I have heard all kinds of advice surrounding how to and if you even should communicate during challenging times - everything from “Keep a low profile” to “Do every interview you can” to “Taking out the trash.” The best advice is to use it as an opportunity to be honest. Whether the situation is self-inflicted or the effects of a global economic nightmare, true transparent communications can promote trust and create optimism within an organization and among key stakeholders. During times of challenge you have a captive audience; use that to your advantage. Employees, partners, customers and shareholders alike want to hear from you. They want to hear that you are not just aware of the situation but you are actively adjusting to developments in order to emerge in a position that will help you meet market needs and expectations.
Being honest is easy…what to say and how to actually communicate are the tougher questions in uncertain and challenging times. The first task is to develop a compelling narrative with 2 or 3 key messages and supporting proof points that convey your market opportunities while acknowledging the challenges ahead. Be reassuring, but balance the narrative with the reality of the situation.
It is also important to ensure consistency and credibility in your messages. You cannot deliver one message in an interview with a trade publication and communicate a contradictory message in an employee townhall meeting. The days of different messages to different audiences are long over. There simply is too much cross-pollination of information with the proliferation of the 24/7 news cycle and social media platforms to assume they will never overlap. That archaic strategy will damage your credibility and alienate your greatest advocates – your employees – as well as your loyal customers. Employees and customers can be the best brand ambassadors your company has but you need to provide them with the ammunition to accurately represent the Company’s story.
How you communicate is just as important as what you communicate. One of the pitfalls to avoid is the desire to innovate your communications tools at the wrong time. If you have never tweeted in the past, now is not the time to start. Utilize existing tools to ensure your message reaches the intended audience and that the tool does not become the story. Some effective ways to communicate with employees, customers and shareholders can be to utilize monthly newsletters, townhall meetings, one-on-one meetings, conference presentations, social media (blogs, Twitter and Facebook - if they have already been established as news feeds for your company) and the media (important industry trades, influential business publications and broadcast outlets). Make sure to identify how your key stakeholders digest information and use those vehicles to be more efficient and effective in your outreach.
Don't rely on one person to tell your story – prepare multiple company spokespeople. While during difficult times it is import for the CEO to be very visible, the CEO cannot be the only one trained. Other members of the management who are on the frontlines will need to be able to answer questions from employees and customers in a consistent and compelling manner. To make this process easier it is helpful to have alignment amongst the senior management team when developing the corporate narrative; ensuring all leadership is comfortable with the delivering the messages to key stakeholders.
Challenging times can create opportunities for companies when they are properly prepared to communicate. Remember to develop a clear corporate narrative backed by proof points; know your stakeholders and how they consume information; and train your spokespeople to be true brand ambassadors.
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