How to Take Advantage of Public Relations

Decide once and for all to do something about those outside audiences whose behaviors affect your organization most.

When members of those “publics” of yours perceive and understand who and what you are, and like what they see, behaviors that flow from those perceptions will put a smile on your face.

Good things happen like converting sales prospects into customers, convincing existing customers to stay with you, or even toning down activist rhetoric. Even internally, productivity often increases when employees conclude that you really do care about them.

It’s all possible when you commit your organization to confront head-on those key target audience perceptions and behaviors.

Easy to do? Well, it’s not so hard when you have a roadmap to guide you.

Right at top, try listing, say, your top three outside audiences whose behaviors can really affect success of your organization. Let’s pick audience at top of list and go to work on it.

Can’t take any chances on being wrong about what they think of you, so now’s time to start interacting with audience members. Ask a lot of questions. What do they think of your services or products? Is there a hint of negativity in their answers? Do you detect evil effects of a rumor? Are their facts inaccurate and in need of correction?

What information gathering like this does for you is let you form a public relations goal. It could be as simple as correcting an inaccurate perception, clearing up a misconception or spiking that nasty rumor. Your goal might even have to take aim at a widespread belief that’s just plain wrong.

So What’s Wrong With Strategic?

Some folks see word “strategic” as a needlessly tiresome and complicated notion. But anything that shows you how to get from here to there IS strategic, and something we all need.

Even dictionary calls a strategy “of great importance to a planned effort.”

For example, look at public relations where just about everything is based on getting from here to there. That is, from a dangerous lack of concern with external audiences to a sensible plan for doing something about what those key audiences think about you.

To make point, here’s a quick two-sentence thumbnail that promises just such an outcome.

“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.”

While it’s obvious that survival is pot of gold at end of this rainbow, you don’t get those external audiences on your side without a little work

Better prioritize those outside interest groups of yours into some kind of importance ranking. Then, let’s take external audience you rank clearly as #1 and do a little work on it right now.

How much do you know about this group of people? Are you aware of what prevailing view of you and your enterprize is among group members? Do you know of any negative perceptions?

No? That’s why you must get busy and interact with members of that key target audience of yours. Ask questions: “What do you think about our business, products or services? Why?” And stay alert to any signs of negativity, any inaccurate perceptions, misconceptions or rumors.

The reactions to such probing questions help you to set down a public relations goal designed to correct misperceptions and inaccuracies.