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By Steven Paul, Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance
If you watch the popular game show, "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?"
you are familiar with the infamous "hot seat." That is
where the contestant sits while Regis fires off tough - and sometimes
not-so-tough - questions.
Of course, those people choose to be in the "hot seat"
because they want the chance to walk away with a cool million. The
rest of us aren't as lucky in our day-to-day lives - especially
those who have to deal with media and are responsible for promoting
and protecting the image of our funds.
A public relations crisis will drop you in the hot seat quicker
than you can say, "That's my final answer." And unlike
the Millionaire show, you can't phone a friend or poll the audience
for help.
So what do you do when the inevitable PR crisis hits? Here are
some tips:
- Have a plan. Every business assumes some level of risk
and vulnerability merely as a function of providing goods or services
to the public. As such, don't wait for bad news to happen: Plan
for it. This roadmap will help you deal with the situation calmly
and confidently at a time when tension is high.
- When the crisis hits, the first rule is to think clearly,
stay calm and keep others calm.
- Appoint a spokesperson. One of your first decisions
will be determining who will speak for the company. That person
should be articulate and be able to communicate the company's
message simply and succinctly (preferably in sound bites).
- Make sure that your spokesperson has all the facts and
is able to respond to media inquiries promptly. Hiding
from the problem and ignoring phone calls can worsen the situation.
The quicker you deal with it, the sooner it will start to become
yesterday's news.
- Communicate your message. Know the key points that you
want to convey to the media. Make sure they are included in any
statement that you issue. Ensure that your spokesperson reemphasizes
these points when talking with the media.
- Don't bury your head in the sand. You will only prolong
the agony if you ignore the problem, deny the problem exists,
lie about the problem, assign blame rather than focusing on fixing
the problem, or clam up and let the media drag the story out over
time.
- When talking with the media, remember to:
- Be friendly and respectful (they have a job to do, too)
- Smile
- Relax
- Be calm
- Avoid saying anything that you don't want printed or heard
- Keep on message
- Be specific
- Be concise and stick to the facts
- Listen to the question closely and know what is being asked
before responding
- Think about your response before speaking;
- Consider the questions that may be asked by a reporter and
how you might answer them
- And try to get to know the members of the media before they
show up at your office with cameras rolling and reporter notepads
in hand.
- Keep your employees informed. They shouldn't have to
learn about the situation by reading the newspaper or watching
the 6 o'clock news. Tell them everything that you plan to tell
the media so that they clearly understand the company's position.
Also instruct them to refer any media inquiry to the appropriate
spokesperson.
- Keep your customers informed. Don't let the situation
- and the media - undermine your customers' confidence. Communicate
with them directly and let them know the facts and what is being
done to correct the problem.
Throughout history some of the biggest and best companies have
faced public relations nightmares (for example, Johnson & Johnson's
cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, the Exxon oil spill and, more recently,
the faulty Firestone tires on Ford Explorers). Although we as state
funds aren't likely to face a crisis of that magnitude, you have
to plan for the worse and hope for the best. Being prepared is the
key.
And though you won't become a millionaire in that hot seat, your
company will come out a winner.
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