“You’ve probably heard that it’s much easier and less expensive to get existing customers to buy from you than it is to go find new customers. And it’s a true statement for all businesses whether they are on or off-line.

Yet many businesses take the approach that getting new customers is their number 1 priority. They actively seek out those interested in their wares, entice them to buy and then after they make the sale they treat them like D.I.R.T.

D – Disposable

I – Insignificant

R – Removable

T – Trivial

One of the things that has always confused and irritated me is how some businesses penalize their customers for their loyalty. Here’s an example of what I mean:

We used to live in the Denver, CO metro area and subscribed to both of the Denver newspapers. (Yes, there used to be 2 large, popular newspapers in Denver.) Almost every year we received notices that the subscription rates were going up. This went on for several years and we didn’t think much about it since it seemed the price of just about everything was always going up.

Then 1 day I received a sales call for 1 of the newspapers. Like most telemarketing phone calls, they went through their entire sales pitch and offered me a “”special rate”" if I would subscribe before I had a chance to tell them I was already a subscriber. When I did tell them I was a subscriber they thanked me for subscribing and were just about to hang up when I asked – “”Since I am already a subscriber can I get the special rate?”"

This question seemed to shock them when they stuttered, “”no.”"

I then asked them why not and their response was that the special deal was only for “”new”" subscribers.

Since the special deal was for more than 60% off the normal subscription price of several hundred dollars a year, I was, shall we say, slightly perturbed.

When we hung up I immediately called the subscription department for the paper and asked them about getting the discount that new subscribers were getting. They also stated that I couldn’t because it was “”only for new subscribers.”"

As soon as they finished the statement about only new subscribers getting the discount, I replied, “”I see, then cancel my subscription – TODAY.”"

Did I ever take that paper again? Yes, 1 year at a time.

You see, I knew that every 6 months there was a subscription drive to get new subscribers. And even if I didn’t get a phone call, I’d see a table set up at any of the grocery stores I visited where I could get a new subscription with a new subscriber discount. Plus, if I signed up at 1 of these tables, I’d get an additional gift.

Now I’m not opposed to giving gifts to get new subscribers. I do it myself. What does upset me is having a business that I’m paying on a regular basis tell me I have to pay more because I am already 1 of their customers.

To this day I don’t understand why that newspaper and many other businesses treat their loyal customer base so badly.

The point I am trying to make is: while you’re working so hard to gain new subscribers and customers, treat your existing subscribers and customers like the precious gems they are. Don’t forget about them and don’t penalize them.

As online marketers we are always looking for new and better ways of doing things so we can increase our profits. We look for ways to increase our traffic and ways to increase our conversion rates. We look for ways to build our lists and then for ways to get more of our subscribers to buy from us. Unfortunately, some of us forget that making our loyal subscribers and customers feel special is 1 of the best ways to keep and profit from them. Over the years I’ve offered several different free gifts to gain new subscribers. However, when I put the gift online I also either send out a mailing to my list giving them the same gift or make it available inside the member area. When I’ve sent a mailing about the addition of a bonus on an existing sale, I’ve included information about how those who had already purchased the product it could also get the free bonus.

Am I obligated to give my existing subscribers and customers the new free gift. No, it’s not an obligation. It’s just good business.

Unfortunately, too many businesses have forgotten the old business practice of. “”take care of your customers and they will take care of you.”"

To Your Success,
Susan Carroll

——–

Susan has been helping people with their online marketing for more than 4 years. You’re invited to join her free membership site at: FriendsWhoCare.us where she gives many free tools and resources.

You may re-publish the article in its entirety, with the resource information at the bottom left intact.

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Tags: ethical, management, power, financial, resource

Integrity is generally agreed to be a vital quality in a leader. It’s usually defined in terms of honesty and adhering strongly to an ethical code. However, when applied to non-human areas such as a body of data, or an ecosystem, something that has ‘integrity’ is ‘intact’, ‘whole’, or ‘not tampered with’. This was in fact the original meaning of the word (from the Latin meaning ‘untouched’).

Integrity therefore came to mean ‘ethically sound’ by metaphorical extension. As so often with metaphors applied to human subjective experience, we can discover something useful when we take the metaphor literally.

Consider a person who is grappling with an inner conflict. It may be that two of their most important values are in conflict, or that they cannot choose between alternatives that seem to be equally tempting (or equally scary). Because memory, learning and behaviour are influenced by emotional states, it could even be that what they believe and how they act change significantly depending on how they are feeling.

