Eight Rules for Speaking to a Committee
Here are some general rules to follow in presenting oral testimony to a committee:

BE CONCISE. Except under special circumstances, limit your oral presentation to less than five minutes. Don't try to make more than two or three points. If you want to give the committee a handout, write it in outline form and limit it to one page.

BE PREPARED. Know your subject thoroughly so that you can answer questions by committee members and staff. If you don't know an answer, say so and offer to supply the facts as soon as you get them. Then supply the information to the committee the same day if at all possible or the following day.

TALK IN HUMAN TERMS, BUT DON'T BE EMOTIONAL. Your success will depend upon your ability to persuade the facts and logic. Attempts to play up the emotional side of the issue will hurt your effectiveness.

BE POLITE. Even in the face of questions, which seem hostile, your responses should be courteous.

USE LITTLE OR NO TECHNICAL JARGON. You may understand what all those terms or acronyms for government programs mean, but they confuse legislators who must be generalists.

DON'T BE INTIMIDATED. It is all too easy for a person holding a high elective office to fluster a witness in a committee hearing. Be prepared and it won't happen to you.

BE ADEPT. Rephrase questions, which emphasize weaknesses in your testimony so that you can speak to the strong points instead.

DO SOME EXTRA HOMEWORK. If time allows, prior to the meeting, find out who the committee members are and read about their personal and political backgrounds. Know what district they represent, what their voting record on key issues is, what professional training they had etc. You may be able to incorporate this knowledge in your answers to their questions, thus helping to bring points home to them.