OK, so you’ve decided to begin using letters to editors to promote your work. (I’m using “work” here to mean your practice, consulting, website, or whatever). So how do you begin? This article is going to deal with the practice, nuts-and-bolts aspects of this writing. Tomorrow, I’ll be writing about how to incorporate information into the letter. But there are certain tricks you need to know about writing these letters, and that’s what we’re going to deal with now.

The most important thing you can do is read what the publication says about writing letters. This is the easiest part, but the one that people often ignore. And if you ignore their rules, the publication may ignore your letter. The rules are usually not complicated, and not hard to comply with. And considering that the publication is going to be giving you free publicity, help yourself — and them — out by listening to what they ask you to do. And after listening to their rules, here are mine.

1. Use no more than 350 words in your letter. Some publications will specify less — perhaps 250 — but 350 is a good average. And for the type of letters we’re writing, 350 is plenty of words. Even if the publication doesn’t specify a number, keep your letters under 350. In the first place, shorter letters stand more of a chance of getting printed, and that’s your goal here. And shorter letters stand a greater chance of being read. And again, that’s your goal. Because you’re probably like me. If you see a long piece of print, you may very likely pass by, and read something else. Don’t give readers an excuse to not read your letters. Most readers are lazy these days. Be aware of that, and use a shorter letter to your advantage.

2. It goes without saying that your letter should be typed. (I mean, done on a word processor, of course).

3. Be wary of emailing letters. Most editors will accept emailed letters, but I’ve found that they get lost in the cracks of the email programs sometimes. So, whenever possible, I fax a copy, or actually mail it to them, if need be. If a publication doesn’t list a fax number for letters, call them and ask. If you call in a friendly way, and explain that you are wanting to fax a letter to the editor, someone will usually give you the number.

4. Always provide contact information. Most publications will call to confirm that you are the actual writer of the letter, to avoid liability problems. Give them your name, address, phone numbers, email, and web addresses. The last one is particularly important, because if the editor is intrigued by your piece, he may want to follow up and read more on your site, and that could lead to an article in the publication.

5. Write your letter in one sitting. Doing this allows you to keep your train of thought, and isn’t that difficult if you are keeping to my 350 word rule. (Rule of thumb: 350 words is a single 8 ½ x 11 page, double spaced, in a normal font). Don’t agonize over your letter. Write it up, and it will probably be better than you think it is. And you will get better with practice.

6. After writing your letter in one shot, give it 24 hours to gel. Unless your letter is of crashing importance (in which case you still need to give yourself at least a few hours) giving yourself 24 hours to read it over again before submitting may prevent you from making errors in judgment, logic, or whatever.

7. Ruthlessly check your facts. If you say that Topeka, KS has a population of 171,716 (it does; I checked) make sure you’ve got it right. Almost any number should be checked against a reliable source, unless you are 100%, totally, without a doubt sure of it. And even if you are, it’s still a good idea to check information.

8. Finally, let someone else read your letter before submitting it. Husband, wife, friend, child, anyone will do, but we seldom see the big mistakes in something we ourselves have written. So let them read it, and ask if it makes sense, and if they see mistakes in your letter. Assuming your letter gets published, thousands of people will see it. Better to have your mistake pointed out by one person, than to have thousands wonder if you really know what you are talking about.

Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is ‘Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,’ and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is http://www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com

When it comes to launching a new business or product, some marketing consultants might say that EVERY product is appropriate for a publicity or media exposure campaign. That is true to a degree, but as a PR/publicity professional and former media person, I would qualify that statement by saying that although new products would benefit from a solid publicity campaign, not all businesses or products and their pitches will grab the attention of the media.

