A number of professional business communicators gathered in London, Ontario,  to hear me speak about risk and crisis communications.  The introducer, knowing my interest in the Canadian political scene, threatened them that I may speak about politics, too…

Click here to watch a video of my presentation

It was an informal meeting.  I had a lot of fun with it.  Thanks to the folks at IABC London!

I wanted to follow up on my earlier post, and my offer to help you communicate in the wake of the awful situation going on in Japan.

Building trust in tough times is never easy. If (for example) you’re in the nuclear industry right now, it’s easy to get too defensive.  Doing that is just going to hurt you and your message right now.  So with that in mind, here are a few quick thoughts to remember when dealing with difficult questions:

1) Acknowledge that fear is genuine.  Fear is a basic instinct.  It affects everyone: men, women, children, parents, CEO’s and government regulators.  Fear is nothing to be trivialized, laughed off or disregarded.  Fear is what prevents you from walking down a dark alley at night, leaping off of high cliffs, and car-surfing down the freeway.  Fear can be a good thing.

Unfortunately, fear can also be a paralyzer.  Fear can prevent rational analysis from taking root, much less from blossoming.  Its important, as a communicator, to recognize that fear is a very real, and very important emotion in the minds of your audience.  It’s nothing to be sneezed at.

So you understand the role of fear?  That’s good, because the single most important thing you can do to defend your industry right now is simple, but powerful:

2) Show empathy.  Empathy!  Care.  Concern.

This is incredibly important.  In fact, if you’re going to do nothing else, simply displaying empathy is going to do far more to lift your message than anything else right now.

A properly positioned display of empathy doesn’t apologize for your product or practice – it acknowledges people’s concern about those products and practices.  It validates their right to have emotions.  It meets people at their level, rather than lecturing at them.

3) Don’t deny the negative. It’s probably the single easiest message trap you can fall into – denying a negative allegation.  ”Our reactors can’t melt down like that” is an awful message.  ”Our reactors are safe, let me tell you why” is a far more powerful line.  I explain why here.

4) Avoid risk comparisons. This one is really simple to explain.  You can’t get away with “The odds of anything going wrong with our product are one in a million.”  Guess what – the odds of a magnitude 8.9 earthquake are pretty slim, too.

As a parent, I will voluntarily get behind the wheel of a car that needs a brake job (in fact, I need to see my mechanic soon.)  But there’s no way I’m allowing my child to get on a school bus if I know the bus owners routinely let routine maintenance slide.  It’s the difference between voluntary and involuntary risks.

There are very few situations where a ‘risk comparison’ message can work.  Chances are good, the one you’re in isn’t one of them.

5) Have I mentioned empathy yet? See where I’m going here?

You may find this useful – I have a special report entitled “Seven Rules to Save your Butt when **IT hits the Fan.”  It’s got some good info and it’s easy to digest, and you can get it for free by signing up for my newsletter.

(I hesitated for a day about sending this note, because I don’t want to appear as if I’m ‘marketing a tragedy.’ But the fact is – stopping fear and misinformation is what I’m passionate about. And right now, people can use my help.)

The tragic events in Japan will be chaotic for the next several weeks.

We will all be assessing the impacts of the past week for the next several months. But this is not the time.

The images we see on TV and on the Internet will cause fear and unrest amongst everyone. If your business is affected by the recent tragedies, I’d like to offer some help.

The last things we all need are knee jerk reactions or defensive half-measures towards trust and credibility.

Let’s chat, either on the phone or via Skype. I am happy to help walk you through some fundamental steps you can take to reassure your employees, customers, or regulating authorities.

For example, if you work in nuclear medicine and are concerned about how to address concerns about nuclear safety, please give me a call.

If your supply line depends on overseas inventory, and you need to inform your customers about possible shortages, please call me.

If the images are causing you or your employees to reconsider natural disaster emergency plans, call me.

I would rather work with you, for free, than see fear and misinformation grab a foothold in your industry right now. You are no doubt going to have enough challenges over the next few months. Building trust and credibility shouldn’t be one of them.

Free. No obligation, gratis. If you feel obligated, please make a donation to a disaster relief organization in lieu of compensation. This is simply my way of trying to help out during a very stressful and tragic time.