Can a person who has significant unresolved internal conflicts be a good leader? It’s doubtful. Such a person would find it hard to make decisions and stick to them, because whichever alternative they choose would leave part of themselves unsatisfied. In addition, when you feel ambivalent about your own decisions, it is hard to defend them against criticism.

So unresolved internal conflicts do not make for good leadership. They lead to indecision, inconsistency, and an inability to stick to your guns – none of which are desirable characteristics in a leader. In order to build the sound internal foundation (also known as “character”) which is necessary for leadership, you need to identify your own values and resolve any values conflicts that you uncover.

Being clear about your own values and acting in line with them also means that you will be perceived as “walking your talk” – the key element in leading by example.

The most important thing to remember about emotional intelligence as it applies to leadership is that self-awareness is the foundation on which all the other ‘competencies’ of emotional intelligence are based. If you are not aware of your own emotions, it’s impossible to manage them and hard to understand the emotions of others; in turn, self-management and empathy are prerequisites for being able to handle and inspire emotions in other people.

For a splendid fictional example of how low self-awareness impacts on leadership, see any episode of the hit TV series “The Office” or the nearly-as-good American remake, “The Office: An American Workplace”.

Andy Smith is an Emotional Intelligence consultant and NLP Trainer based in Manchester, UK. His website contains many free articles and downloads.

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Tags: ethical, management, power, financial, resource

Thomas Paine once said, “Character is much easier kept than recovered.” This dovetails with being prepared for an emergency. Planning to keep a reputation can help the organization avoid suffering a devastating loss. When the plan laid out in advance is to admit any faults and err on the side of honesty, the credibility of what is admitted will garner more respect than when an attempt to back-pedal is made.

Anticipation

How can management and decision makers control a crisis? The answer is simple. A crisis cannot be controlled, but the consequences of the crisis can be managed, mitigated and/or prevented. The first order of business is to know and understand the hazards that threaten the “”business.”" An effective organization must conduct a hazard vulnerability analysis that ranks threats. Dealing with threats against organizational character must be one of the threats considered.

Many disaster preparedness programs consider the traditional natural and manmade hazards, but a class of hazard often overlooked is related to business continuity, especially public relations. Public relations incidents raise concerns, and if not handled properly, can elevate to the level of a crisis. If the crisis grows large enough, it can threaten the very existence of an organization.

Crisis Response Begins With an Admission

The most critical part of crisis response is admitting that you are, in fact, in the midst of a crisis. It is only at this point that the consequences of a crisis can be managed. Following a predetermined action plan and set of organizational morals can guide the response. A public information campaign addressing the situation and describing what the organization is doing to rectify the problem is activated, and a trained public information officer addresses media and public concerns.

How To Be Seen As Responsive

* Be proactive in the approach, viewing the problem from the eyes of the consumer.

* Do not try to utilize the science of the issue to prove a point.

* Do not use the engineering aspect to explain that a repeat of the event is not possible or is incredibly remote.

* Do not try to utilize the facts as your defense.

* Remember that the public does not want to hear about the science, the engineering — or, at times, even the facts. The public wants to hear that you understand their concerns and that the organization sees the issue from their perspective.

Managing and Maintaining Character

Management of character is easy when your organization has chosen in advance to do the right thing. Warren Buffet once said, “”First, state clearly that you do not know all the facts. Then state the facts that you do know. One’s objective should be to get it right, get it quick, get it out, and get it over. You see, your problem won’t improve with age.”"

Preparing for a crisis allows the “”if-then”" thought process to occur in advance of an issue. Decisions can be made in advance, not under duress. Preparing to have an open and honest response to a public relations crisis in advance of an onslaught of reporters and public scrutiny (when your legal counsel is attempting to persuade you to limit your liability exposure) will prevent senior management from being led astray.

Waiting until the disaster occurs puts forces upon decision makers that may change their perception of reality. “”Groupthink is a mode of thinking within a cohesive group that is engaged in by people who so strongly seek consensus that there is no realistic appraisal of alternative courses of action,”" stated Michael C. LeMay in Public Administration: Clashing Values in the Administration of Public Policy. “”A drive for consensus at all cost completely suppresses dissent.”"

Crises easily can become a groupthink phenomenon. With prior planning and decision making, you can avoid having your values go sideways during the crisis. Follow the advice of Warren Buffet by engaging in public transparency that will save the organization time as well as its reputation. It’s easy when the direction has already been established from the executive level to “”do the right thing.”"

Conclusion

All aspects of a successful emergency response are contingent upon planning. A successful outcome is achieved by doing the right thing at all turns, not solely attempting to protect the organization from legal liability. Organizational character can be maintained if advanced planning and training ensures that all parties understand the organization’s policy is to be open and honest. This will maintain the integrity of the organization, ensuring that organizational character is valued and protected.

