Chemicals in your warehouse have inadvertently spilled into the storm drain. Public records are missing from the HR department. The CFO was in a boating accident. Your employees are outside protesting corporate policy. The news media gets wind of it.

Welcome to crisis communications.

Be it a statement to the media, an article on the ‘net, a message placed in the daily newspaper, some judicious blogging, a feature broadcast report or an address to business leaders or investors, it’s the public relations arm of your marketing at work. PR: the communications continuum that tells your outside and inside world what you are, what you’re doing, for whom and how effectively you’re doing it.

Consider. You interact with people every day. You’re selling. You’re buying. You’re planning, researching, organizing, developing and implementing. How you’re perceived is everything. When the communications roof seems to have caved in, your credibility is at stake. Your investors are watching closely. Your customers are wary. Your business is on the line.

If the guy down the hall (let’s call him “Snerdley”) with no particular authority to do anything but hand out news releases and refer callers to upper management is your company’s idea of a public relations person, you’re in deep trouble. Faceless external communications went out with typewriters. Your response to the media, to anyone outside the company, must be well thought-out and fast and you’d better be prepared to discuss the crisis, whatever it is, with confidence.

I’m not suggesting anyone put the proverbial spin on anything. Check with legal, keep it matter-of-fact and to the point. Acknowledge whatever the problem is. Present the facts. But don’t get drawn into speculation. Is Snerdley capable? Or are you going to stand in front of the cameras?

You’re first opportunity at getting it right could be your last.

Whether your company is small or large, sophisticated PR (i.e., in tune with PR principles and modern media) and whether your PR/public affairs or marketing skills are studied, do one thing right. Think about what needs to be said before you say it. Then say only what needs saying.

Agree on the best, most intelligent response to media queries and stay by the phone. That’s half the battle.

When the you-know-what hits the fan, it’s like someone just tossed a ticking brown paper box into your midst. How to deal with it, quickly, safely and effectively, is critical.

Old-line public relations still lives in some bigger organizations. Until recently, I thought the practice had died a well-deserved death. But there it was. Sensitive public employee medical files were reported stolen. Files that were taken from a supposedly secure government facility. The key word here is public — as in public property and public right-to-know.

News media interest in the story was instantaneous and justified. Site access is open turf and right-to-know reigns supreme. How equipped are you to respond intelligently to probing questions? What’s your crisis communications plan? This is the time when well-practiced PR and competent crisis management prove their worth.

You might ask yourself what any of this has to do with you and your cam tottle manufacturing operation? Dry cleaning shop? Sign store? insurance agency? Beauty salon? Body and paint operation? Dry cleaning store? The list goes on ad infinitum.  Accidents happen. Imagine the worst-case scenario for your business and follow the PR ball.

In a case where public safety, security and privacy are issues, the news media will come to you and at you from every angle. Knowing what to say, concisely and carefully, is critical. Be it paint fumes, a fire or whatever, you’re on the spot. What if there was a major problem at the home office and the media is seeking to localize the story. They call you (the local vendor) for comment.  What will you do? 

If you have legal, check with legal. If you have PR, ask for their suggestions. Sit your team down and develop a response plan — before you need one.

Who have you on staff who can present information calmly, briefly and with conviction? Maybe you dump the problem on Snerdley. Convinced he’s the person you want in front of the cameras or on the phones with the media? Be calm, collect yourself, plan what needs to be said. Believe in it, then go say it — with consistency. Add fresh information when ready. Be timely.

Writing about PR in Success magazine (March, 1994), entrepreneur and former Inc. magazine publisher Wilson Harrell described PR as “a secret weapon that you must use, whatever you’re trying to do” and “the most effective and least expensive of all marketing vehicles.” PR isn’t cheap, but it can be had for a comparatively reasonable price.

Ever been unmoved by a motivational speaker? Listened to a keynote speech that didn’t unlock a door to anywhere? Endured a presentation that just didn’t snag your interest?

We’ve all been there in the audience, pulling for the speaker to give us a peg to
hang our hats on. Most speakers succeed. Many don’t. And then there are those who fail miserably.

The public speaking opportunity or “opp”— a key component of the Public Relations process — easily is the most personal and potentially most productive, most immediate means to reach an audience. You can tackle it cavalierly or go at it cleverly and in a calculated fashion.

Is a speech something you have (or would like to have) on your schedule? Should you prepare for it? Need a coach? What’s your style? Do you have a style? Highly-structured or ad lib — whatever your choice — make sure you know what you’re saying, how you’re saying it and to whom you’re saying it.

There’s no need to stress out about it. No need to memorize wholesale blocks of information. Nor should you try to make it the perfect presentation. Depending on your audience, specific strategy and approach, public speaking can be the best vehicle to make your point and help pave your road to enhanced recognition. It can also prove to be a horror show starring you. Should you or can you be yourself?

Morton C. Orman, the Maryland-based author and physician noted for his writings on the force, foibles, and forensics of public speaking may have said it best. “The best way to succeed (at public speaking) is not to consider yourself a public speaker.” ¹

Forget about Roman numeral one, part B and all the sub-sections you first had in mind. Orman suggests you study your audience, understand its diversity, consider the location, the occasion, and then develop two-to-three main points.
“The more you prepare,” wrote Orman, “the worse you will be.”

Get the audience on your side. Show them you’re human. If possible, and audience-appropriate, begin and lightly season your speech with levity.

According to Orman, the audience wants to succeed and they admire your courage. But they also want to be put at ease. Unless you’re delivering a research paper at a national convention of your peers, nobody expects you to be flawless. And the last thing a public speaking opportunity should represent is stress.

One of the most enjoyable presentations I’ve ever heard was a speech by a lithographer to a community service organization. It was entitled something like
“Advancements in modern lithography”.

The bespectacled presenter launched into an incredibly uninteresting and irrelevant (to most of the audience) history of the printing process. Five minutes later, the groaning from the audience had reached audible proportion. About then, the speaker stopped, disappeared into the coatroom and emerged wearing an accordion. He finished his program by singing and playing sea shanties to the utter delight of those assembled. He had definitely connected.

Not all of us play the accordion. Not many of us have the pipes of an Orson Welles. Nor do many of us pack the in-person charisma of Dame Judi Dench. So when we have opportunities to speak, we must be a bit more innovative. Opening with humor relevant and appropriate to the audience is often a productive way to go.

Toastmasters International offers the following speech-making tips²: involve the audience at least every eight minutes to maintain their interest; proofread what you write — don’t trust spell-check; focus on your message and its relevance to the audience; reach a conclusion. But don’t belabor it.

In a speech he delivered more than 100 times during his career, humorist Mark Twain used a unique blend of egotism and social absurdity to win over his audiences. Twain always introduced himself as follows: “The next lecture in this course will be delivered ….by Samuel L. Clemens, a gentleman whose high character and unimpeachable integrity are only equaled by his comeliness of person and grace of manner. I am the man!” ³

Look at it this way. Public speaking is your time to be you. To paraphrase Orman, be bold, compassionate, informative, be silly, helpful, witty. Anything you want.
Just keep it simple, uncomplicated and easy to follow.

But allow for the human side. If it’s humor you choose, make sure it’s related to a point you’re making, and make sure you can pull it off. Practice on a friend: a friend who will be candid. Remember. Your audience came to learn something. They expect to be informed, but they’d love to be entertained.

¹ “How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear”, Morton C. Orman, M.D., ©1996-2002
² “Will Your Speech be a Horror Story?”, Toastmasters International, February, 2008
³ “Our Fellow Savages,” Mark Twain, 1866.