Remember how it felt to go to Gino's Steaks on a Friday night to get a cheese steak with extra Cheez Whiz and onions? There was no better way to spend a Friday night if you grew up on streets of Philadelphia.

Now you don't have to run to Gino's anymore to have that same great Philadelphia cheese steak that's famous world over.

Of course reader isn't necessarily from Philly, but after reading that first paragraph he wishes he was from there - and he wishes he had one of those cheese steaks. 4. Use negative pictures, too.

Try describing something your audience desperately wants to avoid, their worst nightmare. You'll have their complete attention because they can feel it in their bones that you're going to tell them about an easier way to eliminate at least one headache in their lives.

You're on deadline. You have 1,000 more words to write and all of sudden it's gone. You've hit writer's block and you've hit it hard. The outlines haven't worked. Re-reading your notes only leads you to a dead end. Following a story tree also leads your head spinning.

Although we, as professional writers, hate to admit it we've all faced it. Now there's a tool that can take pain out of hitting writer's block we all know is coming - sooner or later.

Whichever picture you choose to paint, make sure it draws out an emotion from your audience. Once you have that emotion, turn it so that your readers feel with every ounce of their beings that they need your product or service right then and there.

(c) 2003 Lisa Sparks

Reinforce existing opinion, change it, or create perception/opinion where none exists. But make certain strategy you select clearly fits your public relations goal. Obviously, you would not select “reinforce it” strategy option when your goal is to change a damaging rumor.

Writing, like it or not, is next challenge. You need a message carefully prepared to alter your key target audience’s perception. But writing it is no walk in park.

The message must not only be corrective and crystal-clear, it must also be compelling if it is to move your target audience member’s perception in your direction – a must, if those desired behaviors are to come about.

Like military officer calling in artillery fire during combat, you must call in your communications tactics to carry your message to its target, members of your target audience.

The arsenal is full of such tactics ranging from personal contacts, group briefings, press releases and speeches to emails, letters-to-the-editor, brochures, celebrity appearances and many, many others.

The only caution here is, check carefully that each tactic you choose has a proven record for reaching people like those who make up your target audience.

It won’t be long before urgent questions are raised. “How are we doing? Are we making any headway towards our goal?”

It would be ideal if your budget could accommodate considerable costs of professional opinion surveys to answer those questions. However, as you did at start of program, you can again monitor perceptions among members of your target audience by asking very same questions you used first time around.

But now, you will watch carefully for indications that your message and communications tactics are moving audience perceptions in your direction.

You can always provide a boost to effort by adding new tactics to mix as well as increasing their frequencies. And check your message again to insure its impact and factual accuracy.

What you will have accomplished is timely use of fundamental realities of public relations. In this case, to salvage an unsatisfactory PR program so that it now delivers external audience behaviors you need to help you reach your objectives.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers 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