CGM blog: Communicate with calm

25 Mar CGM blog: Communicate with calm

It’s fair to say that these are unprecedented times with the Coronavirus outbreak affecting our lives and businesses. It is not business as usual.

That means how we choose to communicate with one another (and it is choice) is vital not just for maintaining contact and concern for our fellow citizens but also because what we do now will impact massively on the uncertain path ahead.

Here’s CGM’s five-point guide to communicating in a crisis:

1. As with any crisis – communicate with clarity.

Even the UK government responded to the wooliness of Monday afternoon’s press briefing, which effectively ordered a lockdown of many parts of the economy, with detailed clarity in Tuesday’s briefing. 

We all need to avoid blurred lines when informing our customers, suppliers, colleagues and contacts what we’re doing during the current crisis even though is a moveable feast.  

2. Stop the sales messaging

This is truly irritating and can even look exploitative.

Very few businesses feel confident to spend in the current crisis. Sending same old, scheduled sales and marketing emails to try to flog stuff or worse in some cases trying to capitalise on the crisis isn’t a good way to foster longer term relationships.

3. Work on rather that in your business

Why not make the most of your lockdown period by working on your business? It is easy for a PR & comms company like ours to say this should be spent on marketing but preparing for the hopeful upturn later this year makes sense. So too does routine maintenance – like deleting the 10,000 emails clogging up your inbox or other dutiful tasks you keep promising to get done.

4. Be Kind

Crises tend to bring out the best in most people and there’s lots we can all do to make best use of our time, whether it is volunteering to help local community organisations or offering advice to clients and business colleagues. Being kind and considerate is a must – especially in the tone of language you use.  

5. A good time to get blogging

Self-isolation doesn’t mean shielding ourselves from contact or just sharing jokes on social media. We mightn’t be able to easily meet face-to-face but we can tell people how we feel and pass on nuggets of advice and information. Maybe we also have a bit more time to absorb it too…

Most of all just be kind and considerate. It means so much.