PR That Entrepreneurs Often Overlook

If that sounds like you, here's what you may be missing once the new enterprise is launched

Public relations that really does something about the behaviors of those key outside audiences that most affect your new enterprise.

PR that uses a fundamental blueprint to deliver external stakeholder behavior change ? the kind that leads directly to achieving your venture's objectives.

And PR that persuades many of those important outside folks to your way of thinking, then moves them to take actions that help your new enterprise succeed.

That's why you as a small business owner must gear up to deal with the unattended perceptions out there that could nudge your fledgling venture closer to bankruptcy than success. Perceptions that, if left unattended, may well result in actions that run counter to those you and your banker had in mind.

For example, when new ventures fail, the wreckage is often assigned to undercapitalization. Seldom is failure attributed to a lack of an effective action plan that might have modified the behavior of prospects and other collaborators in a positive way, thus averting that failure.

So why support your new venture with press release public relations when a basic PR blueprint like this one can hold the key to your success? 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.

Add to that these kinds of results: fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers making repeat purchases; prospects starting to look your way; community leaders beginning to seek you out; and even politicians and legislators viewing you as a true innovator.

Major caveat for a new entrepreneurial venture: because the cost of gathering key audience perception data ? an absolute must in this business ? can be substantial, it should be built into the original funding budget. That suggests that you, as the new venture leader, must take the lead in assuring upfront funding of the perception monitoring function.

So, with the people whose perceptions of your venture you care most about now the target of your PR effort, you are ready to launch a well-planned public relations program that can reach, persuade and move those individuals to actions you desire.

Here's a public relations checklist entrepreneurs may find helpful.

From Day 1, you have to be certain your staff or agency public relations people are really committed to knowing how your outside audiences perceive your operations, products or services. And further, that negative key audience perceptions almost always lead to behaviors that can hurt your new venture. Fortunately, your PR people are in the perception and behavior business to begin with, so they should be of real assistance for your opinion monitoring project.

Professional survey firms are always available, but that can be expensive. So, whether it's your people or a survey firm asking the questions, your objective is to identify untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies, and misconceptions.

First, rank your external audiences as to impacts on your operation. For example, #1 customers; #2 prospects; #3 employees; #4 local and trade media; #5 your local business community; #6 community leaders, and so forth. Then, involve your PR team in plans for monitoring and gathering perceptions by questioning members of those you expect will be your most important outside audiences.

Second, interact with members of your key audience and jot down their first impressions of your fledgling operation, especially any problem perceptions.

Use questions like these: Now that you've read our brochure, do you believe our products/services will be of use to people in this area? Have you used the services of our competitors? Did you find them useful? Fairly priced? Any problems? Listen carefully for any rumors or misconceptions about your new operation.

Third, decide which of the negatives you discovered, rates as the #1 corrective public relations goal ? for example, clarify the misconception, spike that rumor, correct the false assumption or fix a certain inaccuracy.

Fourth, when you finally have the chance to address your key stakeholder audience to help persuade them to your way of thinking, what will you say? Ideally, you will prepare persuasive and compelling messages that not only provide details about your product and service quality and diversity, but address perception problems that surfaced during your monitoring sessions. As the method of communication can affect the credibility of the message, you may wish to deliver it in small meetings or presentations rather than through high-visibility media releases.

Not so incidentally, here's where a talented writer earns his or her keep because s/he must put together some very special, corrective language. Words that are not only believable, but clear and factual if they are to correct the negatives and shift perception/opinion towards your point of view and lead to the behaviors you have in mind.

Fifth, in the same way Quesadillas come with sauteed onions and smoky cheese, the right PR strategy tells you how to reach your goal. But just three strategies are available in matters of perception and opinion -- change existing perception, create perception where there may be none, or reinforce it. And be sure your new strategy is a natural fit with your new public relations goal.

Sixth, things get simpler here. 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 of tactics. Everything from speeches, facility tours, emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews, newsletters, personal meetings and many others.

Seventh, how do you decide that your efforts are changing perceptions for the better? As time passes, you should notice increased awareness of your business, a growing public perception of the role your business plays in the community; and, of course, growing numbers of prospects.

You can track these results by interacting on a regular basis with people from each of your key audiences, especially by monitoring print and broadcast media and through interaction with key customers and prospects.

But eighth, questions will soon appear as to progress. That will demand a second perception monitoring session with members of your external audience. Using the same questions used in the first benchmark session, you will now be alert to indications that the negative perception is being altered as you wished.

In public relations, we're lucky that these efforts can be accelerated through more communications tactics as well as increasing their frequencies.

The stakes are high ? the very survival of your new enterprise!

So, concentrate on what's most important -- people in your new venture's community or marketing area behave like people everywhere, they take actions based on their perception of the facts available to them.

In the proverbial nutshell, here you have a workable public relations blueprint that can 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 new enterprise.

Robert A. Kelly © 2004.

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.

