Business Nutrients Tips

Archive for the ‘Public Relations’ Category

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1145 including guidelines and resource box.
Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Managers: Let’s Call a Spade a Spade!

Brochures, broadcast plugs and press releases – don’t call them public relations. Call them what they really are, valuable tactical devices which public relations calls upon from time to time to move a message from here to there.

Nothing more, nothing less, and certainly not public relations’ Mother strategy which (1), marshalls the resources and action planning needed to alter individual perception leading to changed behaviors among a business, non-profit,or association’s most important outside audiences. And (2), goes on to help a manager persuade those key folks to his or her way of thinking,
then (3) moves them to take actions that allow their department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

The management reality behind such an achievement is the underlying premise 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 is usually accomplished.

The good news for those managers is that the right public relations planning really CAN alter individual perception and lead to changed behaviors among key outside audiences.

You may be such a manager. If you are, try to remember that your PR effort must demand more than special events, news releases and talk show tactics if you are to receive the quality public relations results you deserve.

You’ll be glad you took such a step when capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way; customers begin to make repeat purchases; membership applications start to rise; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures start showing up; politicians and legislators begin looking at you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities; new (and very ) welcome bounces in show room visits occur; prospects actually start to do business with you; and community leaders begin to seek you out.

Your public relations professionals can be of real use for your new opinion monitoring project because they are already in the perception and behavior business. But be certain that the PR staff really accepts why it’s SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Above all, be sure they believe that perceptions almost
always result in behaviors that can help or hurt your operation.

Go over your plans with them for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. 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? Are you familiar with our services or products and employees? Have you experienced
problems with our people or procedures?

The cost of using professional survey firms to do the opinion gathering work will be considerably more than using those PR folks of yours, who are already in the
perception business, in that monitoring capacity. But whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify
untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

It’s time to establish a goal calling for action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially painful rumor cold?

It goes without saying that setting your PR goal requires an equally specific strategy that tells you how to get there. Only three strategic options are
available to you when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be
none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like pancake syrup on your Finan Haddie, so be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. You certainly don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

Here, good writing comes to the fore. You must prepare a persuasive message that will help move your key audience to your way of thinking. It must be a carefully-written message targeted directly at your key external audience. Select your very best writer because s/he must come up with really corrective language that is not merely 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.

At this point, you must select the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. There are many
available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.
But be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.
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Do you realize relationships begin shortly after birth and are ongoing ways of life for every person on the planet?

An important part of life depends on how we develop our relationships with others. Perhaps, if we consider examples of this development, a better understanding will enable us to think more clearly before we interact with others.

Examples:

1. At birth we acknowledge a relationship with our mothers
2. Growing up, we build friendships with family members
3. In school, relationships with peers and teachers are normal
4. Most begin their dating relationships along the way
5. Searching for first employment, relationships must be formed
6. To market products, relationships are tried, tested, used

Most sports require close relationships to build a winning team. How far would the space programs have gotten without close working relationships? Would we marry without an excellent relationship with our partner?

As people mature in life, many relate an emptiness that is often difficult to understand or comprehend if a relationship has not been established with our creator. This personal relationship will fill a void that no other can fill. This is the most important relationship of all in every life, for complete fulfillment and joy.
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Press releases are one of the most important elements in the marketing strategy that provides for the maximum exposure of your company and reminds your clients about important developments in your company. The most important aim of the press release is to win the trust of your steadfast clients and inform new customers about your company and its activities. Each of the press releases should contain some indispensable elements such as intriguing and attractive headline, the body of the press release that should describe the developments of your company (for instance you company starts providing new services, it might start manufacturing new products or it launches some new projects). Remember that the most efficient press release must attract the attention of your reader immediately-only few of your potential readers have the time to read numerous press releases submitted to the desk.

The issuing of your pres release should be timely. That is why it is important to cooperate with your marketing professionals who should evaluate and research the market before your press release is issued. The press release should reveal what you are trying to accomplish and why you are publishing it. Your headline is one of the most important elements of your press release; it should be appealing, attracting and interesting; however it must in several words tell whole story. One should try to avoid generalization; press release should communicate with your reader in easy-to-read, coherent and logical style. The text must impress your reader and should not exaggerate, one should remember that the press release is issued to the mass media representatives, who are highly skeptical and are used to treat the information cautiously. Read the rest of this entry »

Copyright 2006 Bernadette Doyle

When a client is thinking about hiring you, two major questions in their mind are: ‘Can this person deliver what they say they can deliver?’ and ‘Will their approach work in our particular business?’ The trouble is no client can really answer these questions until after they have hired you. And that’s the catch 22. This is a major stumbling block which can delay if not totally grind the sales process to a halt.

You can probably think of situations with your own prospects where this is the case. It’s a frustrating stalemate.

Yet for professional service providers, there is a way out of this frustrating conundrum. Promoting your own training courses or seminars can help you avoid this stumbling block because it gives your prospective clients a chance to sample you at low cost and risk for both parties.

Here’s how it works. Think about the REAL reasons why people hire you. For example, if you are a marketing consultant, people aren’t hiring you because they want a consultant: they want a marketing system that gets results! If you are a sales trainer, they aren’t hiring you just for training, they want to increase sales. If you are an accountant, chances are they want to lower their tax bill.
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