Direct mail marketing is now being used by many large retailers like Macy's or Wal-Mart in order to reach their customers. These businesses often send out sales flyers that highlight what will be on sale in their store that week. Retailers also send them out if they have special sales.

You may not think that using the mail is the way to go if you own a small business. You should know that this type of marketing can be very effective in your community. It can reach a lot of people for little money, even if it may not be as flashy as television advertising.

You may not have noticed it, but direct mail marketing has always been around. Many people can still get their mail every day, even though they tend to use email for personal and some business correspondence. In the past, this method has been used by more companies, but only the smart companies still do it.

People can ignore both radio and television ads rather easily, but they regularly check what comes in their mailbox. Unlike commercials, direct mail marketing is less invasive, and they can put the flyers aside for when they have time to look through them.

You should remember that direct mail marketing gives you more say than television or radio spots if you are selling something. You can print anything you want on them, and you don't have to cram all your information into a thirty second spot. You can be sure that your information will reach your customers and potential customers. They will also have more time to read through what you have to offer.

Direct mail marketing is very effective, and people will receive ads and flyers by mail as long as they have postal service. You should make sure you get a bulk rate from the post office, if you want to use direct mail marketing. You can save more money if you send out more. You need to layout a flyer and have it printed, but it costs less than shooting a television commercial.

You can know what you need to do and how to go about an effective campaign by going into the post office and talking to them about direct mail marketing. The people at the post office might be able to discuss bulk rates with you. They may also have suggestions about the best day of the week to send out your materials along with any rules or regulations you may need to know.

Starting to collect proper information to create a mailing list is not difficult, once you know how to proceed. In this report, uses for mailing lists are briefly described. The first steps in identifying the names that might be included on your mailing list are also outlined. Finally, the important concept of a database is introduced.

WAYS TO USE A MAILING LIST

Mailing lists are a versatile tool that your business or organization can use to help achieve many administrative and marketing objectives.

1. In Daily Administration: For-profit and nonprofit organizations alike use mailing lists constantly in their day-to-day operation. Well-maintained mailing lists are required to efficiently carry out important activities such as:

* updating employee phone lists. * sending company newsletters and special notices to employees. * compiling membership directories. * sending out newsletters to organization members. * determining school bus routes. * tracking and evaluating suppliers. * monitoring contract commitments and schedules. * alerting customers about warranty dates.

2. In Marketing: But it is in the marketing area that mailing lists can really make a contribution to the "bottom line." Much of the information in this report can be used for all list needs. Selling through the mail via a catalog is one basic example of a marketing application where a mailing list plays a very important role. The list is the source of names to which the catalog is mailed. Today, organizations of any size can benefit from using a mailing list in marketing functions.

Here are some other marketing uses for which a mailing list is a critical ingredient:

* Soliciting orders without incurring the expense of a direct sales call. (This can be particularly efficient for smaller accounts where the amount of the order does not justify the high cost of a personal sales call.) * Generating and/or qualifying leads for your sales staff or for another direct mail effort. Using direct mail to qualify leads is another way to save on direct sales costs. * Providing background information about your product or services. This type of effort can be used to generate leads, which are then followed up with personal or telephone sales calls. * Reminding patients of the need for periodic checkup appointments. * Conducting a fundraising campaign. * Increasing the membership of your organization. * Extending invitations to attend a public meeting, a seminar, or a special event. * Following up on contacts made in personal appearances (at a trade show or seminar, for example). * Announcing changes in company personnel, product line, pricing structure or location. * Obtaining referrals from current customers or members. * Reviving inactive accounts. * Building good will with customers or members.

You will find that the administrative and marketing uses for mailing lists are almost endless. How many of the ones we've described above would benefit your business or organization?

In the next section, we will define the different types of lists you can develop.

TYPES OF LISTS

From a business or organizational point of view, everyone is not equal. Just as a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, existing customers are worth more than potential customers. The same principle applies to mailing lists. They can be divided into four types, according to the value of the names they contain:

1. Current Customer: Your list of current customers contains your most valuable names. They have already bought your products or used your services. They are the people or companies most likely to respond again to your future offers.

