A Helping
Hand
How a government relations firm can
help you establish and maintain
relationships with elected officials
By Kelly Gallagher, Martin Charlton Communications
Interacting with government used to be more leisurely in Saskatchewan. Those in private
industry and ministers or senior government employees could chat at the golf
course or a community event. It was in these settings that business and government
could casually discuss issues that affected one another.
Now, being friendly doesn’t go far enough. Those neighbourly encounters still happen, but
they don’t get the same results. The minister may actually be your neighbour, but a discussion
at a fall supper doesn’t secure your business. The interaction you need to navigate is
your relationship with government.
The change happened with the evolution of the economy in Saskatchewan in the last decade.
Bigger players in business recognized our province as a place of opportunity. Requests
for time with ministers came flooding in, and with them, a more formalized process was
introduced by firms representing these national and international companies. Meanwhile,
local business, accustomed to arranging visits through a phone call to the ministers’ offices,
learned of the change underway to a more sophisticated process. The shift has meant
business must now be highly focused and diligently prepared when seeking time with the
Saskatchewan government.
Martin Charlton Communications has helped numerous companies in this province navigate
this shift as well as firms beyond its borders looking for an introduction to local authorities.
Understanding how to establish and maintain a relationship with government comes
down to following these five steps, often with some help.
Step 1: Recognize that government impacts significant
business decisions
Legislation, regulations, taxes and approvals all play a role in how you conduct business.
Government is responsible for them all. These factors impact your spending, your budgeting
and your strategy. Government can also impact how investors view your business or what
funds are available for your growth.
You know this and recognize a relationship is necessary to allow you to discuss these matters.
When your business has decided to move ahead on something that government can
weigh in on, you’ll want to deal with that situation strategically.
Some think they can do it on their own and save themselves some spending. But using a
government relations firm can pay for itself because you build the cost of hiring this expertise
into your business case.
38 Think BIG | Quarter 1 2016 | saskheavy.ca
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