How to handle bad publicity

Sometimes things happen at work that can negatively affect your business if they’re not swiftly addressed and dealt with.  Here are some steps you need to take if something like this happens to your office.

Be open and honest

When bad news breaks, people want to know what’s going on. Make sure you only stay silent until you’ve had time to properly prepare a statement. Keeping people in the dark is a bad choice. This is your opportunity to address the situation head on and clear things up.

Control your response

When the time comes to make statement, make sure it’s posted on your website. Until then, try to avoid any online interaction. The last thing you want to do is respond emotionally before you have had time to prepare.

Make lemonade

Bad publicity is a great opportunity to turn those lemons into lemonade. It looks good to fix a problem and if you can make that the main focus of the situation, it’ll only be beneficial in the long run.  Turn those negatives into positives.

Know when to ask for help

For a scandal, you may need to reach out to a PR firm that’s used to handling lawsuits or other large issues. If a situation can be handled in house, that’s great, just make sure you’re not pouring gas on a fire.

Don’t throw anyone under the bus

If throwing people under the bus didn’t work, nobody would ever do it, but there’s a lot to be said for being honest. Your morals are your business but being truthful can take you a long way.