Are You a PR Chowderhead?

Written by Robert A. Kelly


Continued from page 1

The data you collect, you will use to establish your public relations goal, i.e.,repparttar specific perception to be altered, followed byrepparttar 105049 desired behavior change. In other words, your objective here is to correct those untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions and rumors.

But goals are worthless without strategies. Happily you have three of them to choose from: create perception/opinion where there isn’t any, change existing perception, or reinforce it. Let your public relations goal point torepparttar 105050 obvious choice.

Now you put on your writer’s hat and write a really persuasive bit of prose –repparttar 105051 corrective message you will use to create, change or reinforce individual opinion among members of that target audience. Clarity is really important, as is accuracy and believability. The more compellingrepparttar 105052 message is,repparttar 105053 more it helps alter what a lot of people believe, so try hard to “compel”repparttar 105054 reader.

Luckily, you have a herd of “beasts of burden” –repparttar 105055 communications tactics mentioned earlier – that will carry your “message of inspiration” torepparttar 105056 eyes and ears of your target audience.

The tactics range from newsworthy surveys, all kinds of speeches and letters-to-the-editor to press releases, brochures, radio and newspaper interviews and just about everything in between. One caveat: make surerepparttar 105057 tactics you select have a proven record of reaching people like those in your target audience.

Pretty soon you will ask yourself, “Are we making any progress in alteringrepparttar 105058 offending perception?” Assuming you don’t want to spend a lot of money on professional opinion surveys, (any more than you did earlier in this drill), you’ll have to remonitor that target audience’s perceptions.

Big difference this time is, you’ll be watching carefully to see, while askingrepparttar 105059 same questions again, to what degreerepparttar 105060 offending perception has now been altered. In other words, how much that perception is actually moving in your direction, AND how likely it is to deliverrepparttar 105061 behaviors you really want.

That is to say, you have no chance of becoming a chowderhead when you userepparttar 105062 fundmental realities of public relations to safely nail downrepparttar 105063 outside audience behaviors that help you reach your objectives.

end



Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to general management personnel about the fundamental premise of public relations. 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com




Two Types of People

Written by by Bob Osgoodby


Continued from page 1

If you are doing business onrepparttar web, and selling either a product or a service, and feel you just can't afford to get a merchant account, it is costing you lost sales. Sure, it costs about a 700 - 800 dollars to become fully operational with online checks and a merchant account, but you will recover that very quickly.

But I have to have a "secure site" to accept these you might think, and you are right. You can do this in one of two ways that make sense. You can contract with a company that provides web space and get a "secure site" from them, but this requires a knowledge of HTML coding. You also have to manually enterrepparttar 105048 credit card information, and you have little defense against a disputed claim, and may have "charge backs".

A second way is to set up a shopping cart. This is probablyrepparttar 105049 best and easiest way to do business online. You don't need a

secure site of your own asrepparttar 105050 company providingrepparttar 105051 shopping cart does. An added benefit is thatrepparttar 105052 customers enterrepparttar 105053 information themselves and their "IP" address is automatically captured. Ifrepparttar 105054 credit card is declined, they can immediately enter another. You are only notified when there is a successful transaction. The customer is automatically sent a receipt, sorepparttar 105055 chances of a charge back are significantly reduced.

If you don't have merchant status, you should at least consider "Paypal" which is probablyrepparttar 105056 easiest and cheapest way for small businesses and websites to accept payments online. There is also a shopping cart available, but does require basic knowledge of HTML. "Paypal" is a viable solution for a small business. The only drawback is that your potential customer has to sign-up with "Paypal", and "jump through a few hoops". This does risk "cooling off".

There are many ways to capture a sale and if you find one that works for you, your online business will prosper.

Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine the "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site? Great Business and Computer Tips - Monday thru Friday. Instructions on how to place your ad are in the Newsletter. Subscribe at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm


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