When you hear the word ‘crisis’, what comes into your head? Chances are you have often found your business in situations that qualify as such.

Shipment delays, staff absences, an outbreak of disease, power cuts – when it comes to disaster, the possibilities are endless and ubiquitous. Yet, according to PwC’s Global Crisis Survey, 65% of organizations admit they don’t have relevant crisis response plans in place, despite expecting a crisis to hit in the near future.

Email crisis management can help prevent an unpleasant situation from escalating into a huge issue that takes an entire team a lot of valuable resources to resolve – and most likely will lose you a lot of money.

 

Putting a Plan in Place

The best way to deal with a crisis is to prevent it from happening in the first place. However, unless you happen to be a clairvoyant, you’ll know it isn’t possible to predict what unpleasantness will strike. 

That’s why thinking and planning ahead for as many scenarios as possible is essential. Lean into paranoia when anticipating the worst outcomes and you’ll never be caught unprepared.

The coronavirus pandemic has shown how important it is to expect the worst and plan accordingly. The situation was unprecedented, yet some businesses adapted quicker and more effectively than others. The reason? Having a crisis plan in place for similar situations!

Brainstorm with your team to identify risks unique to your business as well as ways of monitoring the situation. Do you research too: make use of resources such as AuditBoard risk management strategies to learn what your crisis management checklist should cover.

 

Data from PwC

 

Facing the Problem is Half the Success

It doesn’t get much worse than finding out about a serious error from the news or social media speculations. As tempting as it can be, running away from or denying a problem will do more harm than good.

Whether you’ve arrived early enough to catch the issue as it unfolds or are faced with a blazing fire of damage, it is in your best interest to step up and own the situation. Everyone makes mistakes – how we fix them makes all the difference.

Trouble rarely finds you when it’s convenient, which makes virtual phone systems invaluable in helping you respond quickly. Don’t overlook the importance of internal communications. Chances are at least some of your team works remotely, so a business virtual phone system will allow you to communicate with your colleagues from anywhere during a crisis.

Social media criticism spreads like wildfire too, so you’ll need to act quickly. Being upfront with your customers as well as your team will stop conspiracies from gaining traction, which could limit damage to your brand reputation and business.

So the question is: How can you control a crisis and restore people’s faith in your organization?

 

How to Map Out a Successful Email Crisis Management Strategy

Day-to-day, emails are an inexpensive marketing tool with a considerable return on investment – the perfect ingredients for growing your business.

Through offering a direct, immediate, and personal way of communication, emails can be a perfect solution to down days, too. Here’s how to implement emails as part of a successful crisis management strategy.

 

Communicate With Your Team

Two heads are better than one. Brainstorm solutions of what to respond, who to, and how. Research business text messaging solutions to make communication with your team flow smoothly.

Having accurate email data is crucial to delivering your message to those who need to hear it while avoiding spamming those who are not affected.

 

Free to use image sourced from Unsplash

 

Consider Marketing Best Practices

Building a crisis messaging plan doesn’t mean you need to start entirely from scratch. Chances are you already have strategies in place that work day-to-day, whether it’s UX design principles or software that ensures your messages are delivered to the client’s inbox.

Defining your audience, perfecting subject lines, making use of analytics, and mastering CTAs – having a solid knowledge of the basics of email marketing will prove invaluable in times that require snap decisions.

However, there is a catch. On a regular day, an influx of promotional emails may be a good move. But the same could damage your reputation by appearing as if you’re not taking the problem seriously enough. In exceptional circumstances, it may be advisable to pause any scheduled communications until all issues are addressed.

 

Avoid Sending Mass Emails

Your crisis communication should not just address relevant issues; making sure your email reaches the correct recipient is equally as important. Stick to your usual tone of voice, but take extra care when structuring the message, keeping it informative and easy to read.

Get straight to the point and offer a resolution – an apology would be easier to come by if followed by a lucrative discount. Or perhaps the customer would feel more reassured if you provide them with an emergency contact to address their concerns?

 

Compile a Style Guide

When it comes to brand image, consistency is key. The last thing you want to do is add more confusion to an already distressing situation.

In the midst of a crisis, chances are even the most resilient of us will feel frazzled, making us more prone to making errors. You could easily avoid this by having a company style guide to turn to.

A style guide can address questions such as:

  • What is the company’s mission?
  • What characterizes our audience?
  • What do we want to sound like?
  • What needs to be avoided at all costs?
  • How do we structure our writing?

 

Free to use image sourced from Unsplash

 

Personalize, Personalize, Personalize!

We’re long past the age of generic promotions – personalized messaging is a key pillar of successful email marketing today. Customers exchange their data for tailor-made services with a personal touch, and this rule becomes especially pertinent when it comes to sticky situations.

After all, you wouldn’t want your inbox to be flooded with apologies regarding the recall of a product you never bought. Similarly, drawing attention to a slip-up to customers who last engaged with your brand years ago might not be the best idea.

Analyze your contact list and only send your message to those who need to hear it.

 

Be There for Your Customers

Being human always comes down to being empathetic. Imagine yourself in the customer’s shoes. What would you want to hear in this situation? What resolution would calm you down? On the contrary, what red flags can you think of?

Beating yourself up for your damaged reputation will not get you points from individuals affected by the predicament. Customer always comes first, especially when something threatens their trust in you. So instead of getting defensive, go out of your way by offering proactive solutions.

You could also create ad hoc channels for direct communication with customers, such as a FAQ landing page with a contact number to address any further questions.

 

Learn From Your Mistakes

As cliché as it sounds, a crisis gives us a chance to learn. Once the flames have gone out (and you’ve taken a well-deserved break), analyze your response. What went well, and what could have been better?

With this in mind, you can implement future strategies such as email continuity in the event of your email server going down.

 

Final Thoughts

It sounds counterintuitive, but crises are an unavoidable part of running a company. Whether you make it a successful one is all down to your preparedness and strategy.

We hope you never do, but should you ever need them, our email marketing tips are here to help keep your company’s sails intact as you navigate the storm.

 

Bio:

Jenna Bunnell – Senior Manager, Content Marketing, Dialpad

Jenna Bunnell is the Senior Manager for Content Marketing at Dialpad, an AI-incorporated cloud-hosted unified communications system that provides valuable call details for business owners and sales representatives using a business text messaging app from Dialpad. She is driven and passionate about communicating a brand’s design sensibility and visualizing how content can be presented in creative and comprehensive ways. Jenna has also written for other domains such as PingPlotter and TRACX. Check out her LinkedIn profile.

 

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