In this booklet we refer to these names as "customers." However, depending on your type of business or organization, the term "customer" can also include a whole range of people (or organizations) such as:

* clients of professional service firms. * donors who contribute time, money or goods to fundraising campaigns. * investors in a business or stock issue. * patients of health care practices. * policyholders in an insurance agency. * members of an association, religious or cultural institution, or club. * subscribers to a magazine or newsletter. * users of a sports or recreational facility.

2. Inquiries: Businesses or individuals who have contacted your organization to request something - catalog, sample, quote, or perhaps just information - are more likely to respond to your offers than others who have not shown an interest in you. Further, the faster you are able to contact an inquiry with an answer, the more likely it is that he or she will react positively to your next offer.

3. Prospects: Prospects are potential customers. They are people who have not yet responded to your offers nor inquired about your organization. However, you have reason to believe that they may have a need for or interest in your product or service. You also expect that these prospects have the ability to pay (if you're selling a product or service).

(A smart way to look at your customers is to also view them as prospects to be wooed and won for other products or services. Never take a customer for granted. For example, a customer who has bought only one product or service from you may be a prospect - and a very good one - for the other products and services you offer.)

4. Suspects: Suspects are prospects who may have some potential to become customers, but their need for your product or service (and their ability to pay) is uncertain. Developing a mailing list of suspect names should probably be the lowest priority for your business or organization.

For each type of mailing list you create - customer, prospect, inquiry, or suspect - you will want to keep basically the same descriptive information (data) on each of the names you include. If you can keep and maintain the same data on each of your customers, you can find which common characteristics are processed by your best customers. If you can then find prospects which closely match those characteristics, you have a greater chance of success in your prospect mailings.

The next step, in creating your mailing list, is deciding on the data you should try to capture for each of the names.

WHAT DATA TO INCLUDE IN YOUR MAILING LIST RECORDS

This section of the report offers some preliminary guidance in making the necessary decision about which piece of descriptive information, or "data element," to include in your mailing list records.

When you are identifying the data elements you want to include in your mailing list, you are really laying the groundwork for your database.

"Database" is a popular term among mailing list specialists today. However, the concept of a data base is fairly simple. A database is a collection of information about your customers, organized so it can be easily expanded, updated, and accessed by any of a number of its component parts or variable. Mailing information (name, address, etc.) is part, but not all, of a database.

Why is a database so important? Let's begin by reviewing some basic principles: * Whatever your product or service, there is an audience because of its characteristics, is a "natural" customer group for you. For example, expectant mothers are a natural audience for a store selling maternity clothes. * The more you know about your customer, the better you will be able to appeal to their specific wants and needs. * Prospects who share characteristics with your current customers are generally your best potential customers.

Therefore, to make decisions about what data elements to include in your database, first determine what common characteristics your customers share. For example:

* Do your customers share a certain level of income (in the case of individuals) or annual sales volume(in case of businesses)? * Do all of your customers have similar household sizes or numbers of employees(businesses)? * Is age or number of years in business a common characteristic shared by your customers? * Are your customers located in a specific area or a particular type of geographic location?

These are just a few of the characteristics your customers may share.

The following questions don't apply to prospects, but they can also help youdetermine who your best customers are:

* How often do your best customers buy - daily, monthly or even yearly? * What sales volume makes them food customers? * When was the last time they purchased? * When do they buy? Anytime or only at certain times of the year?

The better you understand your best current customers, the better you will be able to identify the data you want to maintain about potential customers.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Pop quiz! If you have to say goodbye to your hard earned money to purchase something you've always wanted, who would you rather trust: an unknown provider or one who has an established name in the industry?

The answer to that question shows how important branding has become in recent years. And consequently, brand building has taken an equal significance.

Brand building consists of all the things you do to establish a good image for your business venture. A brand carries with it an aura of credibility and reliability that screams how your enterprise guarantees to deliver.

Brand building would also pave the way for product association. For example, when you think of toothpaste, Colgate immediately comes to mind. When someone mentions soda, you instantaneously form an image of a bottle of Coca-Cola in your head.

