Small Business Information |
|
Why Small Business Must Turn to PR
If small business had no important outside audiences, it wouldn't exist. But since they do have external "publics," it's doubly unfortunate when those same small business owners seem unconcerned about the very outside folks whose behaviors can place a choke-hold on their business! And worse, are so casual about public relations, the best way to move those behaviors in their direction. Is that you? What's the problem? Can you think of any other way to marshall those groups of people you need so badly if your business is to succeed? Face it. You must turn to public relations if you are really serious about getting those important outside people to support what you are trying to do. And the best part is, there's no mystery about how to do it! Start today by listing your important outside audiences in priority order. No doubt, customers and prospects will place #1 and #2. But think carefully about your local and trade media as well as community residents and leaders, suppliers and the like. The test for adding an external audience to your worry list is this: if left unattended, could its perceptions and behaviors hurt your business? Since there is no other affordable way to find out how each of your target audiences perceive your business, products, services and operations, you must take the time to do it yourself along with your colleagues. Interact with members of that key target audience and probe their perceptions with plenty of questions. Watch for misconceptions, inaccuracies and rumors that need to be corrected. Stay alert to negativity of any kind. This will let you decide how much you will try to alter perceptions among each audience. It also becomes the behavior modification goal against which you will measure your progress. Now it's message time. What will you say to members of your target audience to alter that negative perception that surfaced during your conversations with them? Your message must be persuasive, so stick with the facts and present them clearly. By identifying honestly what is really at issue at the moment, you impart a sense of credibility to your comments, and their timeliness adds a compelling dimension to your message. What's the best way to get that message to the eyes and ears of members of your target audience? Here, you have an embarrassment of riches with dozens of communications tactics including news announcements, op-eds, letters-to-the-editor, speeches, community briefings, broadcast and newspaper interviews and many, many others. Progress can best be tracked by interacting all over again with members of the target audience. While you'll ask questions similar to those you asked in your earlier monitoring sessions, this time you're looking for signs that your message got through. In other words, signs that your message succeeded in altering any negative perceptions of your business. You should also monitor print and broadcast media, key customers and prospects for similar indications of success. Should progress not be fast enough for you, you'll want to consider increasing the number of communications tactics you employ as well as the frequency of their use. Your message should also be re-evaluated for its factual basis and clarity. Gradually, your monitoring will playback perception changes among that target audience, and that means the behaviors you seek will not be far behind. It is this kind of success that tells us very clearly why small business must turn to PR if it is to realize its potential. 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:[email protected]. Robert A. Kelly � 2003. About The Author Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks about the fundamental premise of public relations. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. mailto:[email protected]. Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Top Ten Tips for Leveraging Conferences for Big SUCCESS! As I am preparing for my attendance to the CoachVille's Third Annual Coaching Conference, I have been considering how I can make the most of my conference attendance. These ten tips will support you in leveraging those conference you will attend in the future and for creating an unforgettable experience! How to Bond a Business Relationship When should you create a foundation in order to solidify a business relationship? Incorporating a Small Business: S corporations versus C corporations If you've been considering incorporating your small business, you've probably been confused about the difference between S and C corporations. What Happened to the Money and Freedom? Ask anyone trapped in a cubical about their entrepreneurial dream and they will tell you, "I want to own my own business. I'll make more and have more time." Maintaining Your Carpet Extractor in Your Auto Detail Shop Auto Detailing: Maintaining A Commercial Carpet Extractor Designing a Franchise Training Program If you intend to franchise your company you will need to design a bullet proof training company for your new franchisees. This is above and beyond the training program you will design for them to administer to their new employees. Remember when training new franchisees it is similar to training new managers for any Corporation's outlets. The difference of course being that the Franchisee in a Franchised Company has