PR Advice You Didn’t Ask For

Although, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you may be glad this came your way.

Especially if your current public relations effort is delivering more publicity plugs than real behavior change among your most important outside audiences. Change that could lead directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

I’m talking about persuading those key outside folks to your way of thinking, then moving them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

There’s even a blueprint to help you do it. 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 kind of results can you expect? Consider these: membership applications on rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; higher employee retention rates, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of business, non-profit or association communities.

An obvious first step involves getting public relations people assigned to your unit on board. Make certain whole team buys into why it’s so important to know how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Be sure they accept reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can hurt your unit.

Review how you plan to monitor and gather perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

You're likely not surprised to learn that it doesn't work that way. At first, starting your own business involves more work not less, money paid out rather than taken in and a steep learning curve. In return you can look forward to earning every dime to which you are entitled, being able to direct your destiny and never having to worry about "the boss".

I have an expression (at least I think that it's mine) that goes "Most people want to be successful, few are willing to be successful". If you want to work hard and sacrifice to get what you want - if you're willing to be successful - following will put you on path to owning your own business.

A successful small business is built at convergence of a market need and an ability to meet that need. In other words, you need to find something that you do well (and hopefully enjoy doing) that others are willing to buy. Two simple steps to do that, first:

1.Identify a product or service that you can produce. You may have a business in mind. If so, skip this step. If not, ask yourself following questions:

a.Do your present job skills lend themselves to "side work". If yes, you can start by developing a business "on side" while still collecting a regular paycheck. If not;

b.Can your present line of work (or one that you want to be in) be produced by a small business? If not;

c.Do you have capital to invest? If yes, you can look for a franchise to purchase. Franchisors are in business of starting and guiding small businesses. Entrepreneur Magazine publishes an annual list of "Top 500" franchisors, it is available online:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/franzone/rank/0,6584,12-12-F5-2004-0,00.html

If not: