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 often
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, answer is yes.
Fortunately, it’s no big deal making switch to a public relations problem-solving sequence that works. Simply accept this reality: 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 those people whose behaviors affect organization, public relations mission is accomplished.
What this approach to public relations can do for businesses, non-profits and associations, is help them alter perceptions, and thus behaviors of their most important external audiences, those with 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 in 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 responses you just gathered. And that goal will be specific perception you wish to alter, usually leading to 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 you answer. But you have only three choices when it comes to strategies for opinion or perception matters.
