Your business’ reputation can be destroyed in an instant and any crisis can damage your business.  You needs to be prepared for the worst.  A situation that need crisis management can be anything from a legal dispute to fires and floods.  The public doesn’t just judge you on the situation itself they will also judge you on how you handle the crisis in front of the cameras.  Here is how you can manage a crisis effectively.

Don’t Hesitate

“He who hesitates is lost” and that is particularly true in this day and age.  Don’t wait until disaster strikes to have a plan in place.  Think about all of the possible worst case scenarios and have a backup plan in place.  Get your management team together to share scenarios and ideas on how they should be handled.

A Crisis Can Take Any Shape

When we think of a crisis we tend to think big, but a crisis can take any form.  It can be someone who is seriously hurt on your property or it can be a disgruntled employee who decides to take the grievance public on social media.  Anything that attracts enough attention to damage your business needs to be handled by you and your team.

Develop a Plan for PR

Once a news story breaks it breaks quickly and you can have the media on your doorstep in a heartbeat.  You need to think about the message you want to send to everyone you do business with, from suppliers to customers to staff.  You need to get your side of the story out right away along with handling the communications internally.  Designate people who will be in charge of that.  Here is one expert’s opinion on how to handle a crisis.

Be Prepared to Speak with the Media

You may have to speak with an attorney first if there are any liability issues so plan with then what you will say.  Always tell the truth and be concerned about the situation.  Train your senior team how to deal with the media so that you are always prepared.  The media can be ruthless they will try and get a story from anyone associated with your business and you need to be prepared for that.

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Your Appearance

Wear clothes you look good in:  Clothes that make you look good, make you feel good and that helps you to project confidence.  Make sure the clothes you wear are also comfortable, and dress for the occasion.  If it is formal, then put on business attire if not then something more casual.  Always look polished, no rips, tears or wrinkled clothing.

Watch your posture:  Slouching makes you look uninterested.  Good posture is another way to convey interest and engagement and you come off as confident.

No fake smiles:  Fake smiles look incredibly insincere not mention they can be a bit creepy.  Smile with your whole face including your eyes, let your crow’s feet work for you.

Be careful of body language:  Be aware of things like fidgeting or talking with your hands, it will distract people from hearing what you are trying to say.

How You Speak

Speak Naturally:  Don’t try and sound like Dan Rather, you’re not him.  Use your natural voice and speak like you would to professional colleagues.  Be careful with pauses and overusing words such as “like” or “dude”.  You may be excited or nervous about being on camera but watch your pacing, don’t speak to fast or too slowly.  Take a drink of water first, trying to talk with dry mouth turns into a garbled mess.

Practice First

Grab a friend and practice with them or set up a camera and pretend you’re doing the interview right now.  Don’t be afraid to look directly into the camera, it is like looking someone in the eye when you speak to them.  Get rid of the nervous energy before you get in front of the camera so go for a walk, do some stretching exercises or whatever you need to to look composed in front of the camera.

Most importantly take a deep breath and relax you will be fine and it will be over before you know it.

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