Wednesday, August 17, 2011

ACM: Public Relations

Cover of the "Public Relations" advanced manual
Everyone benefits from the ability to present a good public image. Projects cover preparing a speech that will generate a favorable attitude toward you and your product, company or service, presenting a positive image of yourself and your company or organization on a radio talk show, persuading an audience to accept your viewpoint, addressing a hostile audience and communicating with the public during a crisis situation.


Project #1: The Goodwill Speech
Executive Summary:
A type of public relations strategy, the goodwill speech builds the public's favorable feeling towards you in a subtle, indirect way. Instead of making a verbal appeal or 'sales pitch', you use the speech to perform a service that is related to your business or cause. By providing the audience members with helpful information that they can use in their daily lives, you generate positive feelings toward you and your product and increase their willingness to eventually buy your product.

Objectives:
  • Prepare a talk that will build goodwill for your organization by supplying useful information of interest to the audience.
  • Favorably influence the audience by skillful and friendly delivery of your talk.
  • TIME: 5 - 7 minutes
Notes to the Evaluator:
The purpose of this talk is to present a five- to seven-minute speech of goodwill on behalf of Toastmasters International. The speaker should present useful information on the subject of public speaking, with the references to Toastmasters limited to the introduction, conclusion or casual comments during the speech.


Project #2: The Radio Talk Show
Executive Summary:
Radio talk shows are an excellent way to tell thousands of people about your organization or business at virtually no cost to you or your organization. As a guest on a talk show, you have the opportunity to talk openly and favorably about your organization or business to build goodwill. Because radio is a vocal medium, your physical appearance, facial expressions and eye contact doesn't matter. Instead, you must rely on your voice to convey enthusiasm, passion, sincerity and friendliness.

Objectives:
  • Present a positive image of you and your company or organization on a simulated radio talk show
  • Prepare a talk designed to build goodwill toward an organization by presenting factual information
  • Understand the dynamics of a successful radio talk show
  • Prepare for the questions that may be asked of you during the radio interview
  • TIME: 3 to 5 minutes for the presentation, plus 2 to 3 minutes for questions and answers.
Note to the Evaluator:
The purpose of this presentation is to build goodwill toward an organization by giving the audience factual information about its operation and its effect on the community. The talk should be supported by research and present a positive image of the speaker and his or her organization on a simulated radio talk show. The speaker has been asked to appear as a guest on the talk show, with another club member serving as the talk show host. In addition to presenting the three- to five-minute talk, the speaker is to spend two to three minutes at the end of the presentation answering several questions asked by the host. Both the presentation and the answers to the questions should present a positive image of the organization to the audience. Please read the entire project before you hear the presentation. Remember, you are evaluating only the "guest", not the "host".


Project #3: The Persuasive Approach
Executive Summary:
People today are mistrustful, hesitant to believe anyone they don't know personally. A public relations speaker knows how to persuade audience members to adopt a proposal, accept an idea or take a certain action. Appeal to their self-interest and emotion, showing how your idea is in their best interest and how they will benefit from your proposal or position. WHen you support your ideas with relevant data and convey sincerity and conviction, your audience will trust and believe you.

Objectives:
  • Direct a persuasive appeal to the audience's self-interest using a combination of fact and emotion in a speech delivered in such a manner that it appears extemporaneous
  • Persuade the audience to adopt your viewpoint by the use of standard persuasive techniques
  • Use at least one visual aid to enhance the audience's understanding
  • TIME: 5 to 7 minutes
Notes to the Evaluator:
The purpose of this talk is to persuade the audience to adopt a point of view advocated by the speaker in a speech of five to seven minutes. The talk is to be convincing on both the logical and emotional levels and delivered in an extemporaneous manner. The focus of the talk should be on the personal interest of the audience. The speaker must use at least one visual aid.


Project #4: Speaking Under Fire
Executive Summary:
Openly hostile audience are challenging to any public relation speaker. Your goal is to dispel the hostility and convince them that your side has some merit, not necessarily to change their mind. Find areas of agreement and focus on them. Look at the issue from audience members' point of view, then show them that your side has merits, too. Ally with emotional symbols, tactfully refute opposing arguments and appeal to the audience's self-interests. Your voice and eye contact convey sincerity, so use them to your advantage.

Objectives:
  • Prepare a talk to persuade a hostile audience to at least consider your position on a controversial issue
  • Demonstrate sincerity when presenting your viewpoint
  • TIME: 3 to 5 minutes for the presentation, and 2 to 3 minutes for questions and answers.
Note to the Evaluator:
The purpose of this talk is to present a three- to five- minute speech to an audience assumed to be hostile to the speaker's position on a controversial issue. The speaker should attempt to lessen the opposition and persuade the audience to at least accept that the position has some merit. Following the speech, the speaker is to conduct a two- to three-minute question-and-answer period.


Project #5: The Crisis Management Speech
Executive Summary:
How you communicate with the public during a crisis affects your organization's reputation and possibly its very survival. In times of trouble you want to favorably impress the media and covey concern to those who are directly affected as well as to the general public. You can successfully handle any crisis when you know the message you want to tell the media and the public, are truthful, admit mistakes, refrain from speculation and continue to provide relevant information as it becomes available.

Objectives:
  • Learn strategies for communicating to the media about a company crisis
  • Prepare a speech for the media about a company crisis that builds and maintains a positive image for the company
  • Answer questions from the media in a manner that reflects positively on the company
  • TIME: 4 to 6 minutes for the presentation, and 3 to 5 minutes for the question-and-answer period.
Notes to the Evaluator:
The speaker is to assume he or she is a spokesperson for a company or organization that is experiencing a crisis. The speaker may choose the situation, perhaps taking an incident from the news or creating an imaginary situation. The speaker is to present a four- to six-minute "crisis management" speech to the media about the situation, striving to build and maintain a positive image for the company. Following the speech, the speaker will conduct a three- to five-minute question-and-answer period. Fellow club members will assume the roles of media reporters, asking the speaker questions about the crisis and the company or organization's handling of it. The speaker is to continue to build and maintain a positive image of the company while answering the questions.

For more information:
Item 226C

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