A crisis reveals who can surf – which is why you need crisis communication training

A poorly managed crisis can lead to a reputational and business disaster. But a well-managed situation can even strengthen trust in your brand. However, in order to respond professionally and coherently in an unexpected situation, you need to be prepared in terms of communication—with clear roles, protocols, and practice. Yet more than half of companies are unprepared. If you like, they are not even learning to swim, let alone surf, even though the waves are coming relentlessly.

More than half of companies are unprepared

According to Capterra's 2023 survey, only 49% of American companies have a formal, written crisis communication plan, while 28% rely solely on informal, verbal agreements.

However, 98% of those with a plan considered their strategy used in a crisis situation to be effective, and based on their experience, 77% of the executives surveyed would further expand their system.

The situation in Europe is no better: according to the Crisis Communications Network Europe, 90% of organizations have moderate or poor preparedness. The most common shortcomings are unclear roles, lack of training, no real-time social media monitoring, and no pre-prepared messages.

But what can we do? How can we prepare for a crisis that can hit us at any moment?

Building a crisis communication system

To start with, it is worth reviewing the system itself, or building one if it does not exist. To ensure success, we do not use templates. With our globally used and proven FleishmanHillard A.R.C. methodology (Assess – Respond – Control), we build crisis management systems that really work – flexibly, quickly, and tailored to the organization. In such cases, we develop processes, protocols, and responsibilities in line with the structure and operation of the company, and summarize them in a "manual." This way, the most important information can be shared with all relevant colleagues so that when the wave comes, everyone is in sync. In other words, here we learn what we need to do if we want to stay afloat.

Testing – experience how you react in a crisis in a single day

With our simulated crisis communication training, your team can experience in a single day what it means to communicate quickly, credibly, and in a coordinated manner during an unexpected crisis. The practical modules are based on real-life examples, and participants can test themselves in their own roles in live situations. This is not PowerPoint – it is experience based on reality.

Our training has already been used by numerous companies on more than two continents, both in person and online. Average satisfaction rate: 98%.

What do you gain as a leader or brand?

You gain time and reputation: quick and transparent responses can prevent damage to your reputation. Based on a crisis communication protocol developed in advance, possibly in collaboration with us, your team will know what to do:

- Decisions should not be made for the first time during a crisis.

- You build leadership competence and confidence: for both internal and external communication situations.

- Better customer and partner trust: people trust brands that handle crises professionally.

We base our crisis communication training on these protocols. We recommend this to companies that already have a plan but have not tested it in practice, or have not done so for a long time. It is also useful for organizations that are active players in the media or social space, as well as for leaders who want to act confidently in a crisis situation.

During the training, we work with personalized simulations, often based on real-life industry cases. Participants learn to work together in high-pressure decision-making situations and stress-tested environments, and then we evaluate the experiences together and update communication protocols.

Don't wait for the next wave

Don't start preparing when you're already in trouble. Take the first step now: request a free needs assessment consultation and let's see together where your company currently stands in terms of crisis communication preparedness. https://www.fleishmanhillard.hu/contact

FleishmanHillard Budapest – crisis communications consulting and training with international experience and local understanding.

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If you are interested in the details, feel free to contact us!