It goes without saying that your business' brand can make or break its success. A good brand can rake in those orders faster than any of the known marketing strategies. A non-existent brand would mean many years of difficult struggle just to consummate a sale. A substandard brand would be tantamount to the death of the business.

Here are some steps you could take to build that brand image which would carry your business to the next level:

1. Try to grab their attention by offering them something beneficial for free. Two principles are at work here. First is the fact that the word "free" is the most powerful term in marketing. It will instantly garner attention, and would have people talking. The second is a rather formulaic notion: they won't remember you if they don't get to hear about you in the first place. Introduce yourself with a bang, and you'll find out that first impressions can work in your favor.

2. Be consistent. Consistency is the number one tool in establishing brand recall. You would want to prove to the world that your business is not a one hit wonder. Let them realize that you are capable of delivering quality products or services at a constant level.

3. Offer something different. Whether it be an innovative product or a revolutionary service, give your client an experience they will never forget. Novelty is good for starters, but basically, the excellent quality of your craft is what will ultimately distinguish you from the rest.

4. Try to over-deliver. Exceeding your clients' expectations would give your business a prominent place in their memory. They would reciprocate your extra effort in kind by affording your business their loyalty.

5. Use brand recall paraphernalia. This can take the form of a business logo that can be associated with your business. Depending on your target market, you could also avail of a mascot to make your business accessible to more people. Or it can be a catchy phrase that would perfectly describe your trade.

6. Show your expertise. Try to show your wares in as many venues as possible. Talk about a particular topic in a proficient manner through the use of articles, write-ups, interviews or even press releases. Proclaim yourself, or your business, as an expert, and people will take notice.

7. Always live up to your words. Never fail to deliver on your promise. People should remember you as reliable and credible. Maintain this integrity and you'll never be far from their minds.

Following these steps would establish your brand that would distinguish you from the rest. This would be your title by which you will be loved, remembered and considered. Use it well, and the promises of fortune shouldn't be far behind.

After 5+ years of online marketing and too many years marketing offline to mention without sounding too old here - one marketing technique stands out from all the rest.

This one single technique has turned struggling businesses into massive success stories, resulted in the top 10% of high achieving sales people and real estate agents, and will work to help you get double, even triple the sales from the same amount of effort.

Am I talking about niche marketing?

Yes, focusing on a specific niche market is important, but that's not it.

Writing great copy, yup, pretty important too, but that's not it either.

Designing powerful minisites that convert visitors into customers, now we're getting closer, but still not there.

Ok, enough teasing.

The one single most powerful, important and fundamental web marketing lesson of all is…

<b> AUTOMATING MULTIPLE EXPOSURES

TO YOUR MESSAGE </b>

It's the most universally accepted concept in sales, the more times someone is exposed to a strong message or product, the more chance they will buy.

In the offline sales world, its called persistence.

And best of all - its incredibly simple, yet highly effective to use.

The picture of persistence you have in your mind are no doubt negative. The jerk who continues to call you again and again - at dinner time no less - about their long distance program, even after you already ditched that company a few months ago because their service sucked.

That's likely your memory of persistence - but don't blame persistence for flat out shitty marketing. Fact is, shitty marketing is even more rotten when you are exposed to it multiple times.

Ah…but good marketing becomes GREAT marketing when the right audience is exposed multiple times.

<b> ONLINE VERSION OF THE PERSISTENT,

SUCCESSFUL SALESPERSON</b>

What if you could get permission from your prospect to contact them regularly for the next 2-3 weeks, each day being able to talk to them about the problems and challenges they are experiencing in their own language.

Hey, what if you could even dream a little with them - share your thoughts, passions, beliefs and ultimate dreams in line with your prospects?

Then, once you have gained strong rapport, your credibility is much higher and your prospect is really connected with what you are saying, you can offer them a way to get what they want very badly.

Even better…you can show them how others have gotten from where your prospect is right now to where they want to be.

Do you know another way to automatically get more people to buy from you without you having to use any extra energy or skill?

How much do you want in extra sales?

