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A Simple Messaging Plan During A Crisis

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Control what you can. Connect with your vital audiences. Stay positive.

Why a crisis messaging plan…

Because small business owners don’t have the luxury of hiring a crisis communication consultant.  I created this framework plan to get you started with our new normal.

We must prepare to communicate with our audiences during continuous uncertainty.

In my 25+ year marketing career, one of my clients was U.S. Army Recruiting during the First Gulf War. This was my baptism by fire. Planning communications in life and death circumstances – far beyond our control.

You may not know what to do right now. But you do know a lot about your business.

And I don’t have all the answers either. But what you do know plus what I know – can help. 

You can handle this.

Your one simple objective

Retain support of your audiences – people vital to your business – by:

Putting people above profits

Doing right by the people you serve

Get started…ask yourself:

How will COVID-19 affect my business?  

  •   Reputation?   Operations?
  •   Bottom line?  Relationships?

What could I see that would indicate the business has been affected?

How has my business been affected so far?

What actions will I take?

Four steps to creating your plan

Your Actions   +   Communication

1. Who to talk to

2. What to say

3. Where to say it

4. When to say it

1. Who to communicate to?

Decision makers? Influencers who affect my future?

Customers / clients

Consultants / advisors

Community leaders

Employees

Insurance company

Landlord

Neighboring businesses

Partners

Suppliers

Contractors

Creditors / bankers

Others…

Who are your 3 most important audiences?

2. What to say?

Respond to increase trust and credibility

Correct misperceptions quickly

Strengthen relationships with different audiences

  • What do you want your audience to know?
  • What does your audience want to know?
  • What is your audience most likely to get wrong?
  • What does your audience feel — emotionally? Fear?
  • What does this mean to them?

2. What does your audience want from you?

Communicate quickly

Give them the facts 

Repeat the facts

Be credible by

>Being empathetic & caring

> Expressing your competence & expertise

> Being honest & open

> Being committed & dedicated

2. Map each audience

3. Where to communicate?

In which channel does each audience expect to get your message?

Phone call

Website

Email

Social media

App

Others…

What to do next…

Create your plan now & implement

Do ongoing re-evaluation & update

  • Who else to talk to?
  • What way will your message change?
  • Where will it appear?
  • When will you send/post?

You may not know what to do right now. But you do know a lot about your business.

And I don’t have all the answers either. But what you do know plus what I know – can help.

You can handle this.

Get answers to your crisis planning questions…

  • Send any questions you’ve got about your plan to [email protected]         I’ll get an answer to you as quickly as possible.
  • Get more answers in a free 30-minute call. After our call, you’ll understand how to use the 4-step strategy for your crisis messaging plan. Reserve time on my calendar. 

To get a PDF of the plan, click and download here. You’ll immediately be taken to the plan.

How to describe your business to attract clients: 5 steps to reach your ideal clients

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Smiling woman wearing sunglasses outside.
What’s your answer?

My friend, a happiness coach told me over coffee her business had stalled. “Explaining what I do is hard and probably impossible. Because I do so many things. I’m unmarketable.”

She couldn’t easily describe her business to attract new clients. And in her heart, she knew she should have an answer to: “What is it you do?”

In fact, her problem wasn’t she was unmarketable. Or that she used too many modalities or techniques.

Her problem was answering the wrong question

Because in reality, the actual and burning question people have… is unspoken.

 They might ask you – “What is it you do?”

But they’re thinking – “Why should I work with you?”

Answering the unspoken question is a fixable marketing problem. Simply, it’s how you describe your business.

Here’s the thing though, as marketers, first we have to reword their question. To find out exactly what our answer should include.

If I’m your ideal client – why should I choose you and not someone else?

Now we see they’re asking a Why question. Why should she choose you? To work with? Or buy from?

This question breaks down into 3 areas you can find specific answers for:

  1. Understand your ideal client’s needs and desires
  2. Know the value you bring your clients
  3. Know what you offer that no one else does

Your answer to this question is a value proposition – in marketing-speak.  It’s a statement that about what a client can expect from you. Your value proposition guides your marketing.

A strong value proposition is how you attract customers to your website or retail store – any business.

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Why goals fail: 3 goal setting myths busted — discover little known ingredients for success

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Photo by Trym Nilsen on Unsplash

Certain goal setting advice — despite being based on wrong assumptions — is widely accepted as true. And sticking with these goal setting myths is why goals fail us.

I’ve done some digging into goal setting research and discovered 3 of the most widespread myths. Here’re my findings. Along with several little known ingredients for success.

Myth #1: Every goal you set is a new beginning for you

The unspoken assumption is that your new goal exists in a vacuum. Pick a goal. Write it down. Do the work. Nothing can stop your success.

That’s a complete rainbow-unicorn myth.

You face one huge obstacle with every goal you choose. YOU!

Your past experiences and beliefs get in your way. Old baggage. Your past creeps into the present and blocks your future.

If you set new goals with the old baggage in place, then you’re set up to fail.

Biggest block to achieving your goals

Belief is the secret to achieving a goal. Believing you have the ability to do what’s required.

The more deeply you believe, when problems knock you down, it’s easier to keep going and succeed.   

But our beliefs aren’t easy to see or put a finger on. They’re complicated.

Belief is a union of thought and emotion, and all day long we’re thinking and feeling, so a person’s belief system is intricate and in constant motion.

Rev. Dr. Jesse Jennings, Never Limit your True Self
Science of Mind Magazine, January 2019

Our mysterious belief systems set us up for success. Or failure.

Goal-setting research scientists report that people with high levels of self-efficacy are more likely achieve their goals.

Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in his or her innate ability to achieve goals. Belief in innate abilities means … [having] determination and perseverance to overcome obstacles.

Wikipedia

Your strength comes from your beliefs to clearly see challenges and make wise decisions. To keep going. And not be overwhelmed.

Not believing in our abilities is the biggest block to our success. And why goals fail. Only to appear on our list year after year. After year.

Strengthen your belief – achieve your goal

James Clear in Atomic Habits gives us a path for developing belief:

Ultimately, your habits matter because they help you become the type of person you wish to be. They are the channel through which you develop your deepest beliefs about yourself. Quite literally, you become your habits.

He distinguishes goals from systems:

  • Goals are the results.
  • Systems and processes create results.
  • And habits keep you on track with your systems – day after day.

By using systems, we build a new identity for ourselves. The new identity embodies beliefs we need to reach our goal.

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Why is defining a specific and ideal audience important for spiritual entrepreneurs?

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Photo by Riley McCollough on Unsplash

First, what is a specific & ideal audience?

You have people that you’re here to serve with your gifts. They are the reason you created your business.  But if you’re a solopreneur or have a tiny staff, you are free to ignore the masses to focus on those you serve best.

Niche is also a term you may hear a lot. Or even target audience. However you think of your audience, you have to clearly define who they are. So you know where to find them. And how to talk to them. 

As a spiritual entrepreneur, perhaps defining your audience feels too businessey. Not caring enough.

But defining a specific and ideal audience is important to your business – and how you serve your audience.

You can’t sell everything, and you can’t sell to everyone. You have to sell to who you serve the best.  


 Flint McGlaughlin

McGlaughlin is the Managing Director for MECLABS, a research group that improves clients’ marketing with the goal of increasing response. Since MECLABS began in 1997, McGlaughlin has seen clients’ results from tests on over 10,000 website landing pages, and in 1 billion sent emails.

Flint McGlaughlin is emphatic that you only serve the people who you serve the best.

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