Email communication during a crisis: How to do it better
In any professional setting, email remains one of the primary communication tools. That’s why being able to communicate effectively via email is a huge asset in the workplace. But, in times of crisis, crafting the perfect email can become all the more difficult.
If you find yourself in a sticky situation, feeling lost, staring at your computer screen unsure what to write, don’t panic! Keep reading to learn about email crisis communication and how to do it right!
By Manar SadkouWhen crisis strikes, the first rule is to keep your cool!
What is crisis communication?
A crisis generally refers to any event that occurs unexpectedly and threatens the operations or reputation of an organization. Almost all organizations will face a major issue or disruptive event at some point, which is why crisis management plans are put in place beforehand to minimize the damage as much as possible. And, when crisis strikes, communication is key! So, crisis communication, put simply, refers to the methods deployed by an organization or leaders and individuals within that organization to communicate effectively during a crisis.
Why is crisis communication important?
When a crisis occurs, misinformation can spread easily – leading to panic among employees, customers, or stakeholders. Swift and clear communication then becomes necessary to remain in control of the narrative. The last thing any organization wants during a crisis is to further damage its reputation or lose the trust of its stakeholders and employees. That’s why it must set up effective communication channels that maintain transparency and provide some reassurance to all affected parties.
Effective crisis communication examples
Airbnb’s COVID-19 response: The pandemic constituted an unprecedented situation not only for the platform but for its hosts. So, in the early stages, Airbnb sent a transparent email to its hosts clearly outlining the steps it was taking to address the situation (new cancellation policy, setting up a fund to cover the hosts’ losses, etc.). The email successfully communicated to the hosts what to expect moving forward and expressed Airbnb’s awareness of the difficulties the hosts were facing while thanking them for their continued support.
Marriott’s 2018 data breach: After the company experienced a data breach that affected more than 500 million guests, its response was crucial in managing the negative impacts of the crisis. They immediately sent out emails to the affected guests transparently explaining what happened and detailing which information had been compromised. To take it a step further, Marriott gave them guidance on how to protect themselves and promised to keep them in the loop as the investigation continued.
Crisis communication best practices
Now that you are all caught up on what crisis communication means and why it’s important, it’s time to learn how to make it effective. Here are some of the best practices to follow when communicating through email during a crisis:
Time is of the essence! A delayed response in today’s fast-paced world can be costly. That’s why it’s more important than ever that your crisis communication approach be quick and timely! You want to have email templates ready to go for the most likely situations. This will not only save you time but also provide much-needed structure. More importantly, a swift response will show awareness and responsibility on your part. So, even if you don’t have all the information yet, you want to acknowledge that an issue is being investigated as soon as possible.
Honesty is the best policy! No one likes being lied to and a lack of transparency in times of crisis will do more harm than good. Providing honest and accurate information will not only show that you care but will manage expectations and halt the spread of misinformation. If an investigation is still underway, communicate clearly what steps you are taking to gather more information and update the affected parties when new information emerges.
Share the care! Depending on how big of a crisis you are facing, chances are it’s affecting others just as much. Instead of trying to sweep it under the rug, the best thing to do is to acknowledge the impact of the crisis and show that you are aware of the potential damage it may have caused. So, you want the tone of your email to reflect the seriousness of the situation while providing the reassurance that the affected parties are often looking for. In these situations, a little empathy and compassion can go a long way.
Simplicity is the key to clarity! When a crisis occurs, the last thing you want to do is cause more confusion. For that reason, keep the language and terms you use as simple as possible. An effective crisis communication email must be concise, straightforward, and straight to the point. Emotions might also be running high and too much information puts your email at risk of being overwhelming. Therefore, make sure to outline a few critical points that must be conveyed and stick to them.
Take action! If you already have all the information you need and have developed a plan to move forward, it’s always good to reassure the affected parties that the situation is being handled. To do so, include a clear outline of the actions that are being taken to address the crisis and what measures will be put in place to prevent any future occurrences. If it applies to your situation, you can also give the readers guidance on steps they can take in response to the crisis.
How to craft a crisis communication email?
If you’ve made it this far and still don’t know where to start, don’t worry! We put together some of our best tips for how you can craft the perfect email in times of crisis:
Capture attention immediately! For effective communication during a crisis, the last thing you want is for your email to be lost in someone’s inbox. And the best way to make sure your email is not left unopened is to write an effective subject line! In this case, the best subject line is one that conveys relevancy and urgency. Any vague or generic terms are likely to lose your reader’s interest. So, get straight to the point with a subject line like “We are closing” or “Data breach response plan”. To learn more, read our explainer on how to write effective email subject lines!
Invert that pyramid! The most common format used for crisis communication emails is the inverted pyramid format. This pyramid consists of three parts: the lead(the most important information), the body(the details), and the tail (the background). The point of this pyramid is not only to organize your thoughts but also to save time and convey the most important information as quickly as possible. The details and background then can come later. So, when you are crafting that crisis communication email, provide answers to the main questions first and then give any additional information in the following paragraphs.
ALL CAPS ARE A NIGHTMARE! As much as you want to convey a sense of urgency, you also don’t want your reader to panic. For that reason, avoid all caps at all costs. Not only is it an eye sore but a crisis email in all caps is very likely to have the opposite effect and cause unintended stress. The reader should get the feeling that you are taking the situation seriously but that you are also calm and in control. Writing in all caps is anything but reassuring!
Think twice! While it’s important to send a crisis communication email as soon as you can, you might want to go over it a few times and test it to ensure there are no errors or technical issues. It’s crucial that your email not only be readable but also convey professionalism, so proofread it yourself or have someone else do it for you. And while you’re at it, give it a test run to see how it looks on different devices and ensure that it’s functional. In already challenging times, the last thing you want is for your email to not be delivered or not display properly.
Communicating effectively via email can be tricky and even more so when a crisis strikes. However, if you’ve made it this far, we are sure that you are equipped with all the knowledge you need to craft the perfect crisis communication email. It may not be an easy feat, but with our guidance, it should be no big deal! Just remember to be quick, clear, honest, and empathetic in your email and you have already done most of the work. But, most importantly, keep your cool!
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