A number of strategically generated features or product mentions in magazines, newspapers and TV/radio/cable shows nationwide can lend strong credibility to a new product. That “media bullhorn” can also do wonders toward educating consumers about your product. But does your product — and it’s media pitch — have what it takes to attract the media into giving you coverage in their pages or on their airwaves? As I mentioned, many products or businesses can generate some type of publicity and media interest, but in my professional experience, the types of products and pitches that lend themselves to the best media exposure include:

If you have a new or under-publicized product in one of these categories, the media could be a good friend to you. However, you first have be a friend to the media. Your product (and pitch) needs to have what the media calls a “news peg” — that gives them a logical and newsworthy reason to feature YOUR product as opposed to the 200 other media pitches that are on their desks right now. Additionally, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to do your story or they WILL move onto a competitor’s pitch and product that is easier to cover.

Products/services that don’t really lend themselves to media interest or publicity are things like:

I’m not implying that these types of businesses aren’t media worthy. I’m simply saying that from a media interest, editorial standpoint, there are thousands of competing product and businesses like these on the market and unless they are offering something truly unique, they lack that “news peg” that will attract the media’s attention. If you are launching, let’s say, a new garden tool that is very similar to many other garden tools on the market, don’t expect much interest from the media in putting together a feature. You can create that news peg by answering a few questions:

Bottom line — an expertly maintained publicity campaign can help forge wonderfully reciprocal, mutually beneficial relationships with the media. Reciprocal, in that the media constantly need interesting information to put together their product profiles and business features — and YOU need constant media exposure to get the word out. If your product or business can meet the media standards mentioned above, you could benefit greatly from some solid nationwide media exposure. Getting your product mentioned in print articles and on TV/radio shows nationwide will help spread the word to customers — and at a fraction of the cost of a nationwide advertising campaign.

About The Author

Todd Brabender is the President of Spread The News Public Relations, Inc. His business specializes in generating media exposure and publicity for innovative products, businesses, experts and inventions. Free Publicity Consultations offered online: http://www.spreadthenewspr.com; todd@spreadthenewspr.com; (785) 842-8909

Where do you send your letters to editors? The reality of letters to editors is that the smaller the publication, the more likely your letter will be published. Sending your letter to, say, the New York Times is — unless you are the vice-president of the United States, or above– is almost a guarantee that the letter will not be published. Not because the letter is not good, or anything else, but because they get thousands of letters a year, and can only print a few, so yours is more likely to get lost in the pile.

Unless you have something really exceptional to say. Having said what I did, know also that publications such as the Times do print letters from unknown writers if the writer has something to say, and says it well. What I don’t want is for you to get discouraged by submitting to something like the Times, and giving up. Start lower. A weekly newspaper in your area will almost certainly print your letter (the dark secret of publishing is that publications have to come up with material on a regular — sometimes daily — basis, and sometimes that can be a real task). Give the smaller ones a chance, and hone your skills at writing, while .

These same rules apply to industry publications. While a national journal might get too many letters to print, a smaller industry publication, or a state journal might be desperately needing material, and would be happy to print what you write. Remember: your goal is to get published, not to try and score points. Look to get lots of letters printed, and you’ll come out ahead.

The other rule about sending your letters is that it’s not wrong to submit to more than one publication. The only rules about this are (1) the different publications you submit to should not be competing — in other words, 2 local newspapers should not be sent the same letter — and (2) if a publication insists that any letters sent to them should not be sent elsewhere, try and follow their rules.

Jim Huffman, RN specializes in natural and alternative healing therapies. His first book is ‘Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career,’ and is aimed at helping other nurses find satisfying, dynamic careers. His website is http://www.NetworkForNurses.com and his health blog is at http://www.shababa.blogspot.com

Why, public relations that stays true to its fundamental premise, of course.

In a nutshell, “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 those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.”

Adhere to that, and you can’t go wrong!

Even those who believe public relations is just a bunch of communications tactics, can improve their performance because the premise and its strategy will keep those tactics on the straight and narrow.

How? The premise requires that tactics be selected on the basis of (1) knowing how a target audience perceives the organization, (2) precisely who the tactics should be aimed at, and (3) and most important, what changes in perception, and thus behaviors, are desired so that you can set a goal, then tell if you achieved it or not.

That way, the tactics have a fair chance of doing some good by visibly helping you achieve your business objectives.

