Have you ever noticed that in communities without big universities, high school sports take on an even bigger importance?

That’s what it’s like where I live.

But like everywhere else in the country, our high school sports are always looking for ways to make a few extra bucks. Enter the high school baseball sponsorship program.

For a nominal fee (really nominal) businesses can display a banner around the baseball field for the season.

To me, this is a perfect example of a win-win situation for everyone.

Businesses get to advertise to parents (who are currently purchasing adult products and services) and kids (who soon will be purchasing adult products and services). They are able to control their message because they choose the banner (one of the strengths of advertising). And, because the parents and kids viewing the ads know the proceeds are going to help high school sports, they tend to view those businesses more favorably (one of the strengths of community relations).

Best yet, high school sports benefit from an influx of cash.

See how this works? As a business owner, you get the best of all worlds: Control of your message (advertising), frequency of your message (advertising), affiliation with a good cause (community relations) and the good feeling knowing you’re supporting a worthwhile cause (community relations).

Creativity Exercise — How to find win-win advertising and community relations opportunities

Grab some paper and pens (I’m partial to the fun gel pens) and let’s start with some brainstorming.

First, start by making a list of everything you’re looking for. I would include:

* What advertising opportunities does the association offer? For this purpose, make sure they offer some sort of advertising or sponsorship package.

* Is it a cause near and dear to your heart? (Or even just something you believe in?)

* Does the cause reach your target market? This is important. In the above example, as cool as I think that opportunity is, I’m not racing to sign up. Why? Because chances are, I’m not hitting enough of my target market to make it worth my while. And since there’s a limited number of these opportunities, I could potentially be taking something away from a business that could really benefit from it.

However, here’s something else to think about. Basically when it comes to target markets, this is what you have to decide: Is the cause more important than you getting business out of it? The more closely aligned the cause is to your target market, the more likely you’ll see results from your participation. But again, if this is a cause you’re passionate about and it reaches absolutely no one in your target market, you may still want to participate simply because it is so important to you. (I would still look for ways to get something out of your investment — see (LINK TO) How to Use Community Relations to Grow Your Business for more ideas. There’s nothing wrong with reaping some reward for your time and/or money.)

Now that you know what you’re looking for, start digging around for opportunities. Start by calling the local Chamber of Commerce and networking groups like the Rotary and Kiwanis and other organizations that have their fingers on your community’s pulse. Ask about both high-profile events and ones off the beaten path. Make sure you research them both — high-profile events may seem too pricey on the surface, but dig deeper and you may discover it’s perfect for your business. And you may strike gold with smaller venues.

You can also try calling your local area school sports coaches, band directors and fine arts program teachers — all frequently offer programs that might include sponsorships and/or underwriting and/or various forms of advertising. Ditto non-school run sports programs like dance, gymnastics, Pop Warner football, AYSO soccer, Little League, YBL Basketball, etc.

With any luck, you’ll discover your own win-win situation.

Michele Pariza Wacek is the author of "Got Ideas? Unleash Your Creativity and Make More Money." She offers two free e-zines that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at http://www.TheArtistSoul.com

Copyright 2005 Michele Pariza Wacek

When, as a business, non-profit or association manager, you are able to persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your department, division or subsidiary’s success.

And again when those outside stakeholder behaviors deliver results like more people returning to buy again, new prospects sniffing around, individual capital gift levels rising, or more inquiries arriving about strategic alliances and joint ventures.

It especially matters when the emphasis of the PR team assigned to your unit shifts from communications tactics to a comprehensive blueprint that leads to your personal success as a unit manager. Particularly as it demands of you a sharper focus on the very groups of outside people who play a major role in just HOW successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.

But, what really matters most about your public relations is the foundation on which you build your program. For example, one like this: 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.

How you implement such a fundamental premise is the enduring key to success. Discuss it with your PR team, especially the importance of learning how your organization is perceived by those target audience members. It should be obvious to all concerned that those perceptions almost always result in predictable behaviors that can help or hinder your operation.

You need to interact with members of the key target audience and ask a lot of questions. “Do you know anything about us? What do you think of our services, products or people, if anything? Have we ever worked together on a project? Was it a positive experience? Do you have any kind of problem with us?”

