So, because obvious objective here is to correct those same untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions and false assumptions, you now select specific perception to be altered, and that becomes your public relations goal.

But a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, is like champagne without peaches. That’s why you must select one of three strategies especially designed to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it. The challenge here (albeit small) is to insure that goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldn’t want to select “change existing perception” when current perception is just right suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

Your writers step forward here to create a compelling message carefully designed to alter your key target audience’s perception, as called for by your public relations goal.

Stay flexible as to message delivery because combining your corrective message with another presentation or newsworthy announcement of a new product, service or employee may lend more credibility by not overemphasizing need for such a correction.

The new message must be very clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Your facts must be truthful and your position must be logically explained and believable if it is to hold attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction. It’s clear that your message must be compelling.

I call communications tactics you will use to move your message to attention of that key external audience “beasts of burden” because they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to eyes and ears of those important outside people.

You’re in luck here because list of tactics is a long one. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might select radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are dozens in waiting and only selection requirement is that those tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like members of your key target audience.

Your associates will soon want to know if any progress is being made. Of course you’ll already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you’ll now be on lookout for indications that audience perceptions are beginning to move way you want them to move.

Things can always be moved along at a faster clip by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

The only way to be certain you are buying full-bodied public relations results and not “Lite” version, is to undertake an aggressive public relations plan that targets kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

end

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com

More sophisticated firewall that are popular among small businesses are Norton Internet Security 2002 and Norton Personal Firewall 2002.

4. Shut down computers when not in use for rest of day. Or physically disconnect your computers from Internet. If you use a high-speed broadband connection, turn off your high-speed modem when not in use.

5. All email attachments are to be regarded with particular suspicion, since most viruses today are transmitted as attachments via email. Use your anti-virus software to scan any attachment before opening it. It's also a good idea never to open an attachment unless you know person who sent it to you.

6. Check your application software vendors' web sites regularly for security patches. Keep up with computer security issues in news that might affect you.

7. Make sure you scan all floppy disks that you receive from an outside source or that have been inside another computer before using disks. Likewise, scan all downloaded files before using them, and only download files from trusted sources.

8. Educate all your employees regarding computer virus. Most viruses today are transmitted through emails with attachments, engineered to appeal to recipient by promising a free screen saver, party pictures, or photos of celebrities.

Email attachments are to be regarded with particular suspicion, since most real-world viruses today are transmitted as attachments via email. Use your virus software to scan any attachment before opening it. It's also a good idea never to open an attachment unless you know person from whom it came.

9. Consider purchasing computer system insurance. Most standard commercial insurance policies exclude intangibles like data and software. But insurers are starting to fill that gap with technology risk insurance, which can be added as an endorsement or purchased as a specialty policy.

Such policies pay for replacing software and reinstalling data, as well as lost revenue for business interruption, if you are victim of a hacker or virus attack.

10. If you do not feel your small business has technology expertise in house to handle your computer system backups and monitor security -- consider out-sourcing your security needs.

Your personal peace of mind will more than make-up your efforts and small cost outlay.

Copyright Steven Presar