Happily, even when “practiced best,” this isn’t rocket science. All it takes is a brief but logical plan.

Decide which external audience of yours has the most serious impact on your organization. That becomes your key target audience, and off we go!

Can’t do much if we don’t know how they perceive you and your organization. So, you’ve got to get out there among members of that key target audience and ask some questions.

What do they think of you and your operation? Notice any negatives? Are misconceptions, inaccuracies or rumors becoming evident? Any undercurrents surfacing? Is there a problem coming down the pike?

When this monitoring phase is complete, you can set a public relations goal that corrects the problem you turned up. For example, your goal might try for a positive impact on individual perception by explaining your pricing policies, or replacing a damaging rumor with the truth.

Now you need to know how you’re going to reach that goal. And that’s where strategy comes in. You have three choices. You can create opinion (perception) where none exists, or you can change existing opinion, or simply reinforce it. Your choice will respond to what you turned up during your monitoring phase.

If there is a tough part in our brief and logical plan, this is it. You need a really good, corrective message for delivery to your key target audience. It must be clear as spring water, VERY persuasive and, of course, the unvarnished truth. Prepare a draft, then try it out on two or three members of your external audience, then adjust as needed.

Now we come to those “beasts of burden” we discussed up front, the communications tactics themselves. These foot soldiers, to mix a metaphor, will carry your corrective message to the eyes and ears of members of the target audience. A pretty important step, so choose well.

Luckily, you have a ton at your disposal. Emails, personal meetings, news releases, radio interviews and special events. Or, letters-to-the-editor, face-to-face meetings, speeches and open houses. A long list.

Your work is not quite over. How do you know whether your brief and logical plan is working?

The answer is, you will not know for certain until you and your colleagues get back into the field and talk to members of that all-important key audience population all over again.

I know, I know, that’s time consuming and a powerful lot of work. But it’s worth it! What you want to question those folks about, of course, is the same topics you raised the first time around. Only now, you’re looking for altered perceptions.

For example, does the second set of responses indicate that you were successful in clarifying the misconception? Or that the inaccurate belief is morphing into your version? Or, that the irritating (and potentially dangerous) rumor has been laid to rest?

If, however, feedback shows more work is needed, it’s back to the drawing board for a better mix and frequency of higher-impact communications tactics. Plus, another look at your message – was it clear enough? Were the best “hot buttons” pressed? Did you include the right facts and figures to support your case?

Fact is, the Pot ‘o Gold at the end of this rainbow is consistency. When you gather responses showing a consistently positive pattern, that brief and logical plan of yours is beginning to produce the success promised by the fundamental premise of public relations.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2003

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Crisis planners take note: there are significant lessons to be learned from the tragedy wrought by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Painful lessons that, morethan four years after the anniversary of 9-11, we still have not learned.

First and foremost is the need to fix the problem and provide care for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced and devastated by the wind and water damage. Next up is the need for a plan that anticipates the magnitude of this kind of calamity. And finally, we should never assume that prior planning is sufficient to prepare us for the disasters we seek to mitigate.

Watching the news and listening to the various responsible parties point the finger at each other reminds me of the time when, after an argument with my wife, we found our three-year old son walking around the house saying, “It’s not my fault, it’s your fault. It’s not my fault, it’s your fault.” What lessons do we teach our children and each other when we shirk the responsibility that comes with the job of being a parent? An adult? A leader?

We are awfully able at assigning blame after the fact and pathetically poor at preparing for the inevitable crises that await all of us. I suppose it has something to do with control and our need to exert it in the realm of our daily lives. When we believe we have control, life somehow seems more manageable and predictable. Trouble is, the power to control our fate is not in our hands. What we do have is the ability to manage the variables that constitute life as we know it. When we confuse our ability to manage with our ability to control, disappointment –- even catastrophe –- is inevitable.

