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