Tweet

How PR Helps Fiercely Competitive Managers

Written by: Bob Kelly

Article Overview: While these managers use every public relations weapon they can lay their hands on, many realize they need more then that to win the long-range battle.

How PR Helps Fiercely Competitive Managers

Feel free to publish this article and resource box
in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
Only requirement: you must use the Robert A. Kelly
byline and resource box. Word count is 990 including
guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

How PR Helps Fiercely Competitive Managers

Fiercely combative business, non-profit and association
managers use every PR weapon they can lay their hands
on. Which means they employ strategic, rapid-fire print
and broadcast tactics every day of their business lives.

Still, many realize they need more than that to win the
long-range battle. Fact is, they need a public relations
budget that can deliver results far beyond publicity
tactics.

The fierce and the smart know they need real behavior
change among their most important outside audiences
that leads directly to achieving their managerial
objectives.

So they make sure they persuade those key outside
folks with the greatest impacts on their organizations
to their way of thinking, then move them to take
actions that help their department, division or subsidiary
succeed.

The really fierce use a public relations blueprint
something like this one: 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.

If that’s you, over time your results probably look like
these: fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint
ventures; prospects starting to do business with you;
welcome bounces in show room visits; membership
applications on the rise; customers starting to make
repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek
you out; capital givers or specifying sources beginning
to look your way, and even politicians and legislators
starting to view you as a key member of the business,
non-profit or association communities.

But the fierce ones don’t go it alone. They make certain
every member of the PR team agrees that it’s crucially
important to know how your outside audiences perceive
your operations, products or services. Dig deep to ensure
they REALLY accept the reality that perceptions almost
always lead to behaviors that can damage your operation.

Now it’s time to activate the PR blueprint and monitor
and gather perceptions by questioning members of your
most important outside audience. Ask 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?

Lucky for all of us, your PR folks are already in the
perception and behavior business, so they can be of real
use for this opinion monitoring project. Professional survey
firms can be brought in to handle the opinion monitoring
chore, but that can cost you a lot of money. So whether it’s
your people or a survey firm who asks the questions, your
objective is to identify untruths, false assumptions,
unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions .

Which of the above abberations is serious enough that it
should become your corrective public relations goal?
Clarify the misconception? Spike that rumor? Correct
the false assumption? Fix those inaccuracies? Or yet
another offensive perception that could lead to negative
results?

With your public relations goal established, you can assure
you’ll achieve it by picking the right strategy from the
three choices available to you. Change existing perception,
create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it.
But be sure your new strategy naturally compliments your
new public relations goal.

So what will your message emphasize when you address
your key stakeholder audience to help persuade them to
your way of thinking?

Select your best writer to prepare the message because s/he
must put together some very special, corrective language.
Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable,
but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion
towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you
have in mind.

Happily, the next step is easy. You select communications
tactics to carry your message to the attention of your target
audience. Making certain that the tactics you select have a
record of reaching folks like your audience members, 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.

Keep in mind that HOW one communicates often affects the
credibility of the message, so you may wish to deliver it in
small getogethers like meetings and presentations rather than
through a higher-profile media announcement.

You’ll soon feel pressure for signs of progress. And that will
lead to a second perception monitoring session with members
of your external audience. Employing many of the same
questions used in the first benchmark session, you will now
be watching carefully for signs that the offending perception is
being altered in your direction.

Remember that you can always accelerate the program by
adding more communications tactics as well as increasing
their frequencies.

This bears repeating – yes, fiercely combative business,
non-profit and association managers use every PR weapon they
can lay their hands on, and that includes strategic, rapid-fire
print and broadcast tactics.