Author Bio

Mr. Reilly is the President of Emergency Solutions Ltd. His credentials include Certified Emergency Manager from the International Association of Emergency Managers, Certified Business Continuity Professional from DRI International, and he is a Master’s Degree candidate in Public Administration.

Mr. Reilly can be reached through his company’s website.

Visit the website to see how he and his associates can help you prepare you business, school, or hospital for a disaster.

(c) 2007 Daniel J. Reilly. All rights reserved.

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Tags: ethical, management, power, financial, resource

1. Being Organized

There are so many ways to keep organized in your business. First thing you need to do is clear your desk! Working in a clutter will slow you down especially if you are constantly looking for something you are missing. After you clean off your desk, take an organizer for your papers, even if it’s an inbox, and put your papers in there neatly. Take all your office supplies and put them in your drawer neatly. There you have it, the top of your desk! Since we are working virtual, our main concern for being organized is our computers. I have my companies (I have two) in separate folders. In those folders, I have folders like:

- Client Projects

- Confidentiality Agreements

- Invoicing

- Newsletters

- Articles

- Website Updates

Now, your folders might be completely different and you might not like having about 10 folders but it works for me. If I am looking for something for a client, I just go to my clients’ folder and there everything is in their individual folder. There are endless ideas to being organized!

2. Being Able

Being able means showing your intelligence and talent to your clients. This will improve your business and show you are efficient if you are one step ahead of your client at all times. They will appreciate your ability to ‘read their mind’ and it shows that you have been doing your job all along!

3. Are you good at your job?

It’s simple. Your clients will be able to ‘figure you out’ in the first month of having you as their virtual assistant. If you are good at what you do and prove that to them, you are being efficient for their business. Being good at your job includes:

- Looking into problems on your own and realising that its okay to ask for help too!

- Answering their questions without hesitation.

- Staying focused on your work.

- Completing tasks before the due date.

- Making sure the work is done right.

Like organizational skills, the list can be endless and it ranges on the type of you work you do.

Looking forward to sharing many successes with you!

Trina Lamarche

Efficient VA

Want To Use This Article In Your Ezine or Website? You have my permission, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Trina Lamarche (Efficient VA) started her virtual career three years ago by helping launch and setup Business Services, ETC, a virtual assistance firm. After two years working for other people, she realized what she really wanted to do; become an owner of her very own virtual assistance business. In the past year, she has been working part-time as a ‘Virtual Assistant’s Assistant’ (a term she coined while working on client work one evening.) Always the overachiever, she decided to open a second virtual assistance company, Efficient Virtual Assistant (EVA), working directly with clients.

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Tags: ethical, management, power, financial, resource

Directors and manager need to be aware of the interests of stakeholders in governance, however their responsibility towards them is judged. Governance reports have emphasized the role of institutional investors (insurance companies, pension funds, investment houses) in directing companies towards good corporate governance.

Stakeholders are any entity (person, group or possibly non-human entity) that can affect or can be affected by the actions or policies of an organization. It is a bi-directional relationship. Each stakeholder group has different expectations about what it wants and different claims upon the organization.

In this regard stakeholders’ theory proposes corporate accountability to a broad range of stakeholders. It is based on companies being so large, and their impact on society being so significant that they cannot just be responsible to their stakeholders.

Modern corporations have seen as so powerful, socially, economically and politically, that unrestrained use of their power will inevitably damage other people’s rights. For example they may blight an entire community by closing a major factory, thus enforcing long term unemployment on a large proportion of major workforce. They may use their purchasing power or market share to impose unequal contracts on suppliers and customers alike. They may exercise undesirable influence over government through their investment decisions. There is also the argument that corporations exist within society and are dependent upon it for the resources they use. Some of these resources are obtained by direct contracts with suppliers but others are not, being provided by government expenditure.

There is considerable dispute about whose interests should be taken into account. The legitimacy of each stake holder’s will depend on your ethical and political perspective on whether certain groups should be considered as stakeholders. Should for example distant (developing world) communities, other species, the natural environment in general or future generations be considered as legitimate stakeholders.

A Q Awan (I have Over 3 years of experience in: writing, and editing content (i.e., academic, web content, online courses, SEO, news, and reviews); marketing; and documentation & development of promotional plans.)

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Tags: ethics, business, work, share, power

“Are you coach-able ? before we go on, give that question some thought. As a youth growing up a lot of us might have been a member of some sort of team sport. Within that sport there was rules in place to guide us in the proper manner of play. At times acting as a individual we may have had our own idea on how something was done regardless of the rules.

