Is Radio Still Effective?

By Andrea Obston, President, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications LLC.

Remember radio?  It’s words without the hassle of looking at pictures or video.  You just, well, listen.  And it’s still there, still credible and that’s something a lot of folks overlook in the stampede towards “All-Social-Media-All-the-Time”.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love social media.  You can’t beat it for the back-and-forth that drives the give and take of a good a marketing campaign.  It’s an awesome tool, but it’s just that – one tool.

But then there’s good old dependable radio – the credible companion that wakes us in the morning (please don’t tell me you  use Facebook to rouse you for the day) and keeps us company in our cars (when we’re not texting).  It’s the invited guest we actually listen to for a quick hit of news (yes, I do still tune in at the top and bottom of the hour if I’m in the car), contentious talk and unencumbered entertainment (yippee, we don’t HAVE TO respond!).

So, an appearance on a local or national talk show has its advantages and should have a place as one tactic in a PR plan.  Here a few tips to make the most of one of those appearances:

• Pick three to five key messages you want to deliver – If you listen to the smooth and uninterrupted patter of talk or sport radio, it’s easy to think it’s all spontaneous and that you’ll just go with the flow if you’re interviewed.  Wrong!  I’ve seen the pre-show notes for a few people who this for a living and believe me they prep like crazy.  You’re not going to have to carry a whole show like these guys, but please don’t try to wing it.  Decide on only three to five selected points you will make so you can make the most of your time on the air.

•  Put your messages in writing – I suggest you arm yourself with one 3 X 5 card for each key message plus one more.  You will spread these out in front of you as soon as you sit down to do the interview.  Why the “one-more”?  Because you’ll need that card for your website and telephone number.  Why?  Because you WILL forget one or both of them when they ask and then you have to make that stupid joke about not calling yourself.  That one was never funny.

• Get in and get out – This is NOT a social interaction.  You have a limited time to make your points so don’t waste it asking about their health or commenting on the weather.  All interviewers know neither of you cares about these things, so cut to the chase.  And don’t linger at the end.  Get out clean with a “thank you” without blubbering about how much your appreciate them giving you the time.  By the time your segment’s winding down, the interviewer is already on to the next thing.  Respect that and move on yourself.

• Expect the interview to be on the phone – Most radio interviews are done on the phone.  Make sure it’s a landline to insure voice quality and, for goodness sake, do NOT use a speaker phone.  You’ll sound like you’re doing the interview from a metal garbage can.  Also, I like to stand when I do one of these phone interviews.  It gives your voice more energy.  If you’re going to stand, please make sure you don’t pace during the interview.  I had one client who paced with such fury during an interview that the phone came perilously close to falling off the desk.

It is a weird irony that I am blogging in a Web 3.0 world about a medium that’s from the Web -1.0 world, but there you have it.  It’s old.  It’s effective.  People pay attention to it.  So, why not give it a place in your PR plans?

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

aobston@aomc.com

860-243-1447

@aobston

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“No Comment” is No Good

By Andrea Obston, President, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications LLC.

A whole blog post on “no comment”?  What is there to say?  Nothing.  Just say no to “no comment.”    

This seemingly innocuous phrase provides false comfort.  It can give the speaker the illusion of thinking “Well, that’s done with.  We said nothing.  The press has nothing, so the story’s dead.  They’ll leave us alone.”  Unfortunately that’s simply not true. Companies that think that a “no comment” will lead the reporter to drop the story haven’t dealt with many reporters.  A “no comment” from a company often entices reporters to dig deeper.  And those reporters will go elsewhere for sources, allowing company outsiders like competitors and disgruntled ex-employees to shape the coverage.  In short, companies that choose the “no comment” route in the face of a crisis give control of their reputation to others.

In addition, the phrase “no comment” sounds a lot likes “I’m guilty” to both reporters and the general public.  It says “I know I did something wrong, but you’re not going to get me to say what it is.”  Research shows that 58% of Americans equate “no comment” with “I’m guilty”.

Here’s an example:  In her book The PR Crisis Bible, Robin Cohn tells the story of an executive who ran into a well-known business reporter in the halls of his company.  “Excuse me,” the reporter said to the executive, “I just have one question.”  The CEO responded with a gruff “No comment” and literally fled the scene.  It turns out the reporter had an interview with someone in the company and needed directions to his office.  But the CEO’s “No comment” was so intriguing that the reporter went back to his office and started trolling the Internet looking for problems at the company.  He found them and eventually the story he did lead to a loss of confidence by investors and a drastic drop in the company’s stock.