If you're generating $500/month today, would immediately doubling that be of interest to you?

What about your $2,500 a month turning into $5,000 or $10,000/month?

Now we're talking right?

To make this happen - you must create a follow-up sequence (course, minicourse, autoresponder, tipsheet, etc…) that establishes rapport, instantly gains you credibility, takes your prospect from where they are to where they want to be.

Is it difficult to do?

Quite frankly, yes!

99% of the follow up sequences businesses use today are simply NOT effective - even doing more harm than good.

<b> GREAT NEWS - THERE IS A FORMULA</b>

You understand the value of time?

When you are starting or building your business, time and timing is critical. You can't afford to spend money and time testing everything - so when you have the opportunity to tap into a template, a coookie cutter approach to accelerate your marketing results, it really is like gold isn't it?

For a small group of us who have stumbled upon this remarkable formula for developing follow-up email sequences, the results have been astounding - tripling of response in my own case.

Isn't automating your income stream what it is all about?

Using the formula provided by Automated Income Streams (http://www.create-e-mini-course.com), you really can realize some of the freedom everyone talks about but very few actually realize in their own businesses.

Remember the purpose of your minicourse - its not just to inform, throw out content, or blindly send stuff to your prospects.

Instead, your minicourse is your way of connecting with your market, setting them up for your offer, telling them you understand how they feel, know what they want and can give it to them with added proof.

Purposeful persistence using Automation really is the MOST important online marketing lesson of all!

Imagine this… You and your client are out to lunch. You turn to them and say:

"Further to our telephone conversation this morning, I wish to acknowledge receipt of your correspondence as of the above date…" They stare back at you and without blinking reply: "Dear Sir, please be advised we look forward to a response to our recent correspondence at your earliest convenience…"

Do people really talk like this? Can you imagine telling a client: "Further to our telephone conversation…"? Then why write like it!?

Grab a business letter you wrote or received. Chances are, you will see a very similar pattern - people writing to one another as if they were robots programmed to only understand formal speech. DON'T suffer this 'my letter sounds professional and articulate' disorder. You know what? Your clients don't really care if you can use words like 'exacerbate' and 'pontificate' in the same sentence.

People just don't understand half of what is said - because that's not how they speak!

You want to get the message across as quickly and as easily as possible. Let's see how easy it is to re-word the example above:

"Hi Bob! Got your proposal we spoke about yesterday, I'm looking over it"

"Great, I'll call you tomorrow to discuss it?"

See the difference? You can actually imagine two people saying that to one another. Could you imagine walking up to a customer and saying : "Dear Sir"?

Exactly so don't do it!

Write as you talk. You'll notice a big difference in your response rates.

People opt for internet advertising methods because practically half of the world's population knows HTML. If you have your own business, you have to decide on what internet advertising method works for you. Ask yourself what are you going to avail of: the expensive internet advertising methods or the cheap ones? Others will pipe in "expensive!" immediately, but they don't know cheap internet advertising method attracts great benefits as well.

Here's the lowdown and a comparative look on the cheap and expensive internet advertising methods:

The Expensive:

1. Pop-ups. Not only is this expensive, but also outright annoying that visitors close pop-up windows without even bothering to know what they're all about. This is an internet advertising method that you can do without.

Fly ads are derivatives of pop-ups which are also equally irking to the visitors.

2. 1. Pop-ups. Not only is this expensive, but also outright annoying that visitors close pop-up windows without even bothering to know what they're all about. This is an internet advertising method that you can do without.

Fly ads are derivatives of pop-ups which are also equally irking to the visitors.

2. Pod casts.

Broadcast is to TV as pod cast is to internet. It's one sophisticated internet advertising method that can somehow hamper your budget. But if you're thinking results, pod casting is worth the money.

3. Paying the search engines.

How does this one work? When someone types in a keyword related to your site, your URL is automatically included in the first page of the top results. Fixed payment for the search engine allows just that. Expensive, yes, but if we're talking about Google and Yahoo search engines here, then don't give it a second thought.

This is associated with another internet advertising method: the pay-per-click system.

