I read that 46% of American businesses do not have a crisis plan. Statistically, it’s not if a crisis will happen it’s when.

When I was a reporter, a camera guy and I were called to cover breaking news - an active shooter at a concrete business. The scene was not secure as we arrived. The camera guy reached for his bulletproof vest. He had a vest. I did not.

Later, when I spoke to the business owner, I asked what his crisis management plan was. He didn’t have one. An employee lost their life that day. Dozens more were traumatized by the event. A business could face any sort of crisis, from violence to a bad review to a natural disaster. Is your business part of the 46% without a plan?

When I was a reporter, my first interaction with someone generally was when they were in a crisis. If I may use my experience to offer these suggestions of what NOT to do in a crisis:

• Do not neglect social media. If something goes terribly wrong, take to all social platforms. Remember the Christmas travel meltdown with Southwest Airlines in 2022? They went silent on Instagram. Crickets until 7 days later. Not wise. Craft or have a PR professional help you craft an initial message and post it everywhere, including your website.

• If the media gets involved, never say ‘no comment.’ When a business would say no comment to me, that was a trigger word that something bigger was going on. What’s the business trying to hide? No comment is never the right answer. Trust me, you don’t want reporter digging. We can come up with something stronger without saying no comment OR airing out the business laundry.

• And finally, craft a prepared statement and stick to it. If you have multiple employees, designate one spokesperson. Of course, you can have a PR professional handle it. However you choose, it is important to have one unified voice.

Now, what to do when your world is falling apart and you are terrified the business might not make it through this crisis? First of all, take a deep breath. The business will survive. You will survive. Remember you can navigate a crisis communication situation like this.

• Get in front of the story. The minute you hear something’s gone sideways, own it and get in front of it. This allows you to control the narrative and you minimize playing catchup.

• Genuinely apologize. Mistakes happen. Circumstances beyond our control happen. It’s how you respond or choose not to respond that matters. Genuinely say ‘I'm sorry’. There’s a difference between I’m sorry and I apologize. Say ‘I’m sorry.”

• Thirdly, make it right, quickly. Refund, upgrade, offer a free service, deep discount, whatever it is, make it right, and do so fast.

There is no one way to handle a crisis. There are a zillion ways to make a crisis worse! I wouldn’t want that for you. Think of these tips as a fire extinguisher and a trusted PR person as the fire department. You’re able to hit the fire quickly with the fire extinguisher while someone else is calling 911. My hope is you never need this fire extinguisher. Also, know you have me in your back pocket if you need a fire department!

feeling overwhelmed with a business crisis? Connect with me at michelle@memorableresultsmedia.com.

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Memorable Results Media regularly comes alongside small businesses as a guide in supporting business owners craft their own roadmap. If this sounds like a great idea but you are at maximum capacity, drop me an email at michelle@memorableresultsmedia.com

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Emergency Response: How To Navigate A business Crisis

feeling overwhelmed with a business crisis? Connect with me at michelle@memorableresultsmedia.com.

No one likes the feeling of wandering aimlessly.

Don’t Step Off Course