PR's Only True Measure

Title:PR's Only True MeasureWord Count:1010Summary:Can we agree that managers MUST plan to dosomething positive about the behaviors of thoseimportant external audiences of theirs that MOSTaffect their operation?

Keywords:public relations, perception, persuasion,opinion, behavior, communications, publicityArticle Body:Sure, you could measure the rather narrow resultsachieved by tactical subsets of your publicrelations program like special events, brochures,broadcast plugs or press releases. On the otherhand, you as a business, non-profit orassociation manager might better measure theresults of your strategic efforts to alterindividual perception among your key outsideaudiences leading to changed behaviors, whichthen help you achieve your managerial objectives.I mean, can we agree that managers MUST plan todo something positive about the behaviors ofthose important external audiences of theirs thatmost affect their operation?

And especially so when they persuade those keyoutside folks to their way of thinking by helpingto move them to take actions that allow theirdepartment, division or subsidiary to succeed?But it takes more than good intentions for anymanager to alter individual, key-audienceperception leading to changed behaviors,something of profound importance to ALL business,non-profit and association managers.He or she needs a plan dedicated to getting everymember of the public relations team workingtowards the same external audience behaviorswhich insures that the organization publicrelations effort stays sharply focused.The plan could be based on a foundation that lookslike this: people act on their own perception ofthe facts before them, which leads to predictablebehaviors about which something can be done. When

we create, change or reinforce that opinion byreaching, persuading andmoving-to-desired-action the very people whosebehaviors affect the organization the most, thepublic relations mission is accomplished.Results can materialize faster than you mightsuspect.For example, bounces in showroom visits;new proposals for strategic alliances and jointventures; customers making repeat purchases;prospects starting to work with them;membershipapplications on the rise, and capital givers orspecifying sources looking their way.Watch the real performers at work. They find outwhoamong their key external audiences is behavingin ways that help or hinder the achievement oftheir objectives. Then, they list them accordingto how severely their behaviors affect theirorganization.Next they must determine how most members of that

key outside audience perceive the organization.If the resources to pay for what could be costlyprofessional survey counsel arenot there, Ms. orMr. manager and his or her PR colleagues will haveto monitor those perceptions themselves.Actually, the PR folks should already be quitefamiliar with how to gather and assess perceptionand behavior data.Doing so means meeting with members of thatoutside audience and asking questions like re youfamiliar with our services or products??Have youever had contact with anyone from ourorganization? Was it a satisfactoryexperience??And if you are that manager, you mustbe sensitive to negative statements, especiallyevasive or hesitant replies. Watch carefully forfalse assumptions, untruths, misconceptions,inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors.When you find such, you will need to take stepsto correct them, as they inevitably lead tonegative behaviors.

Now comes the challenge of selecting the specificperception to be altered which then becomes yourpublic relations goal. You obviously want tocorrect those untruths, inaccuracies,misconceptions or false assumptions.The core reality of the whole drill is that a PRgoal without a strategy to show you how to getthere, is like corned beef and cabbage without thecabbage. It justnot the same. So, as you selectone of three strategies (especially constructedto create perception or opinion where there maybe none, or change or reinforce it,) what you mustdo is insure that the goal and its strategy matcheach other. You wouldnot want to select hangeexisting perception?when current perception isjust right suggesting a einforce?strategy.Now the time has come when you must create acompelling message carefully constructed toalter your key target audience perception, as

specified by your public relations goal.Remember that you can always combine yourcorrective message with another newsannouncement or presentation which may give itmore credibility by downplaying the apparent needfor such a correction.The content of the message must be compelling andquite clear about what perception needsclarification or correction, and why. Naturallyyou must be truthful and your position logicallyexplained and believable if it is to hold theattention of members of that target audience, andactually move perception in your direction.Occasionally, folks in the PR business willallude to the communications tactics necessary tomove your message to the attention of that keyexternal audience, as easts of burden?becausethey must carry your persuasive new thoughts tothe eyes and ears of those important outside

people.Luckily, there is a wide choice because the listof tactics is lengthy. It includesletters-to-the-editor, brochures, pressreleases and speeches. Or, you might choose radioand newspaper interviews, personal contacts,facility tours or customer briefings. There arescores available and the only selectionrequirement is that the communications tacticsyou choose have a record of reaching people justlike the members of your key target audience.Of course, you can always move things along byadding more communications tactics, AND byincreasing their frequencies.Right about now, the subject of progress reportswill arise,but you will already be hard at workremonitoring perceptions among your targetaudience members to test the effectiveness ofyour communications tactics. Using questions

similar to those used during your earliermonitoring session, youl now be on sharp alert forsigns that audience perceptions are beginning tomove in your general direction.Throughout, keep your eye on the core of thisapproach: persuade your most important outsideaudiences with the greatest impacts on yourorganization to your way of thinking. Then movethem to take actions that help your department,division or subsidiary prevail.Thus, instead of measuring the rather narrowresults achieved by the tactical subsets of yourpublic relations program like special events,brochures, broadcast plugs or press releases, youwill have discovered the only true measure ofpublic relations: the results of your strategicefforts to alter individual perception among yourkey outside audiences leading to changedbehaviors, helping you achieve your managerialobjectives.