Sounding tone deaf can undercut your credibility

Nothing destroys the impact of one's message more than the loss of credibility. One way executives and companies lose credibility is by looking or sounding tone deaf to the situation around them, especially when it comes to crisis communications.

For instance, a company announces sobering news, but the CEO can be seen smiling and laughing as he leaves the press conference. Hard to recover when that image can be replayed over and over again on TV or online.

Probably the worst example is the executive who complains to reporters about how hard he's working during a crisis.

One can deliver a perfectly good message, but if the backdrop doesn't fit the mood or tone of the event, you can lose credibility. Images speak much louder than words.

Probably the worst example is the executive who complains to reporters about how hard he's working during a crisis when victims or their families are suffering as a result of that crisis. Not only does no one really care, it shows a real lack of compassion and understanding.

Take that extra moment to be sure your message, images, setting and tone are all in alignment. It can mean a lot to your credibility in the long run.

MackCommunications.com