The point is, that saying “No comment” does not make the matter go away.  It gives it sizzle in a reporter’s mind, making them wonder just what you’re trying to hide.  Let me give you a local example:  We worked with a property management company that was having troubles with a union.  Despite the fact that the NLRB cleared them of any violations, the union persisted in staging very public and theatrical demonstrations outside one of their buildings. One morning, my client received word that another demonstration was planned for the next day.  That afternoon, I received a message from the real estate reporter for the local paper.  The client’s attorney refused to let me call the reporter back to find out why she called, directing me instead to send a fax that said, “Management will have no comment about any labor actions.”  Within minutes, the reporter was on the phone to me.  “I didn’t know they had labor problems,” she said.  “I was calling you to set up an interview about the new owners of the building.  What’s really going on?”

Make no mistake: I am not advocating sacrificing a quick public response for an accurate one.  I’ve worked with enough attorneys to know that a premature statement by a company can have disastrous effects on both litigation and the company’s reputations.  But so can giving control of the story to someone else.  I’m reminded the case of a natural gas company in Pennsylvania whose delayed reactions to a leak resulted in the death of two people.  In the crisis management team meeting early that morning the CEO, public relations officer and in-house counsel, decided that the company would publicly accept responsibility for the tragedy, outline how and why it happened and explain how they had modified their procedures to prevent a repeat.  “We knew we’d have to accept responsibility for the accident,” the PR counselor told me.  “It was the in-house counselor who approved the strategy, feeling it would mitigate punitive damages because, as he put it, ‘Juries read newspapers, too.’”  It would have been easy for the company to issue a “no comment” after such a horrendous incident, but by going into a pro-active mode, they were able to take control of the story quickly.  Incidentally, 18 months after the incident they were honored by the city as one of its most credible corporate citizens.

I’m not advocating such a dramatic response to every crisis.  This strategy would be too extreme for many clients.  But, what I am saying is that there are ways to respond to a crisis, even early on, with phrases that do not shut off further communications with reporters and make them wonder what the company’s hiding.   Consider these alternatives to “no comment:”

• “We do not have enough information to make a statement right now.”
• “We cannot tell you anything new at this time.”
• “We will be coming out with information about that on…”
• “We are looking into that situation…”
• “It would not be appropriate to say anything at this time.”

What’s the difference?  These phrases avoid delivering information that is premature while keeping the channels of communication open for a more appropriate time.  When the company understands the situation and has developed its strategy for managing the situation, attorneys and public relations professions can develop strategies together to present the situation in the court of public opinion.

Remember, the public judges the worthiness of a company by its behavior under pressure.  “No comment” is the quickest way to undermine that public trust, both today and tomorrow.   We can do better for our clients.

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

aobston@aomc.com

860-243-1447

@aobston

www.facebook.com/AndreaObstonMarketingCommunications

www.LinkedIn.com/aobston

How Blogging Can Benefit Your Company

By Katrina Lennon, Account Coordinator, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications LLC.

A blog is for someone that wants to share with the world why they love their bunny rabbit or why they need to lose 10 pounds right? Wrong! Yes, some bloggers like to talk about their sometimes boring and irrelevant thoughts but there are others who are utilizing it as a business tool. Case in point: us.

Blogs are incredibly powerful tools that can help people, especially businesses, position themselves at the forefront of a particular industry. They are becoming an essential corporate tool that communicates knowledge and expertise to target audiences. They are also a great way to show people that there are actual human beings working behind that logo; people will feel much more comfortable and connected to your company if they have a sense of who you are. Michael Wiley once said that “blogs can help bring humanity back into the workplace. We have become so concerned with communicating numbers and processes that employees have forgotten how to build relationships…blogs help create a culture that supports those behaviors”.

