Dear Colleague:
How to Deliver What Your CEO Wants

     1. Determine — by asking — what the CEO wants.
     For example: Higher stock price. To be bought (or at least sought after). Greater sales/earnings. Breakthrough developments. Cover articles in important media. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Fortune coverage. Prestigious speaking engagements. Political ties. Awards.

     University deans want higher U.S. News rankings, grants and donations. Non-profits want money and programs. Whatever he/she wants, you have to ask to be sure about it. And don't forget to use your savvy and company experience to anticipate what the CEO doesn't ask for. Who is pressuring the CEO for results and what do they want?

     2. Focus on it.
     With enough money, targeted effort, and creativity, you can get a strong enough PR program to climb a notch in rankings against competitors — and move closer toward any CEO's objectives. Don't hesitate to call us for back issues of this letter and articles devoted to this point.

     3. Remember the CEO is a person too. Know his/her style.
     Does he want meetings or independent initiative? Does he like complete proposals or ideas he'll develop with you?
     Is his attitude professional, no-nonsense, all-business, or does he like to let his hair down.

How to Measure PR
     The more you measure — and try to measure — the better.
     · Count leads and actual sales attributable to PR. Differentiate results by program geography, topic or response mechanism to separate from overlapping advertising or other communications programs. Remind
colleagues who take calls from prospects to ask and record what motivated them to call.

     · State other measurable objectives — inquiries, information orders, votes, for example — before PR programs; then compare achievements to these objectives. Review monthly reports that summarize current and expected results as well as activity underway and planned.

     · Survey reporters, customers, neighbors, employees, industry leaders, government officials, etc. every 6-12 months.

     · Conduct a total quality communications audit; follow-up in 6-12 months and annually thereafter.

     · Count publicity volume, weighing it subjectively as positive, neutral, negative. Measure circulation in target markets, in designated time periods. And track changes.

     · Compare media space and time generated by PR vs. the cost of advertising and other forms of communication, although this is clearly not "apples vs. apples". You can't buy editorial coverage.

     · Subtract your company's book value from market value — most of the difference is reputation.

     · Judge the value of ideas and execution. Gather impressions about the PR function. Do colleagues feel it's professional, pro-active, creative, responsive, prepared, thorough, thoughtful? Are writing and graphics top quality?

Is Your PR Firm Tracked to Success—or Trouble?

     Is the firm over-promising? Is it trying too hard, trying to increase budget, gain more responsibility, or win an award? If so, bring them down to earth before they're out of control.

     Are they putting too much of your budget into one program subsection, perhaps one big event? Shorten the accounting timetable, i.e., actual and planned outlays vs. budget. Otherwise you won't get attention because your budget has unwisely been used up.

     Get rid of those annoying little out-of-pockets, or you'll wonder if your firm is spending as much time on output as they are on tracking charges. Tell them to lump minute expenses in one monthly catch-all sum, and show invoices where possible.

     Do you think, "It's obvious that my company is newsworthy — why aren't the media calling? Where are the placements?" Ask your firm to re-evaluate itself; then call three reporters yourself and ask how important they think your developments are.

     Is your firm prioritized, focused? Do they emphasize your priorities, not theirs? If not, nudge them. If need be, two weeks later, write them a letter. If they haven't come around in yet another two weeks, fire them.

     Is your firm so excited about the latest e-craze that it has lost sight of fundamentals? Conversely, those reporters who live by e-mail do appreciate links built into pitch letters, for example. Firms should have the new technology, including diversified internet resources, at their command, in proper perspective.

     Are you locked into an unworkable contract? Of course, your firm "insists" they need the stability of annual agreements. But you can insist on periodic performance evaluation — and ease out if they can't keep a team you like, or underperform.

     Watch the little things. How long before messages are returned; how often do you receive unsolicited planning calls and visits; pro-active work beyond the requirements of the program? Does your team sound over-worked? How often is something late? Do you get good-looking work, innovation, a smile?

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