Striking the right tone
Safeguarding your reputation is first, the result of the actions you take and, second, the way you communicate those actions. Even if a crisis is being managed expertly behind the scenes, uncertainly and even panic can ensue if mitigation efforts are not shared promptly and adequately with those who need to know.
To be an effective communicator, it’s often necessary to simultaneously strike several different tones. How much of one and how little of another is necessary depends on the nature of the crisis and what information stakeholders will require to feel confident in the response.
For instance, if a letter sent to customers about a product recall sounds genuine but no actions to solve the crisis are shared, the brand won’t come across as proactive and consumers won’t have much confidence that the issue is being addressed urgently. Consider which of the following qualities your brand may need to reflect.
1. Competency
Whether an individual sits atop a Fortune 100 or a small nonprofit, subject matter expertise, innovative thinking, and strong leadership skills are among the crucial elements to success. Any CEO, president, or executive director viewed as merely a figurehead, installed by the board of directors, will have a hard time inspiring confidence.
2. Authenticity
This might be the most critical tone a brand needs to reflect when its reputation is under attack. The public can forgive a leader who isn’t the most skilled communicator IF they’re perceived as telling the truth.
Although I rarely counsel clients to say absolutely nothing in response to a crisis, keeping silent would be the preferable move to issuing a statement that projects as hollow, insincere, and smarmy. Nothing comes off worse than an apology that sounds like a leader is lip-syncing the words of their legal counsel.
3. Empathy
Try to understand and appreciate the situation from the other party’s perspective. This is especially the case when an event or issue is responsible for the pain or suffering of an individual or group. When thinking through written statements or preparing for sit-down interviews with reporters, think hard how to humanize your brand and avoid language that might portray the organization as an entity that cares more about profits than people.
4. Trustworthiness
Delivering difficult news in a careful but straightforward manner conveys honesty and integrity. This also means ensuring messages are consistent across audiences to avoid the appearance of being cynical and insincere. If you can’t establish yourself as the reliable go-to source of your own information, expect to be judged harshly: at best, disorganized and incapable of managing your own problems and, at worst, disingenuous and intentionally misleading.
5. Proactiveness
Once in crisis mode, get ahead of the questions you anticipate will be asked. Then, drive the narrative and describe what you’re doing to address the situation to ensure it never happens again. Once your version of events has been wrestled away by the press, a competitor, or a disgruntled member of your own community, you’ll spend unnecessary hours cleaning up a mess that could easily have been prevented.
6. Protectiveness
First and foremost, mount a robust defense to protect your hard-earned reputation. It’s OK to circle the wagons, but don’t adopt a bunker mentality in which vital information isn’t shared, the brand “lawyers up,” and communications include defensive or self-righteous language. Crises happen; it’s how you respond that will define the episode and, potentially, your legacy.
7. Transparency
Heed the well-worn expression “Sunshine is the best disinfectant.” Don’t try to cover up certain details when they’re an integral piece of the issue at hand. This information always comes to light in the end. It’s better to rip the Band-Aid off and be forthcoming about what took place, even if some human error, mismanagement, or lack of oversight was primarily responsible. The faster you come clean, the sooner you can make amends and move past it.
To learn more, please contact tjw@essexstrategies.com
