PR That Entrepreneurs Often Overlook

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Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

PR That Entrepreneurs Often Overlook

If that sounds like you, here’s what you may be missing
once the new enterprise is launched

Public relations that really does something about the
behaviors of those key outside audiences that most
affect your new enterprise.

PR that uses a fundamental blueprint to deliver external
stakeholder behavior change – the kind that leads directly
to achieving your venture’s objectives.

And PR that persuades many of those important outside
folks to your way of thinking, then moves them to take
actions that help your new enterprise succeed.

That’s why you as a small business owner must gear up
to deal with the unattended perceptions out there that could
nudge your fledgling venture closer to bankruptcy than
success. Perceptions that, if left unattended, may well
result in actions that run counter to those you and your
banker had in mind.

For example, when new ventures fail, the wreckage is
often assigned to undercapitalization. Seldom is failure
attributed to a lack of an effective action plan that might
have modified the behavior of prospects and other
collaborators in a positive way, thus averting that failure.

So why support your new venture with press release
public relations when a basic PR blueprint like this one
can hold the key to your success? 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.

Add to that these kinds of results: fresh proposals for
strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers making
repeat purchases; prospects starting to look your way;
community leaders beginning to seek you out; and even
politicians and legislators viewing you as a true innovator.

Major caveat for a new entrepreneurial venture: because
the cost of gathering key audience perception data – an
absolute must in this business – can be substantial, it
should be built into the original funding budget. That
suggests that you, as the new venture leader, must take
the lead in assuring upfront funding of the perception
monitoring function.

So, with the people whose perceptions of your venture
you care most about now the target of your PR effort,
you are ready to launch a well-planned public relations
program that can reach, persuade and move those
individuals to actions you desire.

Here’s a public relations checklist entrepreneurs may
find helpful.

From Day 1, you have to be certain your staff or agency
public relations people are really committed to knowing
how your outside audiences perceive your operations,
products or services. And further, that negative key
audience perceptions almost always lead to behaviors
that can hurt your new venture. Fortunately, your PR
people are in the perception and behavior business to
begin with, so they should be of real assistance for your
opinion monitoring project.

Professional survey firms are always available, but that
can be expensive. So, whether it’s your people or a
survey firm asking the questions, your objective is to
identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, and misconceptions.

First, rank your external audiences as to impacts on your
operation. For example, #1 customers; #2 prospects; #3
employees; #4 local and trade media; #5 your local
business community; #6 community leaders, and so forth.
Then, involve your PR team in plans for monitoring and
gathering perceptions by questioning members of those
you expect will be your most important outside audiences.

Second, interact with members of your key audience and
jot down their first impressions of your fledgling operation,
especially any problem perceptions.

Use questions like these: Now that you’ve read our
brochure, do you believe our products/services will be of
use to people in this area? Have you used the services of
our competitors? Did you find them useful? Fairly priced?
Any problems? Listen carefully for any rumors or
misconceptions about your new operation.

Third, decide which of the negatives you discovered,
rates as the #1 corrective public relations goal – for example,
clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false
assumption or fix a certain inaccuracy.

Fourth, when you finally have the chance to address your key
stakeholder audience to help persuade them to your way
of thinking, what will you say? Ideally, you will prepare
persuasive and compelling messages that not only provide
details about your product and service quality and diversity,
but address perception problems that surfaced during your
monitoring sessions. As the method of communication can
affect the credibility of the message, you may wish to deliver
it in small meetings or presentations rather than through
high-visibility media releases.

Not so incidentally, here’s where a talented writer earns his
or her keep because s/he must put together some very special,
corrective language. Words that are not only believable, but
clear and factual if they are to correct the negatives and shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the
behaviors you have in mind.

Fifth, in the same way Quesadillas come with sauteed
onions and smoky cheese, the right PR strategy tells you
how to reach your goal. But just three strategies are
available in matters of perception and opinion -- change
existing perception, create perception where there may
be none, or reinforce it. And be sure your new strategy
is a natural fit with your new public relations goal.

Sixth, things get simpler here. 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 of tactics. Everything from
speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer
briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings
and many others.

Seventh, how do you decide that your efforts are changing
perceptions for the better? As time passes, you should
notice increased awareness of your business, a growing
public perception of the role your business plays in the
community; and, of course, growing numbers of prospects.

You can track these results by interacting on a regular
basis with people from each of your key audiences,
especially by monitoring print and broadcast media and
through interaction with key customers and prospects.

But eighth, questions will soon appear as to progress. That
will demand a second perception monitoring session with
members of your external audience. Using the same
questions used in the first benchmark session, you will
now be alert to indications that the negative perception
is being altered as you wished.

In public relations, we’re lucky that these efforts can be
accelerated through more communications tactics as well
as increasing their frequencies.

The stakes are high – the very survival of your new
enterprise!

So, concentrate on what’s most important -- people in
your new venture’s community or marketing area behave
like people everywhere, they take actions based on
their perception of the facts available to them.

In the proverbial nutshell, here you have a workable public
relations blueprint that can help you persuade your most
important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then
move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of
your new enterprise.

end