Special events also will be high on “reach” action list: newsworthy events like trade shows, open houses, awards ceremonies, contests, VIP receptions, financial roadshows, and even media-attracting stunts. At same time, marketing counsel will want to develop sales-oriented communications to help build brand franchise, win consumer acceptance and gain competitive advantage.

Persuade

Persuading your key audiences, third leg of opinion troika, is yet another challenge because bringing these important groups of stakeholders around to your way of thinking depends heavily on quality of message you prepare for each target audience.

It’s hard work. You must understand and identify what is really at issue at moment; impart a sense of credibility to your comments; perform regular assessments of how opinion is currently running among that group, constantly adjusting your message; as well as highlighting those key issue points most likely to engage their attention and involvement; and finally, identify and build into your messages pre-tested, action-producing incentives for individuals to take actions you desire.

By way, those incentives could include very strength of your position on issues, a new plant expansion holding promise of more jobs and taxes for City, or even your organization’s efforts to attract low and middle income housing to area.

Implementation

Equally important to moving into action with highly effective communications tactics will be selection and perceived credibility of actual spokespeople who will deliver your messages. They must be seen as people of stature, and they must speak with authority, personal confidence and conviction if meaningful media coverage is to be achieved.

Now, Let’s Gain and Hold

By this time, your action program should begin to gain and hold kind of public understanding and acceptance that will lead to desired shift in public behavior.

And The End-Game? Modify Behavior, Achieve your Goal

When changes in behaviors become truly apparent through media reports, thought-leader comment, employee and community chatter and a variety of other feedback -- at same time clearly meeting your original behavior modification goal -- I’ll say again that your public relations program can be deemed a success.

Obviously, your piece of action in business recovery ahead will come at a price. And that will be your cost to efficiently modify behaviors of your target audiences. But, payoff makes it all worthwhile -- nothing less than achievement of your business objectives and, at slight risk of overstatement, a real contribution to survival of your organization.

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3. Talking Head

Wanna be a pundit? Most experts who appear on TV do so gratis. But some, designated as "consultant" in their on-screen credit line, get paid to be accessible for interviews in their area of expertise. Luck plays a part when a scandal, accident, controversy or crime erupts and you happen to know more about background to events than most people on planet. Who could have predicted that specialists in impeachment of Andrew Johnson or in Florida election law would have their fifteen minutes in media spotlight?

Getting your foot in door for such opportunities has to do with making yourself accessible and responding immediately to a call from media. You should also live close to a major metropolitan area, be quick with pithy and provocative comments and be willing to set aside other plans when network needs you.

I, Pundit http://www.rewired.com/99/0201.html

Punditry for Dummies http://www.jewishworldreview.com ony/snow071299.asp

4. Script Consultant

Hollywood films, TV dramas and feature-length documentaries often include a behind-the-scenes role for content experts who advise on likelihood of plot lines, authenticity of props and procedures and factual background in everything from medicine to corporate takeover strategy to furniture. Lots of people would undertake such an assignment for glamour and ego gratification alone, but you'll be compensated nicely for your contribution.

As with becoming a talking head, cooperativeness, accessibility and flexibility matter just as much for succeeding in this sort of gig as does your knowledge. Your work might amount to a concentrated, one-time advisory gig or a long-term contribution to an ongoing series.

Carole Lieberman, M.D., Psychiatrist and Script Consultant http://www.drcarole.com/

Peter Schwartz, Futurist and script consultant http://www.gbn.org/public/gbnstory/network/staff/ex_schwartz.htm