Managers, Want a Killer Edge?
by Robert A Kelly
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Robert A. Kelly © 2005.
Managers, Want a Killer Edge?
Business, non-profit, government agency and association
managers with public relations reporting to them are
likely to miss achieving a killer edge when they focus
strictly on communications tactics like press releases,
special events, broadcast plugs or brochures.
On the other hand, those managers striving to alter the
individual perception of members of their key outside
audiences, as they create change in their behaviors, are
surely moving towards that killer competitive edge.
And progress will accelerate as they persuade many of
those important outside folks to their managerial way of
thinking, helping to move them to take actions that let
their department, group, division or subsidiary succeed.
In the proverbial nutshell, such managers take a giant
step forward by using public relations to do something
positive about the behaviors of the very outside
audiences that MOST affect their operations.
Thus, their reward arrives when PR creates the kind of
external stakeholder behavior change that leads
directly to achieving their most important managerial
objectives.
However, getting to this point means you need a
clearcut public relations blueprint designed to get every
member of your PR team working towards the same
external stakeholder behaviors.
The team might well implement a blueprint along these
lines: 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 accomplished.
In due course, the plan should deliver results like these:
a rebound in showroom visits; capital givers or
specifying sources looking your way; prospects starting
to work with you; fresh community service and
sponsorship opportunities; improved relations with
government agencies and legislative bodies; new
proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures;
customers making repeat purchases; membership
applications on the rise; new thoughtleader and special
event contacts; and even stronger relationships with the
educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.
Whom, do you suggest, will do the work? The usual
public relations staff? People on-loan from above? Or
could it be specialists from a PR agency? Nevertheless,
they must be committed to you as the senior project
manager, and to the PR blueprint starting with key
audience perception monitoring.
Another caution. Check to insure that your team
members accept the reasons as to why it's SO
important to know how your most important outside
audiences perceive your operations, products or
services. Be certain they buy the reality that
perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can
help or hurt your unit.
It will be time well spent for you to review your PR
blueprint with your team members, especially your
plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by
questioning members of your most important outside
audiences. Questions like these: how much do you
know about our organization? 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?
One option at your disposal is professional survey
counsel for the perception monitoring phases of your
program. However, keep in mind that 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.
By now, you will face the need to set down your
public relations goal. This gives you the chance to
do something about the most serious distortions you
discovered during your key audience perception
monitoring. Your new public relations goal might
call for straightening out that dangerous
misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy,
or stopping that potentially fatal rumor.
It almost goes without saying, but to achieve
success, you must employ a solid strategy, one that
clearly shows you HOW to proceed. To keep things
simple, note that there are only 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. Of course, the wrong strategy
pick will taste like pancake syrup on your garlic
pickles, so be certain the new strategy fits well with
your new public relations goal. Naturally, you don't
want to select "change" when the facts dictate a
"reinforce" strategy.
One of the most difficult moments in public relations
is selecting the ideal writer for a challenging writing
assignment. And now is such a time when you must
share a powerful corrective message with members
of your target audience. But persuading an audience
to your way of thinking is hard work! And that's why
your PR folks must come up with words that are not
only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear
and factual. This is how you will be able to correct a
perception by shifting opinion towards your point
of view, leading to the behaviors you are targeting.
This is also the time to decide if your message's
impact and persuasiveness are good enough to do
the job. If it is, you can move on to selecting the
communications tactics most likely to carry your
message to the attention of your target audience.
You can pick from dozens that are available. 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.
You might also decide if you would rather unveil
your message before smaller gatherings rather than
using higher-profile tactics such as news releases.
Reason is, the credibility of a message can depend
on the credibility of its delivery method.
Someone's going to suggest that progress be
summed up in a special report, so you and your PR
team should be prepared to return to the field and
start work on a second perception monitoring session
with members of your external audience. To create
this before-and-after comparison, you'll want to use
many of the same questions used in the first
benchmark session. But this time, you will be
watching very carefully for signs that the bad news
perception is being altered in your direction.
Should progress slow, you also have at your disposal
the option of speeding up matters with more
communications tactics and increased frequencies.
So, the manager's quest for a killer competitive edge
really IS dependent upon doing something positive
about the behaviors of the very outside audiences that
MOST effect his or her operations.
Which is precisely why PR must create the kind of
external stakeholder behavior change that leads
directly to achieving that manager's most important
operating objectives.
end
Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has published over
200 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click
Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola
Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport
News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S.
Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The
White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia
University, major in public relations.
mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:www.PRCommentary.com
Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.
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