FEDA NEWS & VIEWS
VISION FORWARD
Why Dealers Make Great Lobbyists
FEDA dealers are directing their sales expertise toward real-world advocacy that shapes the future of the foodservice equipment and supplies industry.
One of the most remarkable things I’ve observed about dealers is how incredibly skilled they are at selling anything to anyone at any time. I know this shouldn’t surprise me, given the nature of what they do, but what’s especially impressive is
how this skill carries over to so many other areas, including FEDA’s legislative advocacy work on behalf of members. As it turns out, dealers make exceptionally good
lobbyists. Their sales skills translate into knowing exactly how to convince elected offi cials to understand our industry and support our positions on various legislation and regulations. There’s no better example of this than the congressional visits FEDA organized last March. In each meeting with elected offi cials and their staff, dealers applied their core selling strategies as they walked through a bill’s merits or problems, acknowledged the concerns of the offi cials, then moved gently through alternative points. They also closed their legislative requests the same way they close equipment deals — with a promise to build a continued relationship that provides support and information as needed going forward. Dealers make great advocates for an interesting list
of reasons. First, the most effective lobbyists represent industries that are economically important and are positioned as infl uencers. Dealers make up a signifi cant share of the foodservice industry and have extensive relationships with major players in foodservice, such as restaurants, schools and healthcare facilities. These relationships, coupled with experience, mean they can speak defi nitively about the needs of these industries and their own role in this ecosystem. Additionally, dealers possess the technical expertise needed to address specifi c, real-world examples of how legislation will impact their businesses and others in the industry. It’s inspiring to see these skills aimed at championing
the overall industry. Although it’s true that dealers are down-to-earth individuals who apply simple communication methods to build relationships, they are also experts at what’s called persuasion psychology. They use sophisticated techniques to mitigate “confi rmation bias” and “psychological reactance,” putting customers
8 FEDA News & Views
— and elected offi cials — at ease and making them more receptive. In D.C., I witnessed this process in action as dealers took care to fi rst get to know members of Congress and their staff and listened to the political challenges they were facing. After forming a personal connection, dealers shared
how their businesses and the industry operate, gradually demonstrating their expertise in areas less understood by the offi cials and staff they met with. In doing so, dealers built what’s called “epistemic trust,” establishing that legislative teams can view them as a reliable resource for business information. The trust was further reinforced by dealers’ extensive knowledge about operations, fi nance and regulations, creating an undeniable “command presence” that established dealers as industry authorities who can help solve problems. But the most impressive attribute I was reminded
of in D.C. is that dealers have what psychologists call “undefeatable mindsets.” They simply won’t lose the deal. In neuroscience, this term means that their brains see setbacks as only temporary and certainly surmountable. Persistence and resistance to defeat are trademarks of both ace salespeople and effective lobbyists, who often need to unfold complex policy issues over a long period of time. The roadblocks inherent in policymaking can be frustrating for many, but not dealers. They won’t let an issue rest until they’ve won it. FEDA is fortunate to have dedicated members with
these exact skillsets in our corner. Over the next several months, the association will be calling on dealers to contact their legislative offi cials by email and phone, through visits to their area congressional offi ces, and by joining fellow FEDA members in D.C. next March. FEDA’s policy agenda will include more work on the extended producer responsibility regulations making their way through state agencies and legislatures, federal data privacy and AI framework legislation, labor policy, and regulatory agency actions. We are excited about the potential infl uence of dealers as they do what they do best, this time in the legislative arena.
Tracy Mulqueen is the chief executive officer of FEDA.
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