If you don’t, it could be that those who do are actually
preoccupied with moving messages from one point to
another using simple tactics like broadcast plugs, brochures
and press releases.
What’s missing from that picture, of course, is you as
a manager doing something meaningful about the behaviors
of those important audiences who most affect the business,
non-profit, government agency or association sub-unit you
manage.
For example, the creation of the kind of external stakeholder
behavior CHANGE that leads directly to achieving your
managerial objectives. As well as your follow-through in
persuading those key outside folks to your way of thinking
by helping move them to take actions that allow your
department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.
If true, there’s a lot missing from your control and
oversight.
Fortunately, the underlying premise on which public
relations is based, is really proactive: 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.
The good news emanating from that premise is that
the right public relations planning really CAN alter
individual perception and lead to changed behaviors
among your key outside audiences. But your PR effort
must demand more than special events, news releases
and talk show tactics if you are to receive the quality
public relations results you believe you deserve. That
way, you really will stand a good chance of getting
the best public relations has to offer.
Employ that approach and the results you seek should
soon come your way. For example, community leaders
begin to seek you out; and prospects actually start to do
business with you; new proposals for strategic alliances
and joint ventures begin showing up; customers starting
to make repeat purchases; capital givers or specifying
sources beginning to look your way; welcome bounces
in show room visits occur; membership applications
start to rise; politicians and legislators start looking at
you as a key member of the business, non-profit or
association communities.
It’s obvious that the public relations staff itself can
be of real use when you commence the new opinion
monitoring project. After all, they are already in the
perception and behavior business. But to be certain,
determine if those PR folks really accept why it’s
SO important to know how your most important
outside audiences perceive your operations, products
or services. And this is really important: be sure they
believe that perceptions almost always result in
behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.
Let’s talk for a moment about your public relations
plan. In everyone’s best interests, go over it carefully
with the public relations professionals on your
team. Talk over how you plan to monitor and gather
perceptions by questioning members of your most
important outside audiences. Try to 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 exchange? Are you familiar with our
services or products and employees? Have you
experienced problems with our people or procedures?
Retaining professional survey firms will be proposed
as the best way to do the opinion gathering work. But
have no illusions about the added cost when compared
to using your own PR staff. But whether it’s your people
or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective
remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions,
unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and
any other negative perception that might translate into
hurtful behaviors.
Next we set an achievable goal addressing the most
serious problem areas you uncovered during your key
audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten
out a dangerous misconception? Correct a gross
inaccuracy? Or, stop a potentially painful rumor
before it does more damage?
Because, a matching strategy is mandatory in order to
show you how to reach that goal, we address it here.
For better or worse, there are only three strategic
options available to you when it comes to solving
perception and opinion problems. Change existing
perception, create perception where there may be none,
or reinforce it. But the wrong strategy pick will taste
like sour orange marmalade on your Gnocchi. So be
certain your new strategy fits well with your new public
relations goal. You certainly don’t want to select
“change” when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.
Every public relations professional is painfully aware
of how crucial good writing is to the business. And here,
it’s true once again as you face the reality that you must
put together a persuasive message that will help move
your key audience to your way of thinking. It should be a
carefully-written message aimed directly at your key
external audience. Hopefully, your best writer willingly
accepts the assignment because s/he must produce
language that is not merely compelling, persuasive and
believable, but clear and factual if it is to shift
perception/opinion towards your point of view and
lead to the behaviors you have in mind.
As you consider those communications tactics most
likely to carry your message to the attention of your
target audience, you’ll be pleased to discover that there
are many waiting for you. From speeches, facility tours,
emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media
interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many
others. But be certain that the tactics you pick are
known to reach folks just like your audience members.
Keep in mind that the method by which you
communicate your message will bear heavily on its
credibility, which is always fragile. That’s why you
may wish to unveil your corrective message before
smaller meetings and presentations rather than using
higher-profile news releases.
As you measure the headway made in moving key
audience perception, it will become clear that a second
and comparative perception monitoring session will be
needed. Those data will comprise your first progress
report. Fortunately, you can use many of the same
questions used in your benchmark session. But now,
you will be watching for signs that the bad news
perception is being altered in your direction.
First-aid may be needed if momentum slows. And that
suggests speeding up matters by either adding more
communications tactics and/or increasing their
frequencies, or both.
Maintaining control of your unit’s public relations will
confirm that, in fact, you really ARE doing something
meaningful about the behaviors of those important
outside audiences of yours that MOST affect the group,
department, division or subsidiary you manage.
Then you’ll know for certain that public relations is
working well for you.
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 1250 including guidelines and resource box.
Robert A. Kelly © 2006.
Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over
200 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click
Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola
Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, 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
