A PR Surprise for Managers

For those business, non-profit and association managers committed to PR tactics like radio and newspaper plugs, it can come as a surprise to discover where public relations value REALLY lies.

Truth is, your PR budget can deliver results far beyond such limited publicity placements.

For example by embracing the kind of PR plan that persuades those important outside audiences to your way of thinking, and moving them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

Then by using the high-impact, fundamental premise of public relations to deliver external stakeholder behavior change the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

And finally by revving up the creative potential of your assigned PR team or agency and involving them in a way that positively impacts the behaviors of the very outside audiences that MOST affect your unit.

Perhaps then you will find yourself with a basketful of results such as prospects starting to do business with you; community leaders beginning to seek you out; newly arrived proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers starting to make repeat purchases; membership applications on the rise; politicians and legislators beginning to think of you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; welcome bounces in show room visits; and even capital givers or specifying sources starting to look your way.

Spend a moment here and read that fundamental public relations blueprint referred to above: 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.

This lets you broaden your public relations field of fire, putting its primary focus where it belongs, on your units key external stakeholder behaviors.

A caveat here: be sure that the public relations personnel assigned to your unit really believe deep down -- why its SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be certain they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Review with them your blueprint for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: How much do you know about our services or products and employees? How much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

When you think of it, youre fortunate that your PR folks already are in the perception and behavior business so they can jump right on the perception monitoring assignment. If your budget can handle it, you can always use a professional survey firm, but they can be very expensive. Nevertheless, whether its your people or a survey firm asking the questions, your objective is to identify untruths if not outright lies, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions .

Now you must carefully select which of the above aberrations qualifies as your corrective public relations goal for example, clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false assumption or fix certain other inaccuracies.

Now, if you pick the wrong strategy to show you how to reach your goal, it will feel like youre eating Roast Turkey without the stuffing. Fact is, you can only achieve your PR 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. And take care that your new strategy is a natural fit with that new public relations goal.

Sooner or later you will have to address your key stakeholder audience in a way that will help persuade them to your way of thinking. So assign the task to your very best writer because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Words, by the way, 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 targeted.

Here you take an easy step select the communications tactics needed to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Checking, of course, that the tactics you select are known to reach folks like your audience members. Dozens are available from speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

Because HOW one communicates often affects the believability of the message, you may wish to deliver it in smaller meetings or presentations rather than high-profile media such as a news release..

Questions will arise as to indications of progress. That will be your signal to schedule a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You will use many of the same questions as in the first benchmark session. But you will now be watching carefully for signs that the offending perception is actually moving in your direction.

A fortunate reality in the public relations business is that these matters usually can be accelerated by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

Yes, as a manager, it may surprise you that a workable public relations blueprint like this one 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.

But its no surprise 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 those key external audiences to action.

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 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. bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Surprise Baby Shower - A Pleasant Surprise For The Expectant Mom
Time has brought about changes in the way of throwing baby showers and a surprise baby shower is an offshoot of this process ...

Plan the Perfect Surprise Party
Surprise - to make somebody amazed; to cause somebody to feel sudden wonder or amazement, especially at something unexpected....

What if There Were No Sales Managers?
Every one knows that sales people are very personable types. They Relationship builders, they people people and some say that...

The Purpose of a Resume: To Win an Interview
Your resume must be better than anything your competitors have to offer if you are going to get an interview. A well-written...

As A Manager Are You Consistent In Your Treatment Of Your Employees?
One of the key ingredients of good managers is the ability to maintain consistency in all of their roles and activities. Some...

Tracking Your Sales; The Sales Managers Most Valuable Tool
If you are a sales manager you need to have the company and the front line workers always ask customers who come in and buy; ...

Fundraising Letter Postscripts Must Startle To Raise Donations In Direct Mail Appeals
Are the gurus correct? Is the postscript one of the rfirst things donors read when they look at your rfundraising letter? The...

Killer Resume Writing Tips!
When you start a job search one of the most important things to do is to compose a resume. The resume is the first thing that...

Hire the Right Sales Manager
Although every organization is different, hiring a sales manager is not as simple as it looks. In fact, the wrong sales manag...

Great Sales Managers Make Less than all their Sales People
Are you a great sales manager? Well if you really are a great sales manager then every single one of the sales people under y...

Micromanagement - Killing Employee Morale
Employee morale is something that no business can ignore. It is something that greatly impacts employee performance, especial...

Business Administration Degrees Online
Getting business administration degrees online is very helpful for working adults who want to earn degrees in business admini...

Successful Managers
Over the years I have been asked by many of the attendees in my management seminars, What are the common traits of successful...

Retail Manager — Productivity and Developing Your Team
Retail Managers have a lot of information to process in the course of one day. They must decide what to act on now and what t...

Sales Performance Management
Sales management is an integral sub-system of marketing management. It translates the marketing plan into marketing performan...

Tough-Love Sales Management
Sales managers are far too deferential, way to easygoing.Let me rephrase that, if I may.Many of them, despite their tough, ta...

Online Healthcare Degrees - Changing Careers the Easier Way
The growth in the number of people looking for online health care degrees is no big surprise. Healthcare reform, an aging bab...

Why Your Resume Should Focus On Problem Solving
Most prospective employers will hardly take the time to focus on reading your resume through. Most will just scan quickly thr...

Feasts, Failures and Food for Thought
Its the year end. Its holiday time. Its time for banquets and budgets.Along with assorted food items accumulating in the offi...

Retail Operations - Effective Branch Manager Support and Guidance
Performance and behaviour management is by far the most difficult aspect of any managers job and the reluctance to grasp the ...