The Cheap:

1. Blogging.

Go along the bandwagon and blog about your website. This is an internet advertising method that is popular as of the moment, so you never have to worry that this will never spur outcome. All you have to do is sign up for a blogging account, post and voila! You don't even need to pay!

2. Submit to not-so-big search engines.

This is cheap and dependable. If you submit your site to smaller search engines, you have bigger chances to get bigger results. Remember that the search engine giants can dwarf and overlook your site easily, so this internet advertising method might just be the right one for you.

3. Text links.

This is not just cheap…this is virtually free! Let someone text link your site and return the favor.

Cheap versus expensive, that's always the question that hounds on whenever we're trying to get something. In the field of internet advertising, just be wise enough to figure out what will suit your needs. Go for what you want as long as there are visible results.

<b>One of the best ways to attract more clients is to quit marketing the same way your competitors do. </b> Because when all mortgage originator marketing is essentially the same, it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish one loan officer from another. And studies show that consumers will make decisions one of two ways.

<b>First, if all competitors appear the same and there are too many to choose from, consumers won't make any decision. </b> Instead they'll continue procrastinating. It's the same when you go to a restaurant with a hungry appetite. You're instantly paralyzed when you're handed a 10-page menu from the waiter. There are too many choices.

<b>Secondly, if the consumer doesn't procrastinate and all competitors appear the same, they'll choose based on price (rate, fees, etc). </b> This is the worst component to compete on because there's always some desperate loan officer who is willing to bid lower.

<b>Promote Today's Special</b>

<b>Does your marketing promote these items; </b> debt consolidation, refinance, purchase, home equity line, home improvement, VA, FHA, bad credit ok, apply online, free pre-qualification.

<b>Consumers get confused with too many choices. </b> Just like the example about the restaurant and having a menu too thick when you're craving a meal.

<b>A good waiter uses "Today's Special" to his or her advantage. </b> If the waiter has scripted his or her presentation, they deliver a wonderful picture of a single entr?that helps cut through the decision-making.

<b>If you want your marketing to stand out, communicate a single idea. </b> Let your competition beat each other up while promoting everything they have to offer under the sun.

<b>If you're not sure, you can test the validity of my suggestion by opening any publication and comparing advertisements. </b> Scan the publication for advertisements and mark the ones that grab your attention. Chances are you'll select ads that display images, have fewer words than compared with others and that deliver a single message.

<b>Consumers read advertisements that speak clarity. </b> Your eyes will be attracted to simple messages that aren't cluttered by unnecessary words or stress too many points. You're more motivated to read ads that are quick, too the point and convey a single idea (preferably with images).

<b>Don't Offer the Whole Elephant</b>

<b>You eat an elephant - one bite at a time. </b> This means your marketing should offer smaller, bite-size decisions. Don't ask your client to do too much, especially if they don't know you very well. Here are some examples that ask too much:

<b>- Blah, blah, blah

If you're sick and tired of increasing your subscriber base and want some permanent no-cost solution, then here's good news.

Now you can own the magic formula and cash-in on one of the greatest traffic and lead generation tactic at will.

Step 1 - Create a Free Package.

Remove 5% out of your product and create a high quality package for your subscribers.

It can be an ebook, report, ecourse, video, etc. Now give this package to your subscribers absolutely free.

Step 2 - Create a Squeeze Page

Squeeze page is a webpage that collects your visitors name and email address and automatically forwards your free package to your subscribers with the help of autoresponders.

Create a killer squeeze page with eye catching design and graphics and benefit laden copy. You have to convince your visitors to give you their name and email address to grab the package for free.

Step 3 - Write a Killer Article.

Write a quality article that is related to your free package. Provide quality step by step info in this article.

In the resource box stick an ad that offers your article readers your free package and directs them to your squeeze page.

Let us assume that you are giving a free video that shows how to start an internet business. You can write an ad similar to this one…

FREE Video: How to Create Your First Money-Making Website in 4 Simple Steps? - Rush NOW to…

And then include your squeeze page url.

Step 4 - Spread Your Article.

