Staying Cool Under Pressure

Sometimes a crisis is unavoidable, and you may find yourself in a situation where you must communicate with elected and appointed government officials, emergency responders, "fenceline" neighbors, community activists and newspaper, TV and radio reporters quickly and honestly.

To minimize negative feelings toward your business following a workplace accident, fire, transportation emergency or other unfortunate occurrence, it's best to cultivate relationships proactively with the target audiences mentioned previously.

Such community outreach activities can include:

• Inviting target audiences on a tour of your facility
•  Coordinating emergency response planning with fire, police and EMS departments
• Holding "community nights" to explain what your business does, how it benefits your city or town, and what expansion plans or other changes you may be undertaking.

If you find yourself communicating in a crisis, it's useful to keep these tips in-mind:

1.    Before the interview, decide what you want to say, and be sure you have the appropriate information in your head or at your fingertips. (NOTE: It's wise to develop "key messages" for this purpose.)

2.    Always give accurate information and be completely honest. If you don't know the answer to a question, say so and promise to get an answer for the reporter prior to his or her deadline. (i.e., say, "I don't know the answer to your question, but I'll find out so you have it by your deadline. How soon do you need the information?")

3.    Stick to your Key Messages throughout the interview. State them in "as many ways as the day is long," if necessary for the reporter to understand you clearly.

4.    Take charge. You have the knowledge and information that the reporter needs for his or her story.

5.   State your main point or conclusion first to ensure that the reporter has noted the most important aspects of the subject, and amplify it with facts and figures as appropriate.

6.    Give brief and informative answers to all of the reporter's questions. The media are interested in "What? When? Where? Who? How? and Why?" (Speaking in "sound bites" is of vital importance for TV and radio interviews and is highly desirable for newspaper and magazine interviews, whether face-to-face or by phone.)

7.   NEVER use jargon or technical terms. Doing so will confuse the reporter and will likely result in an inaccurate story.

8.   ALWAYS speak clearly and in "plain English." In taped broadcast interviews, and in newspaper/magazine interviews, periodically ask the reporter if he or she needs you to explain anything further. At the conclusion of the interview, tell the reporter to call you with any additional questions.

9.    When appearing on-camera in a live or taped television interview, wear dark, solid-color clothing because it "resolves" better for the camera than stripes and geometric patterns. A man should wear a dark blue or gray shirt with a solid-color or subtle-patterned dark tie and a navy blue, black or dark gray suit; a woman should wear a navy blue, black or gray suit, solid-color blouse and small pieces of "brushed" (i.e., non-shiny) jewelry, if any.