This kind of behavior was unacceptable, and are coach was there to reminds us of the right way to do things. Well in order to be a active team player you had to be coach-able, you had to follow your coaches instructions. Because the coach was a leader, and based his decisions on the rules of the game. Then the team perform their various duties to the letter.

The team made up of many individuals were all coach-able, and their coach-able attitudes assured the teams success. Have you ever been a member of some sort of home-based business, and it seem as through there was no real leader, no true path to follow. I, believe we all may have found ourselves in that kind of boat before. It’s a boat with out a rudder, no true direction, and no captain to guide your journey. So you would find yourself drifting aimlessly, and eventually running a ground without a clue why. So if you want to find success you must have a coach to guide you in making important decisions that will keep your business afloat.

A coach, or mentor is a priceless asset to any teams success. I, have some insight into this, and wish to share it with you. Stop your drifting, and start succeeding at your integrity based business endeavors, be coach-able. I, want to introduce you to a coach. It requires that you spend one of your most valuable assets, and that is your time. No other cost is involved other than your courage, your ability to listen, and most of all be coach-able.

Now I, must admit that is a higher price than most of us are willing to pay. Your desire to succeed should be stronger than your pride becoming embarrassed, or shamed of your pass failures. We don’t just want any run of the mill type coach, we want a winner who has won, and is winning everyday, right now. A coach that can prevent your failure, one who knows what lies ahead, and will be there to help you navigate around these hidden dangers ready to sink your hopes, and desires. So ask yourself are you coach-able, and are you ready to succeed.

If so go ahead, and visit me here to get started.

Join our team, we all have failed, and that was due to lack of direction. Let your business journey be a profitable one, and be a part of a winning team. To your success, I, welcome you. Kindly Yours, Kim S Elleman

I, live in Hawaii, on the beautiful island of Oahu. I enjoy skin-diving, and keeping fit. I love making smoothies, and over the years have gotten pretty good at it.

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Tags: ethical, management, power, financial, resource

If you want to drive targeted traffic to your website you can create a press release that can send massive traffic. Before your Press Release (PR) can be circulated to your target market, it needs to pass the approval of editors, which means that your press release should be structured so it appears to be newsworthy, rather than a blatant advertisement. he key then is to find a way to promote your product or service and its benefits rather than blatantly sell as you would in a sales letter on your website.

Traditionally, a well-structured PR should not consist of more than a single page as the aim is focus the readers attention in a short read rather than a long description. It will be a good idea to go online and find examples that you can copy to ensure the very best result. Ensure that you address the fundamental aspect of what people are looking for (how it benefits them) will outperform any other kind, so keep it trimmed, comprehensive and highly targeted so that it communicates directly with your customer base.

Here is the basic anatomy of a successful press release:

The introductory part typically includes the words: “For immediate release” and should include a specific date as to when publication is expected. You could use the “For Release Before…” date or “For Release After…” date. Most people use the “For immediate release” option. Headline:

This will be the most important part, so plan to spend a great deal of time on it. You want to grab the reader instantly with it, so they’ll be interested in reading the rest of the release. Try to focus on incorporating power, action driven words within your headline, such as:

· Announcing!

· Secret

· Free

· Discover

· Strategies

· Success

· Shocking

By using emotionally driven words you will engage the reader much more encouraging them to read your press release and check out your website. Emotional words are words that sell so remember that people buy with their emotions first so engaging their wants rather than their needs is an effective strategy in writing a press release as well as delivering the facts of the product or service. Summary: The summary simply offers a snippet of what your PR is all about. It’s like taking your entire press release and describing it in four sentences or less. It should work in a similar way that your title does, in terms of catching their attention and luring them in, so keep it direct and strong. One way to ensure the strength is to read it out aloud and see if you have written to the point summerising succinctly.

Content/Body: The body content of your serves as the information lifeline that provides all of the information needed for your reader to clearly understand your message. Make sure that you cover all the relevant points that need to be covered in the article. The thing to remember is that your press release should be designed in a similar format as a journalistic style news story, so that the most important element is featured first. The reason for this is that you’ve pulled in your readers with the headline, and now you need to keep them there, so they’ll read through the rest of it or read the most important facts before moving on. Imagine that each paragraph leads them onto the next so that you take them on a focused journey into your product or service. The last couple of paragraphs within the body should tie everything together. It reminds your readers about the point of the press release itself, bringing your message to a logical conclusion. At the end of your press release, you want to signify that’s there no more. It would look like this:
###

Resources:

Creation Services: pressequalizer.com pressedge.com/

Writers: custompressrelease.com prnine.com Press-Release-Writing.com contentdone.com contentcustoms.com Distribution Channels: PRWeb.com

URLWire.com PRNewsWire.com Free-Press-Release.com

David Marshall is an Internet Marketer who has been online creating businesses since 2001. David owns and manages 117 different businesses in a number of niches specialising in the internet marketing and Forex niche markets.