If budget is not a problem, you can hire a professional survey firm to gather these data. Or, since your PR people are already in the perception and behavior business, you can put them to work doing this very important work.

Whoever does the perception monitoring work should stay alert for negativities, especially attitudes and voice levels. Watch carefully for untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies or rumors.

Once gathered, these data will form the basis of your public relations goal. Sometimes, the goal is extremely sensitive and specific. Other times, it can be as straightforward as “clarify that misconception, correct that inaccuracy or stifle that rumor.”

Since a goal without a strategy is like a pizza without a beer, you may choose from three strategies usually applied to a perception or opinion problem. Create perception where there isn’t any, change existing opinion, or reinforce it. Always see to it that the strategy you select is an obvious and natural fit with your new public relations goal.

A burning need for writing ability surfaces here because you must prepare a really effective message if you are going to alter any negative perceptions among members of your target audience. Your PR team should be able to handle this assignment just fine, in particular the need for persuasiveness and a compelling writing style. It must be clearly written with excellent factual support if your message is to be believable and result in the altered perception you desire.

Message delivery, fortunately, is a simple matter as you select from among the long list of communiucations tactics available to you. You may choose media interviews, speeches or group briefings, or from among newsletters, emails or brochures. Just be certain the tactics you pick can prove they actually reach people like those in your target audience.

The question of whether progress is being made will surface rather quickly so prepare asap to again interact with, and question members of your target audience. Only this time, you’ll be alert for indications that the negativities have been dealt with and that target audience perception is moving in your direction.

Should you feel the need to accelerate matters, you can always add a few new communications tactics, and increase their frequencies.

It seems safe to say right here that what matters most about public relations is your survival as a manager who uses PR to help reach his or her objectives. Which is precisely why PR demands of you a sharper focus on the very groups of people who play a major role in just HOW successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Before meeting my soon-to-be-wife for the first time, I “Googled” her. Google, with its amazing alacrity, turned up several documents in less than a second.

It turned up a paper she had written for a medical journal. It displayed her dissertation. Iteven showed me an article she had written for her college newspaper.

A lot of our personal information is on the web. It’s a legitimate concern.

So it was understandable when a CEO became irate when a snarky website published all of his personal information it could find – including home address and financial worth – just by going to Google. Sure, it was publicly available information, the CEO acknowledged, but that story was just beyond the pale.

The CEO was so furious, in fact, he ordered his staff not to grant interviews to the news organization, CNet, for an entire year. His choice to “blackball” a website with more than 23 million visitors per month for a full year was a serious one, but one he believed was the right thing to do.

Only one problem. The CEO in question is Eric Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt is the CEO of Google.

In the days following Google’s decision, dozens of news organizations – including National Public Radio, the International Herald Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and the Associated Press – covered it. Many of those stories lambasted Google’s decision. One story was simply called, “Google Goes Berserk.”

Besides being a stunningly tone-deaf decision on Google’s part (the kind people should lose their jobs over), there is at least one big lesson to be learned here.

Sometimes, it’s better to just be quiet.

Had Google chosen to say nothing after the original CNet story came out, it wouldn’t have become an internationally covered story. It wouldn’t have made it to the coffee shops of California, the bistros of Buenos Aires, or the patisseries of Paris.

Google took a relatively small story and, through awful crisis management, turned it into a much larger one. Even worse, it gave endless ammunition to Google’s critics who have long feared the implications of so much readily accessible information on the web.

Finally, they did at least two other things wrong. We left a message for Google asking for their side of the story. To its credit, one of its representatives, David Crane, did call back within a few hours but said that they have not or will not respond to such queries “on-the-record.” That means its enemies continue to get all the ink as Google does nothing. Companies in crisis mode need to say something, even if that means a terse two sentence statement sent via e-mail.

The other thing Mr. Crane did wrong was offer to make comments to me in an “off-the-record” capacity. I’m not a reporter, and was careful about identifying myself honestly. I had no obligation to honor his terms, and could have been the first “reporter” to finally get Google on-the-record.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com

If you manage a department, division or subsidiary for a business, non-profit or association, your primary public relations model probably should read this way: 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.

