What You Don’t Know About PR Can Hurt You

And hurt bad if you are a business, non-profit or association manager. Especially when you rely too heavily on tactics like special events, brochures and press releases to get your money’s worth.

Instead, pursue public relations that does nothing less than alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among those key outside audiences of yours.

In other words, best approach does something positive about behaviors of those key external audiences that MOST affect your operation.

That approach persuades your important external folks to your way of thinking, and moves them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Thus it creates kind of stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

Best part is, once you digest underlying premise of public relations, you’ll understand how right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to those changed behaviors you need. Here’s how it goes: 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.

Keep in mind that it requires more than good old special events, brochures and news releases if you really want to end up with your PR money’s worth.

Fact is, business, non-profit and association managers who employ this kind of public relations can benefit from results such as new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom visits; membership applications on rise; community service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced activist group relations, and expanded feedback channels, not to mention new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

Over time, you’ll notice customers making repeat purchases; prospects reappearing; stronger developing relationships with educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies, and even capital givers or specifying sources glancing your way.

It goes without saying that you want your most important outside audiences to really perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light. So take pains to be sure that your PR staff has bought into whole effort. Convince yourself that they accept reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.