Business Journal - Leveraging Public Relations

I can almost hear it now, “In today’s news, a symbolic kiss by a member of the twelve disciples, known only as Judas Iscariot, lead to the arrest of the alleged Son of Man. Before Jesus was taken into custody, a servant of the high priest suffered minor injuries when swords were drawn in a brief scuffle. The man who lost his right ear is resting comfortably at home this evening. In other news…”

Public relations are defined more by what is communicated about you than what you communicate about yourself. To make a positive impact with public relations we must manage the image we promote with fresh ideas that benefit everyone:

Everyone Counts: Can you imagine what people thought when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss (Luke 22:46-48) or when Peter ‘disowned’ Jesus three times in a row (Luke 22:61)? Unfortunately, Judas was paid off by the chief priests and Peter flat-out lied when asked if he was associated with Jesus. I bet news outlets of the day had a field day with these accounts! Each individual in the organization contributes to the public image and must always behave ethically.

Get Creative: Jesus set a high bar on the public relations scale by feeding thousands of people with “five loaves of bread and two fish”. (Luke 9:13) In today’s vernacular, He threw a HUGE pizza party! Of course, it was Jesus’ message that initially drew the crowd, but it was the food that kept them from leaving. Never underestimate the power of food and other clever ways to meet immediate needs.

Establish A Win-Win: When identifying strategic partnerships, it is important that both parties mutually (not necessarily equally) benefit. For example, the advantage to sponsors of a community event is intangible. But this type of cooperation creates goodwill within organizations, between organizations, and in the community.

In the business world, our success is closely tied to the relationships we maintain with vendors and clients. Not only do we offer products and services to our community, we also participate in a relationship with our community. When you hear, “In today’s news…” --make sure it's good news by ensuring each representative behaves honorably and that the community is touched by innovative events promoting goodwill for all.

Michelle Sugerman is a business consultant and leadership coach offering a complete system for Christian business leaders, owners, and their secular teams. She combines 16 years in the corporate world with Christian principles to empower clients, readers, and audiences throughout the United States. You are invited to inquire directly about these opportunities by email or by phone at (303) 993-4881.