Managers and PR Genius

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Robert A. Kelly © 2003.

Managers and PR Genius

The real public relations geniuses might be managers.
You know, managers who pursue their objectives by
reaching, persuading and moving those outside audiences
whose behavior most affect their organizations, to
actions those managers desire.

Their “secret” is probably a PR 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.

What a PR blueprint like this gives YOU, a business,
non-profit or association manager, are the tools you need
to persuade your important external stakeholders to your
way of thinking. Then, hopefully, move them to take
actions that lead to your success.

Best part is, the public relations people assigned to your
department, division or subsidiary can run the program
for you if, that’s IF, you as the unit manager stay involved
and participate in key decisions along the way.

First concern? In all probability, your PR staff will need
to shift its attention from simple communications tactics
to the more aggressive fundamental concept of public
relations, and its action blueprint, mentioned above.

It’s worth the effort because the payoff for you will be
target audience behaviors like these: boosts in repeat
purchases, or higher contribution and membership
application rates, or new waves of interested prospects.

Sit down with the PR folks who work for your unit and
explain the need to list, in priority order, those key outside
audiences. And discuss the importance of learning how
the organization is perceived by members of those
audiences. In particular because perceptions almost always
lead to predictable behaviors, and that, of course, is what
will soon concern you the most.

To probe those target audience perceptions, you and
your staff must interact with members of that key external
audience and ask a variety of questions. For example,
“Do you know anything about us? Have you had dealings
with us? Was there ever a problem with a transaction?

During these perception monitoring sessions, stay alert for
negativity. Was there a glaring inaccuracy that popped up
repeatedly? Any false assumptions about your services or
products? Did you notice misconceptions, rumors or
clearly negative attitudes? And watch especially for evasive
or hesitant responses.

The data you gather from these perception monitoring
interviews allow you to establish your public relations goal.
You must decide to focus on correcting a dangerous inaccuracy
or clarifying a troublesome misconception.

As a manager, you know that goals are achieved using the
right strategy. In the case of perception and opinion matters,
there are just three workable strategies available to you:
reinforce existing perception/opinion, create perception where
there may be none, or change existing opinion. Only caveat:
be sure your chosen strategy fits well with the public relations
goal you have established.

Now your PR people must prepare the message that will alter
perception among members of your target audience. As the
unit manager, your personal input will be required to insure
that it is both persuasive and compelling. As well, the
message must be clearly written, and well supported with
facts if it is to be believable as it strives to alter perception
in your direction.

Delivering your message is not a complex task and your PR
folks will help select the proper communications tactics to
get the job done. Luckily for all concerned, there is a full
menu of such tactics from special events, news announcements,
print and broadcast interviews and brochures to newsletters,
speeches, emails and many others.

To satisfy all concerned that the effort to alter an offending
perception is really working, you must re-monitor the
perceptions of members of your external target audience

This go-around, however, will see all members of the public
relations team on the lookout for clear-cut signs that the
negative perception is actually being altered according to
plan.

You should also be aware that matters can be accelerated by
adding new communications tactics to the effort, AND/OR
by increasing their frequencies, as appropriate.

If genius is too strong a descriptive for managers who apply
this public relations blueprint, let us at least observe that it
allows them a degree of success in achieving their unit
objectives they did not previously enjoy.