Although, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may be glad this came your way.
Especially if your current public relations effort is delivering more publicity plugs than real behavior change among your most important outside audiences. Change that could lead directly to achieving your managerial objectives.
I'm talking about persuading those key outside folks to your way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.
There's even a blueprint to help you do it. 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.
What kind of results can you expect? Consider these: membership applications on the rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; higher employee retention rates, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.
An obvious first step involves getting the public relations people assigned to your unit on board. Make certain the whole team buys into why it's so important to know how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be sure they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can hurt your unit.
Review how you plan to monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. 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?
Since your PR people are in the perception and behavior business to begin with, they can be of real use for this opinion monitoring project. Professional survey firms are always available, but that can be a budget buster. Whether it's your people or a survey firm who asks the questions, your objective is to identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions .
Then you must carefully select which of the above becomes your corrective public relations goal -- clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false assumption or fix certain other inaccuracies.
You can achieve your goal by picking the right strategy from the three choices available to you. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. But be sure your new strategy fits comfortably with your new public relations goal.
But what will you say when you have the opportunity to address your key stakeholder audience to help persuade them to your way of thinking?
Select your best writer to prepare the message because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.
Happily, the next step is easy. You select 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.
Since how one communicates often affects the credibility of the message, you may wish to deliver it in small getogethers like meetings and presentations rather than through a higher- profile media announcement.
You'll soon feel pressure for signs of progress. And that means 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.
Luckily, matters can be accelerated by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.
This workable public relations blueprint will help you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.
So, while you may not have asked for this public relations advice, I hope you will agree that the people you deal with behave like everyone else ? they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operation. Leaving you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move your key external audiences to action.
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: mailto:bobkelly@tni.net.
Rolling Meadows Cadillac Escalade rental .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareAlthough media relations is not all there is to PR,... Read More
Media management has become one of the strategic tools for... Read More
Have you ever noticed that when someone is interviewed on... Read More
You are in business for yourself, but how well do... Read More
Sometimes there seems to be no client news worthy of... Read More
Each of us is exposed to people from other cultures... Read More
Some folks see the word "strategic" as a needlessly tiresome... Read More
You may remember Forrest Gump's Vietnam pal ? the one... Read More
Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has... Read More
If you leave a star player sitting on the bench,... Read More
The easiest way to meet city council members is to... Read More
If you have had any experience in public relations or... Read More
If you're like most of my clients, you're probably interested... Read More
An effort built around a string of print and broadcast... Read More
Unlike some professionals like lawyers and doctors, financial planners aren't... Read More
A Press Release is a captive story that can be... Read More
At the core of any successful public relations campaign is... Read More
You're a business, non-profit or association manager who needs to... Read More
Don't let yourself be diverted by communications tactics playtime. You... Read More
Sorry about my otaku with this issue (otaku = more... Read More
There are many ways you can get tons of free... Read More
Quite a bit, actually. Public relations helps business, non- profit... Read More
Have you fantasized about spreading word of your business on... Read More
UNDER FIREA friend whose organization is often in the media... Read More
Things are pleasant for many business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
Des Moines rental limo ..Non-news professionals often have a hard time understanding why their... Read More
A press kit is an essential press relations tool. While... Read More
Public relations is popular because it is very cost-effective and... Read More
Last month, we told you about "pay for play," a... Read More
Publicity is obtaining editorial coverage or features for your business.... Read More
How do you make a friend of the media? A... Read More
The Internet may have opened worlds for businesses and consumers,... Read More
Each of us is exposed to people from other cultures... Read More
New business owners often miss out on publicity opportunities because... Read More
For financial planners, getting publicity, in the end, isn't about... Read More
Done right, it delivers the key, target audience behaviors you... Read More
Although, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may... Read More
The most sensible way for business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, what do you... Read More
Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing... Read More
Because good public relations can alter individual perception and lead... Read More
Yes, that's what public relations really is when it tracks... Read More
They'd hate to admit it, but the media is pretty... Read More
Excerpted from "Selling Goodness- The Guerrilla PR Guide To Promoting... Read More
Don't let yourself be diverted by communications tactics playtime. You... Read More
With a dismal failure rate of more than 75 percent... Read More
How much more fundamental can you get than this? As... Read More
Where is there a business, non-profit or association manager who... Read More
Say, from tactics like special events, brochures and press releases... Read More
This guide to "SEOing" your PR efforts can help you... Read More
Public Relations |