David also teaches others to create a business online specialising in providing practical and up to date techniques that ensure the success of his students.

Please visit his latest site that will help anyone create guaranteed website traffic using the latest techniques check this Site.

Get your free internet marketing CD from this Site.

David is based in Hertfordshire, England where he lives with his partner and 5 children

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Tags: press, release, traffic, power, website

In business everyone, and when I say everyone, I mean owners and managers, are looking for great ways to get the word across about their products and services. Not only get the word out, but do it for as little cost as possible.

These days a first class stamp costs less than a half dollar. Imagine reaching thousands of potential customers for as little as a couple of quarters. Throw in the fact that now email is free and it won’t even cost you that much, just some of your time.

That is the power, that is a press release. A press release is an informational story that you write on your company, your products, services etc., that your local newspaper, or even major media outlets give to their readers and viewers as a reputable source of information.

They work in this fashion. You write a press release about your company’s new offering of widgets. In there you talk about how great they are, how much they can help the general public and so on. You then mail or email it to the editor of your local newspaper and behold it gets published right? Wrong!

First things first. Lets talk about the proper design of a press release, then we’ll talk about how to get it published.

A good press release, and one that is most likely to get published is about 500 words, 1.5 to double spaced to make reading easier, and of course in a news format. What is news format? Read any article in today’s paper, that is news format. Editors, especially newspaper editors are craving news on a daily basis. If your press release is written in a news format, where it sounds like news and your are educating their readers, then chances are they will use it. They, the editors, are looking for news, and here you are, being a nice person, and giving it to them for free, well basically free.

Once you have your press release written, the next step is to find out where to send it. It makes no sense to even write the release if you send it to the wrong people. For instance, if you sell steak or some type of meat product, would it make any sense to send it to the editor of a vegetarian magazine? Of course not.

If you are writing a press release that is geared towards sports, then send the press release to the sports editor. Also don’t try and fool any editors with a slick way of saying, “well if you run my release, maybe I will buy ad space later.” Editors are very intelligent people, and by doing that, you are insulting them. They will read right through it and toss your press release in the trash.

Just send them the press release, and if it is well written and something that would be informational to their readers, they will print it.

A friend of mine was the president of a local youth baseball league. While other local leagues were spending lots of money on ad space, he was sending them press releases about the league, accomplishments of the kids and so on. I don’t think a week went by where they weren’t in the local newspaper at least once. The league he ran grew from 4 teams to 8 teams in just a couple of seasons, and was able to do it with a lot of free press.

Once you find out who it should go to, then send it to them in the format they desire. Not all editors enjoy getting press releases via email. Many like getting it in a written format. You will need to contact where it is you are sending it and find out what they prefer.

I suggest you start locally with your hometown newspapers. See what kind of response you get. You may have to tweak it a bit to make it exactly what they are looking for. Do not get discouraged if you send it out on Monday and it is not in Tuesday’s papers. Sometimes it takes a few days for the editor to print it.

Also do not call the editor everyday to find out what happened. If you want to do a follow up call to make sure they received it, that is fine, but remember the editors are busy trying to print news and really do not have the time to talk to you on the phone 8 times a week.

That is the power of good press releases. Written in the correct format, sent to the right person, you can reach thousands of people on a weekly and monthly basis for virtually nothing.

By: Bruce A. Tucker

About the Author:
Bruce A. Tucker is the Associate Director of http://www.Indocquent.com, an online resource that allows web surfers and internet businesses to post their products and services for sale and hire in 20,000 cities throughout 200 countries around the world free of charge.

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Tags: media relations, hand book, power, press release, media

When creating a marketing plan for a business, many people rely heavily on paid advertising and promotions to get their messages across to their target market. While paid advertising and promotions are a critical part of the marketing mix and can be extremely effective, they can also be very expensive. Often overlooked, a regular cycle of newsworthy press releases distributed by a business can be a powerful addition to a company’s marketing efforts. Additionally, there are few things that stretch a marketing budget farther than a press release. A well-planned press release campaign can produce great dividends, and it starts with a well-written release.

