You need to stay alert during those Q&A encounters for negative responses and even negative tones of voice.

Keep you eyes and ears wide open for evasive or hesitant replies, and especially for untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions or potentially destructive rumors. As we know, such perceptions or beliefs often lead to damaging behaviors.

Now, it’s time to decide which perception needs correcting most, and that is public relations goal you will pursue. For example, correct that inaccuracy, straighten out that misconception or correct that hurtful rumor from false to true.

But HOW do you reach that goal? You select a strategy from among three available to address perception or opinion problems: reinforce existing opinion, change that perception, or create perception/opinion where none exists.

Now here is most challenging step for you and your public relations team – prepare corrective message especially designed to alter offending target audience perception. The message must be clear and truthful, of course. And it must be both persuasive and compelling if it is to hold attention of members of your target audience and really move specific opinion in your direction.

That was tough step. Here is an easy one for you and your public relations people. Select communications tactics to carry your newly-minted message to eyes and ears of members of your target audience. And there are tons of tactics out there from speeches, press releases, group briefings and media interviews to newsletters, op-eds, emails, special events and so many others. Just make certain each tactic you select has a proven track record for reaching people similar to those who make up your target audience.

Soon, you and your PR staff will want to know if program is working. And that means one more series of meetings with folks selected from your target audience. Same questions, but this time with a big difference. You want clear signs that offending perception is actually being altered.

You can always speed up process by adding more communications tactics, AND increasing their frequency.

This way, based on a sound fundamental premise, and instead of “toast,” your public relations effort stands a good chance of delivering to you those really important external audience behaviors you need to achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives.

end

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

Other business owners need to know their sales levels in terms of dollars and how hard they need to work to make budget work. Sound familiar, goals and budgeting is very much tied together. The closer you come to goals you have set for yourself, closer you will come to achieving budget amount you need. You’ll know you are on top of your business when you can tell your accountant that you need to sell 3.25 items per day in order to make your budget work and meet your financial goals.

Copyright 2003 DeFiore Enterprises