Once you have your article ready, submit your article to article directories like ezinearticles.com

There are hundreds of article directories that exists online. To make your submission process faster make sure you use article distribution service like 'Article Marketer'.

You can even get a free subscription out there.

Make sure you also distribute your articles to ezine publishers and website owners. Hunt them on google and send them a brief email saying that you regularly write articles in your niche and if they give permission, you can send them your articles on regular basis.

Create a list of ezine publishers and website owners and regularly send them your articles as and when you create them.

Post your article on your website and give free distribution rights to your article only if the user of your article places your resource box under your article.

Once you do this you will soon see that your article spreads all around the web.

Visitors will read your article on different websites and move on to your squeeze page. They will submit their name and email address and get into your list where your autoresponder system will follow up and sell your products and services.

Step 5 - Repetition.

Whenever you want a flow of leads to your website, just repeat steps 3 to 5 and watch your traffic counter and subscriber base explode.

Just apply this simple 4 step blueprint consistently and see your internet business skyrocket within few months of creative efforts, absolutely FREE.

As an online marketer, there are many tools available to help you succeed.Some are free , while some will cost you money.Essential tools include a computer , an internet connection and the various softwares.Everywhere you turn nowadays, 'gurus' will tell what you need to do in order to succeed.

However, few people will tell you about the most important and essential marketing tool.It is not something to see or to hold.It exists not on the outside but on the inside.What am I talking about ? Your mindset.

A positive mindset.Without it ,your chances of success is virtually nil.A positive mindset allows you to overcome the inevitable obstacles.Oh , so you thought this was going to be a joyride ? Well , wake up son !

Most people fail because of not having the right mindset.So what is the right mindset ? This is a mixture of resilience,commitment,persistence,passion,hardwork and consistency.

Take a look at the most successful people around.Do you think that they started out just a few months ago ? Most of have been working for years before they achieved the success they now enjoy.What do you think got them through the frustrations and struggles ?

You guess it! The right mindset.Ask any of them and they will tell you.It is needed to overcome the pain,discouragements,insults,rejections and failures.

With the proper mindset and patience , your goals can be achieved.When you learn to apply them without much effort , then you will know you are on the road to success.

As an online marketer there are many tools available to help you succeed.A positive mindset will sustain you on the road to success.Don't believe me ? Give it a try and see !

To your success and mine……. ,

Nicholas

&copy;2003 Nicholas Dixon

What is it, you might ask, that allows certain business,

non-profit, government agency or association managers

to believe that they run a high-quality public relations

operation?

In my judgement, they can believe that only if:

1) They operate a strategic PR plan that leads directly

to achieving their unit's managerial objectives.

2) They do something really significant about those

important outside audience behaviors that MOST

affect the department, group, division or subsidiary

unit they manage.

3) They take advantage of the perception levels they've

achieved as those key external audiences become

persuaded to the manager's way of thinking.

4) And once having persuaded many members of that key

external audience to their views on the issue in question,

watch that perception closely as it usually morphs into

behavioral actions that allow their unit to succeed.

But few managers achieve this level without earlier exposure

to the tactical approach to public relations. An approach that

pretty much uses a collection of communications tactics to

move a message from one point to another. And that's fine if

the manager's only objective is to create print and broadcast

exposure.

However, problems arise when it becomes obvious that

counterproductive behaviors by target audiences are the direct

result of negative perceptions about the organization or its

services, products or personnel.

Suddenly, it is clear why steps must be taken to monitor

opinion among members of your most important outside

audiences to (1) determine how they perceive your organization;

(2) to further evaluate those survey results in order to identify

and prioritize public relations goals; (3) to create and share

corrective messages with key outside audiences and, finally,

(4) to carefully monitor how and when those perceptions

inevitably become the key audience behaviors you know you

need as the manager in charge of your unit.

This is an action plan that calls on you to do some meaningful

things about the behaviors of those important outside audiences

that most affect your operation; to create the kind of external

stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving

your managerial objectives; and to do so by persuading those

key outside folks to your views by helping move them to take

actions that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary

to succeed.

Still, you may be wondering, what's REALLY going on here?

