Each of us is exposed to people from other cultures on a regular basis, in the workplace, in our social activities, at school, or even within our families. Our culture hinders us from getting our message across as well receiving the full message that others want to convey to us. This article expound on three aspects: what culture is, the main causes for cross-cultural misunderstandings, and the attitudes and skills that we need to communicate cross-culturally.

When we think about culture we first think about a country, and particularly about its food, art, customs, and patterns of behavior. These are the outward manifestations of a system of values, assumptions, and deeply rooted beliefs. Culture emerges as a group of people face and then react to the challenges of life. The responses to those challenges that are successful are taught and shared among members of the group and are passed on from the older to the younger members. Culture is then learned through experience.

You can think of culture as having three levels:

• The top level is the outward manifestations, the artifacts: visible behavior, art, clothing and so on.

• In the middle level are the values. These are invisible rules that cause the artifacts

• The most powerful dimension of culture is the implicit cultural assumptions. These assumptions lie so deep that they are never questioned, stated or defended

Culture also exists among Americans, but what are the implicit cultural assumptions of Americans? Some of the most distinctive characteristics of the American culture are: individualism, equality, competition, personal control of the environment, self-help concept, action orientation, informality, directness, practicality, materialism, and problem-solving orientation.

These American values and deeply rooted beliefs are very different from other country’s values and beliefs. The implicit cultural assumptions of Americans are often opposed to those of other cultures. When individuals from different cultures run into each other’s values and beliefs, cross-cultural misunderstandings take place.

People constantly interact with people who have similar views and who reinforce their beliefs. To be able to distinguish between the in-group and the out-group is of central importance for individuals because it allows them to find an identity as to who they are and who they are not.

In the book entitled Cross Cultural Encounters , Brislim states: “If individuals have out-groups whom they can blame for troubles, the in-group is then solidified since there is a common goal around which to rally.” Later on he says: “Individuals become accustomed to reacting in terms of in-group and out-groups. They continue to use such distinctions when interacting with people from other cultures whom they do not know.”

This in-group/out-group distinction provides us with the basis for ethnocentrism, which is the tendency to interpret and to judge all other groups, their environment, and their communication according to the categories and values of our own culture. We are guilty of ethnocentrism when we hold that our view of the world is the right one, the correct one, and the only one.

We are all familiar with stereotyping, which is one of the most serious problems in intercultural communication. Our tendency to hold beliefs about groups of individuals based on previously formed opinions, perceptions, and attitudes is often a defense mechanism, a way of reducing anxiety.

There are many other causes of cross-cultural misunderstanding: lack of trust, lack of empathy, and the misuse of power. All of us know what they are about and the turmoil that they cause. But, how can we do a better job at communicating among cultures?

The same skills that we need to communicate in general apply to cross-cultural communication. Lets look at some of those skills:

Know yourself: Identify your attitudes, your opinions, and the biases that we all carry around. Identify your likes, your dislikes, your prejudices, and your degree of personal ethnocentrism.

Take time: Listen to the other person and allow him or her to accomplish their purpose. Don’t jump to conclusions. Some times we finish the thoughts and ideas of the other person before he or she has finished talking. Some cultures non-verbal styles call for periods of silence and long pauses.

Encourage feedback: Feedback allows communicators to correct and adjust messages. Without feedback we cannot have agreement. First we must create an atmosphere where others are encouraged to give us feedback. Again, don’t be afraid of silence. It could be the appropriate feedback at times.

Develop empathy: The grater the difference between us and others, the harder it is to empathize. To develop empathy we must put ourselves in the other person’s place. By becoming more sensitive to the needs, values, and goals of the other person, we overcome our ethnocentric tendencies.

Seek the commonalities among diverse cultures: Despite our cultural differences we are all alike in many ways. We need to seek that common ground to establish a bond between ourselves and the rest of humanity.

Although our own ethnocentrism might have hindered us from getting to know people from other cultures, let us be more than ever committed to help ourselves and others overcome the barrier that culture creates. Let us endeavor to minimize the occurrences of cross-cultural misunderstandings as we develop the attitudes and the skills that are needed to communicate cross-culturally.

