With goal and strategy both in hand, you now have some real work to do. What will you need to say to your key audience members to persuade them to your way of thinking? You must be clear about what should be corrected or clarified. You must also be persuasive, and your facts and figures believable. And if appropriate, try to be compelling, perhaps with a certain sense of urgency.

Your “foot soldiers” – communications tactics – can now carry that hard-won message to attention of your #1 target audience, and there are scads of them just waiting for you to send them into action. For example, speeches, news releases, brochures, special events, radio interviews and one-on-one meetings.

One question remains. How do you tell whether or not you are making any headway with your public relations effort?

You again interact with members of that key audience of yours. And yes, with questions very similar to those you asked during your original information gathering exercise at start of program. Only this time, you are more interested in whether your communications tactics have moved perceptions in your direction.

Do new responses show signs that your were successful in changing that inaccurate belief? Or correcting that misconception? Or killing that dangerous rumor for good?

Not enough movement? Take another look at your message to see if it is really compelling. Is it honestly persuasive? Are your facts supportive of your goal and strategy? Is it written clearly enough?

I want to reemphasize that what you are looking for at this stage is a strong indication that your efforts have clearly moved perceptions and target audience behaviors in desired direction.

When this second monitoring drill allows that conclusion, you will have good reason to value highly your public relations goal, strategy, message and communications tactics.

Together, they will have made it possible for you to say, as promised in fundamental premise,“My public relations mission is accomplished.”

end

Throw a party. Host an event. Invite all your clients and ask that each bring along an ideal prospect. At party, offer samples of your product or demos of your service, but don't make it a hard sell. Instead, focus on getting to know each guest. Also, keep in mind as you're meeting people that each of people at your party likely knows at least one person who needs your service. Now make kind of impression that encourages people to say, "I met nicest person this weekend who does exactly what you need!"

Follow-up on every referral in two ways. First, make sure you follow-up immediately with prospect. This will show both prospect and referrer that you're trustworthy and that business is as important to you as you say it is. Second, make sure you send a hand-written thank you note to person who sent a referral your way (even if prospect doesn't become a client). Always let your clients know how grateful you are for their referrals. And one more thing, when you write that note, focus on generosity of your client, not how happy you are or how referrals are lifeblood of your business.

When you finish cycle, you'll need to keep sending your newsletter, soliciting feedback and following up on referrals. Pretty soon, you'll find your clients are not just your best source of new business, but also your best source for new business ideas. In short, your clients will be magically transformed into partners.