both the successes and the failures. Send us photos, newsclippings and any examples of legislative handout materials for inclusion on the SIA website and SIA publications.

Facility Tour Checklist