An average ham might think,
“Why should I be concerned about PR, when my club and the ARRL have
people to handle that job?”
Too many people don't know
that ham radio exists.
Many that do know, have
misconceptions -
1. It's just another form
of CB.
2. It'd just a bunch of
old guys that spend all their time sending Morse Code to each
other.
3. You have to be rich to
afford #4.
4. You have to have a big
tower and powerful radio to be a ham.
5. Need to know Morse
Code.
6. Someone's ham radio
interfered with someone else's electronics, so it creates
problems.
7. Someone's tower
disrupts the charm of my neighborhood.
Too many hams think that PR
is nothing but recruiting new members for clubs.
Recruiting is actually the
third highest priority of amateur radio PR. Sure, more club members
mean more money in the club's treasury, and could mean more
volunteers for club activities and public service events.
But remember, PR is PUBLIC
Relations. Ham radio clubs recruit hams, not members of the general
public. Two factors work against the recruiting of hams.
1. Some hams aren't
interested in joining a club. They might have had a bad experience
with a club in the past; they don't see how club membership could
benefit them; or they don't consider the possibility of their club
membership benefiting others.
2. Some hams don't make good
club members. They could be incompetent, or a troublemaker, or they
have a criminal record that disqualifies them from participating in
club activities. I'm not meaning to be judgmental here, but clubs
have liabilities they must consider.
So, a more important goal of
ham radio PR is recruiting new people into the hobby.
But, because some members of
the public have a negative view of of ham radio, the most important
goal of ham radio PR is to recruit new friends and supporters. Even
though they may never become new hams, we are better off having them
for us than against us!
I heard a ham say years
ago,”Everyone should become a ham!” That sounds good, but ham
radio is not for everyone. Some don't have the interest or the
personality to fit into ham radio. But everyone should know about
ham radio, and how it benefits society.
Now, you might say, “That's
good for the PR people to know, but how does that affect me?”
Even if you don't know it,
or believe it, you do represent ham radio. If you are the only ham
that an individual knows, you represent the hobby to THEM.
Sure, they could have read
something about ham radio, or heard or seen a story about hams on TV
or broadcast radio. But ham radio will remain just a concept to them
until they meet or realize they already know a ham. Otherwise, they
will not have any real idea of what ham radio is, or what it is
about.
Now, consider this: Were you
inspired to become a ham because you knew a ham? If not, you
probably still know a ham who became one because he or she was
inspired by a ham they knew.
PR is every ham's business.
Now, let's get down to the
how-to's, what you need to know if you help out with ham radio PR
displays and demonstrations. Also, please realize that some of these
items apply when you are helping out with public service
communications, because you are still representing ham radio to the
public
1. Show up CLEAN and
looking professional.
A couple of years ago, a
volunteer showed up looking like he just finished working an
overnight shift at a steel fabrication shop. We let him go out and
work an assignment, and we probably shouldn't have.
Now, I don't blame him.
Anyone who works overnight has my respect, because I used to work
rotating shifts at a glass bottle plant. The problem is that the
person who let him go out didn't consider how the public would see
him as a representative of ham radio.
We should have obtained a
t-shirt from the event organizers, given it to him, told him to go to
wash up, put on the shirt and come back to for an assignment.
Here is a list of acceptable
apparel (vests, hats, shirts, badges, etc) in descending order of
priority:
ARES – These let the
people know about the value of ham radio to society.
Local Club – lets people
know you are not an outsider.
Other ham radio
organizations – ARRL, QCWA, etc.
Other ham radio sources –
Equipment manufacturers, magazines or websites – avoid shirts with
“inside humor;” non-hams will not may not understand, or they
might get the wrong impression.
Served organizations –
Salvation Army, Red Cross, Emergency Management, etc.
Public service events,
especially ones that say “Volunteer.”
General business casual
wear.
2. Consider your audience.
This is also known as the
first rule of writing. It applies here, because PR is a form of
communications.
No one writes a children's
book the same way they would write a doctoral thesis. Now, one
person could write both a thesis and a children's book on the same
subject, but the thesis will contain technical and specific terms,
and the children's book will contain simpler words and shorter
sentences.
So, when discussing ham
radio with the public, avoid technical terms. If you have to use
one, explain it. For example: A repeater is an automated booster
station that receives a signal on one frequency and retransmitts on
another frequency, at the same time, and it usually does so at a
higher power and from a high location such as a tower or tall
building.
Sometimes, we have to talk
about storms. When doing so, DON'T SCARE THE CHILDREN! We don't want
them thinking that we are scary people they want to avoid.
3. Take the initiative.
If someone is lingering
around the display, but not saying anything, or taking any
literature, ask them a question such as:
“What do you know about
ham radio?”
“Do you have any
questions about ham radio?”
This lets them know you are
interested in them as an individual.
4. Gently and positively
push the literature.
The literature might cover
aspects of ham radio that you don't get to cover in your
conversations with people, and it could “extend” your
presentation of ham radio to a later time.
5. Stay humble.
As hams, we know how great
the hobby is, and the great things we get to do. We can easily let
this go to our heads.
Remember, the things we get
to do on the air are privileges, not rights. Bad PR can lead to us
losing some or all of our privileges.
Our goal is to promote
through information, not argumentation.
6. Be polite.
When someone approaches the
display, greet them. When they leave, thank them for their visit
and/or their time.
Now a word about what to
talk about when discussing ham radio with a non-ham. If you are
talking with a person with a technical background, then technology is
okay. Otherwise, talk about activities and people. Play up the
capabilities of ham radio in emergencies and disasters.
In writing and speaking
classes, the instructors will often say the best subject to talk
about is the one you know best – yourself. Talk about your
favorite ham radio activities. People will pick up on your
enthusiasm, and even if they don't become enthusiastic about ham
radio, they will at least gain a respect for it from you.
I'll close this out with a
story from my own PR experience:
The
petite brunette walked up to the TRO (Tulsa Repeater Organization)
table at the 2015 Green County Hamfest when I was the only one
sitting there. She said, “I don't know anything about ham radio.
Why would I want one?”
Ask
me a loaded question, and I'll give you a loaded answer. And I sure
gave here a load of information!
I
started with how hams can talk when the phones go down or get
overloaded during emergencies and disasters. Then I said, “Beyond
that, ham radio is one of the most varied and fun hobbies or pastimes
anyone can participate in,” before going into the different aspects
of ham radio. I talked about subjects hams will learn about while
enjoying the hobby, and the things I have done and enjoy doing as a
ham. I finished by bringing things full circle by telling how we use
public service events to prepare for disasters because we often
encounter the same kinds of operating conditions in both types of
events.
She
left with a handful of brochures, flyers, and a copy of the February
issue of The Signal, the club newsletter.
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