Properly executed, this comprehensive blueprint will help you persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to your unit’s success.

And, as you move the emphasis of the public relations crew assigned to your operation from communications tactics to the model outlined above, YOU move ever closer to personal success as a unit manager.

Here’s why. The blueprint demands of you a sharper focus on the very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.

Like most managerial initiatives you implement, your new public relations blueprint also will require aggressive execution.

So, sit down with your PR people and explore why it’s so important to know how your operation is perceived by those target audience members. Make certain everyone around the table understands (and accepts) the reality that those perceptions just about always result in predictable behaviors that help or hinder your operation.

Which is precisely why your team will need to interact with your key target audience and ask a number of questions as part of this initial perception monitoring session. “What do you know, if anything, about our services, products or people? Have you ever made contact with us? Was it a positive experience? Do You have any problems with our organization?

You can always retain a professional survey firm to gather these data for you but that can be expensive. Remember that your public relations people are already in the perception and behavior business and can certainly handle this vital assignment.

Regardless of who handles perception monitoring among target audience members, it’s crucial to be on alert for misconceptions, inaccuracies, false assumptions, untruths and, especially, unfounded rumors.

The reason is, the perception data you gather will form the basis of your public relations goal, which can be quite direct such as fix that inaccuracy, correct that untruth, or clarify that misconception.

At this point, you need a strategy to tell you how you’re going to achieve that goal. Where matters of perception and opinion are concerned, there are really just three strategy choices: create perception where there isn’t any, change existing opinion/perception, or reinforce it. But try to size your strategy choice to fit your new public relations goal.

Now, if you’re to actually alter hurtful perceptions among members of your target audience, you need to prepare a message that is not only compelling in its presentation, but completely believable. And it must be crystal clear, factual and persuasive if it is to move opinion in your direction and lead to those behaviors you desire.

Now, when it comes to communication tactics to carry your message to the eyes and ears of your target audience, you’re in luck. There are dozens of tactics available to do the job for you. Everything from speeches, newsletters and brochures to emails, open houses and customer briefings. But keep in mind that you must insure that the tactics you choose have a good record for reaching people just like the members of your target audience.

To show management that progress towards your goal is actually happening, you will have to duplicate the earlier perception monitoring interaction among target audience members. This time, however, you and your PR people will be watching carefully for signs that the offending perception is being altered, AND in your direction.

Happily, there’s one more option open to you – you can speed up the process by adding more communications tactics to the mix, AND increasing their frequencies.

Best part about this particular blueprint is that it will help you ramp up your public relations effort in a way that let’s you pursue the behavior changes you really need if you are to achieve your unit’s operating objectives.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

NOTE: Brad Phillips was a Producer for CNN’s The Capital Gang from 2000-2001.

Robert Novak’s meltdown on CNN’s Inside Politics was predictable, perhaps. After all, he’s spent the past two years fending off growing public criticism for his role in the Valerie Plame leak investigation and has watched helplessly from the sidelines as his media brethren have turned an increasingly scornful eye at his silence. If there’s one thing “old school” reporters like Mr. Novak can’t stand, it’s being part of a story they’re supposed to be covering.

But when he swore after James Carville’s mild provocations and stormed off the set, it was a complete surprise. I ought to know. I used to be Robert Novak’s producer.

Within hours of his outburst, more than 300 news stories – from as far away as Russia, India and South Africa – had already appeared about the incident. With each story, you could faintly hear the echo of liberal commentators uncorking bottles of champagne. Media darling Jon Stewart went so far as to rub his nipples with delight on The Daily Show.

It’s an unsurprising case of schadenfreude, perhaps, since Novak has spent years mocking politicians who self destruct on camera. In early 2004, for example, he wrote about Howard Dean that, “Being overworked is a poor excuse for Dean’s gaffes.”

Robert Novak just had his Dean scream moment.

He’s not alone.

Today, as a full-time media trainer, I see spokespeople from across the nation embarrassing themselves unnecessarily. One recent client, a high-ranking city official, also ripped off his lapel microphone and stormed out of an interview only to see the clip used for seven straight days on the local news.

