5/14/25

When a crisis that jeopardizes the reputation of your small or mid-sized business hits, will you sink or swim? How you communicate will make the difference.

I have some experience in crisis communications thanks to my position leading comms at a mid-sized bank, where we developed just-in-case crisis plans for cyberattacks, bank robberies and more. However, my expertise expanded recently when three tried-and-true crisis experts shared valuable tips with International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Minnesota members. Crisis communications specialists Paul Omodt, Stacy L. Bettison, Esq. and Jon Austin shared several impactful and sound-byte worthy takeaways during their webinar:

✔ Avoid downplaying or denying a situation. It never works.

✔ Don’t ever string together the two words ‘No comment.’ It is immediately translated as ‘I’m guilty.’

✔ Respect the ‘golden hour’ principle. If you don’t respond to media requests within an hour, someone else will create the narrative. Just say something to move forward, even if it’s minimal and you need to fill in details later.

✔ Establish a single, unified message and voice. All communications should be consistent, coordinated and come from designated spokespeople to avoid confusion and maintain credibility. Avoid giving one message to employees and another to the media.

✔ Media training can help leaders understand how to communicate effectively during a crisis. Good leaders are used to storytelling, but storytelling for the media differs significantly because it will be edited.

✔ The average lifespan of a social media crisis is 48 to 72 hours. Don’t panic -- the public’s attention decreases quickly and the lasting impact will probably be limited.

These lessons can be valuable to any small or mid-sized business -- file them away just in case you ever need them. Or better yet, hire an expert to help. It would be worth the investment!