The country has fallen into an economic crisis and every single person on the island is being impacted in one way or the other. Businesses are increasingly at risk of getting hit and running out of profit or even not being able to carry simple operational costs. But here are some ways in which you can ramp up communication during the crisis to help you survive and stay ahead.
Plan Ahead
Create a detailed contingency/scenario plan that outlines every conceivable crisis and appropriate response. Contingency plans are time-consuming and painstaking, which is why many organizations don’t create them. However, when faced with a crisis, these plans actually save critical time and resources. It’s smart business to have an action plan on hand that can be quickly implemented by every member of the executive, communications, and operations teams in the event of a crisis.
Put your customer first
Crisis usually brings up strong negative emotions. If your company makes mistakes, your unhappy customers may write negative comments on review sites like Yelp or on social media. When this happens, don’t play the blame game. Try to foster a supportive and collaborative rather than defensive communication climate on your social media, including your company blog. Some possible responses would be;
- Offer discounts for a future purchase of your products or services.
- Contact the customer directly to apologize.
- Change the policy that caused the issue.
- Offer a refund.
Understanding the need for better communication during crisis times is the first step to getting ahead of your marketing game.
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