Dori Kelsey is owner operator of SpainExchange. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spring Arbor College (Michigan) in Management and Organizational Development, and a Master of Liberal Studies from The University of Toledo (Ohio). Through her 25-year career in the United States she acquired professional experience in the fields of international education, employment and training, and human resources development along with effective skills in the development and coordination of programs and the provision of services to foreign nationals.

As owner operator of SpainExchange, she has developed educational tours of Spain, school exchanges, and customized training programs for various schools, universities and educational services. All programs have successfully met the clients’ objectives as they provided relevant learning as well as enjoyable activities for the participants.

Managers in the non-profit, association and business worlds need to persuade outside audiences with the greatest impact on their operations to their way of thinking. And then move those external stakeholders to take actions that help their departments, divisions or subsidiaries succeed.

But that takes a very special plan, one that delivers results far beyond simple publicity placements.

I’m talking about a blueprint, say, like this one that lets you broaden your public relations field of fire, putting its primary focus where it belongs, on your unit’s key external stakeholder behaviors: “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.”

You’ll know such a blueprint is working when you see results like capital givers or specifying sources starting to look your way, customers making repeat purchases; membership applications on the rise; prospects beginning to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures coming in; welcome bounces in show room visits; community leaders beginning to seek you out; and politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

However, to get there you’ve got to be certain the public relations people assigned to your unit buy into your more aggressive public relations approach. In other words, do they all accept the reality that it’s crucially important to know how your outside audiences see your operations, products or services? And do they really subscribe to an even more important reality that says perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can trouble your unit?

Start by involving your PR team in plans for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

I mean, your PR people ARE in the perception and behavior business to begin with, so they should be of real use for this opinion monitoring project. Professional survey firms are always available, but that can cost a bundle. So, whether it’s your people or a survey firm who asks the questions, the objective is to identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions .

With such answers gathered, you must decide which of the negatives should be designated as your corrective public relations goal – for example, clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false assumption or fix a bothersome inaccuracy.

In the same way garlic goes with lamb chops, the right PR strategy tells you how to reach your goal. But just three are available when it comes to matters of perception and opinion — change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. But be sure your new strategy fits naturally with your new public relations goal. If data gathered is satisfactory, you want the “reinforce it” strategy, not “change it.”

When the moment comes to speak to your key stakeholder audience and help persuade them to your way of thinking, what will your message say?

Tap your best writer to produce the well-written corrective language you need. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to move perception/opinion towards your point of view and result in the behaviors you desire.

Here, fortunately, things gets easier as you select communications tactics to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. Be sure that the tactics you select have a record of reaching people like your audience members. You can pick from dozens that are available ranging from speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and so many others.

Because HOW you communicate can affect the credibility of the message, you may wish to deliver it in small meetings or presentations rather than through high-visibility media announcements.

Those around you will soon be asking about progress. Which will lead to a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Employing many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session, you will now be watching carefully for signs that the offending perception is being altered in your direction.

In public relations, we’re lucky that action like this can be accelerated by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies, if necessary.

And you’re lucky again that the folks you deal with behave like everyone else – they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operations. Which leaves you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move your key external audiences to action.

The workable public relations blueprint outlined above will, in fact, keep your PR working well for you for a very simple reason – (repeating for emphasis), it will help you persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1025 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

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 communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Here are two to-the-point questions recently posed by several association magazine publishers: “When is it time to launch an electronic newsletter?” and “Just because everyone’s doing it, does that make it right for us?”

These are just the types of questions that should be asked by associations and businesses seeking to maximize contact with members, prospects or current customers. The trick is to generate the processes that will allow you to arrive at the right answer for your circumstance.

Take an association that currently publishes two magazines and a quarterly print newsletter. The organization has laid the groundwork (surveys and polls) to ascertain that the information that needs to get into members’ hands is getting there through these means (on top of use of an up-to-date website). In this case, an e-newsletter may not be the smart move. Would its content be all that different from what already appears in the print publications? What advantages would the electronic distribution channel offer (more timely stories, smaller production staff) that meet a specific need in terms of information distribution?

For companies that advertise in the Sunday newspaper or on television, the question is whether a direct channel to their most valued customers necessarily generates higher sales or more loyalty. Is the technology appropriate for the audience these companies want to reach (i.e., the ones familiar with computers and e-mail)? And would the ROI merit executing the project in-house or outsourcing to a custom publisher?

