SBDC: Communicating during a crisis
SBDC at Florida Gulf Coast University has gathered some small business resources, especially in the area of pandemic planning, preparation, response and recovery.
How do I communicate with my employees? My customers? My vendors?
During a crisis, it is important to keep messages concise and brief as possible while still sharing important info. Here are four steps to effectively communicate during a crisis:
- Gather the Facts. Understand the situation, its components, results and future implications as much as possible.
- Tell the Truth.
- Plan Your Communications.
- Build Communication Skill.
We put together a quick sheet you can use to prepare your communications.
It covers the What (what do I need to communicate), Who (who do I need to communicate with – customers, employees, vendors, etc.) and How (how do I need to communicate – email, social media, website post, etc.).
You can use this sheet to plan your communication and also keep track of what you are communicating and to which audience.