And not results you can measure only in terms of magazine
circulation, TV audience numbers, or news release pickups.
But rather, results that come from a public relations effort that
creates the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads
directly to achieving your managerial objectives.
In other words, results that come from doing something positive
about those important outside audiences whose behaviors most
affect your operation. Particularly as you persuade those key
external audiences to your way of thinking by nudging them
to take actions that allow your department, division or
subsidiary to succeed.
When you think about it, public relations boils down to these
realities: the right PR really CAN alter individual perception
and lead to changed behaviors that help you win. But your public
relations effort must involve more than parties, videos, booklets
and column mentions if you really want to get your money’s
worth. What you need is a basic schematic that gets everyone
working towards the same external audience behaviors insuring
that the organization’s public relations effort stays sharply
focused.
Coincidentally, here is such a schematic! 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.
Look at some real results that can come from this approach
to public relations. Membership applications on the rise;
customers making repeat purchases; capital givers or specifying
sources looking your way; new proposals for strategic alliances
and joint ventures; prospects starting to work with you; and
even bounces in showroom visits.
You may be forgiven for wondering how such managers deliver
those kinds of results.
They take the time to analyze who among their most important
outside audiences behaves in ways that help or hinder the
achievement of their objectives. Then, they list them according
to how severely those behaviors affect their organization.
On the point, just how do most members of your key outside
audiences perceive your organization? If paying for professional
survey counsel isn’t in the cards (or in the budget!), your PR
colleagues will have to monitor those perceptions themselves.
Actually, they should be quite familiar with perception and
behavior matters since they’re already in that business.
So you meet with some of those outside folks asking questions
like