Running a business or an organization is already a full-time commitment, and anything that throws its operations off-course can quickly turn a full-time job into a job for 2-3 people. Throw a public relations crisis into the mix, and you’ve got yourself a nightmare.
When you’re already mentally maxed out and your reputation is on the line, it’s essential to avoid making mistakes that could worsen the situation.
In this blog post, we’ll share four mistakes to avoid when facing a PR crisis. By following these important crisis management tips, you’ll be able to minimize the damage and protect your company’s reputation.
#1 Don’t Forget Your Crisis Communication Plan (aka Crisis Management Plan)
Now you’re probably wondering who in the world forgets about a plan they’ve created?
It happens more often than you’d think. When a crisis hits, you revert to your basic, core habits. The stress and overwhelm override your system, and you lose the ability to think clearly.
Forgetting to follow your crisis communication plan is one of the most common mistakes. Sometimes people forget they had one altogether, while others crack it open and quickly go rogue.
When you first created your crisis communication or crisis management plan, you were calm and collected. It didn’t cover every possible scenario, but it gave you a solid roadmap to turn to if things went sideways. You didn’t create it to sit there and collect dust when it’s go-time.
#2 Don’t Mislead
Knowingly misleading, whether it’s straight-up, not true, half-true, or has a high likelihood of being misinterpreted, is never a good idea, especially during crises.
When the truth comes out, it’ll find its way back to bite you. The situation will worsen and will damage your company’s reputation.
Be honest with your customers and stakeholders from the beginning, and you’ll be able to avoid this mistake altogether.
Acknowledge the issue, apologize to those who got affected, and share the measures you’ll take to fix the problem.
As always, remember that honesty doesn’t mean sharing every single detail. Overwhelming people with too much information also has a negative effect.
For more proven tips on how to prepare for crises, craft your message, and mitigate the damage of a situation, check out our Crisis PR Guides.
#3 Don’t Play Possum When You Make Mistakes
Playing dead and acting as if the problem isn’t there can be fatal for your reputation. If you ignore or refuse to address the issue, it’ll only make things worse.
This is one of the most common crisis communication mistakes.
When your stakeholders, including customers and staff, ask questions that are met with silence, they’ll start to wonder what’s really going on behind the scenes, and they’ll lose trust in your company. The business will run smoother if employees are in the loop, which in turn speeds up your recovery.
Take the opportunity to shape the narrative by addressing the situation head-on. Doing so will help keep your reputation intact. Plus, it gives you a chance to tell your side of the story.
#4 Don’t Avoid The Matter With Your Investors
When the going gets tough, some businesses try to avoid talking to their investors until they absolutely have to — sometimes because it’s legally mandated.
Remember that your investors are one of your key stakeholders. They have a vested interest in your company and want to know what’s happening. Avoiding them will only make things worse because if they don’t hear from you first, they’ll be even more upset having to get second-hand intel.
By avoiding discussing the issue, you’re essentially signaling a lack of respect which can have serious consequences.
If investors feel like their money isn’t safe or respected, they’ll leave. And once several investors leave, it’ll signal to the public that there’s big trouble ahead.
Not only will this damage your relationship with them, but it’ll hurt your chances of attracting future investors. If it’s a public company, a mass exodus of investors could also damage your company’s stock price.
By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll be ahead of the pack.
By avoiding these PR mistakes, you’ll be ahead of the pack.
When you partner with our firm, you get access to more than 50 years of experience preventing and managing crises. With all that you’ve invested in growing your business, why risk losing it unnecessarily?
If you want to be protected against potentially making one of these top 4 crisis management mistakes and would rather focus on leading your business, we’ve got you covered.
Ready to protect what you’ve worked so hard to build? Call us at (310) 396-8696 for a 15-minute consultation.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, business crisis management, working with the media, and corporate public relations. Follow us on Instagram & LinkedIn where we share effective crisis communication tips to protect your reputation and mitigate damage during a crisis.