This is where press releases get a bad name. Using a press release just to try to make a sale is not an appropriate use of the medium. A press release is not an advertisement, but an opportunity to share something that is newsworthy about your business. That said, there are many opportunities that go overlooked when it comes to developing newsworthy content. Developing a new product or service, partnering with another company, sponsoring a charity event, receiving an award or other recognition, and sharing the results of research that you’ve carried out are all appropriate topics for a press release.

Start Strong
Using an attention getting headline is important to catch the attention of editors who are bombarded with information each day. The headline and first paragraph should tell the whole story. If someone has to read further than that to understand the purpose of the release, they’re likely to lose interest. Using an active voice instead of a passive voice is critical as well. An example would be using the word “partnered” instead of “entered into a partnership”.

Remember the four W’s

First and foremost, a press release should answer the who, what, where, and when. In presenting your information, be sure to avoid jargon and hype. Don’t use all capital letters, exclamation points, or other detractors. Also remember that you’re writing for busy people so word economy is important. Don’t use 500 words to say something that you could have said in 250 words. Building credibility is extremely important, especially if press releases become an on-going part of your public relations efforts. Stick to the facts.

What’s next?

After you’ve written the release, you’ve got to get it into the hands of the news media. Submitting your release to the right media contacts is extremely important. Find out who the right person is for the media outlet(s) you are pursuing. Also find out how they prefer to receive the information whether it is by e-mail, fax or some other means. If you intend to distribute your release more widely, there are also PR services that have well developed distribution networks and can get the word out effectively for relatively little cost.

The last step in this process is to evaluate the effectiveness of the release. By monitoring the outlets where the release was submitted to, you can gauge how newsworthy the release was and make adjustments for the next one. Also, developing a mechanism to measure customer awareness of the release will help you to calculate the return on your investment and zero in on issues that are important to your customers.

Shane Turner is currently Professor of Entrepreneurship at Arizona Western College. His interests include nursing education, welding, and helping individuals with their new venture.

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Tags: press release, power, news, newsworthy, interview

Especially powerful when business, non-profit, public entity and association managers plan for and create the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving their managerial objectives. All the more so when they persuade those key outside folks to their way of thinking, then move them to take actions that allow their department, group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

What they will have done, of course, is apply public relations strategy to doing something positive about the behaviors of the very outside audiences that MOST affect their operations.

And the payoff from combining sound public relations strategy with effective communications tactics is achieving the bottom line – perception altered, behaviors modified, employer/client satisfied.

And now the hard part. What steps must managers take to apply this public relations approach to their operation? By employing public relations activity that creates first perception, then behavior change within that key outside audience.

You can do it if you accept the fact that the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead to those changed behaviors you need. Plus, that right PR comes with its own blueprint: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is usually accomplished.

Obviously, you will need a lot more than news releases, brochures, broadcast plugs and fun-filled special events to get a satisfactory return on your PR investment. Among the results business, non-profit, public entity and association managers can expect are renewed interest from your key external audiences, new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom visits; membership applications on the rise; new community service and sponsorship opportunities; and even new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

As time passes, you will notice such customers making repeat purchases; prospects reappearing; stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies, and perhaps even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way.

A caution here. Satisfy yourself that your PR people are really on board for the whole effort because you want your key outside audiences to really perceive your operations, products or services in a positive light. Reassure yourself that your PR staff accept the basic truth that perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

And by all means, invest the time to review your public relations plan with your entire staff. Especially so with regard to how you will gather and monitor perceptions by questioning members of your most important outside audiences. Questions like these: how much do you know about our organization? How much do you know about our services or products and employees? Have you had prior contact with us and were you pleased with the how things went? Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

It’s our good fortune that our team members are also in the perception and behavior business and can pursue the same objective as the professional survey firms might were they to handle the perception monitoring phases of your program: identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

Now it’s time to directly address the problems that appeared during your key audience perception monitoring. Probably, your new public relations goal will call for straightening out that dangerous misconception, or correcting that gross inaccuracy, or doing something about that awful rumor.

Let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves how we plan to reach that PR goal? You have just three strategic choices when it comes to dealing with a perception or opinion challenge: create perception where there may be none, change the perception, or reinforce it. Unfortunately, selecting a bad strategy will taste like macadamia mousse on your gnocchi. So be certain the new
strategy fits well with your new public relations goal. For example, you don’t want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce” strategy.

Structuring your corrective message is especially crucial because persuading an audience to your way of thinking is the hardest kind of work. And never more so than when you’re looking for words that are compelling, persuasive, believable AND clear and factual. Hard work yes, but a must if you are to correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your point of view, leading to the desired behaviors. Review your message with your communications specialists for its impact and persuasiveness.

