How to be prepared for when a crisis hits

There cannot be a crisis next week, my schedule is full!’

When running a business, a crisis is the last thing you want to think about. Unfortunately, crises do hit – and they have a nasty habit of doing so when you least expect them.

Crises can take many forms, and most often it is something you have no control over. It might be a product recall, a burst of angry customers or a financial crisis might threaten to destroy everything you and your staff have worked so hard to build.

While you might not be able to control what happens to you and your company – or when it happens – you do have control over how to plan for it.

Here are some critical steps you can take now to mitigate risks during a crisis:

1. Start with a strategy

When it comes to crisis communication, the age old saying ‘if you fail to plan then you plan to fail’ rings true. Therefore, it’s paramount to draw up a comprehensive crisis communication strategy, which has all the steps laid out when you need it most.

The strategy should outline the process to be followed in a crisis including the names, contact details and duties of all the members of the crisis communication team, spokespeople, stakeholders, key messages and holding statements, Q&As, letters, or important media (if needed).

A good crisis management plan will guide your team through chaotic and rapidly developing situations, helping them to coordinate processes, ask the right questions and action critical tasks to save time, resources and your reputation.

2. Be prepared

While some issues may be small and others fierce, when a crisis hits, time is of the essence.

Organisations are often at a loss for words when it is more important than ever to respond and to do so quickly. The days of burying your head in the sand and hoping the problem will go away are gone.

Stakeholders will quickly lose confidence in the business while people take to social media to share their negative experience. Journalists are often quick to pick up on the story, and a single “no comment” from the company spokesperson might just be the last nail in the reputation coffin.

Therefore, it is important to be responsive right from the start, which includes communicating with your stakeholders with the right communication collateral.

3. Undertake media training

Media training can help prepare key spokespeople to navigate the media landscape, tell their story and ultimately protect the brand’s reputation during a crisis.

An in-depth session can provide those facing journalists with the skills to represent the business with confidence, develop suitable responses to difficult questions and deflect negative questions.

Throughout each training session, the Elevate team unpacks the news cycle, delves into interview techniques and conducts practical training to take the nightmare out of handling media enquiries to protect your most valuable asset: your reputation. 

4. Have the right external resources

At Elevate, we make sure our clients do not feel alone when the unforeseeable happens.

In times of crisis, we focus on our clients’ reputation, leaving their hands free to carry out critical operational tasks.

Speak with the Elevate Communication team today on (07) 3180 3666 to assist you in planning for the crisis storm before it hits.