Safeguard this valuable asset
Regardless of what your business is, trust plays a major factor. The problem with this is that by their very nature, crises undermine trust. They prove that you have vulnerabilities, and often demonstrate that you don’t have them protected very well.
How then, do you maintain the trust of your clients, customers, and the public in the midst of managing a crisis? That was the question posed in a recent Entrepreneur magazine interview to BCM president Jonathan Bernstein, who had this to say:
If a crisis hits your firm, says Jonathan Bernstein, who founded Sierra Madre, Calif.-based Bernstein Crisis Management 17 years ago, take the lead in making your case to the public. And he’s not talking about just covering your you-know-what. Be frank about your problems by providing answers even before your critics start asking questions.
“In the absence of communication, rumor and innuendo fill the gap,” Bernstein says. “Either you communicate or other people will communicate for you.”
It’s Crisis Management 101 – become not only a source, but also the best source for information about your own situation. Do this, and you can quash those damaging rumors before they get out of control.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/