PR: Lets Cut to the Chase

If your key ? that's KEY ? outside audiences don't exhibit the kind of behaviors that lead to results like these, you need to take a closer look at your public relations effort.

Results like fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rising membership applications, customers starting to make repeat purchases creating bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; community leaders beginning to seek you out; new approaches by capital givers and specifying sources, not to mention politicians and legislators viewing you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

Do you agree that you need behavior change among your most important outside audiences that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives? And that you then need to persuade those key external stakeholders with the greatest impacts on your organization to your way of thinking, and help move them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed?

In other words, you may need public relations activity that can deliver results far beyond publicity tactics. And a public relations premise like this one can show the way: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

But how should you, as a manager, position your public relations to do this? First, you had best be sure every member of your PR team agrees that it's awfully important to know how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Stay at it until you're certain they REALLY accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can damage your operation.

Then it's time to start working the PR blueprint by monitoring and gathering perceptions through questioning members of your most important outside audience. Ask questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Here's some good fortune! Your PR folks are already in the perception and behavior business, so they can be of real use for this opinion monitoring project. Yes, professional survey firms can be brought in to handle the opinion monitoring chore, but that can cost you a lot of money. So whether it's your people or a survey firm who asks the questions, your objective is the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions.

The question now is this: which of the above aberrations is serious enough that it should become your corrective public relations goal? Clarify the misconception? Spike that rumor? Correct the false assumption? Fix those inaccuracies? Or yet another offensive perception that could lead to negative results?

You can assure you'll achieve your public relations goal by selecting the right strategy from the three choices available to you. In brief, change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. But be sure your new strategy naturally compliments your new public relations goal.

Just what will your message emphasize when you address your key stakeholder audience to help persuade them to your way of thinking?

That's why you must select your best writer to prepare the message because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Persuasive and believable words that are not only compelling, but clear and factual so they can shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Lucky for all of us, the next step is easy. Pick communications tactics to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Making certain that the tactics you select have a record of reaching folks like your audience members, you can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

It's useful to remember that HOW one communicates often affects the credibility of the message, so you may wish to deliver it in small getogethers like meetings and presentations rather than through a higher-profile media announcement.

Folks will soon be looking for signs of progress. And that will lead to a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Employing many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session, you will now be watching carefully for signs that the offending perception is being altered in your direction. Should the program start to slow, you can always accelerate matters by putting on more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

Yes, this is the chase we cut to ? an aggressive blueprint that leaves you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move your key external stakeholders to action. In that way, you create the behavior change you need leading directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 985 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

---

Do You See PRs Real Value?

As a business, non-profit or association manager, do you see... Read More

Speaking to the Press

If you get the hang of speaking to the press... Read More

Knowing the Community

You are in business for yourself, but how well do... Read More

Think Big

Would you like to be the next Dr. Phil, Suze... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Focus on Main Points During an Interview

You never want to inundate a reporter with information, but... Read More

Hey, Mr/Ms Manager!

Does it really make sense to bet your PR budget... Read More

Cutting Down Your Trade Show Budget

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately... Read More

How To Write A Press Release: The Seven Deadly Sins And How To Avoid Them

How to write a press release that generates free publicity... Read More

Writing a Press Release: The Medias Dirty Secret

There's a dirty little secret about press releases that the... Read More

Gaining Free Publicity Through Press Releases

One of the greatest ways to promote your product or... Read More

For Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Small Publications Can Have Great Publicity Impact

Just because a publication is small doesn't mean that getting... Read More

Credibility Lost or Gained, Are you Prepared?

If a reporter approached you about an interview, would you... Read More

The MOST Powerful Marketing and Advertising on the Planet!

It sounds too simple to be true, but it really... Read More

Passion with Purpose - The Winning Combination

The power of PassionPassion is an extraordinarily powerful spring. Without... Read More

Did You Know That Even TV Remote Control Units Can Get Press and Media Coverage?

Did you Know That Even TV Remote Control Units... Read More

Making Great Announcements

When do you use the newspaper for publishing announcements for... Read More

Oprah! How to Appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Do you dream of being on Oprah Winfrey's television show?... Read More

How To Get Radio-Active PR For Your Non-Profit Cause: Part Two of Three

FIVE WAYS TO GET ON THE RADIOHere are five basic... Read More

Between Now and Economic Recovery

There's still time to review your public relations program like... Read More

The Ultimate PR Edge: Getting Reporters To Open Your E-Mails

You know that getting publicity is vital to the health... Read More

Managers: Why PR is SO Key

When outside audiences important to your operation do not understand... Read More

The Only Way to Get Free Advertising?

Receiving free advertising is the dream of most business people.... Read More

The Truth About Public Relations

The truth is, you CAN attract the support of those... Read More

Writing A Press Release

News releases (also called press releases) are an important part... Read More

Public Relations Productivity

Should it be measured in "publicity by the pound," or... Read More

Starting A Publicity Program

Successful buisnesses know that media attention reaches consumers better than... Read More

Add Some Firepower to your PR

Sure, as tactics usually presented to business, non-profit and association... Read More

The Increasing Power Of Publicity - And How It Can Benefit Your Business

The call came into my office and the voice on... Read More

When Managers Play the PR Card

The payoff for business, non-profit or association managers can be... Read More

A Great Way to Do PR

As a business, non-profit or association manager trying to get... Read More

Marketing-Minded Financial Planners, Make Your Web Site a Resource for the Media

Reporters, by nature, are curious people.If you can get them... Read More

Custom Reasons for Custom Publishing

Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing... Read More

Media Training: Exposing Reporter Tricks -- Three Tactics Designed to Get You

A reporter's job is to get the most accurate and... Read More