Note: This is the final segment of a three-part series on crisis communications. Part One is here and Part Two is here.

The key once the crisis has occurred and you have handled the immediate response is follow-up. You simply have to stay on top of the residual stories that always occur once events have taken place.

Monitor
Follow-up must include traditional and social media monitoring to stay abreast of both favorable and unfavorable reaction. This is not just to see if you passed, but whether there are additional fires to put out that may have gone unresolved.

Follow-up must also include monitoring your own response, numbers of customers or stakeholders affected, pace of recovery, new problems, etc. The immediate crisis may be over, but the long term solutions may take time.

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 Mack team is busy unpacking boxes and moving furniture as we settle in at our new office home in Naperville. We're not all that far from our previous office, so we remain ideally located for quick response to clients in the western suburbs as well as the city of Chicago.

Moving gives us with the opportunity to toss old files, notes and folders from successful projects of the past, so that we can focus on the new challenges of today. We continue to develop new and innovative ways to help our clients tell their story, whether through social media, video or more traditional public relations strategies. We're also doing more media training and coaching.

As difficult as any office move can be, we're glad it's almost over, and we look forward to meeting your needs from our new location in the months and years ahead. Let us know how we can help you! Contact us today.

Tonight's Presidential debate and the two that follow will be critical for President Obama and Governor Romney. Both candidates have an extraordinary opportunity to reach out to undecided and independent voters, especially those in the swing states.

What each one does with that opportunity will be the subject of countless other debates in the media, offices, bars and cafes across the country. 

Here are five things to keep in mind as you watch or listen to the debates.

When you have the opportunity to speak to the Media, it's easy to get caught up in the moment. Questions such as, "How do I look?" become more important than, "What should I say?"

To help bring you back to your main objective, which is to get your story told in the best possible light, it's helpful to think of what sound bite you want to appear on radio or television or what quote you want to read in print. So, before you begin the interview, have one or more "bites" in mind that you'll sprinkle throughout the interview.

Sound bites are the key informational or influential nuggets you want readers, listeners or viewers to take away from the news story. You want them to see and hear your point of view. Here's one technique.

Are you in a rut when it comes to the words you use in a press release or statement? You may be and don't even realize it.

Take this article about overused buzz words in press releases. A special website that analyzes press releases found that "leading" and "solution" were the words that were used most often. Other overused terms include "great," "unique" and "best."

Sure, it's tempting to argue that those words may be just the right ones to convey your message. But, can't we at least try to be a little innovative? Sorry, "innovate" also ranked high on the list of overused words.

The "solution" here is to at least recognize the problem. Then, you have a chance to overcome the problem. Being aware of the issue is half the battle. Then, stretch yourself. Take an extra moment to find something other than "dynamic" or "premier." It just might lead you in a new direction.

For effective press releases and strategic thinking, contact us at [email protected].