The most important factor in determining the success of a business’s crisis communications response – and how well its reputation might come out on the side – is preparation. By failing to prepare, you really are preparing to fail.
We constantly see examples of how organisations respond publicly to a crisis – the good, the bad and the downright ugly. While it is considerably easier as an onlooker to point out what works well and what doesn’t when not in the eye of the crisis storm ourselves, there are a few key lessons we can take away from others’ experiences to improve our own crisis communications.
1. Know your stakeholders
Organisations – no matter how big or small – that don’t understand their audiences or have established channels for communicating with them are quickly exposed in the face of a crisis, as they are left scrambling to pull the pieces together. Organisations that know their audiences, what connects with them, where they get their information from and therefore best ways to reach them are already a step ahead in being able to both monitor and respond effectively.
As a crisis unfolds, keeping this communication and monitoring stakeholder sentiments is also crucial.
2. Show humanity
The quickest way to take the heat out of a situation where there are upset or enraged stakeholders? Show some humanity. There is time and place for corporate messaging and industry jargon and a heated situation isn’t it. Genuine care and empathy shine through no matter how well-crafted your key messages are.
A transparent and heartfelt apology is a valuable thing when something has gone seriously wrong, and it holds the most weight when it comes from the top.
3. Demonstrate leadership
In a significant event that impacts a lot of people, employees and public stakeholders alike expect to hear from a leader. A good spokesperson will show humanity as well as strength and the ability to inspire confidence. Not all leaders show these attributes naturally when facing the media – which is where presentation and media training is so valuable.
By being upfront, expressing feelings, and communicating the information that they can, leaders can help to calm the situation and reduce rumours and speculation. The reality is, if your organisation is not putting the messages out in a crisis, other commentators will be quick to fill the gap. Make sure they hear it from the source wherever possible.
4. Be timely
If ever there was a time to cut back on the 5,000 eyes running over a communications piece for approval, it’s a crisis. It is crucial that the messages you put out there are correct, appropriate and have all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed especially from a legal perspective – but this process needs to be streamlined. When it comes to the crunch, your audiences and the media may get increasingly agitated the longer they wait for your organisation to respond.
This is exactly what crisis exercises are for – get everything running like a well-oiled machine where everyone knows their roles and limits the confusion and duplication. Get on the front foot, get strong communications programs happening with your external and internal audiences and be prepared for anything.
Get the right resources in place
For small business owners that do not have their own communications team in place, you may need to consider outsourcing to a trusted communications agency. Consider – is your current team recently and regularly trained in crisis communications? Have you got established channels for quick communications and a plan to activate? Are your leaders media trained?
Test your crisis communications plan, update if needed and make sure you have the templates ready to go.