If we are to be effective crisis planners, we must first play the “What if?” game -– what is the worst thing that could happen? In New Orleans, this question has been asked and answered repeatedly. Just last year, FEMA participated in a mock exercise they labeled Hurricane Pam and the predictions were eerily similar to what we are seeing on our television sets today. So what went wrong?

The five “Ps”. Poor planning produces poor performance. The resources needed to prepare for the predicted devastation – money, materials, time and manpower – were not sufficiently allocated. At every level, the managers sidestepped their responsibility to be managers and turned over their authority to the controllers. As in, don’t worry about the details, everything’s under control.

Perhaps the American institution best-prepared for a crisis is our military. After all, that is its reason to exist, defending Americans and our interests when all else fails. While some argue that events leading up to 9-11 could have been anticipated, few can question our country’s military cability to respond in the immediate aftermath. Yet the consequences of Hurricane Katrina show us that our civil agencies were woefully unprepared for the inevitable. It’s like the man who marches into the woods with a shotgun to defend his property, yet succumbs to a heart attack from a lifelong diet of junk food.

The cost of being unprepared -– not just in dollars, but in human life -– is staggering and incalculable. When it comes to assigning blame, it appears our elected officials, Democrat and Republican alike, are the guilty parties. Hoping beyond hope that such a tragedy would not occur on their watch, they led us all whistling through the graveyard. If such a collapse befell a corporation, the shareholders would toss the officers and board members out on the sidewalk. Let’s hope the American voters have the constitutional strength to do the same with their politicians.

Crisis planning is not easy and never perfect, which is why many people, businesses and institutions fail to do it. Yes, it takes time and energy away from managing our day-to-day activities. And it cannot be reduced to an exercise that is documented and put on the shelf. It is an ongoing, organic process that must adapt to ever-changing variables. If we fail to plan for a crisis, we will ultimately fail anyway. We need to start now. In our lives, our businesses, and our country.

Peter terHorst is president of SymPoint Communications. For more information, visit http://www.sympoint.com

© 2005 SymPoint Communications. All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in whole or in part in print, on a web site or in an email newsletter, as long as you include a complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please notify me where the material will appear.

The attribution should read:

"By Peter terHorst, SymPoint Communications. Please visit http://www.sympoint.com for additional articles and public relations services."

It could, but what if it doesn’t?

Will you be prepared?

Will those key external audiences of yours, whose behaviors REALLY affect you, look favorably at you and your business?

Because, once the economy emerges from recession, if they don’t, you’ll have one arm tied behind your back.

Don’t let that happen. Instead, decide now which groups of people outside your organization can help or hurt you the most. For our purposes, that #1 group is your key target audience.

What’s going through the minds of members of that audience? You and your people must monitor those perceptions by interacting with these important folks, and asking questions. Yes, that takes time, but you must do it!

Take this approach when you actually meet those members. Start with questions. What do you think of our operation, products or services? Stay alert for wrong thinking, misconceptions and inaccuracies that can hurt. Watch for rumors or beliefs that can lead to behaviors that will pain you. And be especially sensitive to negative conversational tone. Does it suggest that a problem may be on the horizon?

The answers you gather will let you create a corrective public relations goal. It may call for straightening out a damaging misconception about your service quality, or it may seek to replace an inaccurate perception with the truth. Sometimes, your public relations goal will zero in on a particularly hurtful rumor with plans to lay it to rest. For that matter, even a less than positive overall impression of your organization can be targeted for improvement by your public relations goal

How do you achieve that goal? You select a strategy that shows you how to get there. There are only three choices. Create opinion (perceptions) where none exist, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. Select the one that obviously fits your public relations goal.

Now, we think message. What are we going to say to your target audience?

First, your message must aim at correcting the misconception, inaccuracy, rumor, even a lukewarm enthusiasm for your organization. But it must be persuasive, and compelling with its meaning as clear as possible. It must also prevent any further misunderstanding. Try it out on a test sampling of members of your target audience, then adjust the content if needed.

How will you get your message to the attention of that key external audience? “Beasts of burden,” that’s how! Better known as communications tactics that will carry that message to the right eyes and ears.