If you’re concerned about how to defend your industry or organization right now – especially in the light of some horrible events – please don’t hesitate. Call me.

(And if you know someone who can use my help, please feel free to pass along this note.)

Have you ever actually stopped to listen at McDonalds or Starbucks? I mean it – just stop and listen. “I’ll have a number two.” “Yeah, I’ll take a large fries and a coke.” “Tall non-fat latte, no whip.”

You know what you don’t hear? “Please” and “Thank you very much.”

(It’s not like staff are better. Trust me – if it were possible to insert the sound of boredom and eyes rolling into written text, I’d put it right here.)

Hey – maybe I’m way off base here. I’ll admit if I’m wrong, because after all, I am NOT a customer service consultant. I’m a risk communications consultant. I help companies that need to build trust and credibility during episodes of high risk and low trust.

But here’s my point: If this is how you treat others when you WANT something, why on earth do you think you’ll be any better when you NEED something?

When times are good, you can ‘get away’ with sub-par communications. Your customers won’t be offended if the receptionist answers the phone with barely concealed boredom.

But when times turn, little things add up in a hurry. Mistakes are emphasized. Attitudes are hostile and looking for a fight. The great news is that you can avoid going into deficit by adding to your credibility bank now, when times are good.

Call it craziness, but try something different. Take a look around and figure out what ‘little things’ you can do to make deposits into your trust and credibility bank. If you can’t find any improvements, let me respectably suggest you’re probably the wrong person to go looking.

Improvements can be found everywhere. Because after all, you never know when the equally tired voice at the other end of the line may be an inspector with the Food and Drug Administration.

So is it crazy? Maybe. But if so – try something crazy. Next time you’re ordering coffee on a quiet afternoon, try something like “Hey, you look tired. Have you had a busy day?” Or heck – just try a simple… “Hi there! I would like a Grande mild coffee, please.” You may actually make a positive difference in someone’s day.

Don’t forget the really important part: smile like you actually mean it.

Consider it a good communications training exercise.

Unreal.

All you need to know about this story is the lead sentence:  “OTTAWA — A voluntary recall has been issued for all Toxic Waste brand Nuclear Sludge Chew Bars, imported from Pakistan.”

Anything I add at this point can not possibly be any funnier, any more ironic, or ‘hold your face in your hands’ worthy.

Oh wait – here it is.  “In other news, investigators are also announcing a voluntary recall on “Kellogg’s Factory Floor Mystery Crunch cereal.”

In many ways, it’s self-explanatory – ignoring your customers isn’t the best idea.  Yet it’s shocking how many organizations continue to charge down the hallways of business wearing a blindfold.

Many of you will be familiar with the infamous Domino’s Pizza debacle.  A number of employees posted youtube videos of rather disgusting behaviour, which became a viral Internet sensation.  It took three days before Domino’s smartened up, discovered what was happening, and was able to respond.   But give Domino’s credit – at least they chose to respond.

The newest case of ludicrous behaviour comes to us from NAS (North American Sports) – the owners of  “Ironman Canada.”  The Canadian Ironman race is typical of a big name triathlon– over 3,000 entrants who pay over $600 each to swim, bike and run through Penticton, British Columbia.

NAS outsources the registration of its races to a company which was unaware that the British Columbia Provincial Government has recently changed its taxation laws.  Somehow,  3,000 people signed up for an “Ironman” race without being charged the proper amount of sales tax.

When NAS recognized the error last weekend, they sent an email to all registrants, on the Friday of the US Thanksgiving weekend.  In the interest of accuracy, I’ve reproduced it here:

Dear Subaru Ironman Canada Entrant,

As many of you may be aware, effective July 1, 2010 British Columbia moved to a harmonized provincial and federal sales tax at a combined rate of 12%. This has been a controversial and confusing tax change but it is the law and therefore must be collected on all sale of goods and services. Unfortunately when your entry to the 2011 Subaru Ironman Canada was processed through Active, HST was not collected on the entry fee. This has recently been brought to our attention and we are obligated to collect that tax.