Well, you're preparing to do something positive about the

behaviors of the very outside audiences of yours that MOST

affect your operation. And that's when PR can actually create

the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads

directly to achieving those key managerial objectives of yours.

By the way, the foundational premise for this approach to the

practice of public relations is sound: 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.

Conducting public relations this way, a manager might expect

results along these lines: new proposals for strategic alliances

and joint ventures; a rebound in showroom visits; customers

making repeat purchases; improved relations with government

agencies and legislative bodies; membership applications on the

rise; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way;

fresh community service and sponsorship opportunities;

prospects starting to work with you and even stronger

relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

It pays to review your PR timeline with your PR staff and,

moreover, take the time to critique how you will monitor

and gather perceptions by questioning members of your most

important outside audiences. Suggest queries along these lines:

how much do you know about our organization? Have you had

prior contact with us and were you pleased with the exchange?

Are you familiar with our services or products and employees?

Have you experienced problems with our people or procedures?

Are you confident that your most dependable and professional

PR people really accept why it's SO important to know how

your most important outside audiences perceive your operations,

products or services? And do you believe THEY believe that

perceptions almost always result in behaviors that can help or

hurt your operation?

Of course, any kind of surveying/polling and the like usually

go easier when a professional survey firm helps monitor your

key audience's perceptions. But real pros cost real money

compared to using your existing public relations staff who,

while they are already in the perception and behavior business,

also cost money. But whether it's your people or a survey firm

asking the questions, the objective remains the same: identify

untruths, false assumptions, unfounded rumors, inaccuracies,

misconception and any other negative perception that might

translate into hurtful behaviors.

This is the time to set a realistic PR goal, one that calls for

action on the most serious problem areas you uncovered

during your key audience perception monitoring. You may,

for example, decide to straighten out that dangerous

misconception, bring to an end that potentially painful rumor,

or correct that terrible inaccuracy.

Your new goal, obviously will get you nowhere without the

support of an action-oriented strategy. If, that is, you are to

know how to get to where you're going. And do keep in mind

that you have just three strategic options available to you when

it comes to doing something about perception and opinion:

change existing perception, create perception where there may

be none, or reinforce it. Needless to say, the wrong strategy

pick will taste like chocolate chips in your liverwurst soup.

So be sure your new strategy fits well with your new public

relations goal. You certainly don't want to pursue "change"

when the facts dictate a strategy of reinforcement.

Now, in order to move your key audience to your way of

thinking, the best writer on your team must prepare a carefully

-written message targeted directly at your key external audience.

And make no mistake about it, putting together a really

persuasive message usually is the toughest part of this drill.

S/he must produce some really corrective language that is not

merely 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.

To carry your message to the attention of your target audience,

you'll require carefully selected communications tactics and

there are many such available. From speeches, facility tours,

emails and brochures to consumer briefings, media interviews,

newsletters, personal meetings and many others. But be

certain that the tactics you pick are known to reach folks just

like your audience members.

As the program gets under way, you'll probably want to unveil

your corrective message before smaller meetings rather than

using higher profile news releases or broadcast announcements.

Reason is, a message's credibility is always fragile and often

suspect, depending on the method by which it is delivered,

The time needed to prepare and distribute progress reports

is time well invested because you will be illustrating how the

monies spent on public relations can pay off. But they'll also

be your alert to start a second perception monitoring session

with members of your external audience. Here, you'll use

many of the same questions used in the benchmark interviews.

Only difference now is, you will be on strict alert for signs

that the bad news perception is being altered in your direction.

In the unlikely event that forward motion slows down a bit, be

advised that you can always add more communications tactics,

and/or increase their frequencies to address that problem.

In one long sentence, the manager's path to quality public

relations requires that you resolve to do something about the

behaviors of those outside audiences that most affect your

operation; create the kind of external stakeholder behavior

change that leads directly to achieving your managerial

objectives; and do so by persuading those key outside folks

to your way of thinking by helping move them to take actions

that allow your department, group, division or subsidiary

unit to succeed.

end

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Robert A. Kelly &copy; 2006.