The Key to Successful Communication

I know I didn’t leave you in a heck of alot of suspense with the way I ended my last post.

The article I was reviewing from Slate did mention the importance of one thing in crisis communication, and if you don’t have it, all the word-crafting, whiz-bang social media technology, and well-polished delivery isn’t going to mean much.

Remember in the movie “City Slickers” where Curly Washburn (Jack Palance) told us the secret of life is “one thing.” Such is the case with all communication, not just crisis comm. That one thing is……TRUST.

In a crisis situation, it doesn’t matter if you’re new to the media (public), don’t dress like the folks at Mad Men, or just you just came from a make-over at the salon.

What matters most here in crisis communication (or all communication for that matter), is whether or not those listening, viewing, reading you…..TRUST you.

And herein also lies the crux of the problem.

Trust is not something you can run to a warehouse or home improvement store and buy when you need it.

Trust is like a bank account. You makes deposits in your “trust” account throughout the year, so that you can make “withdrawls” when you need to do so.

In the case of a media spokesperson, you are courteous and kind to the media 364 days of the year, so on that 365th, and you’re running to the trust atm to make a withdrawl, you can.

For a corporation, that means doing good deeds in your community happens all year, not just when you find some mud splashed on the door of your headquarters.

If you’re in retail, greeting customers with a smile daily let’s you get by a few days a year when you didn’t sleep well or your favorite sports team blew it late last night in the fourth quarter.  

The other hard thing about trust is that some people just have it….and others can’t seem to get it no matter how hard they try. A natural look and presentation to the public helps, but even a slimy salesperson can get the slick delivery part down with practice. Still doesn’t mean you trust them because the profession as a whole has a crummy image.

Trust is one of those things out there that you may not even know you have…until you deliver a message and people believe you. And that comes with experience. Get out and communicate..and see what works for you.