Are You PR-Challenged?

Robert A. Kelly 2003.

Are You PR-Challenged?

Yes? You won't be if you accept a very simple premise. Here, in just two sentences, is your pathway to effective public relations.

A pathway that lets you target the kind of stake-holder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

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 those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished. And what behavior changes they can be. Legislators who see you as a dynamic member of their business public; prospects deciding to patronize your enterprise; customers buying from you again and again; local thought leaders strengthening their relations with you; employees who value their employer, and on an on.

What it boils down to, is that people in your marketing area behave like everyone else - they take actions based on their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your organization. So, you need to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what you need to do to reach them with the right message.

Your job is to persuade your stakeholders to your way of thinking and move them to take actions that lead to the success of your organization. Here's one way to do exactly that.

Who are those important outside audiences whose behaviors have the most positive OR negative impacts on your enterprise? List them in the order of how negatively or positively those impacts affect you. Working on the target audience in first place on your list, let's look at whether any of those perceptions out there are likely to morph into behaviors that can hurt your organization.

Assuming you don't want to make a large investment in a professional opinion survey, you and your colleagues must interact with members of that target audience and ask many questions: "What have you heard about us and our products or services? Have you done business with us? Do you have a bone to pick with us? Keep an eye peeled for hesitant or evasive responses, and watch for any negative undertones. Notice a misconception, inaccuracy or rumor? Jump on it right away! The data you gather from such interaction lets you form a specific public relations goal.

I want you to enjoy and explore complaints for the opportunity they present to improve your business.

I can never lose with the Powerful strategies used for my online business.