To that end, the credit card that you used to enter the race will be charged $69, the amount of the HST on the entry fee. We will begin processing the charges on Monday, November 29th and these will be complete by December 10th. Should you wish to have this charge applied to a different credit card or if the one you used to enter has expired, please contact our athlete services center at admin@nasports.com or 877-377-2373. We apologize for this error and any inconvenience it may cause.

And then hell broke loose. A number of online forums effectively exploded , while both the “Ironman” and “Ironman Canada” Facebook pages started receiving postings from upset customers.  Customers were furious that they weren’t consulted, that their credit cards were going to be charged without permission, and there was widespread confusion over how NAS came up with the $69 figure.

How did NAS respond?  They didn’t.

Because the customers were ignored, the fury continued unabated Saturday and Sunday.  By Monday, the online dialogue had changed.  It was no longer “How dare they do this?” but “Why won’t they talk to us?”

Even the irate triathletes were getting in on the action, suggesting ways NAS could have brokered the news.  Had NAS responded right away on Monday with a  “Folks, we hear you.  We are sorry.  Clearly, you are upset.  Please give us 24 hours to work this out?” chances are good all could be forgiven.

So, on Monday, how did NAS respond?  They didn’t.

No – the questions remained unanswered. And since they were being ignored, the online discussions turned to talk of class action lawsuits and mass protests.

At the end of day Tuesday, NAS finally sent out an email, but it, too, was woefully inadequate – ignoring a number of the very concerns being raised by racers.   Facing revolt, Ironman has announced that the $69 additional charge would be ‘voluntary.’  Not surprisingly, a large number of the ‘ignored’ athlete customers have announced they have no intention of paying the fee. This could leave NAS with a $210,000 shortfall.

Folks, the lesson here is crystal clear.  If NAS had come out initially with a message like this, it’s a different story:

“Hey, folks – we screwed up.  We screwed up big, and we feel awful about it.  Here’s what happened.  The Provincial Government has changed the rules regarding taxation.  As a result, we have determined that the race fee needs to go up by $69.   We don’t like it either but we’re forced to submit it.

We’re going to give you two choices – if you can pay the $69, great.  We appreciate it, and feel bad.  In fact, we’re going to give you a coupon for half-price Ironman Merchandise on race day.  If you don’t want to pay the $69, please let us know and we will happily refund your race fees.

Again, please accept our apologies.  Let us know what you want us to do, and please rest assured we are reviewing our procedures to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

Right away, half the fury evaporates. But even more importantly – if they had bothered to stick around and respond to concerns raised immediately after distributing bad news, the rest of the fury would have evaporated as well.  People may not have liked it, but they would be far more understanding and forgiving.

Now, NAS is paying out $210,000, and has managed to infuriate its customer base at the same time. And why?  Primarily, because they did not bother to respond to their customers.

And you know what is incredibly sad? As of right now, NAS has STILL not bothered to respond to any of the comments or questions posted on the Ironman Canada facebook page.

Pay attention to your stakeholders.  Find out where they talk to each other and meet them there.  It’s just common sense and smart business.

OK.  I’m tired.

In the last few months, suffice it to say it’s been a whirlwind.  Spent part of June and July on an extended vacation through the Netherlands and Italy.  It was lovely.  Would I ever do it again?  Heck no.

Let me assure you, for those of you who haven’t been gifted with progeny, that what sounds like a charming trip through rustic castles and classic culture takes on an ENTIRELY different sheen when you’re traveling with a two year old.  Netherlands and Italy were wonderful – visiting them with a toddler, not so much.

I’ll spare you details.  Trust me – you’re better off.

Spent August bouncing around Western Canada, doing some client work in Edmonton, and deciding that it would be a good idea to run for City Council in my hometown of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Wow.  Yes – that was a crazy ride.  I can summarize that with “raised a ton, spent even more, ran my butt off, worked hard… and on October 25, came up 85 votes shy.”  What do you do?

All of my campaigning was interrupted in early October when I received a phone call from an old client… a friend of his was in trouble.  I picked up the phone, called the friend in Britain… and found myself on a KLM flight to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania less than 24 hours later to deal with a hot air ballooning fatality.

So I’ve learned a ton, had the opportunity to implement some radical new communication technologies, and literally been halfway across the globe.  But in the process, my blog has fallen down.

