Communication Tips When No One May Be Listening

In a world where current communications channels are often full of noise, and in a time where flux and uncertainty may be commonplace for many, one thing holds true – communication should always be open and constantly flowing.

As a healthcare communications professional, I agreed with the speakers on this panel today "Communicating Value During Times of Uncertainty: What To Do When No One Is Listening" in that we must truly identify and communicate separately with each of our key audiences, as each audience will no doubt hear things differently.

What does this mean? Here are some tips:

1). When developing our communications programs we must think closely about the messages we want to distribute to each audience (where an impact can be made). Panelist, Samina Bari, Sr. Director of Communications at Ikaria Pharmaceuticals, breaks her communications into three audiences and she gives each audience their own set of strategies (which I agree with and suggest doing if you aren’t already). Those three audience groups are:
* External Audience (the public)
* Internal Audience (you employees and stakeholders)
* Growth Audience (analysts, investors, regulators and physicians)

2). In times of uncertainty, when you may not have great news to report, you should still be communicating.

Emily Mendell, VP of Strategic Affairs at the National Venture Capital Association, “Believes there are indeed opportunities to communicate even when things may be bad.” She suggests that a company can talk about what it is they are doing right and how they are going about it.

So what to do? Talk to your Communications Team or agency partner to develop a strategic communications plan (a shell if you will) for times of uncertainly. And further flush it out when those times come approachin’.

3). Continue to talk to the traditional news media even if you can’t place a story in the news right away.

Many changes have been (and continue to) taking place in the traditional news media from downsizing to more and more journalists and producers taking on double and triple responsibility. Even though these changes have occurred, the panelists and I strongly suggest to continue communicating (even if you don't have big news to share) with the news media and further develop your relationships with them. It still holds true and strong that relationships with traditional media is key to a big part of your communications success. While every story you pitch may not be able to run, those media relationships will hold true when you need them the most -- when you have news to share.

4) Definitely get engaged in social media communications if you aren’t there yet. Start listening, sharing, and eventually communicating when you are ready. Social media communications can have tremendous impact and influence on target audiences if conducted correctly. And the great thing about this type of communication is that the door is always open. However social media communications should be a part of your companies’ communications plan and it should fit into the communications mix along with a plan on how to do it, and when to do it. If you don’t want to hit the traditional news media with a communications message you can always put it out and share it in the social spaces which can have tremendous impact on your audiences.

So I now ask, how have you been communicating historically and as of late?

Interested in hearing your thoughts and having you share what you've been doing in your communications, and what has been working/not working for you.

By, Leigh Fazzina, Sam Brown, Inc.
www.sambrown.com
Follow us on Twitter! @SamBrownInc