Please give me prices for a Sample Order of 10 each of following items. Thank You for your help.

Very Truly Yours, Robert Nelson, Vice President

This is all it takes to get ball rolling. But, a computer is a must. No company worth a dime does not communicate at least partially with email. Especially when companies you will be dealing with are overseas. It takes too long for letters to go back and forth. When you learn about a new product, time is of essence.

These people you will be dealing with are very honorable. They appreciate your showing respect, and they will respond in a kind way. Even if they do not want to ship small quantities, they very often will do so if you suggest that you understand and are willing to pay a little extra for each item. Your costs will still be a fraction of what you are paying now.

Let’s talk about shipping. You can ship very heavy stuff, like Monitors, via Steamship. This is a pain in ass because you have to use a Freight Forwarder, who will get it through Customs. It usually takes up to 90 days. We found it more cost effective to buy Monitors in this country. We did buy small 5" B&W Monitors from Taiwan and had them shipped Air Freight because they are small and light enough to make it cost effective.

Normally, you will request shipping via DHL, FedEx, UPS or EMS. EMS is usually cheapest, and is an extension of US Postal Service. All of these methods are Air Freight, and will deliver right to your door! No Customs hassles! It is easy to go online and open an account with all of them.

Remember, a Sample Order can be one or 100 or any amount. It is a Sample Order because you are calling it a Sample Order. Don’t be afraid to wire funds up front. Remember, these countries are not Democracies, plus they rely strongly on foreign trade. If you were to report one of these companies to their government for ripping you off, they could be jailed for life, or worse! Everything they do is scrutinized by their government agencies. We have wired as much as fifteen thousand dollars at a time.

The first time you attempt to Import some stuff. Make it a small sample order just to get your feet wet.

Now you can use professional survey counsel for perception monitoring phases of your program if your budget will allow. But remember that your PR people are also in perception and behavior business and can pursue same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

It’s goal-setting time. Here, you do something about most serious distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring. In other words, establish your public relations goal. And that could be to straighten out that dangerous misconception, or correct that gross inaccuracy, or stop that potentially fatal rumor dead in its tracks.

For success, you need a solid strategy, one that clearly shows you how to proceed. To keep things simple, note that there are only three strategic options available to you when it comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Of course, wrong strategy pick will taste like week-old cole slaw, so be certain new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. Naturally, you don’t want to select “change” when facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.

Now you need to hit members of your target audience with a powerful message. But persuading an audience to your way of thinking is hard work. Which is why your PR folks must create some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual. Only in this way will you be able to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to behaviors you are targeting.

Check out your message with your communications specialists to make certain its impact and persuasiveness measure up. Then, sharpen it before selecting communications tactics most likely to carry your message to attention of your target audience. 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. But be sure that tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

It’s well-known that credibility of a message can depend on its delivery method. So you might consider unveiling it in presentations before smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tactics such as news releases. People will soon request progress reports, which will alert you and your PR team to get back out in field and start work on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You’ll want to use many of same questions used in first benchmark session. Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefully for signs that bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Should program momentum slow, try speeding things up with more communications tactics and increased frequencies.

By now you know this secret about potent public relations: right PR can alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors which, in turn, lead directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

end

Bob Kelly counsels 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. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com