No matter what size your business is, you should invest in effective crisis management tools, plans, and support. Without knowing how to manage a crisis, minor issues can turn into larger ones and result in a publicity nightmare.

Crisis can break a business, yet, when managed successful can help show your companies compassion and willingness to resolve the issue with an altruistic outcome.

Our Managing Director, Leisa Goddard, has given her insight and crisis management tips on how to handle a crisis in business.

Preparation is key

Don’t wait for a crisis to hit, start planning ahead. Devise a crisis management plan, so everyone knows what their role is and what they should do in the situation. This is about having a system in place, a chain of command, and prepared holding statements to put out to the media.

“Our team runs practical crisis management drills and crisis management exercises for a range of companies in multiple sectors to help prepare them for real-life crisis scenarios,” said Leisa.

“Having a crisis management plan is crucial and can help decrease the amount of negative media attention your brand or organisation will receive.”

“Make sure your key spokespeople are media trained. There is nothing more daunting then having a television camera in your face and a journalist asking hard-hitting questions and not knowing the answers.”

“Knowing your company’s key messages and being comfortable in a television-style interview is invaluable in a crisis. I would definitely recommend having practical media training to anyone in business.”

At Adoni Media, our media training is tailored for the individual person and organisation. You will learn the best strategies for dealing with the media and what makes the news.

Have a main spokesperson

It’s important that you choose the face of your company and start building credibility around that spokesperson, so that they can represent your organisation in a way the public trusts.

“The spokesperson should be media trained and have participated in crisis management simulations, so they know what to do, and importantly what to say, when a situation arises.”

Take action

As part of your crisis management activities make sure a holding statement should be put out to the media and every employee should be regularly updated on the situation and told not to discuss what is occurring with the media.

“Once the situation has been assessed, form a written statement on the ongoing investigations and prep your spokesperson for a media conference.”

“Where appropriate express empathy and concern if they are victims involved, as you don’t want to be perceived as emotionless about what has occurred.”

Reflect and critique

Once the crisis is over and you’ve followed your management plan, the organisation should take time focusing on their public image through media to increase public’s trust and recover their reputation.

It’s important to review here what did and didn’t work in relation to your crisis management strategies. This will help prepare you for future crisis events.