We’re talking about Sony and the debacle in April 2011 when their PlayStation Network was hacked and the security of an estimated 100 million records was breached, including data from more than 700,000 Australians.

User names, passwords, credit card details, security answers, purchase history and addresses could all have been stolen.

The terrible publicity rolled on for days but it took Sony almost a week after the network was switched off to confess it had been hacked.

The company has now admitted the incident has cut into its profit by about $US170 million.

Don’t think something like this can’t happen to you!

Crisis handling planning should be a part of your business. “Hope for the best, plan for the worst” should be your mantra.

These days, there’s a very good chance that, like Sony, your crisis could involve electronic data security or data loss.

Your electronic data is extremely valuable and can be linked inextricably to the value of your brand. In many cases, if the data loss involves your clients’ confidence , you could well kiss your business goodbye.

A true crisis should not involve something preventable. Could Sony have tightened its security? Probably … and it definitely should have reviewed operations after it raised the ire of known hacking coalition Anonymous a few days before its troubles began.

Likewise, you should look at the more vulnerable areas of your data control to minimise risk and retain control.

Your marketing and communications teams could well be your weak links.

Your marketing team is probably storing client data “on the cloud”. The third-party vendors that you are relying upon to keep your customers safe may well not be as security conscious as they claim to be – or that you believe.

Your marketing team probably controls the most sensitive data but is also most likely to be the part of your business the least trained in IT security. Let your IT experts run an eye over your customer databases and storage protocols.

You cannot plan for a crisis.

Almost by definition, it will be expected. However you can plan how you will handle it.

A crisis can either demonstrate to the world how disorganised, uncaring and irresponsible you and your business is. Or it can reveal that you do care, are responsible … but are human.

There may well be powerful forces attacking your business: interest groups, the media, disgruntled former customers, lawyers.

Strong forces will also come into play within your business. Your legal advisers will tell you to stop all communications immediately to reduce liability. Your communications teams may want to react equally aggressively in the opposite direction … spinning all communications in as positive a light as possible.

These different points of views will cause delays and confusions. You could end up looking like Sony who stayed silent for too long while the world speculated about its troubles and rumours abounded.

Take charge. Appoint a company spokesman immediately. No one else should speak publically about the incident except this person.

Here are some suggested guidelines for crisis management:

1. Expect that at some stage, you will have a crisis.
2. Have a predetermined crisis communication plan in place. Know who is going to attend the meetings; who is going to be the company spokesman.
3. Make sure your spokes person is trained in how to present themselves and your company to the media.
4. Acknowledge the problem immediately.
5. Be pro-active not reactive. Break the news … don’t wait for the media or customers to contact you.
6. Leverage social media. If you search for “Sony Playstation” now in a search engine, the April crisis has almost disappeared. Sony has conducted a strong campaign of news releases and product releases that have pushed the PS3 hacking issue off the front page.
7. Be accountable. Admit it … there was a mistake. We’ll fix it and make it sure it can’t happen again.
8. Make it right. If people deserve compensation, do it.

The hack could have been the end of Playstation as an online gaming platform, but so far Sony seems to be riding out the crisis … even if their initial reaction was glacial.

After finally admitting the breach, Sony offered PS3 players free streaming music as some sort of consolation .

Will this be enough to win back long-term confidence? Only time (and future PS3 console sales) will tell.

The 3-Minute Decision  (Part 3)

We now know the customer has just three minutes to decide whom he will trust … and it’s all done unconsciously.

So how do you decide what image you need to reflect to your prospect?

There are five criteria to look at when deciding which image is appropriate for you to get the best results:

1. Who is my prospect/client?

2. Who do I need to be so I reflect the product I am selling?

3. What is the character I am playing to get this prospect/client to relate to me?

4. How will I build rapport with this prospect?

5. What research do I need to do before visiting this prospect so I may reflect all of the above?

Once you have answered these questions you can go ahead and decide how to dress to fit the image you will portray.

By dressing for success you have taken the first step towards becoming a success.

Style comes from within. We all have a natural way that we want the world to see. This is great if your natural style fits with your market … you may love piecing, tattoos and quirky clothing – and just know it suits you! – but is it congruent with your purpose?

It’s important to always remember that it’s all about the prospect … you must forget about your visions, your interests, what you want … in other words, forget about everything except your customer. What your customer wants is what matters and that may be significantly different from what you think they want.

When dealing with executive teams the dress must be suits for both men and women. Ensure these are clean and pressed. Women should not wear skirts that are too short and men should ensure hems are stitched.

Shoes are also important … they should always be clean, polished and the heels intact.

All colours should be conservative and not ostentatious. So guys, that orange suit may be the latest Versace, but it’s not appropriate!

If you are selling products and dealing with farmers, factories etc then you should be appropriately dressed for this environment. Men could wear slacks or neat jeans with a clean, pressed shirt and sports jacket. You will look comfortable but also approachable.

Women should wear slacks with a crisp shirt and either a knit and or jacket. Shoes should be block heel as you need to be able to walk around without looking awkward or you will quickly lose credibility.

But if you know you prospect will be dressed in a suit, dress the same!

And remember – in many workplaces, for safety reasons shoes must be closed or even steel-capped … check beforehand and dress appropriately!

In all circumstances hair must be tidy and well-cut.

For women, makeup must be natural. If you wear lipstick – and you should as it gives you a more polished and professional look – make sure you take it with you when you go out and reapply it every few hours. Half-eaten-off lipstick is not attractive.

Your presence is what will set you apart from your competition and will be long remembered after you leave the sales presentation.

