PR: Let's Talk FundamentalsWritten by Robert A. Kelly
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 840 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003. PR: Let’s Talk Fundamentals How much more fundamental can you get than this? As a business, non-profit or association manager, if you don’t get your most important outside audiences on your side, you will fail. To me, failure means key target audiences that don’t behave as you want them to. For example, capital donors or specifying sources who look other way, customers who fail to make repeat purchases, community leaders working closely with your competitors, prospects still doing business with others, organizations looking elsewhere to propose new strategic alliances and joint ventures, and even legislators and political leaders overlooking you as a key member of non-profit, association or business communities. All that can change in a New York minute when you base a public relations effort on this simple premise: 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. The primary benefit of that premise to you as a business, non-profit or association manager is kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives. And that’s very doable. Especially when you take time to list your most important external audiences, then prioritize them according to impacts they have on your organization. The real key to success using this premise is actually gathering information as to how members of your key, external audience perceive your organization. If you have resources available and can afford professional survey help, fine. If, however, like most of us you don’t, best alternative is for you or your colleagues to begin interacting with audience members. Ask many questions starting with, “Have you heard of us? What do you think of us, if at all? Have you ever done business with us? Why do you feel way you do?” Listen carefully for signs of negativity, and watch for untruths, false assumptions, inaccuracies, misconceptions or flagrant rumors.
| | Mind the GapWritten by Linda LaPointe
Mind Gap The underground train in London can get you anywhere when you know how to maneuver all options. Like our subways, London under ground is a busy place. When your train arrives and comes to a stop, you move forward with crowd, waiting for your turn to get on train. A man’s voice drones from overhead, warning you over and over: “Mind gap. . . mind gap.” There is a crack of about 4 – 8 inches between platform and train, where any number of things could fall through. You could lose anything in it: a shoe, a foot, change, a purse could fall into that gap and never be seen again. There is also a small difference in height that could trip you up, so you may need to step up or down a bit as train will probably not be level with platform. So every few seconds, once train arrives, kind gentleman reminds you to pay attention to that gap. And you do because he sounds so arresting and credible. Mind your gap Managers need to be reminded to mind gap, too. We need to develop staff who know how to handle all those situations that fall between cracks. When not minded, these gaps can cause people to falter or cause any number of losses. Today’s workers handle more unpredictable situations than ever. The solutions for most of these are
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