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Managers: Think You've Got Total PR?

Written by: Bob Kelly

Article Overview: Total PR may begin with a few communications tactics, but a manager's real PR reward comes when public relations planning creates the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving that manager's most important managerial objectives.

Managers: Think You've Got Total PR?

Please feel free to publish this article in your ezine,
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requirement: you must use the Robert A. Kelly byline
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guidelines and box. Robert A. Kelly © 2006.

Managers: Think You’ve Got Total PR?

Punchy press releases moving out the door? Zippy
ebrochures dazzling everybody? New buzz all about
your recent broadcast appearance? And with today’s
newspaper interview promising to be even better, no less?

Sounds like you have total PR.

Sorry, and here’s what’s missing. Public relations activity
that creates perception and behavior change among your key
outside audiences. Behavior change that leads directly to
achieving your managerial objectives.

That’s really important to your business, non-profit,
public entity or association, IF you accept the fact
that the right PR really CAN alter individual perception
and lead to those changed behaviors you need. And IF
you then resolve to do something positive about the
behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours
that MOST affect your operation.

Those are big Ifs, but as a manager, you can pull it off
by creating the kind of external stakeholder behavior
change that leads directly to achieving your managerial
objectives. But you’ll do it only when you persuade those
key outside folks to your way of thinking, and then
move them to take actions that allow your department,
group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Happily, you won’t be on your own in this effort. There’s
a blueprint showing you how to manage this kind of public
relations. 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 usually is accomplished.

As work begins on this project, it’ll become quite obvious
that you will need a lot more than news releases, brochures,
broadcast plugs and special events to get a satisfactory
return on your PR investment. Here are some of the results
business, non-profit, public entity and association managers
can expect from this kind of public relations. New proposals
for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in
showroom visits; membership applications on the rise;
community service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced
activist group relations, and expanded feedback channels,
and even new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

As you make progress, you should notice customers
making repeat purchases; prospects reappearing; stronger
relationships with the educational, labor, financial and
healthcare communities; improved relations with
government agencies and legislative bodies, and perhaps
even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way.

Because you want your key outside audiences to really
perceive your operations, products or services in a
positive light, be sure that your PR staff is really on
board for the whole effort. Reassure yourself that they
accept the basic truth that perceptions almost always
lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Go over the plan, the blueprint, in detail with your
staff, especially regarding how you will gather and
monitor perceptions by questioning members of your
most important outside audiences. Questions like
these: how much do you know about our organization?
How much do you know about our services or products
and employees? Have you had prior contact with us
and were you pleased with the how things went? Have
you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

It’s usually preferable, although sometimes pricey when
you can depend on professional survey people to handle
the perception monitoring phases of your program. But
fortunately, 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.

Here, you will need to set a public relations goal that
addresses the problems that appeared during your key
audience perception monitoring. Probably, your new goal
will call for straightening out that dangerous
misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy, or
doing something about that awful rumor.

To show you how to get there, you’re going to need an
equally dynamic strategy. But you have just three strategic
choices when it comes to handling a perception or opinion
challenge: create perception where there may be none,
change the perception, or reinforce it. Unfortunately,
selecting a bad strategy will taste like sea salt on your
lemon Jello. So be certain the new strategy fits well with
your new public relations goal. For example, you don’t
want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce”
strategy.

Persuading an audience to your way of thinking is
awfully hard work, so how you structure your corrective
message is crucial. Especially when you’re looking for
words that are compelling, persuasive, believable AND
clear and factual. Hard work, but a must if you are to
correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your
point of view, leading to the desired behaviors. Review
your message with your communications specialists
for its impact and persuasiveness.

Here, you need to select the precise communications
tactics most likely to reach the attention of your target
audience. You are in luck because you can pick from
dozens of available tactics. From speeches, facility tours,
emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media
interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many
others. Be darn certain that the tactics you pick are
known to reach folks just like your audience members.

One of the troubling little aspects about public relations
is the fact that the credibility of your message can depend
on HOW you deliver it. So, try introducing it to smaller
gatherings rather than using higher-profile communications
such as news releases or talk show appearances.

At about this time, you’ll be called upon to produce a
progress report, which will signal that it’s probably time
for you and your PR folks to get back out in the field for a
second perception monitoring session with members of
your external audience. You can use the same questions
used in the first benchmark session, but now you must
stay alert for signs that your communications tactics
have worked and that the negative perception is being
altered in your direction.

If you are one who needs things to move right along, a
temporary slowdown can be remedied by accelerating
things with a broader selection of communications tactics
AND increased frequencies.

Total PR may start with a few communications tactics,
but a manager’s real reward comes when public relations
planning creates the kind of external stakeholder behavior
change that leads directly to achieving that manager’s most
important managerial 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 authored
245 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

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