training
lobby & advocacy conversations 

Lobby & influencing training in Brussels

Are you looking to improve your lobbying and advocacy skills in the Brussels policy bubble? Whether you're meeting with a MEP, their assistant, the EC or other key stakeholders, you may only have 30 minutes—or perhaps just 2 minutes to speak at a round table. How do you ensure that they're listening, interested, and ultimately persuaded by your message?

Understanding Your Audience: The Key to Lobbying Success

Effective lobbying and negotiation begin with understanding what the other party truly wants. While some motivations are clear, many are hidden beneath the surface. With the right attitude and communication skills, you can uncover these deeper motivations and connect with your counterpart on a personal level. Even people with opposing values, ideas, and policies are human —driven by needs, fears, and patterns of behavior. Only when the other side feels heard, understood, and respected, thens there emerges room for your message to be received and considered. That's why this training focuses heavily on interpersonal skills and the attitudes needed to build connections.

Practical Lobbying Skills

Our Lobby & Influencing Training starts with this broader perspective on human interaction and then zooms in on the specific skills and methods needed to excel in EU lobbying. We practise what to say, how to say it and what body language is part of that. The course combines theory with dedicated practical exercises, ensuring that you can apply what you've learned immediately in real-world situations. You'll gain the practical techniques necessary to build relationships, clearly communicate your interests, and ensure your message resonates within the corridors of EU power.

Whether you're new to lobbying or looking to refine your existing skills, this training equips you with the essential tools for effective lobbying conversations. Additionally, the negotiation, peace, and conflict resolution skills you develop here will benefit not only your professional life but your personal life as well.

What you will learn

• How to effectively communicate your interests and craft compelling messages for MEPs, the EC, and other stakeholders.Techniques for building long-lasting relationships and gaining trust in a short amount of time during policy discussions.
• Understanding hidden motivations and needs of your counterparts to better tailor your lobbying efforts.
• Developing active listening skills to make the other side feel heard and respected, creating room for your message.
• Practical strategies for handling high-pressure meetings and making an impact in limited time, such as during round tables or brief sessions.
• How to use negotiation and conflict resolution skills to bridge divides and find common ground, even with those who have opposing views.
• Learning to adapt and apply interpersonal skills for both professional advocacy and personal life situations.

Options for in-company

Our in-company training options are tailored to meet the specific needs of your organization. Here are some the customizable options we offer:

1. 1,2 or multiday
2. This training assumes you have your goals and lobby strategy defined, but we can add a module to craft your messages.
   
3. We tailor make the role plays: we design a fictitious file (so people don't get distracted by the content) that is close to your field of work (so people can relate). We create persona's to meet based on the type of people you deal with.
   
4. After the fictitious file, we can work with your real content. We can focus on a common file, or let everybody pick their own case.
   
5. This training works best in groups: with at least 4 or 5 people there is enough room for role playing. Above 8-10 participants we advice to add a second trainer/ make groups.