A newsletter, regardless of its format, is a potent tool in the marketing arsenal. But there must be an underlying, compelling rationale for undertaking such an endeavor – a reason for the newsletter to exist as it supports the organization’s overall mission.

For the previously described association, until a case could be made that a newsletter would offer information of a different or new nature to members in a timely manner (how to improve business practices, recent court cases that could affect the industry) there is no need to jump on the bandwagon. For a consulting firm seeking to demonstrate thought leadership without making a direct sales pitch, however, a newsletter fits the bill quite nicely. Either way, the key is to have the purpose, goal and role of the e-newsletter firmly established before plans to move forward on the project begin.

Chris Scott heads Hodge Media Group, the custom publishing arm of Hodge Communications, Inc. Hodge specializes in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning journalist, he brings over 20 years of experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to ommunic@te! our free bimonthly e- newsletter and get a free special report: “Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business.”

Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com

Powerful is a strong word. But it fits here. As a business, non-profit or association manager, you create powerful advantage for yourself when you do something positive about the behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours that MOST affect your department, division or subsidiary.

That’s because you are using the fundamental premise of public relations to deliver the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

And perhaps most powerfully, you do so by persuading many of those important outside folks to your way of thinking, then by moving them to take actions that help your unit succeed.

Yes, that’s powerful! Especially when it leads to advantages like these: membership applications on the rise; customers making repeat purchases; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures in the inbox; community leaders seeking you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; prospects starting to do business with you; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way, and even politicians and legislators beginning to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

You need two lucky breaks here: first, a PR blueprint you can rely on, 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.,

And second, PR team members who understand that blueprint and commit themselves to its implementation, starting with key audience perception monitoring. Let’s face it, your PR people ARE in the perception and behavior business to begin with, so they should be of real use for this initial opinion monitoring project.

But remember that just because someone describes him/herself as a public relations person doesn’t guarantee they’ve bought the whole loaf. Make certain the public relations people assigned to your unit really believe – deep down — why it’s SO important to know how your most important outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Make sure they accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Discuss with them your plan for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our chief executive? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

While, as noted, your PR people are in the perception and behavior business to begin with, professional survey firms are always available, but they can be very expensive. Nevertheless, whether it’s your people or a survey firm asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Your PR goal, of course, will be to do something about the most serious distortions you discovered during your key audience perception monitoring. Will it be to straighten out that dangerous misconception? Correct that gross inaccuracy? Or, stop that potentially fatal rumor dead in its tracks?

As it turns out, you won’t get there at all without the right strategy to tell you how to proceed. But remember that there are just three strategic options available when it comes to doing something about perception and opinion. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. The wrong strategy pick will taste like lemon sauce on your chocolate ice cream. So please be certain the new strategy fits comfortably with your new public relations goal. You wouldn’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.

At this juncture, you must put together a superbly moving message and aim it at members of your target audience. Always a challenge to put together action-forcing language that will help persuade any audience to your way of thinking.

You need your first-string varsity writer for this one because s/he must create some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

After bouncing it off your PR colleagues for impact and persuasiveness, it’s on to the next selection process — the communications tactics most likely to carry your message to the attention of your target audience. You can pick from dozens that are available. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. Just be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks like your audience members,

Since the credibility of the message is always at stake, you may wish to unveil it before smaller meetings and presentations rather than using higher-profile news releases.

Calls for progress reports will soon appear, which signals to you and your PR team to get busy on a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You’ll want to use many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session. Difference this time is that you will be watching very carefully for signs that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

I’ve always considered ourselves fortunate that such matters usually can be accelerated simply by adding more communi- cations tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

What you want the new PR plan to accomplish is to persuade your most important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking, then move them to behave in a way that leads to the success of your department, division or subsidiary.

Yes, powerful is a strong word but certainly not too strong when the people you deal with do, in fact, behave suspiciously like everyone else – they act upon their perceptions of the facts they hear about you and your operation. Leaving you little choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move your key external audiences to actions you desire.

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1170 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

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 communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public rlations.

mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net

Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing now claims a legitimate slice of the B-to-B MarCom pie.