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

---

Google News Updated : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:55:52 GMT Excess Drinking Shrinks the Brain - Washington Post Canada.com Excess Drinking Shrinks the Brain Washington Post - 8 hours ago By Amanda Gardner MONDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The more alcohol you drink, the more your brain shrinks, a new study has found. Study: Drinking alcohol associated with smaller brain volume Xinhua Alcohol Consumption Can Shrink Your Brain WCTV Inventorspot - Telegraph.co.uk - MedPage Today - Canada.com all 51 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:09:07 GMT Canada's Harper May Face Similar Gridlock After Today's Vote - Bloomberg Voice of America Canada's Harper May Face Similar Gridlock After Today's Vote Bloomberg - 1 hour ago By Theophilos Argitis and Alexandre Deslongchamps Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) -- When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper called today's election six weeks ago, he complained that opposition calls for more spending were putting the economy at risk, ... Rivals crisscross Canada ahead of elections Los Angeles Times Global turmoil dominates Canada election Financial Times AFP - Voice of America - Crosscut - Aljazeera.net all 951 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:37:49 GMT Morgan Stanley Can't Please Everyone - Forbes Wall Street Journal Morgan Stanley Can't Please Everyone Forbes - 2 hours ago Morgan Stanley and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial may have pleased investors, but they failed to reassure the ratings services. Morgan Stanley (nyse: MS - news - people ) shares surged more than 85.0% Monday after it received a $9.0 billion investment from ... Mitsubishi UFJ Gets Better Terms From Morgan Stanley (Update1) Bloomberg Fitch cuts Morgan Stanley's default ratings to 'A/F1' MarketWatch New York Times - Reuters - Washington Post - St. Louis Post-Dispatch all 1,706 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:40:53 GMT Wildfires threaten LA homes; two people dead - Reuters CBC.ca Wildfires threaten LA homes; two people dead Reuters - 4 hours ago By Steve Gorman and Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Deadly wind-driven brush fires roared out of the foothills and canyons on the northern fringe of Los Angeles on Monday, destroying dozens of homes and threatening hundreds more dwellings. Video: LA Fire Officials Try to Get Ahead of Blazes AssociatedPress REGION: Fire alert remains in effect North County Times New York Times - BBC News - AFP - The Associated Press all 3,443 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:27:17 GMT Vitamin D Supplementation Guidelines for Youngsters Doubled - Washington Post ABC News Vitamin D Supplementation Guidelines for Youngsters Doubled Washington Post - 9 hours ago By Amanda Gardner MONDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The leading children's medical organization in the United States on Monday announced that it has doubled the amount of vitamin D recommended for infants, children and adolescents. Video: HealthWatch CBS Vitamin D recommendation for kids is doubled Los Angeles Times WebMD - ABC News - New York Times - KEYC all 609 news articles Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:11:02 GMT Same-Sex Marriage and the Rights of Citizenship - New York Times ABC News Same-Sex Marriage and the Rights of Citizenship New York Times - 1 hour ago The Connecticut Supreme Court deserves praise for acknowledging, as other states that allow same-sex marriage have not, the constitutional principles that compelled the justices to guarantee all consenting adult Americans the right to enjoy the ... Gays rush to wed ahead of election Washington Times Comment by Evan Wolfson Executive Director, Freedom to Marry National Review Online Blogs - News10.net - WCAX - Catholic Weekly all 1,913 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:41:27 GMT Michigan: Ruling on Voting Rights - New York Times Michigan: Ruling on Voting Rights New York Times - 1 hour ago By AP A judge has ordered state election officials to stop automatically canceling a voter’s registration if the card is returned as undeliverable. Federal judge orders 1438 names restored to Michigan voter rolls Detroit Free Press Judge Says Mich. Policy Violated Voting Law Washington Post Connecticut Post - The Standard - DetNews.com - The Associated Press all 68 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:05:24 GMT Datafeeds For Blogs Amazon Associate Feed

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Youth Entrepreneurship, A Disappointing Truth

The psychology of entrepreneurship can be very rewarding to one... Read More

Corporate Espionage in Franchising

Franchising Trade Journals do not do well, because today with... Read More

A Secret To Extraordinary Accomplishments

I sat watching a documentary on U.S. Navy SEAL Team... Read More

Is Now the Right Time to Become An Entrepreneur?

A number of economic changes are magnifying the role of... Read More

The Dirty Dozen

1) No Umbrella Business Plan or Strategy -- Without a... Read More

Starting a Company on a Shoe-String Budget

A lot of people never start businesses because they believe... Read More

Beware the Opposition!

Any time you make changes in your life you are... Read More

Time Management Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs

Does it seem like everyone and everything is vying for... Read More

How to Start a Franchise

Franchising InformationFranchise oppotunities are all around us today. You may... Read More

Can a Microbusiness Help You Enjoy a Better Retirement?

Not having enough money for a comfortable retirement tops the... Read More

Hearing That Entrepreneurial Voice?

Women business owners are our only clients, so naturally we... Read More

Goals and New Venture Creation

More and more corporate workers are leaving their jobs to... Read More

Salon Marketing Using Wireless Broadband Internet Access

Our client in Chicago did, located right outside downtown too...a... Read More

Business Is No Guarantee of Riches

Q: I'm thinking about starting a business since that seems... Read More

10 Secrets of Successful Entrepreneurs

Running a one-person business is a creative, flexible and challenging... Read More

Enterprising Route is to Go Your Own Way

DON'T talk to me about education for entrepreneurs. They're pouring... Read More

Rambling Confessions of a Recovering Entrepreneur

I told my family that I finally accepted that my... Read More

Oil Change Guys History; Part III

Studying the history of franchise companies is interesting is watching... Read More

Entrepreneurship: What does it REALLY mean?

Introduction:In a world where ideas drive economies, it is no... Read More

Starting Your Business: 3 Tips for Bootstrapping Your Way to the Top

Bootstrapping a business startup does not necessarily mean that you... Read More

5 Habits Of Successful Entrepreneurs

Habits get a bum rap. When you think about your... Read More

Seven Key Qualities of Successful Entrepreneurs

A recent poll conducted by Forbes magazine shows that majority... Read More

How Home-Based Business Entrepreneurs Think

Too many people are trying to start their home businesses... Read More

Used-Book Case Study

Dwight Payne and Gary Heap reside in Santa Barbara, CA,... Read More

100% of Nothing

What would it be worth to you to receive a... Read More