Some additional benefits of a corporate blog include:

• Creates a community –When you allow people to comment on blog posts and share them through various social media channels, you are stimulating and encouraging a conversation to take place and therefore creating an online community around your brand.
• Acts as a drawing board – As you prepare to write a blog post some research might be involved. The whole process allows you to gather thoughts, plan out what you are going to say and then reflect on it all in your post. It might just give you an idea for your company’s “next big thing”.
• Keeps you connected to your audience – It can be easy to lose sight of your audience’s needs. Sometimes you think you are giving them what they want when really you are headed in the wrong direction. Monitoring the conversation that takes place on your blog will provide you with the insight needed to stay on course. Think of it as free research!
• Increase web traffic – Search engines love blogs because of their search engine optimization tools. By creating tags for each post you are creating opportunities for your company’s blog to show up on search engines like Google. The more you use those tags, the higher up in the searches you will find yourself.
• Connects you with potential customers – With great search engine optimization, people searching for ____ might just stumble upon your company while conducting a search. Long behold they love your blog and decide to get in touch with you!
• Advertising and marketing is changing – Traditionally, advertising and marketing basically threw information in people’s faces, saying “hey listen to me! I have something to say”. With technological advances people can now block out unwanted advertising (think TVo and call waiting) meaning people are searching for information rather than being told. When people read blogs it is because they want to be there reading what you have to say. It is a great way to connect with audiences and adopt this new way of advertising.
• It’s free – Well, for the most part. Some blogging platforms offer upgrades for a price however this is not necessary. There are plenty of features that come with a free membership and will work just as well as an upgraded blog.

Head spinning yet? Relax; blogging does not have to be that difficult. There are a handful of sites that offer an easy interface where you can quickly and easily write down your thoughts and publish them for the world to see. Check out Blogspot.com, Typepad.com and Movable Type for straightforward blog templates. Feeling adventurous? Take a look at WordPress.com for a more comprehensive blogging platform.

More and more businesses are jumping on board with corporate blogs. Do you want to be left behind? Create one today and start realizing the benefits so many others are enjoying.

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

860-243-1447

@kblennon

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Social Media – Take Two Breaths and Email Me in the Morning

By Andrea Obston, President, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications, LLC

If you’re feeling guilty, outdated or downright dowdy because your business is not using social media, consider this column your safe island in the storm. “Just do it” may work for Nike, but it has no place in your marketing efforts.

The mere size and speed of social networking has made everyone sit up and take notice.  The mantra, “If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s third largest” is enough to make any business person’s heart go pitty-pat.  Or consider this: a recent Consumer Reports’ “State of the Net” survey said that “…two out of three online U.S. households use social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, nearly twice as many as a year ago.”  Feeling the old guilt about missing the boat creeping into your brain?  Stop it!  I promise this will be a guilt-free read.  So continue on without fear.

If you get nothing else from this column, take this one thought:  Just because a marketing tactic exists it doesn’t mean it’s right for your business.  Social media is one of many ways to reach your customers.  Some have been around since the 1920s, when young Allen Odell convinced his father to allow him to put up small wooden roadside signs to pitch their product,  Burma Shave.  And some were invented within the last few years like blogs, Facebook business pages and You Tube channels.  They all work in some form or another.  But they won’t necessarily drive the right customers to your bottom line if they don’t suit your marketing objectives and their needs.  The real bottom line here is that any marketing effort starts with the answers to a few key questions:

• Who are your most profitable customers?
• What do they want from your business?
• How do you deliver it?
• Why would they come to you instead of your competitors?
• Where do they go for information before they buy?
  • How can you make them into loyal customers who come back and send in their friends?

Essentially I am asking you to decide who you are, who you want to be in the eyes of your customers and how you can deliver what they want.  Once you know that, you can be a more intelligent marketer on all fronts.

Okay, enough of Marketing 101.  What about this crazy idea of social media?  Let’s start with a definition: Social media is web-based communications which seek to set up a conversation; a relationship.  They are interactive, personal and something that people invite into their lives.  Contrast that with advertising which essentially intrudes into your customers’ lives.  Think about it – people turn to their Facebook page as an activity.  Ads interrupt an activity (say reading the newspaper) to deliver their message.  So, if you’re interested in really maintaining or creating a dialogue with customers and prospects, then social media – be it a Facebook fan page; a You Tube Channel, or a blog – may be for you.  Use them to offer practical advice that your customers will want to read and pass along, such as tips on dealing with some of the problems your product solves.  Businesses that use social media to talk about themselves (“We had 50 people here for a terrific sale on Wednesday”) offer nothing that anyone would want to pass along.  Before you post that blog or tweet that tweet, ask yourself, “Is this something someone would want to share with a friend?”  If the answer’s yes, tweet away.  If it’s no, tell your mother.  As with any marketing effort it’s not about what YOU want to say it’s about what YOUR CUSTOMERS want to hear.