Being particularly careful to select the precise communications tactics most likely to reach your target audience, you will find literally dozens of them available to you. From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others. Be certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience members.

Another wrinkle to guard against is this. The very credibility of your message can depend on how you deliver it. So, until you’re certain as to its impact, try introducing it initially to smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile communications such as news releases or talk show appearances. Before long, you’ll need to produce a progress report, which means it’s probably time for you and your PR folks to get back out in the field for a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. You can use the same questions used in the first benchmark session, but now you must stay alert for signs that your communications tactics have worked and that the negative perception is being altered in your direction.

I’m as impatient as the next person, so I suspect the same may be true of you. If things slow down, you can always accelerate matters with a broader selection of communications tactics AND increased frequencies.

Managerial public relations applied this way can be a beautiful thing to watch or, better yet, to happen to you. It also suggests that managers like yourself can take a giant step forward when you use public relations to do something positive about the behaviors of the very outside audiences that MOST affect your operation.

Please feel free to publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. Only requirement: you must use the Robert A. Kelly byline and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2006

Bob Kelly counsels and writes for business, non-profit, public entity and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has authored 250 articles on the subject which are listed at EzineArticles.com, click Expert Author, click Robert A. Kelly. 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. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.

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Tags: learning, power, public relations, communications, strategy

Even before primitive societies put chisel to stone and began writing, one group held a special place in these communities because of their communication skills: storytellers.

By weaving compelling narratives, storytellers preserved communal history, entertained their fellows, and delivered motivation when it was needed. Over time, their words moved armies and inspired achievement.

Today, storytelling may seem quaint. It’s not. Thanks to technology, some of the largest and savviest organizations in the world are discovering that storytelling is even more important today — and more powerful.

Storytelling is so powerful that it should be the primary goal of all your public relations. In fact, banish the words publicity and public relations from your vocabulary. Focus on storytelling, and tap into an essential human motivator that has propelled humankind for thousands of years.

When I say “storytelling,” I mean with a capital “S.” Small “s” storytelling is well understood by journalists and the professionals who work with them. I am talking about a bigger view of your story than what a journalist crams into a 500-word story.

Think instead of great films, plays or books. In these larger works, a “story” unfolds.Key components are essential to a successful story: characters, including a hero (and maybe a villain), a plot, at least one climax, and yes, a happy ending.

Successful PR storytelling relies upon similar key elements. When working with my clients, we develop a “script” or plan that answers these vital questions:

• Who is the audience?

• What do we want the audience to do or feel?

• Who are the key characters in the story?

• What is the plot or plot lines for the story?

• What is the story’s climax or key success point?

• What is our happy ending?

Only when we have mapped out the story are we ready to begin the storytelling. As one of my editors used to tell me when I was in journalism, “good thinking makes good writing.” You can’t just begin spinning tales if you don’t know where the story will go.

For example, a new product that creates a new product category may need a first chapter that focuses on the issue or problem that the product solves. Only after key audiences understand the issue can the storyteller introduce the new, revolutionary solution. And only after the solution is properly introduced can its story be told in detail.

In public relations, storytelling is not only about a good script, but also, good execution.

Like performers on a stage, interacting with the audience, PR storytelling is dynamic, involving two-way communication. Good PR storytellers adapt the story for each audience. They tailor staging, scenery, even the actors, to deliver success.

Like a good book, successful PR storytelling may have many chapters. And while it may incorporate unforeseen drama or plot twists, as with crisis communications, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a happy ending.

This is the most important measure of PR storytelling: You and your organization have a goal — a happy ending. Your happy ending is not the same as that of a competitor. So how will you make sure your happy ending is the one that defines your story? By thinking like a storyteller rather than someone who is simply chasing the next newspaper clip or broadcast interview. Remember your capital “S” story, and your small “s” stories will come by the bucket load, with more and more of them bearing your happy ending.

Paul Furiga is president of WordWrite Communications LLC, a Pittsburgh-based public relations agency that harnesses the timeless power of storytelling to share its clients great untold stories. He is the former editor of the Pittsburgh Business Times, and has also covered Congress, the White House, edited magazines and written for publications ranging from Congressional Quarterly to Frequent Flyer magazine.

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Punchy press releases moving out the door? Zippy
ebrochures dazzling everybody? New buzz all about
your recent broadcast appearance? With today’s
newspaper interview promising to be even better?

Sounds like you have total PR.

Sorry, and here’s what’s missing. Public relations activity
that creates behavior change among your key outside
audiences. Behavior change that leads directly to
achieving your managerial objectives.