But those same competitive managers also know they need
an aggressive blueprint such as this one that will deliver
behavior change among their most important outside audiences
leading directly to achieving their managerial objectives.

end

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 authored 245
articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticle.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:http://www.prcommentary.com

Related Articles
  Encouraging competition
  Never again…Never
  Why Capitalism is the Silent Hand in Wealth and Prosperity?
  Entrepreneurs – Want to Start An Online Estate Agency Or Real Estate Company?
  Using the web to drive sales

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Re: Hello from Missouri - [quote="MichaelH":gxmrz8rk] If anyone in those markets in a managerial or owner capacity would like to offer some simple numbers help I would be greatly appreciative. To be honest, I've actually posted an ad on my local Craigslist for help, and offer $5 PayPal to anyone willing to help... haven't had any results yet! [/quote:gxmrz8rk] Unfortunately, to get people to respond to anythign these days, you probably need to up the ante to at least $10. Managers to whom time is money aren't going to take even 5 minutes out of their day to answer questions and then just get $5 for it!
Re: Auto-DM's on Twitter - Auto DM's can be bad if you include links in them. If you want to utilize the auto DM feature I would suggest only sending "automatic" message to new followers. You want to keep it short and to the point and absolutely no links. If you send links to people right off the hop they are more likely just delete the message rather than read it. You have to build trust in your followers before you start trying to get them to navigate to another page through links even if your offering them something "free". Your message should look something like, "Thanks for the follow, Look forward to your tweets" or something like that. If you want to give away your e-book just Tweet it or you can start conversations with people, build their trust then offer them the e-book. Hope this Helps. Dallas.
Re: 365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Make - [quote="litekepr":2v18lglp]This morning's Google Alert held a pleasant surprise. WORTH MENTIONING A List of New Books Compiled by The Management and Government Information Center (MAGIC) Chinn Park Regional Library 703-792-4880Summer 2007 Indicates titles relating to the FISH Philosophy 365 Foolish Mistakes Smart Managers Make Every Day: How and Why to Avoid Them by Shri L. Henkel, 2006 interesting. Is anyone else here familiar with the FISH philosphy? i[/quote:2v18lglp] Congrats on the mention of your book! Hopefully it will drive up sales! For myself, I don't really care for their acronym... MAGIC. Gives people the subtle impression that good things happen at the snap of a finger instead of lots of hard work!
Re: Calling All Entrepreneurs - Hey Kamna, In regards to "social media" marketing, Facebook,Twitter and blogs are definitely the leading players. However, my belief is that when you are successful at satisfying your guests, they will handle your social media marketing for you. Your restaurant may have the largest fan base in Facebook, but can you really say that all of them are, or ever will be loyal customers to your restaurant? At the end of the day, the most important factor that will make your customers to return, is a superior dining experience, which starts as soon as they enter into the parking lot. I am not saying that you should not focus on social media marketing. I have come up of two tactics that you may find useful, other than using Facebook and Twitter. 1. Check out "meetup.com". Meetup Helps groups of people with shared interests plan meetings and actually meet up offline. There are tonnes of groups within the GTA area, and the groups are always looking for new venues that offer good food and service. You can contact group organizers by email, or even join the groups that you are interested in and host the next meet up at your restaurant. 2. blogTO: my favorite local blog is blogTO. It has an extensive amount of reviews, and articles about all things Toronto. It has become an active community, and a great resource centre. Make sure that you are in the list, so that people can post reviews:) It would be a good idea, too if you can moderate the comment section to encourage participation. Ryann
Global Ad Agency Seeks Senior Sales Account Executive - Global Ad Agency -- We are seeking experienced advertising Senior Sales Account Executives to join our growing sales force in New York office. ICMediaDirect.com, Inc is a Full Service Online Advertising Agency driven by a united goal to provide both online as well as offline advertisers with easy and affordable ways to plan and buy media online. We are proud to present an impressive roster of over 300 satisfied clients and a wide reach of billions of visitors each month. With two great locations - N.Y. and D.C. - we know how to PLAN your media, how to BUY your media, how to TRACK your media and how to CAPITALIZE your media. Qualifications • Minimum 2 years of active ONLINE advertising sales experience • Responsible and aggressive attitude • Successful track record with ONLINE sales • Understanding Internet advertising vehicles such as pops, banners, search and lead generation is required • Excellent communication and presentation skills • Strong computer skills are required • Detail oriented and well-organized • Ability to work independently • Enthusiastic team player The Best office location in the city! Competitive salary (plus commission), bonuses and benefits. Please send your resume with salary expectations today at jobs@icmediadirect.com!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Avoid Burnout: Do the Limbo Regularly

SEO Gurus, Software and Ebooks

Executive Blind Spots

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.