And not results you can measure only in terms of magazine circulation, TV audience numbers, or news release pickups.
But rather, results that come from a public relations effort that creates the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.
In other words, results that come from doing something positive about those important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect your operation. Particularly as you persuade those key external audiences to your way of thinking by nudging them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.
When you think about it, public relations boils down to these realities: the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors that help you win. But your public relations effort must involve more than parties, videos, booklets and column mentions if you really want to get your money's worth. What you need is a basic schematic that gets everyone working towards the same external audience behaviors insuring that the organization's public relations effort stays sharply focused.
Coincidentally, here is such a schematic! 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 usually accomplished.
Look at some real results that can come from this approach to public relations. Membership applications on the rise; customers making repeat purchases; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; prospects starting to work with you; and even bounces in showroom visits.
You may be forgiven for wondering how such managers deliver those kinds of results.
They take the time to analyze who among their most important outside audiences behaves in ways that help or hinder the achievement of their objectives. Then, they list them according to how severely those behaviors affect their organization.
On the point, just how do most members of your key outside audiences perceive your organization? If paying for professional survey counsel isn't in the cards (or in the budget!), your PR colleagues will have to monitor those perceptions themselves. Actually, they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters since they're already in that business.
So you meet with some of those outside folks asking questions like "Are you familiar with our services or products? Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory encounter?" And if you are that manager, you must be sensitive to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. And watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. When you find such, they will need to be corrected, as they inevitably lead to negative behaviors.
Big job now is to pick out the actual, offending perception to be changed, and that becomes your public relations goal. You obviously want to correct those untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions or false assumptions.
The toughest part of this exercise is that a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, will taste like hot sauce on your yogurt. So, as you select one of three strategies (create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change or reinforce it,) what you want to do is insure that the goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldn't want to select "change existing perception" when current perception is just right suggesting a "reinforce" strategy.
With your strategy in hand, you and your PR staff must create a compelling message carefully written to alter your key target audience's perception, as required by your public relations goal.
An idea to keep in mind: remember that you can always combine your corrective message with another news announcement or presentation which may give it more credibility by reducing the apparent need for such a correction.
The art in preparing such a message lies in the fact that the message you convey must be not only compelling, but quite clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Of course you must be truthful and your position logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction.
It's understandable when some folks refer to the communications tactics necessary to move your message to the attention of that key external audience, as "beasts of burden." In reality, they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears of those important outside people.
The good news is that you have a really wide choice of communications tactics because the list is a long one. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might choose radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are scores available and the only selection requirement is that the tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like the members of your key target audience.
By the way, you can always speed up things by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.
Around this time, someone is bound to mention progress reports. But you will already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members to test the effectiveness of your communications tactics. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you'll now become cross-eyed looking for signs that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your general direction.
You need actual changes in behaviors among your most important external audiences, and that's no small matter. In my view, the quality of your public relations results will, and should be directly dependent on whether you spend your PR budget primarily on communications tactics, or the creation of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.
end
Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1110 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly ? 2005.
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
Lincoln Stretch rentals Alsip ..Trade publications present an excellent opportunity for organisations to gain... Read More
Because good public relations can alter individual perception and lead... Read More
THE NATURE OF MEDIAThirty years ago, Marshall McCluhan, the father... Read More
What do your customers say about your company?Would you let... Read More
When most people think about marketing, they think advertising. While... Read More
You never know when 60 Minutes will knock on your... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager, why continue a... Read More
It took me a while to see just HOW crucial... Read More
As a business, non-profit or association manager trying to get... Read More
Always ask, "Is now a good time?"Deadlines in journalism are... Read More
Think that you aren't big enough for national media coverage?... Read More
Even after a nice piece in a national publication, or... Read More
Hundreds of thousands of News Releases are sent out all... Read More
It happens to business, non-profit and association managers when their... Read More
Yes indeed! If you are a young person who has... Read More
The Internet may have opened worlds for businesses and consumers,... Read More
One of the primary tools still used by PR professionals... Read More
Obviously, it hurts when a promising business project you backed... Read More
Individual financial planners can outscore bigger competitors and gain market... Read More
What you are about to read is a step by... Read More
Better check out the public relations fundamental premise, then take... Read More
You thought of it, you researched it, you wrote it.... Read More
Reporters, by nature, are curious people.If you can get them... Read More
Things are pleasant for many business, non-profit or association managers... Read More
Almost every day, I hear the same question, over and... Read More
Western Springs shuttle limo ..Excerpted from "Selling Goodness- The Guerrilla PR Guide To Promoting... Read More
If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a... Read More
"I want a pony, a tree house and the fastest... Read More
So, you've had your book published or you've gone the... Read More
How can media training help you create a successful Hispanic... Read More
When ABC News anchor Peter Jennings announced he had lung... Read More
Especially good advice for business, non-profit and association managers whose... Read More
Why, public relations that stays true to its fundamental premise,... Read More
The right kind of PR, that is, the kind that... Read More
You are getting a good deal when you accept the... Read More
In a media interview, always stick to your main points... Read More
Writing a press (or media) release is quite an art... Read More
Most small businesses have logo'ed shirts, usually polo shirts with... Read More
Are you working as hard as you can in your... Read More
You do not have to hire a publicist or advertise... Read More
If you're an online business using public relations (PR) to... Read More
When most people think about marketing, they think advertising. While... Read More
An effort built around a string of print and broadcast... Read More
They say that image is everything and some of us... Read More
Your public relations effort really should involve more than press... Read More
Demand that it pull its own weight in your boat... Read More
Commit this to memory, please: To get in the media,... Read More
I often begin my media training sessions by asking members... Read More
There's the old joke about the two buzzards sitting in... Read More
1. Your press release should sound like news, not an... Read More
Public Relations |