The HighViz Marketing Way

Does Your Forklift Dealership Have A Crisis Communication Plan?

Written by Julie Clarke-Bush | Apr 4, 2025 3:05:00 PM

Emergencies happen.

Sometimes it’s a pandemic.

Sometimes it’s a product recall.

Sometimes, a tariff hike sends the stock market tumbling and stalls decision-making overnight.

Whatever form it takes, your next crisis will hit fast—and your ability to respond depends on who’s already paying attention to you.

“How you run your business during the good times is the only true predictor of how well your business will cope with the bad times.”
—Keith J. Cunningham, The Road Less Stupid

Here’s the Problem

If you’re trying to send an urgent message to your customer list after months of silence, it’s already too late.

When your email list has gone cold:

  • People forget who you are
  • Emails bounce or land in spam
  • Messages don’t get opened
  • Urgent info doesn’t land the way it needs to

The Solution Is Boring (and It Works)

Stay in touch. Regularly.

The material handling companies that weather tough moments the best are the ones who communicate with their customers consistently—not just when something breaks.

When you send helpful, value-driven emails year-round, your audience is used to hearing from you. They trust you. And when it really matters, they’re more likely to read, believe, and act on what you send.

Email Marketing Is Crisis Prep (And Good Marketing, Too)

Even outside of emergencies, building and grooming your list pays off.

Regular email marketing can:

  • Build trust with both prospects and customers
  • Keep your company top of mind
  • Support your sales team with warm leads
  • Drive equipment, service, and parts revenue

It’s not just a backup plan. It’s a smart growth strategy.

It’s Not Too Late to Start

More than 4 billion people use email worldwide. If you’re not actively building your list and staying in touch, now is the time to start.

And if you’re looking around thinking, “We should’ve done this six months ago”—that’s ok.

Start now, so you’re not saying that again six months from today.

Originally published October 30, 2023