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 1085 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2004. Why PR is an Engine for Economic Growth
Business, non-profit and association managers committing their public relations resources to (1) doing something about 
behaviors of those important outside audiences that most affect their operation, (2) creating kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving their managerial objectives, and (3) doing so by persuading those key outside folks to their way of thinking by helping to move them to take actions that allow their department, division or subsidiary to succeed – greatly increase chances of success for their operation.
Thus, feeding engine of their own economic growth AND that of nation at large.
But, in reality, it takes more than good intentions for any manager to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors, something of profound importance to ALL business, non-profit and association managers.
What they need is a simple PR blueprint that gets everyone working towards same external audience behaviors insuring that organization’s public relations effort stays sharply focused.
For example, a blueprint like this: 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 that way, those same business, non-profit and association managers can see results such as new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers making repeat purchases; prospects starting to work with them; membership applications on rise; capital givers or specifying sources looking their way, and even bounces in showroom visits.
But HOW those managers pull that off forms real challenge.
Here’s how best of them can do it. They find out who among their key external audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder achievement of their objectives. Then, they list them according to how severely their behaviors affect their organization.
But precisely HOW do most members of that key outside audience perceive their organization? If budget to pay for what could be costly professional survey counsel isn’t there, Ms. or Mr. manager and his or her PR colleagues will have to monitor those perceptions themselves. Actually, they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters.
Getting that activity under way means meeting with members of that outside audience and asking questions like “Are you familiar with our services or products?” “Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory experience?” And if you are that manager, you must be sensitive to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. And watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. When you find such, they will need to be corrected, as they inevitably lead to negative behaviors.
