Ebook: The Art of Public Speaking Dale Carnagey 3

Inside The Minds 5. Powerful, high-quality communications are built upon substantive information – knowledge, research, and creativity. Good public relations is not focused exclusively on good stories, and it never hides from the tough issues that need to be addressed. Rather, it deals with all facets of a company, including both difficult and easy issues. Golden Rules of Public Relations Listen carefully to clients, colleagues, media representatives, and other interested parties to understand all relevant viewpoints and perspectives. This approach enables public relations professionals to make judgments that address all appropriate issues, concerns and objectives. Never lose sight of the relationship between words and deeds. Words alone are meaningless – they must rest upon a foundation of action. Public relations works only when words mirror behavior. Approach every assignment with respect for the people who will make the ultimate judgment as to the worthiness of a product or service and the value of a company. Follow the aged Italian proverb: “Deceit has short legs.” It applies directly to public relations, in that no one can hide from the truth, and that people are able to distinguish between truth and falsity. 20 The Art of Public Relations Understand and appreciate the chief executive’s role, his or her influence, and the responsibility of communicating on a company’s behalf. Focus on integrated communications that combine different techniques – advertising, public relations, and direct marketing – that when taken together are effective in communicating a specific message to the target audience. Win credibility among, and support of, internal and external audiences by communicating consistently. Companies make a serious mistake when they communicate regularly when times are good and abruptly stop when conditions take a turn for the worse. Make research a high priority, and allocate the necessary resources to ensure the company achieves the most groundbreaking results. Research is one of your most direct paths to understanding clients and persuading a market. View public relations proactively as a strategic resource that shapes opinions and builds a framework of informed opinions, so the public can make an informed decision based upon this framework. 21 Inside The Minds The CEO Effect Because a company’s reputation is closely tied to the chief executive’s reputation, the chief executive plays a critical role in shaping the company’s reputation. As part of its ongoing research into the relationship between the chief executive’s reputation and the company’s reputation, our firm launched Building CEO Capital, a CEO reputation survey of 1,155 business influentials who fall within five key stakeholder groups in the United States: CEOs, senior executives, financial analysts/institutional investors, the business media, and government officials. The survey reveals that chief executives are evaluated by more than the bottom line. In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, it comes as no surprise that the contribution of the chief executive’s reputation to the corporate brand has increased to 48%. This estimate has grown 20% since our first CEO survey was conducted in1997. Also in the survey, credibility claimed the number-one position among factors driving CEO reputation, followed by high ethical standards and good internal communications. Increasing shareholder value, while an important component, is not among the top drivers of CEO favorability. 22 The Art of Public Relations Drivers of CEO Reputation R Is believable R Demands high ethical standards R Communicates clear vision inside company R Attracts and retains quality management team R Motivates and inspires employees R Cares about customers R Manages crises and downturns effectively R Communicates clear vision outside company R Increases shareholder wealth R Executes well on strategic plan Leveraging a CEO’s reputation is a powerful tool that delivers tangible payoffs, particularly with respect to its impact on stock price. Almost all stakeholders report that CEO reputation influences their decisions to: R Purchase stock in a company (95 percent) R Believe a company if under pressure from the media (94 percent) R Recommend a company as a good alliance or merger partner (93 percent) R Maintain confidence in company when share price is lagging (92 percent) An impressive 88 percent are likely to recommend a company as a good place to work if the CEO has the right stuff. Clearly, a strong CEO makes an enormous difference 23 Inside The Minds in the valuation of a company and its ability to attract financial and human capital. Other findings include the following: Pleasing and meeting the expectations of stakeholders place undue pressure on CEOs. The time period they are given to perform favorably is shortening, and their failure rate is skyrocketing. Stakeholders report that CEOs can survive, on average, only five poor earnings quarters before their jobs are in jeopardy. By far, print – major business magazines, followed closely by national newspapers – is the leading source of information on CEOs for all audiences. Trade-specific publications are another commonly used source of information on the activity occurring in the corner office or cubicle. As business continues to be top-of-mind for key stakeholders, word of mouth also remains a powerful source of CEO-related news and information. Other, less-often used sources of CEO news include television, investor meetings and reports, advertising, and the Internet. The Internet – Web sites, company home pages, and chat rooms – continues to rise as an important resource for information on CEOs. Since 1997, Internet usage has grown a remarkable 340 percent. Also, members of the media are frequent visitors to company Web sites for CEO-related information. 24 ... - tailieumienphi.vn