Flood Fire Chemical Spill Computer Glitch Human Error Embezzlement Electrical Fault

Workplace Accident Sexual Harassment Death of a Director Share Market Slump Strike Fall

Vehicle Crash Explosion Computer Virus Environmental Disaster Food Poisoning

Could any of these happen to your business?

Many SME business owners have no idea how vulnerable their businesses are to the effects of even a minor crisis. A crisis or negative situation could mean irreparable damage to the image and reputation of you and your business.

A crisis is not simply something big that attracts the attention of the media. A crisis may also be a situation that leaves your business open to criticism or negative comments. No matter how innocent or unintentional the situation is. Insurance will not save the image and reputation of your business. You could have enough insurance to cover plant and products but insurance will never cover the goodwill you could lose. This is another key mistake that businesses make. They think insurance will cover any losses, but what is your reputation and integrity worth. It is priceless. The handling of a crisis is what will potentially SAVE the image integrity and reputation of your business. And that includes information that is IN the media and information that is KEPT OUT of the media. Even if the media doesn't get involved every business has a series of key audiences with whom they must communicate. These include:

staff
contractor’s
supplier’s
customer’s
sponsors
regulatory authority’s
union’s
government department’s
special interest groups

Whilst crises such as environmentally damaging chemical spills and workplace accidents may seem irrelevant to owners of seemingly safe office businesses crises such as embezzlement or sexual harassment or a computer glitch could severely affect a business.

First steps
Scenario planning with management and co-workers or if you have no employees with friends is the first step you can take to develop a simple plan for your business. Think of your specific business or industry. What types of crises could affect you. Think also of the other people with whom you do business such as suppliers and stake holders.

For example:
Contract drivers in trucks with your business name on them. What if they had an accident?
Or a disgruntled employee sabotaging your computer data
Or someone infecting food you produce
Or someone has an adverse reaction to one of your products such as food or skincare or aromatherapy
Or sexual harassment at your work or home-based business
Some will be internal and some will be external. What impact or effect do they have on your business? Are they potential crisis points?

Crisis communication team
Put together a crisis communication team of trusted and capable people who can help you plan your crisis communication. These would also be people you will call on when a crisis occurs. The crisis communication team doesn't meet regularly but only for planning and when required. Depending on the size of your business crisis communication team members may include staff and family members or people with specialist skills such as public relations.

Key audiences
Key audiences are those people that interact with your business. So depending on the type of business or industry you are in the effect of your crisis on your key audiences will be different. It is important to understand that not all crises will attract the attention of the media but there will be other groups to whom you must communicate. These include:

Staff
Contractors
Sub-contractors
Stakeholders
Suppliers
Clients
Potential Clients
Sponsors
Community Groups
Industry Associations
Regulatory Agencies
Geographical
Functional
Financial
Special Interest
Government

To adequately prepare for communicating with your key audiences you will need to work with material prepared in advance. Pre prepared communications such as statements and media releases and a telephone answering script will show you to be professional organized sympathetic and credible.

Pre prepared crisis communications
Prepared statements that can be read out presented faxed or e-mailed are very useful. Another form of prepared statement can be issued by the person answering the phone and other buffer people. Some useful prepared statements are:
We are preparing information and will give a media conference before 4.00pm. Please give me
your name and contact details and I'll call and let you know when the conference will take
place.

We are investigating and will release information when we know more.
Please give me your name and contact details and I will call you when we have more information.
Thank you for your enquiry. We are compiling information at this time and plan to have a media conference at 4.00 pm. Please give me your name and contact details and I will ring you back if anything is to be reported before that time.

Members of the media can be pushy and demanding especially if they think they have a scoop. Your key media spokesperson must retain control and run to your agenda not that of the media. Even if you have your prepared statements under control some media will try to provoke a response. So practicing the following responses in order to retain control of the situation is highly recommended:
That information is not to hand but as soon as we have it we'll let you know.

That's an interesting question and I'll respond to it in a minute, but the key issue is...
We are investigating that, but what you need to understand is...
Retain control
Have a buffer person to answer phone calls and take messages
Return calls promptly
Have prepared statements
Practice prepared responses
Practice answering tough questions

I suggest you think about what types of tough questions you may be asked and practice answering them. Use a mirror to gauge your facial expressions and hand movements.


Your media spokesperson
Every crisis requires someone with the ability and confidence to speak to the media.
Sometimes the CEO or business owner is not the right person for the job. It is important to
present someone to the media with a specific set of credentials and abilities. Some
qualities are:
Comfortable in front of cameras and microphones and journalists
Knowledgeable about the business and the crisis at hand
Able to establish credibility with the audience and project confidence
Sincere straightforward believable accessible
Skilled in handling the media and directing responses to another topic
Skilled in identifying the key points that your business wants to push
Available for internal staff and external stakeholders

A back-up spokesperson should also be identified. In addition to your key media crisis communications spokesperson additional expert spokespeople or advisors may be required. These resources may encompass people such as a financial expert or risk assessor or health inspector or engineer or business leader or environmental authority or technical expert. Depending on your crisis remember that other parties may also be involved. Police Fire Department Local Government Health Officials Transport Authority and the like. They will also have their own spokespeople. It is important to know who are your co-spokespeople. Identify them and speak with them as early as possible so statements and contact with the media can be coordinated. It is in the interests of all organizations that collaboration and agreement is obvious.

Collateral materials
Have a kit prepared that contains information that will make it easier for key audiences and the media to understand your business and your position to the crisis. Items to include in such a kit are a business card a company brochure a media release a short company history to gain credibility details on the owner or senior managers contact details for the media spokesperson diagrams that may help media and others to understand mechanical equipment or a manufacturing plant involved in a crisis photograph of the outside of the building or similar image company logo Ensure you have a copy of your crisis communication kit in a separate place not at your business because you may not have access if a crisis occurs.

Test your vulnerability
Test your crisis communication vulnerability. Develop your own critically important Crisis Communication Plan with step-by-step guides and brainstorming help.

Source: Penelope Herbert link