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You had better care! Because what people think usually leadsto predictable behaviors that can really affect your business,non-profit or association for better or worse.

Look at your employees. If they believe you really don*t careabout them, your organization's productivity can take a nosedive.

And what about customers? They had better remain convincedof the value of your products and services or off they go to acompetitor.

Even prospects constantly need to be made aware of yourproduct and service values or you'll never get them ascustomers in the first place.

And seriously caring what key groups of people think aboutyour organization doesn*t stop there.

You'll have trouble hiring and keeping employees if arearesidents don*t see your organization as a good place to work.

Same with minorities if, true or false, the idea takes hold thatyou discriminate in your hiring practices.

And don*t forget the need to be above board with journalistscovering your operation. A suspicious reporter can create whatyou'll certainly view as *bad press.*

While we*ve talked briefly about a half dozen of your key*publics,* there are certainly others that need your attention.

That's why the care and feeding of your most importantexternal audiences can easily turn into a full-time job whenyou stop and think about the impacts they can have on howsuccessfully you achieve your objectives.

O.K., so you can*t afford full-time public relations help, butis it hopeless?

Not at all because there are several actions you can and shouldtake to address this challenge. It will require a chunk of timeto implement, but isn*t it worth it?

First, list the top five or six audiences that could keep youawake at night.

Clearly, the top priority is to stay aware of how they perceiveyour enterprise. And that translates into speaking regularlywith members of each group * members, customers, employees,area residents, reporters, prospects * and LISTENING for anyproblem areas.

Of course, in your own best interests, you should be a regularspeaker at area podiums and a willing interviewee when localor trade media want to ask you questions. By doing so, you*ventilate* matters and lessen the impact of future *bumps inthe road* when they inevitably occur.

So, when problems ARE identified, corrective actions shouldbe put in place. And when it's time to take those actions, youneed a two-part strategy: one, a clear, truthful message writtento persuade that audience and, two, effective communicationsthat will actually reach that audience.

Communications tactics may range from media interviews,open houses, facility tours and plain, old meetings to promotionalevents and news releases.

It's important to track progress if you ever hope to knowwhether your efforts are changing minds. Most important, doyou appear to have successfully addressed the problem areasthat came up in your initial information gathering among thosekey audiences?

And that means more of the same * personal meetings withmembers, customers, prospects, employees, area residents,reporters and other so-called *thought-leaders.*

What people think is really key to the success of yourorganization because, like it or not, people act on theirperception of the facts before them and that leads to certainbehaviors. Because something can be done about thosebehaviors, this article outlines how you can address anyproblem areas BEFORE they negatively affect your business.

Remember, if you leave those problems unattended for verylong, you may be trifling with your own survival. How muchbetter to deal promptly and effectively with questionableperceptions and encourage behaviors that insure the successof your business.