What Some Pros Know About PR

What Some Pros Know About PR



They know they had better do something positive about

those outside audiences that MOST affect their

organizations. Especially business, non-profit or association

managers, who also know they must persuade those key

external "publics" to the manager's way of thinking, then

move those people to actions that allow that manager's

department, division or subsidiary to succeed.



It all works because public relations applies its underlying

premise to deliver external stakeholder behavior change,

the kind that leads directly to achieving those managerial

objectives.



That's why the pros let the tacticians handle the special

events, brochures and press releases. The pros have better

things to do.



Like implementing the underlying premise of public relations

that makes it all possible. 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.



Pros usually know that a variety of operating results can flow

from such an approach to public relations: customers starting to

make repeat purchases; prospects starting to work with you;

capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way;

welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications

on the rise; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint

ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out, and

even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key

member of the business, non-profit or association communities.



Your PR staff will be key whether they are your employees,

agency specialists or from a parent organization. You must get

them on board this particular approach to PR as soon as possible.

Ideally, they will already support why it's so important to know

how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or

services. Specifically, be sure they accept the reality that negative

perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can damage your

organization.



During your strategy meetings with PR staff, explain how you

plan to monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members

of your most important outside audiences. Questions such as:

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?



You should be comforted by the fact that your PR people

are already in the perception and behavior business and can

be of real use for the initial opinion monitoring project.

Professional survey firms are always available, of course, but

that can be very expensive. However, whether it's your people

or a survey firm who handles the questioning, the objective is

the same. Identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,

inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negatives.



Establishing your corrective public relations goal – that is,

correcting or clarifying those negatives – is next. Here you

identify which negative is most serious, for example, spike that

rumor, clarify the false assumption or correct the untruths.



Never forget that you can meet that PR goal only when you select

the right strategy from the three choices available to you.

Change existing perception, create perception where there may

be none, or reinforce it. Picking the wrong strategy will taste like

meat sauce on your oatmeal. So be sure your new strategy fits

comfortably with your new public relations goal. You wouldn't

want to select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce"

strategy.



While it's always a challenge to put together action-forcing

language that will help persuade any audience to your

way of thinking, you must, nevertheless, create a persuasive,

corrective message aimed at members of your target audience.



Which is why you must have your best writer on this job.

You must have 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 desire.



Now you get to supervise a much easier task – assembling the

communications tactics you need to carry your message to

the attention of your target audience. Double check that the

tactics you and your PR staff 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.



Remember that the believability of the message can depend

to some extent on the credibility of its delivery method. Which

means you may wish to deliver it in smaller meetings and

presentations rather than through a higher profile media

announcement.



Calls for progress reports are really calls for you and your

PR team to undertake a second perception monitoring session

with members of your external audience. You'll want to use

many of the same questions used in the first benchmark

session. But now, you will be watching very carefully for

signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your

direction.



Should you decide to pick up the pace a bit, your PR program

usually can be accelerated by adding more communications

tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.



The really key point about this public relations approach is

that this particular 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.



Which means you can say goodbye to doing public relations

the hard way.



Here's a public relations rule suitable for a place of honor on

your computers or your refrigerators. The people you deal

with do, in fact, behave like everyone else – they act upon

their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your

operation. A strong suggesting that you should deal promptly

and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is

necessary to reach and move your key external audiences to

actions you desire.



end



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