Dress appropriately when attending functions with your customers. Evening functions for women do not mean choosing the lowest cut and shortest dress you can find in your wardrobe … or for men, jeans and T-shirt.

When you are out and about with clients you are still representing your company and products. Who you are, and your image, must be maintained!

Your behaviour must always reflect how you would like to be seen.

Many people find it difficult to go shopping to find clothes that are appropriate for them, where to shop and how to choose clothing that reflects the image that they would like to have.

This is when you could get assistance from an image consultant who will help you to build a wardrobe that reflects the image that will influence the people you meet.

Next week: How To Communicate With Your Prospect

You Have Less Than 3 Minutes To Sell Yourself

Imagine this … you’ve walked into a room filled with people you don’t know. Some are talking, some are listening. How do you feel? What do you think? Can you figure out the pecking order?

We know snap judgments can be wrong but that doesn’t stop us doing it. We make value judgments subconsciously all the time.

When we first walk into a room of strangers we can’t help but judge them …  do I trust them? Will I like them? Will they like me?

We are programmed from birth to use all our senses to decide how we will interact with a stranger. Thousands of years ago, this quick decision-making skill was necessary to save our lives … do we greet the sudden stranger as a friend, fight him or run away?

In the jungle of sales, this unconscious decision-making process could mean the difference between you closing a sale or literally scaring a potential client away.

It’s a fact that when a prospect first meets you he will decide in less than three minutes whether he likes you enough to continue the conversation.

Sales is about building relationships. You know people will buy from you if they like you and trust you. The prospect wants to know you have authority, professionalism and high standards.

Your image will communicate this to your prospect at an unconscious level and your prospect will connect your image to the product you are selling.

Studies have shown that people are judged 55% on appearance, 38% on body language and only 7% on the words they say.

Nothing will escape your prospect as they absorb information when they first meet you … how you sit or stand, the colour of your hair, how it is combed, your facial expression, the crease in your slacks or how short your skirt is, the colour of your shoes or are they scuffed. Remember, this is all done on an unconscious level and is automatic and habitual.

Your prospect is absorbing all manner of impressions but is totally unaware of most of them. The problem is, these unconscious impressions will flavour how he will make his purchasing decisions.

Are you authoritative? Do you believe what your are saying? Can you be trusted?

Style is also important because not only does it make a difference to people’s perception of you but it also alters how you feel about yourself.

Take a critical look in the mirror now. What image are YOU projecting to your clients? What image are you projecting to YOURSELF?

So … a simple rule, that’s often overlooked. Dress for success!

The Essential Generation For Your Business

Here’s a common tale from employers that I guarantee you’ve all heard … Gen Y are just impossible in the workplace. If you don’t keep them busy they’re either texting someone or on Facebook! And once you’ve got them trained, they up and leave!!

Gen Y, of course, disputes this … they’re simply AWESOME! The best-educated, innovative and creative generation of workers yet. And work wouldn’t be so boring if those burned-out old baby boomers would just get out of the way and stop holding back their careers …

So what’s the truth?

David O’Connor – director of The Connection Coach and himself a Gen Y – says the key to engaging with Gen Y employees is to “get it right from the start”.

David has more than nine years experience teaching, leading and motivating Gen Y and knows how to get the best results.

As a youth worker, he mentored teenagers and young adults and at one stage was co-ordinating a team of 28 staff and 800 volunteers while organising large-scale events such as youth festivals and conferences.

Working with this many young people would sound like hell for most employers but David has thrived and achieved prodigious results.

“Employers have to get it right from the start. If you do, you will save a lot of heartaches later on,” he says.

“Put in the effort when it comes to recruitment. Look for young people with a great attitude not necessarily just with a piece of paper. Look for the ones who have been in leadership roles at school and uni, who have done volunteer work and have good ‘soft’ skills not just good ‘hard’ skills.

“And don’t undervalue those who volunteer or are involved in some sort of charitable work, who have a strong sense of purpose. Look for something that makes them different from their peers.”

But what about the horror stories?

David says Gen Ys expect more from work than just a pay packet.

“They grew up in a world of opportunity and they don’t fear joblessness,” he says.

“They want to be part of something that makes a difference, that has a compelling vision and a compelling purpose.

“They expect business leaders to be passionate about their business. If they’re not, you can forget about engaging Gen Y.

“This passion can be about social justice or delivering a standard but it can’t be just to make the boss or the business rich.

“If you can engage them, you will get a lot out of them!”

David believes that if Gen Ys have a weakness it is in their communication skills.

“These kids grew up on Instant Messenger and email, not in face-to-face communication so these skills can be poor,” he says.

“Patience is a huge thing for managers. There’s no point in just yelling at them and getting frustrated.”

David says mentoring is the key.

“Turn the lack of communication into a mentoring opportunity. Turning challenges into opportunities is critical for Gen Y, ” he says.

So how do you stop them running off to another job?

David admits this is difficult as Gen Y is a very mobile generation however “engagement” with the business is important.

“Managers should build a relationship with their Gen Y employees. Just giving them a uniform or a desk won’t work.

“Managers must be approachable, take a genuine interest in their staff and build an affirmative culture in the workplace.

“Gen Ys love to be part of something that is making a difference. They must get a sense of purpose out of their work or they feel they are just going through the motions.”

NB. Gen Ys (also known as “Millennials”) are usually taken as being born from about 1977 to 2001. The oldest, therefore, are already in their 30s and are raising their own little Gen Zs.

• David O’Connor helps business leaders better engage with their Gen Y staff through leadership coaching. Find out more at TheConnectionCoach.com.au and follow him on Facebook and Twitter @davidgoconnor.