Think of the social media world as one giant cocktail party.  When you go to such functions, who do you end up spending your time with?  The person who offers you an interesting conversation or the one who assaults you with diatribes about themselves?

So, here are a few tips on whether or not social media is for you:

• Do you or someone on your staff have the time to devote at least five hours a week (throughout the week) to updating and monitoring social media?
• Do you have access to a 20 year old who can do this for you, has existing experience on the web and can be trained on what you offer well enough to essentially hold social media conversations about your business?
• Do you currently participate in social media AND ENJOY IT?
• Do you cater to the kind of customer who can answer yes to the question above?
• Do you understand that your picture of the average social media user may be way off?  A few facts here:

The average user of social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn or My Space is more affluent and more urban than the average American, according to Nielsenwire.

A profile of users of social media from a site called Royal Pingdom tells us:

• Those 35 to 44 dominate users of social media
• The average social network user is 37 years old.
• LinkedIn, with its business focus, has a predictably high average user age; 44.
• The average Twitter user is 39 years old.
• The average Facebook user is 38 years old.
• The average MySpace user is 31 years old.

So what do you do next?  Before subscribing to the “Just Do It” principle I suggest you do two things: 1) Look long and hard at the customers you want and how they use social media and 2) Get a lot more literate about creative uses of social media.  Start by reading two wonderful blogs: Mashable and FreshNetworks.  Get smarter; get more comfortable with your choices and get going in the way that best suits your business.

No guilt; no worries; just bottom-line communications.  However that looks.

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

aobston@aomc.com

860-243-1447

@aobston

www.facebook.com/AndreaObstonMarketingCommunications

www.LinkedIn.com/aobston

Getting the Most out of LinkedIn

By Katrina Lennon, Account Coordinator, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications, LLC

Did someone once tell you to set up a LinkedIn profile? It probably went something like this; “LinkedIn is the professional Facebook. It’s great for business and networking. You really should be on there”. Did I get it right? So you took that leap and created a profile. But now what?

There are many people out there on LinkedIn who have no idea how to use it to their advantage. They think that simply being on LinkedIn is enough. I am here to tell you that you are wrong. If you haven’t done so already, you should learn how to mine the riches that LinkedIn has to offer.  In this column you will find a wealth of information to help you tap into LinkedIn and use it to your advantage.

• Complete your profile – The first step you must make is to complete your profile. See that annoying bar on the right hand side that says you are only ____% complete? Do what they suggest in order to get that all the way up to 100 percent mark.  One of the things this requires is asking for recommendations from other people on LinkedIn. Aim for four or five people from different areas (different jobs, a colleague, a superior, a friend etc.). Ask for recommendations from a wide range of people covering the full span of skills and knowledge you have acquired throughout the years.

• Expand your network – LinkedIn is a networking site, so use it to its fullest.  Search for people you know with the search box in the upper right hand corner.  Ask them to join your network.  Both of you will benefit.  In addition look at the networks of people to whom you’re connected for people you’d like to know.  Ask them for an introduction. Lastly check out the “people you may know” block you’ll find on your homepage. Going through this list every once in awhile will alert you of people you may know who are also on LinkedIn.  Add them to your network.

• Join LinkedIn Groups – Another way to expand your network is to join LinkedIn groups. These are people who share common professional interests or fields of work.  There are many groups out there covering all sorts of industries and interests. Once in a group you can do any (or all) of the following to build up your LinkedIn community:

1. Participate in discussions
2. Create your own discussion thread
3. Post an article
4. Connect with people in the group
5. Think about creating your own group

• Update your status frequently – The idea here is you want to keep a steady LinkedIn presence so your connections recognize your name. Remember, some of your connections have never personally met you before so reminding them what you can offer them as a connection is important. Your status updates show up in their feed and act as this reminder.

