Business, non-profit, government agency and association managers with public relations reporting to them are likely to miss achieving a killer edge when they focus strictly on communications tactics like press releases, special events, broadcast plugs or brochures.

On the other hand, those managers striving to alter the individual perception of members of their key outside audiences, as they create change in their behaviors, are surely moving towards that killer competitive edge.

And progress will accelerate as they persuade many of those important outside folks to their managerial way of thinking, helping to move them to take actions that let their department, group, division or subsidiary succeed.

In the proverbial nutshell, such managers take a giant step forward by using public relations to do something positive about the behaviors of the very outside audiences that MOST affect their operations.

Thus, their reward arrives when PR creates the kind of external stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving their most important managerial objectives.

However, getting to this point means you need a clearcut public relations blueprint designed to get every member of your PR team working towards the same external stakeholder behaviors.

The team might well implement a blueprint along these lines: 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.

In due course, the plan should deliver results like these: a rebound in showroom visits; capital givers or specifying sources looking your way; prospects starting to work with you; fresh community service and sponsorship opportunities; improved relations with government agencies and legislative bodies; new proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers making repeat purchases; membership applications on the rise; new thoughtleader and special event contacts; and even stronger relationships with the educational, labor, financial and healthcare communities.

Whom, do you suggest, will do the work? The usual public relations staff? People on-loan from above? Or could it be specialists from a PR agency? Nevertheless, they must be committed to you as the senior project manager, and to the PR blueprint starting with key audience perception monitoring.

Another caution. Check to insure that your team members accept the reasons as to why it