When a business is facing a crisis and has to answer to the media, there is little time to react effectively. The stress created by a crisis often limits rational thinking and can lead to costly mistakes and missteps. This is why it is essential for both large and small businesses to have a crisis management plan in place. Minimizing the damage from a crisis can prevent an unfortunate incident from blowing up into a full-scale public relations nightmare.

Glenn Ebersole, Chief Executive of the Renaissance Group, is our featured guest in this Episode of The Small Business Trends Radio. Glenn will share examples of successful responses and unsuccessful responses to crisis when dealing with the media.

Here’s a sampling from the show:

• Some common public relations errors — that many businesses make when faced with a crisis are 1.) to not have a crisis management plan in place 2.) to not be easily accesible 3.) to fail to provide information that’s easily accesible to the media and 4.) to not maintain ongoing positive relationships with reporters, editors and target media.

• When developing a crisis management plan — be sure to select and organize a crisis management team consisting of a spokesperson, legal counsel, someone with financial and operational background and possibly outside PR counsel that are available to respond immediately. When a crisis happens, you need to know who to contact first.

• What can a small business do — to develop relationships with the media? For starters, you can develop a media kit including a one page description of your company and a contact listed. Connect with local reporters and read what they write, send them news and press releases, send them additional pieces of interest relating to topics they’ve written about previously and attend events where your local media may be present.

Following the suggestions above to develop healthy relations with the media will build credibility around you and your business and, in a sense, gives you third party endorsement. Being proactive and building a positive image with them will go a long way in the midst of a crisis for a positive public relations experience.

Do you have a crisis management plan in place? You can learn more by listening to Glenn’s full interview by clicking the red and yellow player below.

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