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Throw Down in the Lou: Emerson vs. AB, or Always Be Prepared

By: Julie Steininger | 04/16/2009

Today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch chronicles a rift between two of St. Louis' top corporations - Emerson and Anheuser-Busch InBev. The ruffled feathers stem from a change in InBev's payment terms with Emerson from 30 to 120 days.

Also today, David Farr, Emerson chairman, CEO and president, spoke at the Washington University Olin Business School. While Mr. Farr's presentation was on investing in a down economic cycle, an audience member asked him about the AB issue. Mr. Farr chose not to address the question.

It was an excellent presentation; however, the AB inquiry could have been handled better. When we prepare company leaders for public presentations, speeches, media interviews, etc., we develop talking points, focused on overall key messages and tailored to address the specific topic. We train them on how to use and deliver the messages. We practice for the given scenario. But we also do something else - we prepare for the unexpected. We develop (difficult) questions and appropriate answers for issues and current events that may not even be related to the topic of the day. Of course, we cannot cover every random thought in the universe, but it is critical to monitor and know current issues and think through a response. Because you never know what someone is going to ask.

Posted in Issues and Crisis Management