Can Your PR Game Plan be Salvaged?

Written by Robert A. Kelly


Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 860 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

Can Your PR Game Plan be Salvaged?

If, as is oftenrepparttar case, you are preoccupied with comm- unications tactics instead of working a plan to actively pursue those outside audience behaviors that stop you from achieving your objectives,repparttar 105029 answer is yes.

Fortunately, it’s no big deal makingrepparttar 105030 switch to a public relations problem-solving sequence that works. Simply accept this reality: People act on their own perception ofrepparttar 105031 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 those people whose behaviors affectrepparttar 105032 organization,repparttar 105033 public relations mission is accomplished.

What this approach to public relations can do for businesses, non-profits and associations, is help them alterrepparttar 105034 perceptions, and thus behaviors of their most important external audiences, those withrepparttar 105035 greatest impact on their operations. This can make achieving their objectives much easier, and much more likely.

Here’s how it could work for you.

Sit down and list those outside audiences of yours whose behaviors can damage your organization’s prospects. Then, put them inrepparttar 105036 order of how severe their impacts are, and we’ll work on #1 on that list.

First objective is to create a public relations goal. So, because it’s likely there are negative perceptions out there, you and your cohorts must meet with members of that target audience and interact with them. Ask many questions such as “What do you know about us? Have you had any kind of contact with us? What have you heard about our products or services?”

And while you’re asking those questions, keep your eyes and ears peeled for evasive or hesitant answers. And also for negatives like inaccuracies, untruths, misconceptions, hurtful rumors and false assumptions.

Your public relations goal can now be established using repparttar 105037 responses you just gathered. And that goal will berepparttar 105038 specific perception you wish to alter, usually leading to repparttar 105039 behavior change you really want. For example, goals like, correct that inaccuracy, clearup that misconception, or squash that hurtful rumor once and for all.

What you need to know most about your new public relations goal is, how do I get from here to there, and what action program will be most appropriate? Your strategy will give yourepparttar 105040 answer. But you have only three choices when it comes to strategies for opinion or perception matters.

9/13

Written by Linda LaPointe


On Thursday, September 13, 2001, I went to facilitate a session with first line supervisors in a company for whom I had been consulting. It wasrepparttar 6th week of a commitment of 10 weekly sessions. Most of these supervisors had been promoted from a line position because they were good at their work, mature and smart. I was brought in to teach them better supervisory skills. Management expected them to produce more acceptable results. An earlier survey proved that business objectives and quotas weren't being met, and tardiness and absenteeism were unacceptably high. The company's managers saw this as a crisis and surmised thatrepparttar 105028 first line supervisors weren't skilled enough to promoterepparttar 105029 company's mission, managerepparttar 105030 workers or their work effectively. The events of two days prior,repparttar 105031 Tuesday we will all remember as 9/11, could not be ignored, so my first question to them was, "How is everyone?" Everyone was all right and in attendance. My second question was, "How did Tuesday go here at work?" I learned that atrepparttar 105032 highest level of management,repparttar 105033 corporate office in another state,repparttar 105034 priority was caring forrepparttar 105035 staff. They were allowed to take care of themselves and their family's needs first. The company’s long distance phone lines were open to anyone to call anywhere inrepparttar 105036 world to check on their loved ones. Televisions and radios were brought into central common areas and were left on all day. Staff freely came and went between their workspace,repparttar 105037 TV areas,repparttar 105038 phones orrepparttar 105039 rest area, at their will. The staff went into great detail about their families and where they were and what was happening with each of them. They told me how much they appreciatedrepparttar 105040 freedom that management gave them to cope. I then asked, “With all that autonomy, how much work was done?” They looked at each other, and nodding in agreement, said, “Quotas were met or exceeded.” The supportive reaction of management was out ofrepparttar 105041 ordinary, actually, extraordinary. Staff in this company were always accountable to be in their seats at certain times, they followed rigid rules: no personal phone usage; personal belongings were not allowed in their work areas and on their desks; no calendars with pictures or graphics of any kind, no personal photos; and break and meal times were inflexible. All activities during work hours were normally dictated. There was very little staff self-management occurring in this company.

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