4) What can a potential partner or employer do for YOU? What are you hoping to gain with an alliance? Is it something you could or ought to be doing yourself? For example, as we talked about last month, we all need to learn how to self-market, but different models support our intentions.

5) Are you confident that you can negotiate well on your own behalf? If not, what data/skills/knowledge do you need so you can?

6) Before you seek alliances, write a mock ad about what you are seeking in another person or organization and include all necessary details such as integrity, work hours, skills, personal style, etc. that are essential for a positive outcome.

7) SHOP AROUND. Be picky and value yourself enough to take your time. Know what you want and write down every hesitation you uncover. As with any relationship, readiness is key. Both parties have to be on same wavelength at same time.

8) Set up an experiment with one project before you decide about a long term affiliation. Trust is earned! Face up to truth–whatever happens. You can find right people and best model for you, but be sure and subtract colleagues and organizations that fail YOUR test!

**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+** CHALLENGE **+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**+**

1. What kind of collaborations sound like FUN to you?

2. In what circumstances do you love to be in control and when do you long for company and input?

3. Do a 360 feedback exercise on yourself and ask your friends and lovers, co-workers, peers, associates, etc. how you excel as a person and a professional and where you let yourself and others down.

4. Then visualize attracting right circle of influence for YOU!

(c)2003 Gail McMeekin

NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including resource box at end), and you send me a copy or link to your reprint at mailto:wendy@wendyweiss.com

Gail McMeekin, LICSW is a national Career/creativity coach and writer on personal, professional, and creative development. Author of The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor and The Power of Positive Choices, both with Conari Press. Subscribe to her FREE monthly email newsletter Creative Success by clicking on her website: http://www.creativesuccess.com.

The answers to your questions will quickly coalesce into your new public relations goal – i.e., specific perception problem and, thus, behavior change you want. As examples, neutralize that hurtful rumor, clarify that untruth, turn around that misconception or correct an important but inaccurate number.

As of this moment, you have a goal and no strategy. But, for perception and opinion purposes, there are three strategies sitting on shelf ready to show you how to use your new PR goal.

You can create perception/opinion where there may be none, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. Fortunately, your new public relations goal will indicate clearly which strategy should be used.

The message you send to members of your key target audience is vitally important. After all, its mission is to alter people’s perceptions or beliefs which you hope will lead to behaviors that are more helpful to your organization.

Clarity, believability and persuasiveness are important ingredients of your message. It must present truth credibly and, to extent possible, make a compelling case.

Now you trot out your “beasts of burden” – your communications tactics – to carry your message to members of your key target audience. And you have an embarassment of riches in this regard – consumer meetings, emails, press releases, facility tours, speeches, special events, brochures, radio and newspapers interviews, and many others.

Progress – “Are we making any?” – will rear its head at this juncture. Best way to find out is to go back to members of your target audience and ask same questions as before.

Only big difference now versus your first perception monitoring go-around is, you are now looking for signs that your message and your communications tactics have combined to alter perceptions, and thus behaviors in your direction.

Should progress be too slow, you may need to use a broader selection of communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies. Also, revisit your message to determine if your facts were persuasive, then adjust as needed.

This is way to Get PR Off Bench and into your battle for hearts and minds of your key target audiences.

By altering perceptions and behaviors in this manner, you take a giant step towards achieving your business objectives.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks 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