Custom magazines, newsletters and sponsored supplements are becoming an increasingly integral part of the overall marketing program. Recent studies by the Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management show leading U.S. companies spending about 25% of their marketing budgets on custom publishing endeavors, compared with 13% just three years ago.

Smart companies employ custom publishing tactics in their B-to-B marketing programs to enable them to reach highly targeted buying audiences. A major software developer, for example, developed a sponsored supplement (or “advertorial”) featuring articles about data management challenges faced by hospitals as a means of raising its profile with an important marketplace. The 32- page advertorial, which also contained house ads for the company’s new data processing software, was inserted into a magazine read by major hospital data managers nationwide. In this case, it was more cost-effective than buying a series of ads in the publication because the developer’s exact message was delivered exactly where the company wanted it delivered.

But strategic custom publishing efforts are not limited to magazines. One leading foodservice equipment and supplies distributor has a staff of 12 dedicated to producing internal newsletters for suppliers and employees. These publications let suppliers know what’s going on with the company’s business and make employees aware of changes in human resources policies. They also serve as an internal promotional tool.

Other successful B-to-B custom publishing initiatives include: Priority, a bi-monthly magazine from Pitney Bowes that targets 750,000 small business owners; Cano Energy Pipeline magazine, which targets investors in domestic oil and gas limited partnerships; and Tellabs Emerge, Tellabs Inc.’s quarterly magazine reaching 15,000 telecom engineers in North America who make purchasing decisions for their companies.

Another trend noted by the CPC is that a majority of companies still handle production chores for their custom publishing efforts in-house, spending the bulk of the $29 billion that goes toward such efforts on internal staff. But that may be changing, given bottom-line pressures. According to Publications Management, a trade newsletter, 40% of U.S. companies that pursue custom publishing strategies currently avoid the hassle and expense of adding staff by outsourcing production of their publications. It may also change as varying types of electronic B-to-B marketing efforts, such as websites, e-postcards and e-newsletters, are further integrated into marketing strategies.

Whatever the goal, launching a custom publication as part of a B-to-B marketing campaign needs to be handled within the context of a medium and long-term strategy in support of overall business objectives. And placing a company’s message and brand before the target audience should always be the goal of any custom publication as questions about the concept’s legitimacy continue to wane.

Chris Scott heads Hodge Media Group, the custom publishing arm of Hodge Communications, Inc. Hodge specializes in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning journalist, he brings over 20 years of experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to Communic@te! our free bimonthly e- newsletter and get a free special report: “Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business.”

Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com

As the practice of public relations in China continues to mature, it seems appropriate to ask whether Chinese business managers – tutored as they have been by European, North American and other PR specialists – continue to apply major public relations emphasis to print and broadcast communications tactics. In other words, do they still see PR through the lens of simple publicity, as many in the West still do?

Or, do the best among Chinese managers — as is also true for many businesses in Western economies — realize they need true behavior change among their most important outside audiences leading directly to achieving their managerial objectives?

And, do they then take steps to persuade those key external stakeholders, who have the greatest impacts on their organizations, to their way of thinking, then move them to take actions that help their departments, divisions or subsidiaries succeed?

Let us presume that you are that business manager in China, and that you are well aware of the high-impact fundamental premise of public relations. Namely, “People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When that opinion is created, changed or reinforced 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 who employ such a PR blueprint often see results such as prospects for their services or products starting to do business with them, fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures arriving on a regular basis, specifying sources starting to look their way, increases in visits to show rooms, and existing customers beginning to make repeat purchases.

If this approach to public relations appeals to you, before that PR blueprint is first employed, you need every member of the PR team assigned to your unit to agree that it’s crucially important to know how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. Dig deep to ensure they REALLY accept the reality that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can damage your operation.

With that understanding achieved, It’s time to activate the PR blueprint and begin monitoring and gathering perceptions of those key external stakeholders by questioning members of that very important outside audience. Ask questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the interchange? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Fortunately, the PR people assigned to you are, by definition, already in the perception and behavior business, so they can be of real use for this opinion monitoring project. While professional survey firms can be brought in to handle the opinion monitoring, that can be expensive. But whether it’s your people or a survey consultant asking the questions, your objective is to identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions.