I’m sorry.  But I’m back now.  :)

This is neither an endorsement or a recommendation, but I came across an interesting new web-based service today.

I get the complaint all the time: “The reporter got the facts wrong.”  Or “They didn’t even bother to ask us for our comment.”  If I were more cynical, I’d string together all the complaints I hear about media coverage and use them as titles for my new book.

My approach has always been simple – don’t use excuses as a crutch.  By monitoring what’s being said, and knowing how to respond in a way that actually WORKS, everyone wins.

But for those situations where it may be too late, www.newsbasis.com is trying to fix that.  They’re billing themself as a one-stop monitoring/correction agency of sorts.

There’s not much to see… I’ve signed up for the beta service but I’ll report back if I learn more.

PS – sorry for the LONG absence.  No excuses, but I was overseas and dealing with massive client projects.  I’ll try to do better. 

98% of the events I get called in on are entirely predictable.

Take, for example, product recalls.  Anyone who manufactures anything should, if they are prudent, be prepared for a  recall.  That announcement doesn’t have to be a crisis.  Any reasonable manufacturer will have had a spokesperson, key messages and contingency plans already in place.

Why? It’s a fundamental fact – if you make something, it stands to common sense and logic that eventually, something will go wrong.  That doesn’t make you a corporate villain.  It makes you entirely normal.

But what does an organization do in the event of a ‘true’ crisis?  A ‘true’ crisis is an event that no one could reasonably foresee, and has tremendously damaging consequences.  The term “Black Swan Theory” comes to mind.

Volcanic ash clouds shutting down European airports? That’s a black swan.  Terrorists bombing the World Trade Centre?  Black swan.  On a smaller level, discovering your business partner and supplier had a factory explosion, or that your accountant was secretly Russian mafia could qualify.  It doesn’t matter WHAT it is, it matters THAT it is both unexpected and catastrophic.

What’s the key to communicating through a black swan? I call it the shampoo model:  Lather, Rinse, and Repeat.

Lather:
Figure out who you need to talk to. Cast a wide net, and figure out how to reach them.

There are obvious target audiences.  Customers are a given.  Mainstream media.  Shareholders.  But don’t forget regulatory authorities, next door neighbours, or even your competitors.  Leave no stone unturned, and no stakeholder uninformed, especially if that stakeholder has access to a microphone.  Three days after Toyota announced massive, unprecedented recalls, there wasn’t a single word from Toyota with key messages available for the 81,000 fans on their Facebook page.  That’s 81,000 potential spokespeople who were ignored.

Different audiences require different tools. A mass email may work for one group, a dedicated website for another, one-on-one phone calls for a third.  The important point is to figure out who, and how.

Rinse
Often times in the midst of a true crisis, reliable information is hard to ascertain.  Use this fact as a help, not a hindrance.

In the days immediately following 9-11, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani had a simple but brutally effective communications model.  “Here is what we know, here is what we don’t know, and here is where you can go for more information.”

By acknowledging both the facts and the unknowns, Giuliani established himself as the ‘go to’ source for information and reassurance in the event of a crisis.  Acknowledging you don’t know something establishes yourself as even more credible in the eyes of an audience which reasonably doesn’t expect you to have information in the first place.

Repeat
There is no such thing as a news cycle anymore. You’re reading this online.  Chances are good that most of you will have read at least one piece of online news in the 6 hours before or after reading this note.

Online news doesn’t have deadlines. Cable news doesn’t have deadlines.  News radio doesn’t have deadlines.  And if your black swan is news worthy to the public at large, even normal media outlets will cut into an episode of “The Brady Bunch” to bring news about a major news story.

News is constantly changing. So should your key message.  Don’t make the perfect the enemy of the good – get out there and start communicating.

Remember – if they’re talking about you, you can leave the corporate spokesperson job to one of two people – someone whom you’ve picked, or someone whom the media picks.  Do you really need to guess which one is better?

Ultimately, this is all about living to communicate another day.  Delivering information on your own terms leaves you alive and in a position to build trust and credibility later.  Get the information out poorly, and you may discover that the swan is only black because of the tar in its feathers.