But the job of a journalist – particularly a television journalist – is to elicit drama. By pairing conservative vs. liberal, the entire construct of the show is intended to create a fiery debate, excluding most of the nuanced views that could lead to a thoughtful conversation. Although CNN’s “Crossfire” may officially be canceled, the left-right debate format is here to stay. I often advise clients to avoid appearing on those programs altogether and to seek a more substantive venue instead.

In many other cases, like that of the city official, viewers will never see the questions posed by a reporter. These “bites” interviews allow a reporter to ask leading, obnoxious, and downright insulting questions, but if the spokesperson loses control and gets angry, that’s all viewers will ever see.

So how can a high-profile spokesperson stay in control during an interview? First, remember the “Seven Second Stray.” Being on message most of the time isn’t good enough. Those seven seconds during an hour-long interview when you respond angrily or say something flip or sarcastic is guaranteed to be included in the segment, and will likely be played over and over again. Novak’s entire incident lasted just 11 seconds.

Second, think out what your response will be to an unexpected antagonistic comment in advance. Practice with someone who knows you well – your spouse, perhaps – and ask them to criticize you in a way they just know will get under your skin. Stay calm during your response, and choose your words carefully. It may make for an awkward dinner with one another, but the practice will help prevent self immolation when you’re on live television.

Third, monitor your non-verbals. Studies show that more than half of the way people perceive you is based not on what you say (or don’t say), but on how you look. If you successfully restrain yourself from making a sarcastic remark but your eyes, face, or body betray your true feelings, viewers will notice.

Mr. Novak’s fate is still uncertain. But just like Janet’s Super Bowl flash, President Clinton’s finger wag and the Dean Scream, Mr. Novak’s walk-off is destined to become a remembered pop culture moment.

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations. He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

For more information and to sign up for free monthly media relations and media training e-tips, visit http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com

What are you trying to do with your business, non-profit or association public relations program? Get a little publicity for a service or product? Or, perhaps, you’re doing what you really should do, persuade your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

To reach that objective, and get a real grip on your PR effort, you need a model like this: 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.

No small matter because this blueprint will help you redirect the focus of the public relations folks assigned to your unit from communications tactics over to your external audiences in a way that allows you to move ever closer to personal success as a unit manager.

The reason this PR paradigm works is that it requires you as the unit manager to zero in on exactly those people who play a big role in how successful a manager you’re going to be – your key external audiences.

The perceptions held by your most important outside audiences are crucial to your success. So meet with your PR crew and hammer out a consensus as to why it’s vital to nail down just how your operation is perceived out there in the real world. They’ll tell you quick-like that those perceptions almost always result in predictable behaviors that can help you or hurt you.

Which means you need to interact with members of your most important target audience while posing a number of questions. “What do you know about our organization? Have you ever made contact with us? Was it a satisfactory experience? Do you have an opinion about our people, services or products? Do you have a problem with our organization?

By the way, if your budget allows a significant expense, you can retain the services of professional survey people to interview target audience members. Of course your own PR staff is already concerned with perception and behavior matters, so they might lend a hand in this regard.

Those participating in monitoring the perceptions of your key target audience must watch carefully for negative responses to your questions. In particular for untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies, rumors or false assumptions.

The data collected during the perception monitoring interviews are the ammunition needed to identify the corrective public relations goal. Examples might be, fix the untruth, clarify the misconception, or kill the rumor.

You still need help, however. Without a strategy to tell you how to reach that goal, not much is going to happen. You have a choice of three strategies. You can create perception/ opinion where there may be none, you can change existing perception, or you can reinforce it. But be certain that your new strategy is a natural fit with the public relations goal you selected.

Now, identify your best writer because you must put together the message which will do the heavy lifting when it alters any questionable perceptions among your target audience members. The message must not only be persuasive, but compelling as well. And it should aim for both factual accuracy and believability if it is to do the job. You may also wish to consider a lower profile means for delivering the message – perhaps during a presentation on another matter – so as not to raise eyebrows by using the press release format.