But which of the above “negativities” is serious enough that it obviously must become your corrective public relations goal because, unattended, it will lead to seriously hurtful behaviors? For example, clarify the misconception? Spike that rumor? Correct the false assumption? Fix those inaccuracies? Or yet another offensive perception that could lead to negative results?

With your public relations goal thus established, you can assure you’ll achieve it by picking the right communications strategy from the three choices available to you to show you HOW to reach your goal. Change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. But be sure your new strategy naturally compliments your new public relations goal.

So what will your message emphasize when you address your key stakeholder audience to help persuade them to your way of thinking?

Select your best writer to prepare the message because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only compelling, persuasive and believable, but clear and factual if they are to shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

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

Keep in mind that HOW one communicates often affects the credibility of the message, so you may wish to deliver it in smaller meetings and presentations rather than through a higher-profile media announcement.

You’ll soon feel pressure for signs of progress. And that will lead to a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Employing many of the same questions used in the first benchmark session, you will now be watching carefully for signs that the communications tactics have succeeded in altering the offending perception in your direction. Remember that you can always accelerate the program by adding more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

This bears repeating – successful managers everywhere generally use every public relations weapon they can lay their hands on, and that includes strategic, rapid-fire print and broadcast tactics.

But those same competitive managers also know that above all, they need an aggressive blueprint such as this one that will deliver planned behavior change among their most important outside audiences leading directly to achieving their managerial 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 mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Word count is 1045 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

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 communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com

As if making sure your company runs smoothly on an operational level isn’t responsibility enough, as a business owner, you’re probably overseeing all aspects of your company’s public relations program, as well.

PR can keep a company above water when times are tough and help the business soar during a fair-weather economy. It’s a matter of knowing how to put PR to use that makes sticking with it—through good times and bad—worthwhile.

Most people think of PR as the practice of sending out press releases to as many media outlets as possible in the hopes that something will “stick.” Although it’s commonly practiced, it’s not the most strategic approach. A much more effective approach is to position your expertise through bylined articles.

Think about it: An article that’s written under your name (or byline) is 100% message and will reach the audience you’re seeking. It’s not an ad, because it appears in the editorial pages of a publication you’ve targeted and thus, carries a different (and valuable) sort of credibility. To help you tap into their power, here are the five Ws of bylined articles.

What they are Bylined articles are essentially articles written under your name and are a vehicle for you to flex your industry-knowledge muscles. The material in these articles should be presented in a way that demonstrates discreetly what makes you an expert in your particular field. Three of the most common types are Op-Ed contributions, trend articles, and “how-to” pieces.

Op-Ed pieces: These are so named because they appear “opposite” the “editorial” page. Op-Ed pieces position the author’s point of view on an issue or trend.

Trend articles: This type of article is typically a discussion of a current or burgeoning trend with the potential to affect either the public or a specified field. These are generally more informational and less opinionated than an Op-Ed piece.

How-to pieces: Somewhat self-explanatory, this type of article offers the reader information on “how-to” perform a task, achieve a goal, etc.

Who benefits from creating such articles Anyone who aims to be positioned as an expert in his or her field can utilize this approach. Keep in mind most publications don’t accept bylined articles submitted by vendors because of their tendency to “sell” rather than inform. To overcome this obstacle, the sales message must be discreet, if in the article at all.

Why they are important Bylined articles are an excellent way to showcase the knowledge and expertise that make you stand out in your field. The fact that the publication thinks enough about your message to run it on the editorial side gives your article third-party credibility.

Another consideration is their long-term power as marketing tools. Article placements can be incorporated into your marketing materials and posted on your website for visitors to browse, or even e-mailed to prospects.

Where they are accepted Many consumer dailies accept Op-Ed pieces, particularly by well-known authorities (academics or authors, for example). Other media outlets, like the professional or trade press, often solicit informational or instructional bylined articles, and opinion pieces, as well. The latter category is also an excellent option because they can be targeted by their reading audiences – who are your buying audiences.

When they are appropriate Bylined articles will almost always find a home, particularly if they are rounded out with current examples and offer a perspective that advances what’s already been written on the topic. However, for articles responding to a current issue or trend, timeliness is critical.