a lot more at stake and will be twice as motivated as an average manager of a corporate Store. Janitorial Cleaning Service: Getting Started A janitorial cleaning service is one of the best businesses for a hardworking, blue collar person to start from scratch. Every business and every building needs to be cleaned once in a while - in some cases, many times each day. With the overhead involved with hiring employees to provide janitorial services, it is convenient for a company to outsource to a commercial janitorial service provider. Boat Detailing Tips and Procedures Auto detailers are often asked to clean boats and detail boat trailers. There is an easy and efficient way to do this with little effort. Washing and waxing boat trailers is an easy sale. Be sure to offer the boat owner a trailer wax. Let the owner know that a heavily waxed trailer is more rust resistant even when used in salt water. They can wax now or repaint later. To remove rust, brush on two coats of Ospho Acid, available in paint stores and marine supply shops. It will change the chemistry of rusting steel from an active to a passive state and stop rust cold. Why Internet Shopping is the New Mall of the Future Last year, trillions of dollars transferred hands on the internet with regard to sales, or as the internet wishes to call it, eCommerce. The internet is becoming an increasingly complex manipulation of do's and don'ts. However, one thing I am sure of is, what are you doing? The cliche says, "Either get in the game, or sit and watch from the sidelines." I've been sitting around long enough and recently took bold steps to leap into eCommerce. Self-Employment: Do you know the Difference between Rates and Wages The difference between rates and wages is not always clear to newly self-employed people and their wage-earning clients. How to Integrate Yourself in Someone Elses Business When do you need to get more involved with the day to day activities of your business partner? How to Start Home Based Travel Businesses Home based travel businesses are no longer the wave of the future. Home travel businesses are the hot trend right now. So if you're considering becoming a travel agent, this brief guide will provide you with information you need to know. Franchising 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know Franchising has made the world look really small. The well known flavors are now not just restricted to a single town or city but can be enjoyed world wide. Otherwise it would only be a dream for somebody in Asia to wear the fashion of Europe, for the West to have delectable food of the East etc. Globally as well as domestically the system of franchising has something good for everyone. Motorizing for Profit - The Craftsmen Have Left the Building In the summer, I can't drive two blocks without seeing the activity of the construction industry. Road contractors, house builders and landscapers are everywhere. Postcards Make It Rain Referrals One of the simplest ways to expand your marketing efforts is through the consistent use of postcards. Create a list of narrowly targeted prospects and then hammer away at them with powerful marketing messages. Combating Over Regulation of Small Business Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood, sweat and tears of their proprietors. Unfortunately in doing to well often you find that the competition uses the government to attack you. They do this by complaining to various local agencies about how you are not following certain rules, such as the dumpster out back has broken hinges on the doors or that your handicap spot in front of your store is fading? Often they will even make stuff up simply to get the enforcement folks out there who will start to go through your business with a fine toothcomb, we all know what that means, they will indeed find something wrong and you will get a fine of some type. This general harassment is so common that it takes its toll on the small businessperson. Choosing A Business Thats Right For You Q: I really want to start my own business, but I have no idea what business would be best suited for me. I'm also eager to get started, but I don't want to pick the wrong business just because I'm impatient. How should I go about deciding what business would be best for me? -- Samuel J. Who Makes the BEST Alliance What types of companies do you want to align yourself with? Truck Detailing Shop Business Case Study As an entrepreneur you can learn a lot by following the real life case studies of other entrepreneurs. Often the text books in school leave out the beginning details and the juicy part of how it all comes together and is created out of nothing but a thought. I have an interesting case study for you and it explains how my company got into the truck detailing business. This is a funny story. How to Profit from a Concrete Roof Tile Business Concrete Roof Tile Business: During the 2004 summer season, storms plagued the United States. Damages from the Hurricanes in Florida alone sent resources in the southern states scrambling. The shortage of qualified roofing professionals and supplies were felt immediately. Roofers from all over the United States began hunting down supplies and heading south. There were also many people who saw a roofing business opportunity and invested in roof tile businesses. |
home | site map |
© 2005 |