What Many PR Users Ignore

Simply that behaviors of their most important outside audiences rank pretty low on their list of things to worry about. And this despite reality that, properly cared for, those behaviors can affect whether or not those managers achieve their managerial objectives.

Unfortunately, many business, non-profit and association public relations budgets are used pretty much to produce newspaper and radio mentions, or to fund somebody’s favorite special event. And this at a time when they should be driving an action plan that persuades those key external stakeholders to PR user’s way of thinking, then moves those audiences to take actions that help departments, divisions or subsidiaries succeed.

After all, since that’s public relations’ strongest suit, shouldn’t you be getting that first, THEN incremental publicity exposure?

Run this idea by public relations team assigned to your unit: 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.

If you get agreement, you’ll share a simple blueprint that gets everyone working towards same external audience behaviors insuring that your public relations effort stays focused.

And there’s no end to possible benefits: capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way; prospects starting to do business with you; membership applications on rise; customers making repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; higher employee retention rates, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of business, non-profit or association communities.

But first, you need to find out who among your important outside audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder achievement of your objectives. And then, list them according to how severely their behaviors affect your organization.

Are you really certain as to HOW most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization? Since there’s a good chance you don’t have budget to accommodate expensive professional survey work, you and your PR colleagues (they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters) must monitor those perceptions yourself.