• Explore the “More” tab – Once you have successfully done the above, why not have some fun with it? LinkedIn has a handful of applications that you can add to your profile. This option is under the “More” tab on the top of your page and then under “Application Directory”. According to LinkedIn, applications “enable you to enrich your profile, share and collaborate with your network, and get the key insights that help you be more effective”. My personal favorite it tripit, which allows me to let my connections know when I will be in town so we can meet up for a networking cup of coffee.

• Get familiar with LinkedIn Answers. This is also under the “More” tab and then “Advanced Answers Search”. This tool allows you to search for topics in your area of expertise to find a question you want to answer. Some experts in the field suggest a few ways to get involved on LinkedIn Answers. They include:

1. Do some research on the person asking the question to find a way to tie in a more personalized response

1. Provide all that you can when answering the question (website links, tips, recommend an expert to them, etc.)
2. In your answer give them an invitation to contact you privately for more help

Establish meaningful relationships with LinkedIn – Here are  several tips from some of the best minds in social media:

• Watch your timing
  • As soon as you make some sort of connection on LinkedIn don’t wait weeks or even months before interacting with your new connection. Ask them a question, pay them a compliment, ask for an introduction to someone else etc.
• Take advantage of events
  • LinkedIn has a feature that allows you to create an invite to an event. Keep an eye out on your connections and what events they might be attending. You can also look at the RSVP list of an event. Connect with a few of those individuals and get in touch with them before the event either through a message (if they are a connection) or an inmail (if a second or third degree, or no group connection). Let them know that you will be at the event and are looking forward to meeting them in person.
• Sync geography with your travels
  • Most of the time, you will have connections from all over. If you are traveling somewhere on business click on the “contacts” tab up top and then on the “locations” link on the left. This will tell you how many of your connections are in each area. If you have some free time on your business trip, suggest meeting up with some or all of your connections in that area for coffee, lunch, a small networking dinner
• Don’t hesitate to ask for advice
  • Reach out to an influential connection and ask them for advice. Socialmediaexaminer.com explains crafting your message as follows: first introduce yourself and explain who you are, reference a common connection, give a genuine comment, ask for advice with an explanation of why you are asking.
• Become a resource
  • Find out where you can add value by keeping an eye on status updates and group discussions. Your value can be added insight, advice, finding a new connection etc. Once you are seen as a resource, your connections will classify you as a valued relationship in your network.

And for the grand finale, use your url to ask people to connect with you on LinkedIn. You should encourage everyone you meet to connect with you on LinkedIn in order to expand your network.

So have I convinced you that simply being on LinkedIn is not enough by now? Follow these steps and you will be the person telling others how wonderful and beneficial LinkedIn is.

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

860-243-1447

@kblennon

www.facebook.com/AndreaObstonMarketingCommunications

Don’t Forget the Stakeholders

By Andrea Obston, President, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications, LLC

One of the biggest mistakes people make when dealing with a crisis is to focus all of their attention on the media. I know this may sound a little odd coming from a PR professional (like the doctor who decries the use of medicine) but it’s true. Sure, communicating early and often to reporters and bloggers is critical.  They are important sources of information.  But it‘s a mistake to think they are the only group that requires attention during a crisis.

In the book Dealing with an Angry Public, the authors write about the need to reach out to everyone affected by a crisis and to really listen to what they want.  It’s easy to assume, for example, that someone damaged by a malfunctioning product is only interested in getting as much money as possible out of the product’s manufacturer.  The first person to sue Ford over its ill-fated Explorers (more than 100 people died in accidents in these SUVs) didn’t want money.  What she wanted was an apology.  That’s all she wanted, but Ford never took the time to find this out and immediately went into bunker mentality and hunkered down for a financial battle with her.  How much easier it would have been if they’d just taken the time to listen.

The next time you’re working with a client in response to a crisis, encourage them to think about the variety of people it effects before reacting.  Suggest they withhold any actions until they make a list of all the people who have a stake in the outcome of the crisis.  Then, and only then, can you work with them to formulate a strategy that will allow them to return to business relatively whole.

Here is a partial list of the “publics” that are often impacted in crisis communications:

•      Those affected by the events – While this is obvious, I’m often surprised that the “recipients” of a disaster are the last people considered in a crisis situation.  Caring for them first and really listening to their concerns can head off problems later.

