A Manager’s PR Paradigm

If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a business, non-profit or association, your primary public relations model probably should read this way: people act on their own perception of facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action very people whose behaviors affect organization most, public relations mission is accomplished.

Properly executed, this comprehensive blueprint will help you persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your unit’s success.

And, as you move emphasis of public relations crew assigned to your operation from communications tactics to model outlined above, YOU move ever closer to personal success as a unit manager.

Here’s why. The blueprint demands of you a sharper focus on very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.

Like most managerial initiatives you implement, your new public relations blueprint also will require aggressive execution.

So, sit down with your PR people and explore why it’s so important to know how your operation is perceived by those target audience members. Make certain everyone around table understands (and accepts) reality that those perceptions just about always result in predictable behaviors that help or hinder your operation.

Which is precisely why your team will need to interact with your key target audience and ask a number of questions as part of this initial perception monitoring session. “What do you know, if anything, about our services, products or people? Have you ever made contact with us? Was it a positive experience? Do You have any problems with our organization?

Ultimately, you have to settle for one of three business strategy

options. And it is important that you are clear on what one you are

going for.

Your business strategy choices are, at end of day, very

simple. The big question is, how do you want to position yourself

in relation to your competition. Basically your options are :

1. To be cheapest

2. To be best

3. To dominate a market niche

Many small businesses go for first option, in mistaken

belief that it is only way to survive. The problem is, there will

always be someone who can do what you do, more cheaply than you can.

A cost leadership strategy is only really suitable for big

businesses. Businesses that have substantial economies of scale.

They are able to spread their overheads thinly over large volumes,

and charge low unit prices. So if you are running a small business,

this strategy probably won't work for you.

If, as a small business, you build your business reputation on

being cheapest, you are operating from a position of weakness.

Even if you can survive with your low prices, you will not be able

to withstand a price war with a bigger competitor. So why take the

risk?

The second strategy, being best, can be used to build a

powerful competitive advantage. It means, however, that you have to

have a unique product. Otherwise, you will have to spend a lot of

money on R&D to stay ahead of competition.

You need deep pockets to win with this strategy. Unless, of course,

your product is so specialised that no one else is producing it.

And big companies, for whatever reasons, don't want to produce it