No one wants to face a crisis. But handling communication well helps you keep the situation under control and protect your company’s reputation. Every crisis is different, yet these five fundamentals provide a strong starting point.
1. Respond early
If people use your company’s product or service and something goes wrong, the crisis will play out in public. Trying to hide it or buy time is unlikely to help. A prompt, considered response reassures stakeholders and gives you an opportunity to explain the situation yourself. It also helps you begin directing attention towards possible solutions.
2. Be prepared
Preparation is essential. Have response plans ready for the most plausible crisis scenarios. Prepare holding statements that can be adapted to the circumstances, and agree responsibilities in advance: who says what? Crisis communication is not something to improvise.
3. Show empathy
A crisis affects more than your business. Those harmed by it may experience a far greater impact. Showing understanding must therefore be a priority. Put yourself in their position and adapt your communication accordingly. Consider what practical support your company can offer, and keep affected people informed as the situation develops.
Avoid inappropriate scheduled messages, anger, belittling people, minimising the problem or shifting blame. The 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a widely discussed example. Attempts to downplay the disaster, deflect responsibility and control reporting, alongside statements that were challenged, severely damaged the company’s reputation.
4. Be honest
Honesty matters just as much during a crisis as at any other time. That does not mean disclosing every detail, but outright lying is unacceptable. Media will scrutinise statements and check them against the facts. Embellishments, mistakes and falsehoods are unlikely to escape attention.
Do not be afraid to say when you do not know something. Acknowledge that information is not yet available instead of inventing an answer. Stakeholders remember misleading statements, which can lead to difficult questions later. Media training helps spokespeople practise answering clearly and accurately under pressure.
5. Focus on solutions
Once you have acknowledged the problem and shown empathy, explain what is being done to resolve it. Moving from describing the problem to discussing practical solutions demonstrates that your organisation is taking action.
Timing matters. Recognise the impact before presenting the solution; people need to know you understand their concerns.
Ready to develop a crisis communication plan for your business? Contact our PR agency in Amsterdam or Antwerp.
Related reading: three tips for building trust after a cyberattack.
More news ›