That’s really important to your business, non-profit,
public entity or association IF you accept the fact
that the right PR really CAN alter individual perception
and lead to those changed behaviors you need. And IF
you then resolve to do something positive about the
behaviors of those important outside audiences of yours
that MOST affect your operation.

Those are big Ifs, but as a manager, you can pull it off
by creating the kind of external stakeholder behavior
change that leads directly to achieving your managerial
objectives. But you’ll do it only when you persuade those
key outside folks to your way of thinking, and then
move them to take actions that allow your department,
group, division or subsidiary to succeed.

Happily, you won’t be on your own in this effort. There’s
a blueprint showing you how to manage this kind of public
relations. People act on their own perception of the facts
before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about
which something can be done. When we create, change or
reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and
moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors
affect the organization the most, the public relations
mission usually is accomplished.

As work begins on this project, it’ll become quite obvious
that you will need a lot more than news releases, brochures
and special events to get a satisfactory return on your PR
investment. Here are some of the results business, non-
profit, public entity and association managers can expect
from this kind of public relations. New proposals for
strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom
visits; membership applications on the rise; community
service and sponsorship opportunities; enhanced activist
group relations, and expanded feedback channels, and
even new thoughtleader and special event contacts.

As you make progress, you should notice customers
making repeat purchases; prospects reappearing; stronger
relationships with the educational, labor, financial and
healthcare communities; improved relations with
government agencies and legislative bodies, and perhaps
even capital givers or specifying sources looking your way.

Because you want your key outside audiences to really
perceive your operations, products or services in a
positive light. Be sure that your PR staff is really on
board for the whole effort. Reassure yourself that they
accept the basic truth that perceptions almost always
lead to behaviors that can help or hurt your unit.

Go over the plan, the blueprint in detail with your
staff, especially regarding how you will gather and
monitor perceptions by questioning members of your
most important outside audiences. Questions like
these: how much do you know about our organization?
How much do you know about our services or products
and employees? Have you had prior contact with us
and were you pleased with the how things went? Have
you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

It’s usually preferable, although sometimes pricey when
you can depend on professional survey people to handle
the perception monitoring phases of your program. But
fortunately, your PR people are also in the perception
and behavior business and can pursue the same objective:
identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors,
inaccuracies, misconceptions and any other negative
perception that might translate into hurtful behaviors.

When you set your public relations goal, remember that
you need one that addresses the problems that appeared
during your key audience perception monitoring.
Probably, your new goal will call for straightening out
that dangerous misconception, or correcting that gross
inaccuracy, or doing something about that awful rumor.

As day follows night, goals need strategies to show you
how to get there. But you have just three strategic choices
when it comes to handling a perception or opinion
challenge: create perception where there may be none,
change the perception, or reinforce it. Unfortunately,
selecting a bad strategy will taste like anchovy paste on
your scones, so be certain the new strategy fits well with
your new public relations goal. For example, you don’t
want to select “change” when the facts dictate a “reinforce”
strategy.

How you structure your corrective message is crucial
because persuading an audience to your way of thinking
is awfully hard work. Especially when you’re looking for
words that are compelling, persuasive, believable AND
clear and factual. Hard work, but a must if you are to
correct a perception by shifting opinion towards your
point of view, leading to the desired behaviors. Review
your message with your communications specialists
for its impact and persuasiveness.

Sounds obvious, but in order to carry your words to the
attention of your target audience, you need to select the
precise communications tactics most likely to reach them.
Fortunately, you can pick from dozens of available tactics.
From speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to
consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal
meetings and many others. Be darn certain that the tactics
you pick are known to reach folks just like your audience
members.

When you think about it, the credibility of your message
can depend on how you deliver it. So, try introducing it to
smaller gatherings rather than using higher-profile
communications such as news releases or talk show
appearances. Before long, you’ll need to produce a progress
report, which means it’s probably time for you and your PR
folks to get back out in the field for a second perception
monitoring session with members of your external audience.
You can use the same questions used in the first benchmark
session, but now you must stay alert for signs that your
communications tactics have worked and that the negative
perception is being altered in your direction.

If things aren’t moving fast enough for you, matters can
always be accelerated with a broader selection of
communications tactics AND increased frequencies.

Because people act upon their perceptions of the facts they
hear about you and your operation, you really need a public
relations blueprint like this. Reason being you have little
choice but to deal promptly and effectively with those
perceptions by doing what is necessary to reach and move
those key external audiences of yours to actions you desire.

Please feel free to publish this article in your ezine,
newsletter, offline publication or website. Only
requirement: you must use the Robert A. Kelly byline
and resource box.

Robert A. Kelly © 2006

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