•      Board members – Members of a clients’ board deserve a heads-up on any crisis.  For obvious reasons, you don’t want them to learn about a crisis from the local media.  They are often a client’s most visible “community ambassadors”.  They deserve early warning and the courtesy of a few talking points for dealing with any questions they receive.  They should also be instructed on the client’s procedures for handling the press, should they get the call from an enterprising reporter or blogger.

•      Stockholders – No mystery here. Sarbanes-Oxley covers this one, but that’s the least the client should be doing for this group.  Use the incident as an opportunity to reinforce a two-way flow of information.

•      Employees – Here’s another group of community ambassadors who have the potential to help a besieged client get their messages out their way (as well as the potential to do harm if not kept in the loop.) Your client should arm them with selected talking points, remind them to send all in-depth interviews to a designated in-house contact and establish on-going dialogue on the situation. Such actions may very well cut short rumors and cement their relationship with them.  Employees resent it when they are like mushrooms (that is, kept in the dark).

•      Bankers and Vendors – Negative developments make bankers and vendors nervous.  It’s better to honestly let them know what’s going on before they hear about it from rumors and your client’s competitors.

•      Community leaders and the general public – Encourage your clients not to rely solely on news accounts to tell their story to this group.  Letters, emails, opinion pieces and paid ads in the local press allow the client to tell their story fairly and accurately.  This is particularly important if a crisis could affect those living near a client’s facility, like a release of toxic waste, a fire or even a plant closing.  What happened?  How will it affect their lives?  What is your client doing to protect the local community or mitigate the effects?  What can they expect to happen next?  What methods has the client put in place to communicate further developments?

•      Regulatory agencies – As we discussed in the stockholders’ section, regulatory requirements should be thought of as the bare minimum when it comes to communicating with this group.  With an attorney as the advisor, such groups should be kept as up-to-date as possible.

This list is only the beginning.  Obviously, it does not include members of the media and the blogosphere.  Attorneys and PR people should develop a crisis plan before it’s needed that takes into account all appropriate “publics” depending upon the clients’ industry.  Research tells us that 40 percent of companies hit by disaster go out of business within five years

A comprehensive crisis plan that takes into account all of the publics affected can be an important tool to make sure your clients aren’t victims of this 40 percent “mortality” statistic.  Working together, we can help our clients retain their reputations and get back to business as soon as possible.

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

aobston@aomc.com

860-243-1447

@aobston

www.facebook.com/AndreaObstonMarketingCommunications

www.LinkedIn.com/aobston

Introducing the AOMC Blog, The Reputation Manager: Rebuilding Trust After a Layoff

By Andrea Obston, President, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications, LLC

How does a company rebuild trust after a layoff? Is there a second act or is it best to push past the layoffs and hope no one notices?  Not in today’s environment.  Not if you expect to be in business tomorrow.

We know that companies that weather their layoffs most successfully are those that communicate the decision honestly to all the stakeholders it touches.  But most companies are so focused on the internal aspects of this difficult decision that they choose to ignore its external impact.  This puts their company’s future in jeopardy.

As a manager or business owner, you may be faced with the tough decision of whether or not to deal with your layoff publicly.  It will help if you remember this: the purpose of many layoffs is to preserve the business in tough economic times so it lives to fight another day in the future. In other words, the business (and you) will be experiencing the short-term pain of a layoff in exchange for the long-term health of the company.  It’s not fun and it’s not pretty, but it is often a solid business judgment made with an eye towards the future.  And in order to preserve the company and its reputation, you need to plan on managing the public face of that layoff as part of your downsizing plans.

Ignoring this point puts the future of your business at risk.  Businesses that close their eyes to the communications aspect of layoffs can expect to find themselves on the defense.  No one looks good in defensive mode, especially when they are dealing with angry customers, curious reporters and surprised local government officials.  The last guy who looked good playing defense was Troy Polamalu.

As crisis managers, we are called in to companies before a layoffs to help them with their communications before, during and afterwards. We help them put a public face of this very private decision.  We’ve learned two key truths in this work: 1) Companies either choose to take control of their reputations during difficult times or end up allowing others to do it for them and 2) People judge companies by the way they behave in tough times.

