Staying Match Ready In A Crisis

What. A. Week/Month/Year. So the world is a crazy place right now. We’re all a little in the dark in terms of what the next steps will be but what we do know is that transparent communication is key. We’ve been working with clients over the past few days and advising on how best to speak to staff, investors, suppliers and of course journalists and we wanted to share some of our top thoughts on why communication is critical at this time…  Boost Morale - With people working from home and panic plaguing the nation, you need to make sure your team and fellow colleagues are coping ok. Have a video call in the morning and afternoon, make sure they’re in the loop with business decisions and advancements. Share positive things to have come out of the day and coping strategies for working at home if they’re not used to it.    Be Seen & Heard - Nobody wants or needs to be reading about doom and gloom 24/7. Journalists are still writing and they’re still looking to cover your news. Journalists are at home so if anything, they’re writing more. They’re not able to conduct face to face interviews, but they’re still doing them over the phone. Now is the time to get round to pitching that feature you’ve been meaning to write or have an opinion on what is going on in the industry.   Don’t Be Defeated - Yes, events are being cancelled and we’re confined to our homes for the most part, but think laterally. Host online events instead, organise zoom conferences and try and look for opportunities to keep yourself motivated. Still talk to the business community as they are looking for positive content and are keen to network and learn. We may have to be inventive as to how we do that over the next few weeks, but it’s imperative.   Be Proactive & Ahead Of The Competition - Use any extra time you have now you’re not commuting, in meetings or at events to get ahead of the game. Relook at the website, update your sales collateral, recharge your social media strategy, share your positive news and your thoughts on the industry - Covid 19 won’t last forever so now is a good time to get things in place so when we do get back to whatever ‘normal’ is, you’re ahead of the game.  It’s a difficult time for everyone but maintaining communication will enable you to stay at the forefront of your captive audiences consciousness. People need some reassuring with positive content at times like these and there will be a surge in businesses putting out positive news in months to come. If you’ve not kept up the momentum, you’re just another voice in the race.