Using bylined articles as a public relations tool is rising in acceptance as a more strategic and focused approach to help build a brand over the long term. It takes time to put this sort of program in place yet the return on investment will prove this out as a viable adjunct to the more commonly practiced forms of public relations.

Sally Saville Hodge is president of Hodge Communications, Inc., specializing in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning financial journalist, she brings over 30 years experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to Communic@te! our free bimonthly e-newsletter and get a free special report: “Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business.” Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com

Etymology is the study of the origins of words.

As languages develop the meaning of words can change over time. This causes confusion and misunderstanding when communicating with other people.
In a world were you make a living at communicating, advertising or marketing, it is not only important to have clarity in your message, it is also important to think of your target market and understand how they understand words and messages.

On the positive side that words change meaning over time, it has been noted that languages that stay alive, adapt and grow over time.

An example would be the word nice. Nice used to be an insult and meant foolish or stupid in the 13th century and it went through many changes right through to the 18th century with meanings like wanton, extravagant, elegant, strange, modest, thin, and shy or coy. Now it means a good & pleasing or thoughtful & kind.

Silly meant blessed or happy in the 11th century and went through pious, innocent, harmless, pitiable and feeble minded before ending up as foolish or stupid.

Pretty started as crafty this changed to clever or skillfully made, then to fine and ended up as beautiful.

Some other changes are:

Word ______ Original Meaning
Awful________ Deserving of awe
Bead _________Prayer
Brave_________ Cowardice (as in bravado)
Girl__________ Young person of either sex
Neck_________ Parcel of land (as in neck of the woods)
Nuisance______ Injury, harm
Sophisticated___Corrupted

There are several reasons for words change meaning. One is the influence of other languages and cultures. Throughout history, many nations through conquering or intermixing with one another, introduced their own languages into the mix. Another reason is the predominate use of slang words. We get so used to using them that many times we forget that we even are.

So when it comes to defining words, there is the standard dictonary, which by the way can show multiple meanings for one word, and there is the definition of the word in slang. As well, slang words spread faster and are used more often than before, making them common place in many societies.

Due to the advancement of science and technology, new words are also being created at an amazing rate. Keeping up with some of the new words and your usage of them will help in your efforts understand and to become a master communicator.

Once every ten years, the Merriam- Webster dictionary is updated. Their 11th edition for 2003 included some 10,000 new words along with 100,000 new meanings to words already existing and some 225,00 revised definitions.

Some of the slang words that have made it in the dictionary are;

Headbanger- a hard rock musician and a fan

Dead presidents- Paper currency

Prairie Gophering – people who peer above their cubicles at work.

McJob- Low paying and dead-end work.

Comb-over- an attempt to cover a bald spot

You can learn about more words in an etymology dictionary.

We can use this as another reminder, especially when it is important to have a group goal achieved, that what a word means to us, may not have the same meaning to someone else.

There is also the emotional reactions that different people have to certain words. But that’s another story…

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Maria Boomhower
The Master Communicator
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P.S. If you like what you’re reading in this ezine, you’ll love the book,
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Maybe it played for Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams,” but that paraphrased line – “Print it and they will come” – doesn’t necessarily work in real life.

There’s a lot to be said for the value of editorial side coverage, but you can’t count on people acting on what they read or even remembering it for long. The smarter bet is to find ways to leverage your coverage to enhance the odds of driving more prospects in. Here are some fairly easy ways to do it:

First, create a short synopsis of the article (making sure your part of it is front and center), including the headline, publication and publication date. Tease to the “hit” or placement on your home page and link it to the synopsis, which you should post to the Press section (or some informational equivalent) of your site.

If you’re among the many who are comfortable with e-mail marketing and are fairly nimble, you can devise a simple informational mailing that shares news of coverage and provides a link to the article on the publication’s website, if it’s available. Many publications allow public access to their content for a limited amount of time, so do this before that time expires.

Otherwise, you need to check out the availability of reprint rights and PDFs, well worth it for articles where you’re quoted expansively or that you’ve authored. For a price, you can secure a PDF (hard copies are usually extra) and guidelines for usage. Don’t make your own photocopies or PDFs because you risk violating the publication’s copyright.