Actually getting your message to the right people – members of your target audience – is not complex. You have a wide selection of communications tactics at your disposal. They include presentations, brochures, newsletters and personal contacts as well as media interviews, articles, open houses and many others. But check carefully that those your select actually do reach people similar to those who make up your target audience.

You need results, as do all managers. And the best way to be certain your new public relations effort is succeeding is to return to perception monitoring mode and ask the same questions all over again. The difference the second time around is, you and your team will be on the lookout for signs that the negatives you discovered are actually being altered, and that your target audience perception is moving in your direction.

Fortunately, you can put things on a faster track by adding more communications tactics, AND increasing certain frequencies.

You’ll know you have a solid grip on your public relations effort when you avoid communications tactics as a major focus and, instead, apply your resources to persuading your key external stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Have you ever gotten one of those letters from your local property tax appraiser, informing you that your tax bill is going up about 20 percent?

I got one of those recently, so I took it to my friend Joe Gross in San Antonio. He appeals property tax assessments for a living.

"Man," he said. "I’ve never seen assessments shoot up like they have this year."

My "news antennae" shot up. Then when he showed me his new web site, which gave property owners a chance to look up appraisals of other homes in their neighborhood, I told him, "Joe, you’ve got write a press release about this new website."

I helped Joe put together a press release and distribute it to local radio and TV stations. A few nights later, there was Joe, on the evening news, describing his web site to tens of thousands of viewers.

Could it happen to your website? You bet, if you remember a couple of basics–and write an attention-grabbing press release

***Learn to spot opportunities. When you see, hear or read something that relates to your field, call the reporter who did the story and offer "another angle" or a "follow- up." Reporters are often judged on their ability to "enterprise" their own stories and ideas, and if you help make THEIR job easier…guess what they’re likely to do for YOU?

Recently the San Antonio Express News ran a story about some new software. Darrin Schroeder, VP of a San Antonio company that had just rolled out a similar product, called the reporter and offered a "follow-up." Result: front page story, with color picture, several days later.

***Don’t be afraid to ask. Listening to a pitch is part of every reporter’s job. And keep this in mind: because they work on deadline, they don’t always have much time to talk. So sometimes "No" just means "Not now." It’s okay to try again another time.

***Talk high touch more than high tech. A high tech feature is great…but only if it results in a high touch benefit that makes life simpler, easier, more enjoyable, or more interesting. Pitch how it saves time or money and cuts down aggravation. Humanize it as much as possible, and if you know of someone who legitimately loves and uses your site, offer them as a possible interviewee.

Writing a press release to promote your website isn’t nearly as hard as you probably think. It will cost you some time and energy, but it doesn’t have to cost you cash. You WILL get results if you keep trying, and the rewards will far outweigh the effort.

Just ask Joe Gross.

To see the entire press release I wrote for Joe, along with a line-by-line explanation of why I wrote it the way I did, go to http://www.publicity-pro.com/joegross.htm

About the Author: Award winning TV anchor George McKenzie offers a free 7-part email "Publicity Crash Course" at http://www.write-a-press-release.net During his 33-year broadcasting career, George’s work appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, and CNN.

You have been if you’re a business, non-profit or association manager whose public relations budget is focused largely on nifty brochures, column mentions and broadcast plugs. Especially without a workable plan that helps you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

A plan, say, like this one: 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.

Managers like yourself can win big when you base your public relations planning on this kind of blueprint, one that demands of you a sharper focus on the very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be – your key external audiences.

The payoff can take many forms: repeat purchases, a big bounce in showroom visits, increases in capital gifts, new waves of prospects, a large boost in membership applications, and even new inquiries about strategic alliances or joint ventures.

More important, as you move the emphasis of the public relations people assigned to your unit from communications tactics to the blueprint outlined above, YOU move closer to personal success as that unit manager.

Take control of the PR folks assigned to your unit and insure that every last one of them understands why it’s so crucial to know how your operation is perceived by your key target audiences. Be certain that they accept the reality that those perceptions almost always end up as predictable behaviors that, left unattended, can raise cane with your operation.

