Page 154 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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There is No Substitute for Media Training 135
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and 2) if they’re too familiar with your industry, they might be working
with your competitors, too. A conflict of interest is not good for the
trainer and certainly is not good for you.
Another recommendation: think big. Regardless of your company
size or number of employees, there are advantages to working with a
trainer who has experience with large clients and large-scale crisis
communication. It is easier to grasp the magnitude and scope of a
major, far-reaching or even global disaster, than it is a small one. And
it’s more valuable to role-play in a crisis that appears to be bigger than
is typical for you or your company. It will challenge your spokespeople
and give them confidence that they can deal with anything that comes
their way.
Also, be very clear with deliverables. What will your people walk
away with from this training? At a minimum, they should learn how to:

interact and communicate effectively with the media during a
crisis, and how to build and maintain trustworthy relationships;
overcome anxiety when talking to the media;
deliver a clear, concise and credible message to the media;
handle unexpected or unfair questions;
say they don’t know or don’t want to say (other than ‘No
comment’);
present information without appearing misinformed or overly
emotional;
maintain control, internally and externally;
develop an initial response statement that can keep your
spokesperson on track at a time of very high stress.

Deduct points if the trainer uses a PowerPoint presentation. That is
likely to mean that you’re getting one-size-fits-all instruction and a
generalized crisis practice drill. What you want is a trainer who will not
only customize a session tailored to your needs, but will also develop a
crisis scenario for role-play that is both realistic and specific to your
individual organization. If the trainer wants to add your participants
to a general session with people from other organizations, keep
looking. You can and should do better in your selection.

Other resources

While nothing can replace the experience of working face-to-face with
an experienced trainer, there are other good resources. The internet
brings virtual crisis management training to your fingertips 24 hours a