And there are many tactics awaiting you. Personal contact, radio interviews, newsletters and open houses. Or contests, news conferences, emails and press releases. There are literally scores available.

So, after two or three months of aggressive communications between you and your key audience, are you making any progress?

Only way to find out is to monitor once again what members of your key audience are thinking. Same questions as the first set of interviews, but now what you want to see are perceptions altered in your direction.

For example, you want to know if that inaccurate belief has been successfully neutralized. Or that misconception cleared up. Or that rumor effectively killed.

Certainly, if you discover little progress in those areas, you will revisit your message and evaluate whether it offers believable facts, figures and rationale. In particular, you should revet it for clarity.

And, because there are so many communications tactics available to you, selecting higher-impact tactics, then applying them with greater frequency, will probably be the ticket for the second round.

However, as the day arrives when answers to your remonitoring questions show clear, consistent improvement, you may be excused for concluding that your public relations effort is, at long last, taking advantage of an economy emerging from recession.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

The best PR agency in the world is worthless if it fails to remember one fundamental truth –- It’s About People.

Many PR types lose sight of this simple axiom in the face of the technology onslaught that constantly inundates the market with new-and-improved products and services. Whether we ask for them or not, high-tech companies are constantly giving us trick new bells and whistles in the all-or-nothing game of one-upmanship necessary to maintain and expand marketshare. PR novices and seasoned pros alike are often bewildered as they seek to understand their client’s latest offerings. A company’s good name relies on the ability of their PR people to make sense of these technologies and craft messages that resonate with consumers. And yet, the zoomiest high-tech product won’t stand out in the public’s mind if the firm fails to draw attention to the people responsible for the product’s design.

Successful companies are led by visionary founders or executives who inspire those around them to achieve -– the R&D and manufacturing engineers, the marketers, the customer service people, even the accountants. When crafting core PR messages, it is critically important to get inside the heads of the people who designed the latest widgets so that the product copy reflects their vision. Just as important, their voices need to be heard through written quotes and even public appearances. Why?

Brand image. As consumers in the modern-day medina, we want to believe that we do business with people who care about us, with organizations that reflect our values. Our purchases are an extension of ourselves and we want them to somehow matter. If a company is faceless, we aren’t going to take the time to figure out who they are; we are going shopping at the next kiosk. When an entire industry loses its identity, their products become simple commodities and we are left to ask our friends for advice and price shop.

Need examples? Airline companies today struggle with the public’s frustration born out of confusing fare structures, long delays, cramped seating, and poor customer service. It is hard to believe there was a time not so long ago when we all dressed in suits and dresses whenever we flew and gladly put up with numerous irregularities; flying was special and we were treated that way. Today, we are reduced to shopping for the lowest airline price. And yet, at the end of the flight, many of us will climb into cars that cost thousands of dollars more than basic transportation because we believe in the manufacturer’s publicized commitment to high-performance, safety engineering or fuel conservation.

People matter to consumers, and it’s not just in regard to for-profit companies. Non-profits are particularly susceptible to the capriciousness of human philanthropy. When we give our dollars to a cause, it has to matter. If we suspect the sincerity of the organization, if it seems to be foundering with no one at the helm, or if we doubt that our donations are reaching the intended beneficiaries, we immediately suspend our support. And then we tell everyone we know, creating irreparable harm to the organization’s image.

Because people matter and no two are the same, every organization, no matter how large or small, is unique by definition. Herein lies the secret to every successful PR effort. When you tap into the distinctive character of an organization, an effective PR strategy awaits.

Peter terHorst is president of SymPoint Communications. For more information, visit http://www.sympoint.com

© 2005 SymPoint Communications. All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in whole or in part in print, on a web site or in an email newsletter, as long as you include a complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please notify me where the material will appear.

The attribution should read:

"By Peter terHorst, SymPoint Communications. Please visit http://www.sympoint.com for additional articles and public relations services."

