In Times of Crisis, Communication is Essential

Problem of europe concept.

When it comes down to it, we all think we are prepared for the unexpected — but are we really? Power and IT outages, natural disasters, even global pandemics, can happen at any time and inevitably affect your entire organization. In order to always be prepared for the myriad of unforeseen circumstances, businesses should have a crisis communication plan ready to deploy at any given moment to ensure business continuity.

Coming from a company with a cloud-based business model, SkySwitch wants to help ensure that your business keeps flowing in the event of a crisis or when unexpected situations arise. To keep going, here are some questions to ask yourself in order to create an effective crisis communication plan for your business: 

Do your employees have an easy way to communicate their status?

Whether it be during a crisis, or when you are operating business-as-usual, employee safety should always be a top concern in your company. As part of a safety assessment, C-level executives and managers need a way to account for their teams no matter where they are in the world. You might want to consider implementing a platform, like Slack or Microsoft Teams, for your employees to use for daily communication and messaging. It’s important for your crisis communication plan to include an established way for employees to check-in safely and quickly during an emergency.

Do your employees have a way to make and receive business phone calls at any time?

By using cloud-based softphone systems, you can provide your team with communication connectivity without the need for a physical desk phone. Apps like ReachUC Mobility offer essential and crucial features such as smart call routing and auto-attendant services. This makes the concept of “taking your work with you” easier than ever by bringing your office phone to your mobile device. Softphones allow your business phone number to follow you anywhere so your contacts can easily reach you. Making sure your employees are properly trained on how to use these cloud-based systems on their mobile devices is essential for times of uncertainty. 

Does your team have an efficient way to stay connected with their customers?

During non-emergency situations, your employees should have a safe place where they can serve your customers and be able to meet crucial deadlines. Consider checking out places like coffee shops, local co-working facilities like WeWork and Regus or other safe spaces for your employees to set up shop. But, during a global pandemic where everything is closed to the public, where should your employees and customers meet? To prepare for this kind of situation, make sure your employees are properly trained and equipped to work from home (#WFH) with all of the proper resources.

Do your employees have access to the proper resources for a digital workspace?

To create a smooth transition for your business during a crisis or unexpected event, it’s best to already be actively using remote-friendly apps and platforms. Using the proper collaborative resources for voice calls, instant messaging and video conferencing, where you can easily invite participants in and out of your organization, will help your business stay running as usual in a crisis situation. With the advancements in 4G and 5G technologies that are available today, it is easier than ever to give your employees a way to seamlessly switch from working in an office to a remote work model while still maintaining productivity. 

Creating a team environment has always been essential to keep business flowing. Now that we are experiencing a global crisis together, it has never before been more important for businesses to pull together as a team and stay connected. As a SkySwitch reseller, you have the tools available for your customers to maintain communication as they make use of their crisis communication plans. 

In times of need, SkySwitch is here for you, and your customers. If you’d like to learn more about how SkySwitch supports resellers in times of crisis, please contact us.