What's worse than a crisis at your company? A crisis with no crisis communications plan.
As we have counseled clients and here in The Mack Report, you really don't want to make a crisis worse by failing to address your communications needs while also trying to deal with the crisis itself. That's why a crisis communication plan can be worth its weight in gold. A crisis communications plan starts with making sure you've identified the key players who will address the media and have all of their contact information available. In addition, you need to consider any or all of the following:
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So much of communication occurs outside of the words we say and how we say them. We also convey our attitude about the subject or the person or group with whom we're communicating.
With that in mind, it's vital that we stay cool under pressure, especially during a crisis. You'll be encountering questions from the media and these can often be pointed and direct. When this occurs, remember that the public is looking past the words you say to the way you say them. Non-verbal language has a huge impact. The mystery surrounding the missing Malaysian jetliner has revealed several reminders when it comes to crisis communications. No two crises are ever quite the same, but the problems companies and organization face are often very predictable.
Media want answers The first thing to keep in mind is the media's insatiable curiosity and competitive nature. If reporters sense a good mystery, they want answers, not stonewalling. No amount of wishing the crisis away will help the Malaysian government in this case. Here's a checklist to determine if you or someone else at your firm should take our Mack Media Training. You don't understand the media You've never spoken with a reporter and don't know what to expect You have spoken to a reporter, but it didn't go well. You need help crafting your message You need to boost your presentation skills We can help you with all of these concerns plus many, many more. The beginning of the year is a good time to reassess your press kit to make sure all of the information is accurate. Here are a few of the more typical items that may need attention:
If one of your media relations New Year's resolution is to issue more press releases this year, you might be wondering just when is a good time to send out a press release? The usual response is something like, "When you have something to announce to the public." True enough, but how do you know when that "something" is newsworthy? Frankly, it's tough. News judgment is going to differ from editor to editor. But, if you think that enough clients, customers and investors would benefit by knowing what you have to say, you're on the right path. To give you a little more inspiration, here are 10 reasons to issue a press release. Ponder each of these in the context of your business or organization to see how they can apply to you: You may be tempted to pitch your latest widget as a great subject for a media interview. It's a new product that will do wonders, you think. That's the wrong approach. When it comes to effective media relations and public relations, stop thinking about the product or your company. Stop thinking about YOU. Think, instead, about the viewers, listeners or readers of the media you're trying to reach. What do they think? What do they need? What are they most interested in learning? Put yourself in their shoes. Here's why. The best press conference is the one that results in the best press coverage, in terms of both number and tone of stories. What many people overlook are the details that it takes to get those results. Follow these eight steps and you'll improve your odds tremendously. 1. Select a newsworthy topic. The Media aren't there to promote you. They want news. 2. Choose a good backdrop. Holding a press conference on location (in front of the school, in a classroom) is almost always more effective than a conference room. If you were looking for one thing to improve the chances that your press release will get read and picked up by an editor or reporter, look no further than the headline. Let's face it. Headlines are like the cover of a book, which we really do use to judge what's written inside. Headlines can grab our attention. They can pique our interest. They can compel us to keep reading. Or not. So, how do you make the headline more effective? Media advisories are a well known tool to alert members of the media to an upcoming news event. It could be a press conference, an interview opportunity with an expert or a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Advisories are typically matter of fact -- who, what, when, where, etc. What you may not realize is that advisories that offer a short video can maximize your chances of generating interest. Here are just three reasons. |
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