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 1120 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Why Good PR Warrants Your Attention
Because good public relations can alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences. And that can help business, non-profit and association managers achieve their managerial objectives.
It all happens when you do something positive about
behaviors of those important external audiences of yours that most affect your operation. In particular when you persuade those key outside folks to your way of thinking, then help move them to take actions that allow your department, division or subsidiary to succeed.
I believe key to good PR is this reality. 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.
In other words, your public relations effort must involve more than special events, brochures and news releases if you really want to get your money’s worth.
The payoff can make your day: 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.
But who among your PR team really understands blueprint outlined above and shows commitment to its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring? Luckily, your PR people are already in perception and behavior business, so they should be of real use for this initial opinion monitoring project.
Be certain that your public relations people really accept why it’s SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Make sure they believe that perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.
Talk it over with them, especially your game plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions along these lines: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with interchange? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?
Because it can run into real money using professional survey firms to do opinion monitoring work, you may wish to use those PR folks of yours in that capacity since they’re already in perception and persuasion business. But, whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking questions, objective remains same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.
