It really is powerful when a business, non-profit orassociation manager uses public relations to alter the individual perception of members of its key outsideaudiences, thus beginning the process of changing theirbehaviors.

And truly powerful when s/he actually persuades manyof those key outside folks to the manager's way ofthinking, helping to move them to take actions that allowthe manager's department, division or subsidiaryto succeed.

What's happening in our example, is that managers areusing public relations to do something positive about thebehaviors of the very outside audiences of theirs thatMOST affect their operation.

ESPECIALLY "warm and fuzzy" when such powercreates the kind of external stakeholder behavior changethat leads directly to achieving the manager's mostimportant objectives.

Wouldn't it be nice, you say, if managers had available the precise public relations blueprint they need designedto get all their team members and organizationalcolleagues working towards the same external stakeholderbehaviors?

Yes it would, so here is a PR blueprint plan along thoselines: People act on their own perception of the factsbefore them, which leads o predictable behaviors aboutwhich something can be done. When we create, change orreinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving- to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affectthe organization the most, the public relations mission isaccomplished.

The word powerful seems appropriate when results likethese start to crop up: new proposals for strategicalliances and joint ventures; capital givers or specifyingsources looking your way; a rebound in showroom visits;membership applications on the rise; fresh communityservice and sponsorship opportunities; new thoughtleaderand special event contacts; improved relations withgovernment agencies and legislative bodies; prospectsstarting to work with you; customers making repeatpurchases; and even stronger relationships with theeducational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

The division of labor will be a prime concern to you.Just who is going to do the work anyway? Will it be regular public relations staff? Or people sent to you bya higher authority? Or possibly a PR agency crew?Regardless of where they come from, they must becommitted to you as the senior project manager,to the PR blueprint and its implementation, starting withkey audience perception monitoring.

Something to keep your eye on. Be sure that your teammembers really believe deeply why it's SO important toknow how your most important outside audiences perceiveyour operations, products or services. Be certain they buythe reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviorsthat can help or hurt your unit.

Invest some time in reviewing your PR blueprint with yourPR team, especially your plan for monitoring and gatheringperceptions by questioning members of your most importantoutside audiences. Questions like these: how much do youknow about our organization? Have you had prior contactwith us and were you pleased with the interchange? Howmuch do you know about our services or products andemployees? Have you experienced problems with our peopleor procedures?

If your budget will allow, you can use professional surveycounsel for the perception monitoring phases of your program.But remember that your PR people are also in the perception andbehavior business and can pursue the same objective: identifyuntruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that mighttranslate into hurtful behaviors.

Now you must establish your public relations goal. This is yourchance to do something about the most serious distortions youdiscovered during your key audience perception monitoring.Your public relations goal might call for straightening out thatdangerous misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy,or stopping that potentially fatal rumor in its tracks.

To achieve success, you need a solid strategy, one that clearlyshows you how to proceed. To keep things simple, note thatthere are only three strategic options available to you when itcomes to handling a perception and opinion challenge. Changeexisting perception, create perception where there may be none,or reinforce it. Of course, the wrong strategy pick will taste likespoiled rhubarb pie so be certain the new strategy fits wellwith your new public relations goal. Naturally, you don't wantto select "change" when the facts dictate a "reinforce" strategy.

This is your chance to share a powerful corrective message with members of your target audience. But persuading an audience toyour way of thinking is no easy task. Which is why your PR folksmust come up with words that are not only compelling, persuasiveand believable, but clear and factual. Only in this way will yoube able to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards yourpoint of view, leading to the behaviors you are targeting.

Run a message draft by your communications specialists to be sure its impact and persuasiveness measure up. Then select the communications tactics most likely to carry your message tothe attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozensthat are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails andbrochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters,personal meetings and many others. But be sure that the tacticsyou pick are known to reach folks just like your audiencemembers.

You might consider unveiling the message in presentationsbefore smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile tacticssuch as news releases. Reason is, the credibility of a messagecan depend on the credibility of its delivery method.

The subject of progress reports will come up soon enough. And this should alert you and your PR team to get back out in thefield and start work on a second perception monitoring sessionwith members of your external audience. You'll want to usemany of the same questions used in the first benchmark session.Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefullyfor signs that the bad news perception is being altered in yourdirection.

If things slow down, try speeding them up with morecommunications tactics and increased frequencies.

By now you should know this powerful reality at the core ofpublic relations: the right PR can alter individual perceptionleading to changed behaviors which, in turn, lead directly toachieving your managerial objectives.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource boxin your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.Word count is 1160 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2005.

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit andassociation managers about using the fundamental premise of publicrelations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR,Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR,Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant presssecretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degreefrom Columbia University, major in public relations.mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com