Surviving A Crisis: Prepare to Thrive

Every business has to deal with a crisis at some point. But when every company, collectively is dealing with an emergency, what can you possibly do but hang on?

The first thing lost in a crisis is usually the feeling of control. We, humans, love to be in control. No matter how flexible we are or how much wiggle room we have planned for when things turn into a crisis, they usually turn quickly and without much warning. So, control is totally out of the question when the reality of what is happening begins to swirl around us.

The digital economy makes things worse. There is no 6 PM news delivery. No sir, it all comes at you 24/7 at the speed of light, vibrating as news alerts on your phone. In this data-driven world, it is tough to feel like you are managing anything when the news breaks that the President is halting all flights into the United States from Europe. Then your local city is calling for students to stay home and workers to finish their jobs remotely. But what if you can't shelter in place and survive as a business?

Just Breath

The very first thing you must do in a crisis, yes, even in a global pandemic, is to step back and just breathe for a moment. Our brains just want to solve problems. If your thoughts are continually turning round and round about what to do, your mind is going to do everything it can to try and help you solve that problem. First, it will put you thinking in an endless loop of questions that lead nowhere. Breath, or better yet, go for a nice long walk. You have to get your brain distracted long enough for you to get your focus back.

If you don't work for the CDC, then you really cannot do anything other than wash your hands and stay out of big crowds, so why sit for hours on Google trying to figure out how to stop a health crisis from harming your business?

Inform Your Customers

It does you no good to pretend that everything is normal. Everyone is freaking out right now, so why should you? I just did a quick search in my email to find that over 15 companies that I use (from Jet Blue to Alamo) are all reaching out to me with information about what they are doing to make me safer. Everything from extra hand sanitizer to cleaning crews, every single business that has emailed me, is making me feel like they are in control.

Well, they are not actually in control, but they are controlling the things that they can so that their customers feel safe.

Don't delay in doing this. Write all of your customers to let them know that you are on top of the things that you can control. Be the voice of reason and information and share the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/. Thought leadership isn't just about you sharing your business expertise; it is about sharing information that empowers people to make decisions. So give your customers the facts and some assurances that you are not worried at all (yes, even if you are!)

Fight The Urge To Panic

I know how hard it is hard not to want to hide under your desk when all hell breaks loose, but you absolutely cannot do that! Make a list of all the things you can do to protect yourself, your customers, and your business. Post signs on your door about what you are doing to protect people.

For example, I saw this on a local cafe door:

• We are open for business
• We are disinfecting the tables after each, and every person leaves.
• All of our employees are wearing masks and gloves and taking extra care when preparing food.
• We are doing everything we can to protect our customers, employees, and community!

Another message I received said: We must remain calm, use common sense, be self-aware, and limit exposure for ourselves and our loved ones. Non-essential travel should cease; social distancing and proper hygiene should be employed, and focus should be shifted to helping your customers by utilizing digital tools.

What do these messages tell us? You are not panicking. You are in control. You are looking out for your customers and your employees, and you make us feel better.

Use The Time Wisely

What if you invested in employee training? With so many online courses and materials, this is the perfect time to sharpen your saw with new skills. Instead of being worried about your employees working from home, give them tools to do their job better once things return to normal. Investing in training during a time of crisis will not only put you back on track faster once the crisis has passed, but it keeps your employees from panicking too. Find training and materials that will not only keep them busy and engaged but will benefit your business in the future!

Move things around in your shop or office. You have to do a thorough cleaning anyway, so why not take this slower time to move items around finally. Then when things get back to normal, you are welcoming back customers to a whole new business look and feel. Not only are you proactively preventing the spread of the virus, but you are turning all these lemons into lemonade!

Get your content calendar and social media planned out. No business owner ever said, "I can't wait to sit down and do the next six months of my content calendar!" Use this slow time to get to all those marketing tasks that you keep putting off. People will be working from home and going online--so this is the perfect time to revamp your site, add better content and blogs, and just be there for them! Planning anything is CONTROL. And, in a crisis, control is power. So buckle down and just dive deep into all those projects that your business needs to grow.

Don't Change Course

During this pandemic, it is not the time to change staffing, products, or any other significant changes in your business. Do not worry about yesterday. Do not focus and fear about tomorrow. So, do today everything you can to ensure that tomorrow is better and stronger. Stick with your big goals and values, and make sure you do everything to keep your customers informed.

Don't Go It Alone

You cannot possibly process and survive a crisis all alone. Include your staff. Collaborate with them to find solutions to make your customers feel better. Shift the focus off of you and onto them. Start your brains solving problems that can be solved--how to make your customers feel better. In the process of brainstorming and creating solutions together, you all can feel like you are contributing to the future--even when the future is uncertain.

Tell The Truth

Don't just bark at employees who are calling looking for answers. If your hands are tied in closing down because it is not your decision alone, then tell people the truth. "I am sorry this happening too, but I do not have the authority to shut us down. But, as soon as I get the word or any word, I will let everyone know!"

Back To Normal

Remember SARS [2002], Swine Flu [2009], MERS [2012], and Bird Flu [2013]? Well, all of those were things that adversely affected many people and businesses. Today we are dealing with COVID-19 in the age of "fake news" and "panic news" cycles. Turn off the news and stay away from office gossip about what your neighbor, who is a doctor, told you. These are not facts.

Check your sources when learning the information and only share what is accurate and trustworthy. Like all of those situations above--things will return to normal.

Maria Bereket is a digital marketing strategist based in Southern California. If you are looking to plan ahead, then join her calendar club