Companies either take control of these situations or the situations end up controlling them.  You take control through straight-forward communications.  That means communicating with your customers, prospects, employees, vendors and the rest of the world that the layoffs were a thoughtful business decision on the part of strong company with a good future.  In plain language (and before people have a chance to make up their own stories) you need to deliver these messages:

• We have had a staff reduction of X number of people;
• We value all employees who work for this company and did not make  this decision lightly;
• This was a difficult choice that we made to ensure the long-term health of this company;
• The layoffs were necessary because of the impact of prevailing economic conditions.  These have hit our customers and therefore our bottom line.  By the way, it is not necessary to be as excessively dramatic as one organization that ascribed the need for layoffs to “the global financial crisis”.
• This company is strong and has a long history of weathering economic changes.  It will continue to provide the superior customer service and products that have characterized it for the last XX years.

It is also critical that your company prepare for any outside interest in the layoff as a symbol of a trend in your industry or region.  While these stories have been done over and over, there is a good chance that an eager (or bored) reporter or blogger may seize on this if they are looking for an angle to make the story of your layoff more “interesting.”

Here are some basic steps that will help you prepare for the public face of your layoff decision:

1) Make a list of all groups impacted above and beyond the employees laid off.  Look at both internal and external audiences. Internally, these may include some or all of these groups: remaining employees, managers, members of the board, stockholders and investors and retirees.  Externally, think about customers, vendors, affiliated organizations, referral sources, industry trade groups, government officials, (locally and statewide) and members of the community.

2) Understand the concerns of each group and be prepared to address them.  Often, these concerns will vary.  Employees will be most worried about losing their jobs.  For example they may be afraid that this is the first several layoffs.  For investors, they need to know the bottom-line impact of this move, especially if it sets the stage for long-term profitability.  Local government officials, on the other hand, will want to know about timing of the downsizing and what you’re doing to help laid off workers find other jobs.

3) Communicate with each of these audiences in the most direct way possible.  That may be letters, phone calls, pro-active press releases (if you want announce the layoff yourself), reactive press statements (if you prefer to have something on-hand in response to a reporter’s call), posts on your site, and/or updates on any social media your company uses for self-promotion.  Remember, you’ll be depending upon these outlets to carry the good news about your company as part of your recovery.  That means treating them with dignity during the tough times to gain their trust for the future.

4) Remember that timing is everything.  When we pre-plan for layoffs with our clients, the most difficult part is the timing issue.  It all boils down to this: the more personally affected someone is by the layoff, the earlier they need to be told directly.  Not by reading it in the newspaper; not by coming upon it on someone else’s Facebook page and not by catching wind of it through the grapevine.  By you.

5) Fight information leak as aggressively as you can.   In today’s “porous” business environment, once you tell one person, you can expect the story to be public.  Employees tweet.  Members of the board have neighbors in the media.  Vendors share information with your competitors and retirees stay in touch with each other.  The best way to “manage” this process (and you’ll note that I purposely put that word in quotes) is to have a written internal policy about how information is to be shared outside company walls.  That policy should designate one person as the only liaison with the press.  It should also include explicit instructions to all employees about how they handle any press calls.  That should include a strong statement that they not speak with any member of the traditional or “new” press (i.e. bloggers) and a phrase that allows them to tactfully send the caller to the official press contact.  We prefer something like: “We have someone who’s handling calls from the media.  Give me your contact information and I’ll make sure gets into contact with you.”   That sounds a lot less suspicious than, “They told me I’m not allowed to talk to you.”

Your policy statement should also cover what people write about the company when they participate in social media such as Linked In, Facebook and Twitter.  While the jury’s still out on how much control you can exert over people’s off-work communications, you can and should explain why refraining from social networking about the company’s internal affairs benefits everyone associated with it, especially in stressful times.

6) Look for ways to deliver good news after a respectful time.  It’s not enough to say your company is strong and expects to weather hard times, you’ve got to prove it.  As part of your communications planning, look for ways to demonstrate that your company is back to business as usual.  Search out customer hero-tales.  Congratulate employees who picked up the slack.  Celebrate small victories internally and announce them publicly.  Touch base with customers to make sure transitions to new customer contacts are going smoothly. Be willing to learn from any complaints you hear.

Your company has probably worked long and hard to establish relationships of trust with your customers, employees and local reporters.  Those relationships are the assets upon which you can rebuild your company’s   future.  If they are cultivated and nurtured, they’ll you get through and past these difficult time and lay the foundation for your future success.

Comments, Questions, Answers, Suggestions?

aobston@aomc.com

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