| Please feel free to publish this article and | | | | problems. "Do youknow anything about us? Have |
| resource boxin your ezine, newsletter, | | | | you had any contacts withour people? Were |
| offline publication or website. | | | | they satisfactory? Do you have any |
| | | | problemswith our services, products or |
| A copy would be appreciated at . | | | | people?" |
| | | | |
| Word count is 935 including guidelines and | | | | As you interact with audience members, watch |
| resource box. | | | | closely forevasive or hesitant responses to |
| | | | your questions. And be equallywatchful for |
| Robert A. Kelly © 2003. | | | | negative misconceptions, rumors, |
| | | | exaggerations,inaccuracies or untruths. |
| Get Outsiders on Your Side | | | | |
| | | | These data are grist for your mill, i.e., the |
| Especially good advice for business, | | | | information you needto establish a public |
| non-profit andassociation managers whose job | | | | relations goal that corrects the offending |
| success depends in largepart on the behaviors | | | | opinion/perception. Such a goal might look |
| of their key external audiences. | | | | like these: spikethat rumor, clarify that |
| | | | misconception, or correct that inaccuracy. |
| I refer to behaviors like inquiries on the | | | | |
| increase, newwaves of specialized employment | | | | Now, you need a pathway leading to your |
| applications, moreand more followup | | | | public relations goal,and that means you must |
| purchases, new levels of membershipqueries, a | | | | pick a strategy showing you how toget there. |
| substantial boost in capital donations, or | | | | Luckily, there are just three strategies in |
| morefrequent component specifications by | | | | matters ofopinion and perception: create |
| engineering firms. | | | | perception where there isn't any,change |
| | | | existing perception, or reinforce it. Just be |
| If you are such a manager, you almost | | | | certain thatthe strategy you select is a |
| assuredly need helpin achieving your unit's | | | | logical fit with the public relationsgoal you |
| operating objectives. Which is whyit's nice | | | | just established. |
| to hear that the public relations team | | | | |
| assigned toyour operation is responsible for | | | | Now, what you say to members of your target |
| providing a large portionof that help. | | | | audience mustclearly address the offending |
| | | | perception gently but firmly. |
| Two things need to happen to make that a | | | | |
| reality. One, itrequires more than your | | | | Your message must be believable, compelling |
| oversight. You must stay involvedwith your | | | | and, at the sametime, explain why the current |
| public relations folks at every major | | | | perception is not merely untrue,but unfair. |
| decision point. | | | | It is no easy job to alter what people |
| | | | believe,which is why writing such a message |
| And two, the entire effort must be based on | | | | demands persuasivewriting ability. |
| more than a casualdebate about which | | | | |
| communications tactics should be used. | | | | To maintain the credibility of the message, |
| | | | you may wish topiggy-back it on another |
| What is needed is your commitment to a | | | | announcement or presentation ratherthan using |
| fundamental premisethat is the foundation on | | | | the higher-profile press release format. |
| which your entire public relationseffort will | | | | |
| be based. A premise like this: People act on | | | | Happily, when it comes to delivering your |
| theirown perception of the facts before them, | | | | message to membersof your target audience, |
| which leads topredictable behaviors about | | | | you have multiple choices for |
| which something can be done. | | | | yourcommunications tactics. Everything from |
| | | | newsletters, bulletinsand alerts, special |
| When we create, change or reinforce that | | | | events and speeches to print and |
| opinion by reaching,persuading and | | | | broadcastinterviews, press releases, consumer |
| moving-to-desired-action the very peoplewhose | | | | member briefings and manymore. Just be sure |
| behaviors affect the organization the most, | | | | the tactics your use can demonstrate thatthey |
| the publicrelations mission is accomplished. | | | | reach people similar to those who make up |
| | | | your targetaudience. |
| With that established, we can get to work on | | | | |
| the blueprintthat will help persuade those | | | | Before long, you, your PR team, and others in |
| important members of yourkey target audiences | | | | your unit willwant to see some progress. Best |
| to your way of thinking. What youhope for | | | | (and most frugal) way todetermine that is to |
| then, is follow on stakeholder actions that | | | | return to perception monitoring in thefield |
| result inyour success as a business, | | | | and ask members of your key target audience |
| non-profit or association manager. | | | | the samequestions used in the earlier |
| | | | session. |
| Before taking any action steps, you need to | | | | |
| know howmembers of your key target audiences | | | | Only this time, you'll be on alert for |
| perceive you. So,first, you and your PR team | | | | indications that theoffending perceptions are |
| need to list those importantoutside audiences | | | | changing as you planned, alongwith |
| whose behaviors affect your unit the most. | | | | predictable follow on behaviors. |
| | | | |
| Then prioritize them so we can use the | | | | By the way, things can always move faster by |
| audience in first placeon that list as our | | | | adding othercommunications tactics, and using |
| target audience for this article. | | | | them on a more frequentbasis. |
| | | | |
| Instead of spending considerable money on | | | | Yes, for managers whose job success depends |
| professionalsurvey work, you and your team | | | | to a largedegree on the behaviors of their |
| can interact with membersof your target | | | | key external audiences, apublic relations |
| audience and pose a number of | | | | problem-solving sequence like this one |
| questionsdesigned to draw out any perception | | | | ISespecially good advice! |