Discuss how your PR team will undertake a perception monitoring session and question members of your key target audience: have you had prior contact with us? Was it satisfactory? How much do you know about our services or products and people? Have you encountered problems with our organization?

While you can always hire survey specialists to round up these data for you, remember that your very own PR team is already in the perception and behavior game and should be of use for this project.

No matter who handles the perception monitoring drill with members of your target audience, you/they must remain alert for false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and untruths.

The reason for this caution is that the perception information you gather helps you establish your public relations goal. Examples might include, spike that rumor, correct the false assumption, or clarify the misconception.

But how do you go about achieving that goal? You pick the right strategy from the three choices available to you. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. Be certain, however, that the strategy you choose is an obvious fit with your new public relations goal.

Now, what will you say to members of your key target audience to help persuade those with the offending perception to your way of thinking? Select your PR team’s best writer because you must prepare a very special, corrective message. One that is not only compelling and believable, but very clear, based on solid facts and persuasive if it is to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

The next step, luckily, is easy. You must select communications tactics to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Insuring that the tactics you select have a record of reaching folks like the members of your target audience, you can pick from dozens that are available to you. From consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters and personal meetings to speeches, facility tours, emails, brochures and many others.

Keeping in mind that the method of communication can often affect the credibility of the message, you may wish to deliver it during a meeting, a presentation or other small getogethers rather than in a higher-profile press release.

Soon, you will want to demonstrate that your new public relations effort is making progress. And that means a second perception monitoring session with members of your target audience. Using many of the same questions as in your first benchmark session, you will now be on alert for signs that the offending perception is being altered in your direction.

Fortunately, you can always move things along by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

You will not be shortchanged – nor feel shortchanged – when you sharpen your focus on the very groups of outside people who play a major role in just how successful a manager you will be – your key external stakeholders.

Especially when you use a workable plan that helps you persuade those important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that lead to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

About The Author

Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations 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 communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com.

No comment. These are probably the two most damaging words in the English language to the reputation of a professional, business or organization. While positive publicity is always wanted, what happens when bad publicity comes your way?

One day damage control is bound to be necessary. It might be a lawsuit. Maybe an accident at your place of business. Or perhaps a labor dispute. Want it or not, a crisis will bring the media to you and thrust you into the spotlight.

Often the first reaction is to say "no comment." This is the worst thing you could ever say, short of a full admission of wrongdoing. Such a comment is condemning, as it implies you have something to hide. The news media and the public will assume you are guilty.

If your goal is to postpone comment until you assemble the facts, there is another phrase you can use. When asked to comment before you are ready, say this instead: "It would be premature to speculate at this time." Tell the media that you are greatly concerned about the issue, it has assumed top priority, and all resources are being used to assess the situation.

Many reporters will admit privately that you will be treated much better by the media if you use this approach. Look at the world through their eyes. They are on a deadline to produce a story. Even if all you can say is that it’s premature to speculate, you are helping them out.

If the situation is ugly, by all means get professional public relations help. You are about to be tried in the court of public opinion. Abraham Lincoln said that a person who defended himself in court had a fool for a client. You wouldn’t go to a court of law without legal counsel. Don’t go into the court of public opinion without competent counsel as well.

In dealing with the media during a crisis, here are 10 specific steps to follow:

1. Provide media with access to top executives. A senior executive must represent the organization. Someone who sets policy will carry the most weight.

2. Never say "no comment," even for sensitive legal or HR matters. Instead say: It is not our policy to comment on pending legal actions, except to say we think this is without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously.

3. Know your rights as an interviewee. Agree on the ground rules up front. Insist on time to prepare, no matter how hastily.

4. Prepare, prepare, prepare for media interviews. Have three points. Rehearse taking questions. If possible, tell the whole story at once, rather than keeping it alive in the media while additional facts are uncovered.

5. Be open, candid and non-adversarial. Withholding information or evading questions will always backfire. This will look like an attempt to cover up incompetence, or worse, malfeasance.

6. Present information from the viewpoint of the public interest, rather than from the corporation’s interest.

7. Respond to all media inquiries. Avoid the appearance of dodging media inquiries. You will be treated worse. Much worse.