It can bite you and waste your public relations budget when the program emphasizes communications tactics instead of how to make certain your key outside audiences understand who and what you are.

Especially sad when tactics are placed in motion before you really know how your key target audience views your organization, and exactly at whom those tactics should be directed. Things can really fall apart if you then fail to decide up front what changes in perceptions, and thus behaviors you desire at the end of the program.

That’s no way to structure a public relations program.

Instead, before pulling any triggers, ask one big question. Who is my #1 public relations target? Focus on that certain outside audience that you know affects your organization more than any other. It makes sense because that particular external “public” probably will have a big say about the survival of your organization.

Keep in mind that your other external audiences will need similar care and feeding as you move forward.

So, with your target in sight, you need to interact with members of that key audience and get inside their heads. What, if anything, do they think about you and your organization? As you talk to them, do negative feelings or observations come to the surface? Why? What appears to need correction? Are there inaccuracies? Misconceptions? For that matter, is there a dangerous rumor loose out there that badly needs neutralizing?

The answers are solid gold because they let you form a public relations goal which, when achieved, corrects what’s wrong. Your goal could be to knock down that rumor, clarify that misconception, or correct that inaccuracy.

In setting your goal, stay alert to the fact that altering the perceptions of that target audience recognizes that perceptions almost always lead to predictable behaviors that can either hurt or help you achieve your objectives.

Now you need a roadmap that tells you how to get to that goal. In other words, a strategy. In dealing with personal opinion, we only have three strategic choices. Create, change or reinforce that perception, i.e., that opinion.

Which of the three strategies you employ is dictated by, and flows naturally from your public relations goal.

Now, the toughest part of the public relations problem solving sequence is formulating what you are going to say to your #1 target audience.

Your message must be very clear as to what needs clarifying, correcting or rebuttal. It should, no, MUST be persuasive and believable as well as direct and candid as possible. Make it as compelling as can be. And to help prevent further misunder- standing, give your message draft a trial run before two or three members of your target audience, and adjust as needed.

Here comes the fun part – deciding which communications tactics will best carry that super message of yours to the right eyes and ears among your target audience.

There are scores of such tactics available to you including, for example, newspaper interviews, face-to-face meetings, press releases, special events, speeches and many, many more. This is where we hear groans when we point out that you must once again monitor what members of your key target audience are perceiving about your organization. The reason, of course, is to determine if your public relations program is making any progress.

Same questions the second time around. But now, you want to see if all those communications tactics succeeded in moving key audience perception in your direction.

If not far enough, you may have to increase the frequency and mix of your tactics. And you may need to take another look at your message reassessing its content for believability and impact.

The test for public relations success will turn on whether you actually altered enough perceptions, and their follow on behaviors, in your direction.

In which case, you will have insured that your most important outside audiences understand who and what you are. And that strongly suggests that your organization is well on its way to achieving its operating objectives.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

In the PR world, it is a well-kept secret that some business owners and professionals are often the best people to conduct their own PR. Why? It’s not surprising that many PR agencies would like to have this business. Yet sometimes, the best service a PR agency can provide a new client is to help them do their own PR.

A good example is the role of spokesperson.

Every business, profession or non-profit benefits from having a spokesperson. The right person brings credibility to the organization’s mission. And often, the best spokesperson is the individual who started the business and continually invests their own sweat-equity into the organization’s success. They have experience putting their best foot forward before lenders, community leaders, clients and customers. Most founders also have a keen sense of where the market is moving with respect to their products or services. With a little coaching, it only stands to reason that they can speak most effectively for their cause.

What forms can do-it-yourself PR take? Many civic organizations, professional groups and trade associations seek weekly or monthly speakers who can plainly discuss their business, trade, or profession. Local community colleges and universities often seek guest speakers for their students. Another excellent opportunity is found in the written word: guest editorials in the local newspaper or an industry trade journal can establish the author as an expert in their field. Local radio and television news provide another outlet for expert commentary. In the electronic media, don’t overlook the power of web-based PR services. A well-written press release provides a voice for an organization and, for as little as $30, will be picked up and distributed by search services such as Google and Yahoo - Internet powerhouses that feed news companies and freelancers around-the-world.

