By: Robert A. Kelly
Let’"
" s start out with a caution for business, non-profit and association managers: the premise of
public relations implies that the work you do BEFORE you use PR tactics, such as press releases,
brochures and broadcast interviews, will determine the success of your public relations
effort.
Reason
is, if you are one of those managers, the PR plan that flows from that premise will call for
achieving your managerial objectives by altering perception leading to changed behaviors among
those important external audiences that MOST affect your department, group, division or
subsidiary.
Here,
read that public relations premise for yourself. People act on their own perception of the 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 the
very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is
usually accomplished.
Of
all the things the premise tells you about public relations, the most basic may be that you need to
do some serious planning early-on about the behaviors of those vital outside audiences rather than
exploding right out-of-the-gate with a tactical broadside.
For
example, you don’t want to move prematurely into press releases, talk show appearances, zippy
publications and fun-filled special events before you get answers to questions like these: Who are
you trying to reach? What do you know about them? How do they perceive your organization? If
troublesome, how might we alter their perceptions? And perhaps MOST important, what behaviors do we
want those perceptions to lead to?
That
is a critical planning concern because the people with whom you interact every day behave like
everyone else – they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your
operation. And that means you should deal effectively with those perceptions (and their follow-on
behaviors) by doing what is necessary to reach and move those key external audiences to
action.
Once
the preliminary public relations planning is complete, you can look forward to PR results such as
rising membership applications; customers making repeat purchases; new approaches by capital givers
and specifying sources; community leaders beginning to seek you out; fresh proposals for strategic
alliances and joint ventures; prospects starting to do business with you; welcome bounces in show
room visits, not to mention politicians and legislators viewing you as a key member of the
business, non-profit or association communities.
But
who will do this specialized kind of work? An outside PR agency team? Folks assigned to your
operation? Your own public relations people? Regardless of where they come from, they need to be
committed to you and your PR plan beginning with key audience perception monitoring.
Are
the folks assigned to you really serious about knowing how your most important outside audiences
perceive your operations, products or services? Do they really accept the truth that perceptions
almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your operation?
Take
the time to review with them in detail how you plan to monitor and gather perceptions by
questioning members of your most important outside audiences. For instance, how much do you know
about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the
interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you
experienced problems with our people or procedures?
If
there’s enough money in the PR budget, be sure to use professional survey firms in the perception
monitoring phases of your program. If not, you’re still fortunate because your PR people are also
in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective: identify untruths, false
assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that
might translate into hurtful behaviors.
It’'
' s quite clear that setting just the right public relations goal allows you to deal effectively
with the most serious problems you turned up during your key audience perception monitoring. Your
new goal could call for straightening out that dangerous misconception, or correcting that
inaccuracy, or neutralizing that fateful rumor.
At
this point, take special care because you must now identify the right strategy, one that tells you
how to move forward. Remember that there are just three strategic options available to you when it
comes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Change existing perception, create perception
where there may be none, or reinforce it. Since the wrong strategy pick will taste like crumbled
Gorganzola cheese on your bread pudding, be certain the new strategy fits comfortably with your new
public relations goal. You don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce”
strategy.
Like
it or not, a strong message is needed here, one aimed at members of your target audience. There is
no doubt that crafting action-forcing language to persuade an audience to your way of thinking is
very hard work. Which is why you need your strongest writer. S/he must create some very special,
corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and
factual if they are to correct something and shift perception/opinion towards your point of view
leading to the behaviors you are targeting.
How
are you going to carry your message to the attention of your target audience? With the
communications tactics most likely to reach that group of people, of course. After you run the
draft message by your PR people for impact and persuasiveness, you can choose from among dozens
that are available to you. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer
briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the
tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.
Because
we know that message credibility can depend on the credibility of the means used to deliver it, you
may want to try it out before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile
news releases.
About
now, talk of progress reports may be heard, and they are a signal that it’s time for you and your
PR team to begin a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience.
Many of the same questions used used in thebenchmark session can be asked again. Now however, you
will be watching carefully for signs that the problem perception is being altered in your
direction.
Don’"
" t forget that you can always speed up program momentum by adding more communications tactics and
increasing their frequencies.
This
template can be effective for most public relations challenges you face. When you successfully
alter the perceptions of your key external stakeholders, in most cases moving their behaviors in
your direction, you should soon enjoy the satisfaction of achieving your managerial
objectives.
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