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 1100 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Managers Who Tap Into PR’s Value
Business, non-profit and association managers get a ton of satisfaction when they do something really positive about behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect their operation. Especially when they deliver external stakeholder behavior change, kind that leads directly to achieving their managerial objectives; and even more so when they persuade those important outside folks to their way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help their department, division or subsidiary succeed.
Or, if this doesn’t sound all that familiar, is money you spend on public relations pretty much dedicated to buying personnel mentions in newspaper and product plugs on radio talk shows?
Want to branch out a bit and get some core PR benefits?
Start with fundamental premise of public relations and make sure your PR effort sticks closely to that blueprint. Here, take a quick read: 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.
Then look at results that could come your way. Welcome bounces in show room visits; community leaders beginning to seek you out; prospects newly interested in doing business with you; capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; membership applications on rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; politicians and legislators beginning to view you as a key member of business, non- profit or association communities; and even employee retention rates moving up.
For openers, here are two suggestions for wringing every last benefit out of your public relations budget. List those outside audiences of yours who behave in ways that help or hinder you in achieving your objectives, then prioritize them by impact severity. Let’s work on number one target audience on that list.
Human nature being what it is, you probably haven’t spent much time or effort finding out what most members of that key outside audience think about your organization. You would, however, have these data if you had been regularly sampling target audience perceptions, insuring that these important numbers are handy when you really need them.
But assuming you don’t have budget to accommodate a professional survey team, you and your colleagues will have to monitor those perceptions yourselves. And that means meeting with members of that outside audience and interacting with them by asking questions like “Have you ever met anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory experience? How much do you know about our services or products?”
Keep your eyes peeled for negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. And stay alert for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. You’ll need to correct any that you discover because experience shows they usually lead to negative behaviors.