Here’s how to use the PDF: o Create a link to the PDF from the synopsis of the article you’ve posted on your website. That way people will know they can access the complete piece. o Whether you have formal or informal outreach efforts to clients, customers and friends, incorporate a brief, FYI-type summary of the article and attach the PDF, if it’s an e-communique. And don’t forget to encourage the recipients to forward the piece to people they know who might find it of interest. o If you use snail mail outreach, things are a little dicier. If you’ve gotten a printable PDF and the mailing is fairly small, you may be safe printing and making copies to include as part of the mailing. Check the terms of your reprint permission. The problem is that PDFs are made to look good on the computer screen, but printouts don’t reproduce as well. o Make sure anyone in your organization who is involved in business development is equipped with the PDF, and encouraged to include it as an informational attachment when promoting the business to prospects and friends.

If it’s printed, they may come. If you promote what’s been printed, the odds go up exponentially!

Sally Saville Hodge is president of Hodge Communications, Inc., specializing in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning financial journalist, she brings over 30 years experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to Communic@te! our free bimonthly e-newsletter and get a free special report: “Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business.” Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com

Here’s the point: 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.

The point is simply stated for businesses, non-profits and associations. Many concentrate their public relations effort on newspaper and radio exposures or funding management’s favorite special event.

This when they should be driving an action plan that persuades their key external stakeholders to their way of thinking, then moving those important outside audiences to take actions that help their departments, divisions or subsidiaries succeed.

This difference in emphasis can turn into real trouble for managers who work hard to achieve their operating objectives.

Why not meet with the public relations people assigned to your unit and make sure they buy into a blueprint for PR success like the one above: the results might amaze you. How about prospects starting to do business with you; membership applications on the rise; customers starting to make repeat purchases; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; higher employee retention rates, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communities.

You can create those kinds of results when you do something positive about the behaviors of those outside audiences that MOST affect your business, non-profit or association?

When you use the promise of PR to deliver external stakeholder behavior change – the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.

And when you persuade those important outside folks to your viewpoint, then move them to take actions that help your department, division or subsidiary succeed.

If this is the kind of PR you need and want, list those outside audiences of yours whose behavior helps or hinders you in achieving your objectives. And list them according to their impact on your operation.

If experience is any guide, you probably don’t have access to data showing how most members of that key external audience perceive your organization.

Truth is, hiring professional survey people to monitor those perceptions can be expensive, so you and your colleagues will have to do it yourselves. Interact with members of that outside audience by asking questions like “Have you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory experience? Are you familiar with our services or products?”

Listen carefully for negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. Watch for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. Any of which will need to be corrected because we know counterproductive perceptions usually lead to negative behaviors.

Of course you want to correct such problems before they create negative behaviors. So you select the actual perception to be altered, and that becomes your public relations goal.

Fact is, your PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, is like catfish without the lemon and tartar sauce. That’s why you must pick one of three strategies structured to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it. What you want to do here is insure that the goal and its strategy match each other. It wouldn’t do to select “change existing perception” when current perception is OK suggesting a “reinforce” strategy.

Here is where writing talent is needed. Someone on your PR team must create a compelling message written in a way that can alter your key target audience’s perception, as called for by your public relations goal.

You can always combine your corrective message with a product or personnel announcement and increase message credibility by not highlighting the correction itself.

The corrective message should have several attributes, clarity for one. Be specific about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Your facts must be accurate and they must be persuasive, logically explained and believable if the message is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception your way.

Now you pick your “beasts of burden” – the actual tactics you will use to carry your corrective message to the attention of that external audience.

There are plenty of communications tactics available including letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might select others such as radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, newsletters, or group briefings, always making sure the tactics you select have a record of reaching the same audiences as those that make up your target stakeholders.

You’ll want to be ready for queries about progress by again monitoring perceptions among your target audience members. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, you will now watch carefully for indications that audience perceptions are beginning to move in your direction.

We are fortunate in the PR business that we can always put the pedal to the metal by employing additional communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.

So what IS the point? Consider using an aggressive new public relations blueprint, like the one at the top of this article, that targets the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your operating 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. Word count is 1020 including guidelines and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

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 communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com