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 1110 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Do You Have an Exclusive Market Segment?
You do if you’re a business, non-profit or association manager with important external stakeholders whose behaviors affect your department, division or subsidiary 
most.
In your own best interests, here’s what you’d better be doing about them.
Accept fact that right PR actually CAN alter individual perception that leads to kinds of changed behaviors that can help you succeed.
That confidence will position you to do something positive about those behaviors. Specifically, to create actual behavior change among your key outside audiences which leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.
But is there a roadmap available that will get everyone working towards same external audience behaviors, and that insures that your organization’s public relations effort stays sharply focused?
There sure is, and blueprint goes like this: 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.
What sort of results would you expect from such an approach? You could see membership applications on rise; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom visits; enhanced activist group relations, and expanded feedback channels; as well as community service and sponsorship opportunities; not to mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.
As effort takes hold, you might see improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies, stronger relationships with educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities; prospects starting to work with you; customers making repeat purchases; and even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way.
The people running PR for you – agency, staff or freelance -- really have to be dedicated team members and committed to you, as senior project manager, to PR blueprint and its implementation, starting with target audience perception monitoring itself.
Think for a moment just how crucial it is that your most important outside audiences really perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light? Then question your PR people to assure yourself that they buy into that notion wholeheartedly. Be especially careful that they accept reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.
Take time to go over PR blueprint in detail with your team. Discuss your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Review questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with interchange? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?
It’s obvious that professional survey people can handle perception monitoring phases of your program, IF budget is available. However, remember that your PR people are also in perception and behavior business and can pursue same objective: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
