Testimony Do's and Don'ts

Attachment: 3897/Testimony_Do's_and_Don'ts_handout.pdf

  Testimony Do's and Don'ts

Do:



Be brief.

Expect and respect a time limit. Being brief is to your advantage.



Be calm & natural.

Prepare testimony that you can speak at your normal pace

without worrying that you won't have time.



Be positive, courteous, & respectful.

People like to help their friends, so

be a friend.


Tell why YOU support Convention of States.

What about

Convention of States is so important that you have taken the time to be there? Personal
stories & your background do move them. Tell them your story and how it relates to COS.



Make Eye Contact.

Have points written down so you can glance down at them

occasionally and keep on track, but make sure you are speaking in a natural way and making
eye contact. You are having a conversation with them and talking to real people.



Bring notes to keep you on track.

Have your testimony written down, but

try to know it well enough that you can refer to it without reading it. You will probably also be
asked to email your written testimony to committee members.



Get feedback.

Turn your written testimony into your state leadership for feedback.

Collaborate with other team members giving testimony.

To ensure

that committee members are not hearing the same thing over and over again, you may be asked
to focus on a particular point during your testimony and not to mention others.

Defer complicated questions to the expert.

If a question is complicated or

you aren't 100% sure it is a great idea to ask if the expert could come and answer that question.

Don't:

Be Hostile.

Don't let your testimony be a platform for your frustrations. Don't use the

phrase, “You Work for Us.” This is especially important to remember if a legislator questioning
you is hostile.

Be Condescending.

You may know more about Article V than they do. Try not to let

your voice/words sound condescending or like you are schooling them. People like to help
people who think they are smart.

Give a long history lesson

They don't have to listen & may tune out.



(

Brief and relevant historical references are allowed.)

Read Article V.

This is a surefire way to ensure they will tune out.

Speed read.

They need to easily follow what you are saying and connect with you as a

person.

Be repetitive.

Collaborate with your team to ensure you won't be saying the same things

and covering the same points as everyone else.

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Created:	2023-12-21 18:25 GMT
Updated:	2023-12-21 18:34 GMT
Published:	2023-12-20 23:00 GMT
Converted:	2025-11-11 12:28 GMT
Change Author:	Sarah Santana
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