Secrets to Winning Project Approval...
1. Know Your Material
Attorneys learn early on that you never ask a question for which you don’t already know the answer. The same holds true
when working with government agencies. Blindly asking for direction will likely only frustrate agency staff and often times
results in a ‘least-thought’ answer that does not suit the project or your client’s needs. Do the research first to find out what
your options are and then meet with the agency officials to discuss the best solution to the problem. Determine which
solution is most practical and makes the best economic sense and then steer the meeting toward that option by pointing
out the apparent deficiencies with the alternatives.
2. Ask for the "Sale"
Meeting regularly with the neighbors and the agency staff during the course of your project is essential, and meeting at least
once with the public officials who will approve your project is recommended (if it is allowed). However, very few people who
meet with neighbors and authoritative figures actually ask them to help with anything. To move your project in a positive
direction, find the right time to ask for their support of your project. If you find that support is lacking, ask what can be done to
win their endorsement. At the very least, this will help you determine which aspects of the project you’ll need to concentrate
on to gain approval. Directly asking for the "sale" gauges support and generally flushes out potential issues that could arise
during the public hearing process.
3. Don’t be Intimidated
When it comes to making public presentations, remember that elected and appointed officials are everyday folks just like
you. That doesn’t mean the material shouldn’t be presented in a formal and professional way. But it may help you relate to
your audience by building a stronger bond of working together rather than taking an "us vs. them" approach.
4. Don’t Assume Anything
Elected and appointed officials operate in generalities and are not necessarily experts on every planning and development
issue. In most cases, you are the expert providing information to them to help them make an informed decision. Organize
your information for presentation in a methodical way so that your audience will clearly understand the project’s key points.
It’s also a good idea to know what your elected officials do for a living. For instance, if there’s a civil engineer on the board to
which you’re presenting, you will know to prepare for questions related to the civil design of the project.
5. Limit the Details
While you should provide a good understanding of the important aspects of your project, don’t get caught up in the details.
Keep your presentation concise and to the point. Giving your audience too much unnecessary information will only fuel
questions that can quickly escalate into major issues. Instead, let the elected officials come up with their own questions
and then be prepared to answer them. All too often a presenter may say just a little too much, inciting additional questions
about the project. All of a sudden you find yourself heading down the path to concession and/or tabling the project until yet
another meeting while you work to appease a board member.
6. Give Genesis a call
1. Know Your Material
Attorneys learn early on that you never ask a question for which you don’t already know the answer. The same holds true
when working with government agencies. Blindly asking for direction will likely only frustrate agency staff and often times
results in a ‘least-thought’ answer that does not suit the project or your client’s needs. Do the research first to find out what
your options are and then meet with the agency officials to discuss the best solution to the problem. Determine which
solution is most practical and makes the best economic sense and then steer the meeting toward that option by pointing
out the apparent deficiencies with the alternatives.
2. Ask for the "Sale"
Meeting regularly with the neighbors and the agency staff during the course of your project is essential, and meeting at least
once with the public officials who will approve your project is recommended (if it is allowed). However, very few people who
meet with neighbors and authoritative figures actually ask them to help with anything. To move your project in a positive
direction, find the right time to ask for their support of your project. If you find that support is lacking, ask what can be done to
win their endorsement. At the very least, this will help you determine which aspects of the project you’ll need to concentrate
on to gain approval. Directly asking for the "sale" gauges support and generally flushes out potential issues that could arise
during the public hearing process.
3. Don’t be Intimidated
When it comes to making public presentations, remember that elected and appointed officials are everyday folks just like
you. That doesn’t mean the material shouldn’t be presented in a formal and professional way. But it may help you relate to
your audience by building a stronger bond of working together rather than taking an "us vs. them" approach.
4. Don’t Assume Anything
Elected and appointed officials operate in generalities and are not necessarily experts on every planning and development
issue. In most cases, you are the expert providing information to them to help them make an informed decision. Organize
your information for presentation in a methodical way so that your audience will clearly understand the project’s key points.
It’s also a good idea to know what your elected officials do for a living. For instance, if there’s a civil engineer on the board to
which you’re presenting, you will know to prepare for questions related to the civil design of the project.
5. Limit the Details
While you should provide a good understanding of the important aspects of your project, don’t get caught up in the details.
Keep your presentation concise and to the point. Giving your audience too much unnecessary information will only fuel
questions that can quickly escalate into major issues. Instead, let the elected officials come up with their own questions
and then be prepared to answer them. All too often a presenter may say just a little too much, inciting additional questions
about the project. All of a sudden you find yourself heading down the path to concession and/or tabling the project until yet
another meeting while you work to appease a board member.
6. Give Genesis a call
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