8. Never speculate. Guesswork can be reported as fact. Don’t create expectations you will be held accountable for in the future.

9. Remember past performance when developing responses. Your past record of positive achievements will serve you well during a crisis. Stress positives where appropriate.

10. Sometimes start with a prepared statement. Explain the situation, concern and solution. Tell the truth without being too expansive — then be quiet. Wait for the press to ask questions before going into unnecessary detail.

Henry DeVries is a marketing coach and writer specializing in lead generation for professional service firms. An adjunct marketing professor at UCSD since 1984, he is the author of "Self Marketing Secrets" and the recently published "Client Seduction." Visit http://www.newclientmarketing.com or e-mail questions to henry@newclientmarketing.com.

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

The attribution should read:

"By Henry DeVries of the New Client Marketing Institute. Please visit Henry’s web site at http://www.newclientmarketing.com for additional marketing articles and resources on marketing for professional service businesses."

In public relations, “junk” is more about attitude and lack of understanding than a measure of quality.

Hopefully, if your public relations mission is yet to be accomplished, you agree that its primary thrust MUST be to take advantage of the fact that people act on their own perception of the facts before them leading to predictable behaviors. Then create, change or reinforce that perception/opinion by reaching, persuading and moving to actions YOU desire, those people whose behaviors most affect your organization.

If you buy that idea, you might also agree that a preoccupation with things like brochures versus press releases versus newsletters could be seen as a “junky” approach to public relations. Particularly when you compare it to a comprehensive plan that targets the kind of stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

And those objectives may include customers who make repeat purchases, prospects converted to customers, beneficial joint ventures and strategic alliances, unions more frequently bargaining in good faith or your suppliers doing everything they can to expand the relationship.

How do you find such a plan? Please keep reading.

First, have you ever sat down and listed every outside audience whose behaviors impact your business in any significant way? Well, list them now, then rank them according to how serious each impact is, and let’s work on the external audience at the top of your list.

How frequently do you interact with members of that target audience? Probably not frequently enough to be really aware of how they feel about your organization. You must interact regularly and ask a lot of questions like “What do you think of our business? Have you had experience with our services or our products?” All the while remaining alert to any negativities, especially damaging rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and the like.

Best part of this drill is that the data you gather while monitoring target audience perception leads directly to your public relations goal. In other words, the specific perception alteration and, thus, behavior change you want. But to get there, you must alter those perceptions in such a way that misconceptions are cleared up, rumors are neutralized and inaccuracies are fixed.

The question then becomes, how do you position this message so that it can do what it’s supposed to do? You select a strategy, of course. You’re in luck in that there are just three strategies from which to choose. Create perception/opinion where there really isn’t any, change existing perception, or reinforce it. When you choose your strategy, make sure it matches the goal from which it flows.

Here, real work rears its ugly head. You must prepare the message you hope will alter perception, and thus behaviors in your direction. No easy task but it really is “where the rubber meets the road.” Imagine writing something that ends up changing somebody’s opinion? Now that’s satisfaction!

But the message must highlight the truth in a credible manner while addressing the problem that came up when you monitored your target audience perceptions. Your message must make a compelling case for your point of view, and do so persuasively, with clarity, believability and in a compelling way.

Then you must throw that message to receivers in the end-zone. You must take advantage of the long list of communications tactics available to you to carry that message to the eyes and ears of members of your target audience. You can use facility tours, contests and press releases or speeches, media interviews, newspaper guest columns, emails and many, many others to do the job.

Your real challenge is deciding if you are making acceptable progress. Because you will probably balk at spending a lot of money on professional opinion research, you and your colleagues must then go back to your target audience members and ask the same questions all over again.

What you want to see are indications that perceptions are changing, as the corrective elements of your message take effect.

By the way, if things aren’t moving along fast enough for you, you can always add more tactics to the effort as well as increasing their frequencies. It’s also a good idea to take another look at your message to make certain that it measures up as to factual support, clarity and impact.

Finally, you may be certain you have avoided “junk PR” when your public relations effort targets the kind of stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your objectives.

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.