Relationship Networking

Written by S. Housley


Continued from page 1

Partnering Partnering is an attractive flexible way for companies to develop new markets and additional revenue. Working together, partners can combine strengths in critical areas. Often a larger well-known vendor provides small vendors with credibility, whilerepparttar smaller vendor contributes specific industry knowledge unknown torepparttar 103963 larger vendor. Synergistic relationships come in all shapes and sizes, butrepparttar 103964 best relationships and partnerships arerepparttar 103965 ones that benefit everyone. Partnering is a good way of tapping into related customer bases. Oftenrepparttar 103966 partners complement each other in such a way that they can provide a combined solution that neither partner could deliver alone.

Expectations In order for a relationship to work you must have a clear understanding of both your companies and product(s) strengths and weaknesses. By being aware of any deficiencies, you will find partners with strengths inrepparttar 103967 areas of your weaknesses.

1. Know what you have to offer. 2. Know what you are looking for. 3. Don't waste yours and your potential partner's time.

Different relationships/partnering that works: 1. Product bundling. 2. Newsletter exchanges. 3. Integrations. 4. Link exchanges. 5. Technology or knowledge exchange. 6. Revenue share. 7. Ad exchange.

Win/Win Only when each partner is successful canrepparttar 103968 partnership itself claim success. Partnerships are genuinely a win-win. Developers, who masterrepparttar 103969 art of strategic partnering and relationship networking, will obtain long-term profitability and success.

Final Tips 1.) Qualify sources. 2.) Adage - you are who you hang with. 3.) Not every relationship is a good one. 4.) Evaluate potential partners. 5.) Make it personal by takingrepparttar 103970 time to say thank you. 6.) Results are not always immediate. 7.) Carry business cards everywhere you go.

Being proactive and following up, you can have a network of contacts that you will be able to access quickly when you need them. Whether by more traditional means, such as in person or overrepparttar 103971 Internet, personal networks are essential for furthering your business. Relationship networking is give and take, be sure to help others in your quest for help.



About the Author - Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net


PR Still a Mystery to Some

Written by Robert A. Kelly


Continued from page 1

The PR goal, obviously, is to do something aboutrepparttar most serious distortions you discover during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially bloody rumor dead in its tracks?

Truth is, you won’t get there at all withoutrepparttar 103962 right strategy to tell you how to proceed. But keep in mind that there are just three strategic options available when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like pepper flakes on your Crème Brulee, so be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You wouldn’t want to select “change” when repparttar 103963 facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.

Now it’s time to put together a well-written message and direct it to members of your target audience. It’s always a challenge to create an actionable message that will help persuade any audience to your way of thinking.

You need your best scribes for this one because s/he must build some very special, corrective language. Words that are not merely compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead torepparttar 103964 behaviors you have in mind.

Once you’ve run draft copy by your PR team, it’s on torepparttar 103965 next selection process --repparttar 103966 communications tactics most likely to carry your message torepparttar 103967 attention of your target audience. There are scores that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But you must be certain thatrepparttar 103968 tactics you pick are known to reach folks like your audience members,

Byrepparttar 103969 way, you may wish to avoid “shouting too loud” and unveil your message before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases, asrepparttar 103970 credibility of any message is fragile and always at stake.

The people around you will start agitating in short order for progress reports, which signals to you and your PR team to get going on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You’ll want to use many ofrepparttar 103971 same questions used inrepparttar 103972 first benchmark session. Big difference this time is that you will be on red alert for signs thatrepparttar 103973 bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

Incidentally, I’ve always thought it fortunate that such matters usually can be accelerated simply by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

So, atrepparttar 103974 end ofrepparttar 103975 day, what you wantrepparttar 103976 new PR plan to accomplish is to persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads torepparttar 103977 success of your department, division or subsidiary.

Public relations should no longer be a mystery whenrepparttar 103978 people you deal with do, in fact, behave suspiciously like everyone else – they act upon their perceptions ofrepparttar 103979 facts they hear about you and your operation. Which means you really have little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move those key external audiences of yours to actions you desire.

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




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