When most people think of a “lobbyist,” a few stark images come to mind.

Of course, there are the men in dark suits trading secrets over steak and scotch in dimly lit rooms. Or perhaps these same characters take in leisurely rounds of golf while chatting up industry insiders.

While these images may dominate most people’s minds, in the association world, lobbyists—or, as some prefer to be called, advocates—are much more than the slick-talking flesh-pressers portrayed in the media. In fact, given the breakneck pace, intensity, and high stakes of the work done on Capitol Hill, lobbying can be one of the most grueling jobs in association life.

Yet, even in the association world, which recognizes that lobbyists represent everyone from teachers and nurses to manufacturers and accountants, a few misconceptions persist. To help shatter some of these myths, here are five important things your association lobbyist wants you to know.

This is not a desk job. It has been said that more than half of success in life is simply showing up. In no place is that adage truer than in government relations. Information is capital. To successfully perform this job, advocates must remain in constant contact with lawmakers, legislative aides, and advocates at peer organizations. As a result, the lobbyist’s schedule is often packed with meetings with congressional staff, legislative briefings on Capitol Hill, and coffee breaks with coalition partners. This leads directly into the next point.

This is not a 9-to-5 job. In truth, there really is no such thing as a 9-to-5 job in any industry. But that has always been the case in lobbying. As lawmakers spend just a few days in Washington, DC, each week, lobbyists find themselves at early-morning breakfast meetings, evening receptions, and other social gatherings, hoping to squeeze in a few minutes of face time with key policy players. When not engaging directly with legislators and their staff, advocates are on the road, interfacing with association members to ensure that they remain up to speed on the latest policy issues.

There are no quick fixes. As a result of institutional design, established by the Constitution and chamber rules, the wheels of legislative progress turn slowly. In fact, the process of turning an idea into law—or, in some instances, preventing an idea from becoming law—can literally take years. A bill must be introduced, debated, amended, and then successfully voted on in subcommittee before the process is repeated again (in full committee) and again (on the floor of the full chamber) and again (in the other chamber, starting again with the subcommittee). This does not even account for the many procedural hurdles that could delay the success of the measure.

Given these intricacies, it is unsurprising that only 3 percent of the bills introduced during the 115th Congress became law. Yet, through all of this, advocates must maintain pressure to shore up the association’s position through tactics like sign-on letters, white papers, fact sheets, witness testimony at hearings, and, again, constant contact with key stakeholders.

Simply put, without strong advocacy, your association has virtually no hope of protecting its interests. As the saying goes, ‘If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu.’

The results might be invisible. Despite the ever-present glare of news cameras and constant flood of media releases, the results you seek might be invisible. There may be no grand speech on the floor of the Senate or House, no slashing a provision from a bill here or creating a new clause there. Instead, the solution your association needs may emerge as a result of a face-to-face conversation between one of your strongest congressional supporters and a fellow committee member about a vote happening soon. Or it might result from a well-timed phone call by one of your board members to a chief of staff about a troubling proposal that’s been floating around.

Ultimately, advocacy is a “people” business, and the best advocates know not only who the key players are but also how to get to them. Letters, speeches, and even legislative language are nice, but only if a policy proposal becomes law does it have meaning. Given the challenges in getting legislation to the finish line, the action that has the most impact can be the one that happens behind closed doors.

Advocacy is critical. At this point, you may be thinking, “Well, if it takes years to accomplish a single legislative goal and I may not even see the impact with my own two eyes, what is the point?” Simply put, without strong advocacy, your association has virtually no hope of protecting its interests. As the saying goes, “If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu.”

The demands on Congress are never-ending. Without the information provided by government relations experts who understand both the issues and the policy process, there is no way for legislators to know how best to proceed on matters of concern to your members. Therefore, maintaining a strong advocacy presence in Washington, DC, is absolutely critical to your association meeting its goals.

I’ve had a lifetime’s worth of reception hors d’oeuvres. And, admittedly, I play a lousy game of golf. But all of the early mornings, late nights, and road trips are worth it because I’m helping to bring the voice of my association’s members into the halls of power.