Blog Post

3 things to keep in mind when dealing with a client crisis

As a public relations professional, you're tasked with elevating your clients' profiles in a positive and meaningful way. Sometimes the story you are trying to tell can get lost, especially when faced with a client crisis. 

1.    Be prepared.

You can't deal with a crisis properly without ample preparation. First, make sure you're consistently and effectively telling the right story about your client to those who need to hear it. Keep track of the great coverage you get for them, so you can develop the right messaging to handle a potential crisis.

Next, establish a crisis management task force and get contact information for each person. This may sound simple but being able to get in touch with the people who need to be informed in times of a crisis is essential to getting in control of the situation. 

Lastly, you shouldn't be scrambling to cover your tracks when a scandal hits. Anticipate potential scenarios and develop a plan with your team for how to handle them. 

2.    Be credible. 

This next tip ties back to number one. Honesty is the number one way to establish trust with your audience. You should have a breadth of information about your client to share. Use this credible, positive coverage you have prepared to counter the negative stemming from the crisis. Building your client's credibility through great coverage before the scandal even hits will go a long way in keeping your client credible and authoritative, even during disaster scenarios. 

3.    Get ahead of the story. 

As the PR pro, you should be prepared for any crisis that might pop up before it happens. You know your client's story, and any potential situations that come along with it. When a crisis hits, get in front of the story immediately with the right messaging and you'll go a long way in advocating for your client. 

Hopefully, you'll never find yourself faced with a client crisis, but you should still be fully prepared to handle one. Being equipped to tackle whatever comes your way will only better prepare you to serve your client the best you possibly can on a daily basis.