All well and good you may say, but how do you get started? Seek out the services of a PR professional and ask them to help you craft a practical strategy with logical steps that will take you from novice to PR spokesperson in a manner that best suits your talents. Maybe you’re not a good writer; no worries, a good PR pro can ghost-write for you, or take up the slack in another area.

With time and a little effort, you will soon see success –- perhaps enough to engage your trusted PR company on a full-time basis.

Peter terHorst is president of SymPoint Communications. For more information, visit http://www.sympoint.com

© 2005 SymPoint Communications. All rights reserved. You are free to use this material in whole or in part in print, on a web site or in an email newsletter, as long as you include a complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please notify me where the material will appear.

The attribution should read:

"By Peter terHorst, SymPoint Communications. Please visit http://www.sympoint.com for additional articles and public relations services."

If you do, it means:

1. you don’t value tracking the perceptions of important outside audiences whose behaviors could sink your ship:
2. you don’t care about setting a public relations goal designed to correct misconceptions, inaccuracies or rumors that can hurt you;
3. you care even less about strategies to get you from here to that PR goal you already don’t care about;
4. and you certainly don’t value the persuasive messages you need to convince your key outside audiences that their damaging perceptions of your enterprise are dead wrong.

Man, that’s risky and an awful lot not to care about!

Actually, I don’t believe you don’t care, and I don’t believe you’re really ignoring public relations. If you were, by now your organization would be on its last legs, Kaput!, Morto!

In fact, you may be a closet PR person who knows better. Why you may even buy the fundamental premise of public relations:

“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 those people whose behaviors affect the organization, the public relations mission is accomplished.”

I’ll bet you’re also pretty darn good at monitoring what that #1 external audience thinks about you and your organization. And that you regularly interact with them asking questions like What do you think of us? Why? while watching for negative undertones, wrong-headed beliefs or misconceptions.

And that means you’ll be anxious to create a public relations goal that corrects such misconceptions because they can lead directly to negative behaviors that will hurt you.

In practice, your goal may be focused on pacifying an activist group, reinforcing prospect interest in your product or service, or even countering a painful rumor.

You’re probably ahead of me in forming the strategy you need to reach that goal. For better or worse, there are only three ways to deal with opinion or perception problems. Create some all-new opinion where none exists, change existing opinion, or reinforce it.

With goal and strategy both in hand, you now have some real work to do. What will you need to say to your key audience members to persuade them to your way of thinking? You must be clear about what should be corrected or clarified. You must also be persuasive, and your facts and figures believable. And if appropriate, try to be compelling, perhaps with a certain sense of urgency.

Your “foot soldiers” – communications tactics – can now carry that hard-won message to the attention of your #1 target audience, and there are scads of them just waiting for you to send them into action. For example, speeches, news releases, brochures, special events, radio interviews and one-on-one meetings.

One question remains. How do you tell whether or not you are making any headway with your public relations effort?

You again interact with members of that key audience of yours. And yes, with questions very similar to those you asked during your original information gathering exercise at the start of the program. Only this time, you are more interested in whether your communications tactics have moved perceptions in your direction.

Do the new responses show signs that your were successful in changing that inaccurate belief? Or correcting that misconception? Or killing that dangerous rumor for good?

Not enough movement? Take another look at your message to see if it is really compelling. Is it honestly persuasive? Are your facts supportive of your goal and strategy? Is it written clearly enough?

I want to reemphasize that what you are looking for at this stage is a strong indication that your efforts have clearly moved perceptions and target audience behaviors in the desired direction.

When this second monitoring drill allows that conclusion, you will have good reason to value highly your public relations goal, strategy, message and communications tactics.

Together, they will have made it possible for you to say, as promised in the fundamental premise,“My public relations mission is accomplished.”

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.

Robert A. Kelly © 2003

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

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