Communications professionals know having a PR crisis plan in place is invaluable. It is the one asset we hope we never have to use on a client’s behalf.

There are clients who understand a PR crisis plan is essential, and either expect or welcome its creation. Then there are others who do not understand or appreciate how crucial it is to have a plan in place. Whether a major event or a minor blunder, how a PR crisis is handled impacts a client’s livelihood and everything they have built.

One way to convince a reluctant client is to show how a botched PR crisis can affect their bottom line. PR Daily pulled these stats when Chipotle and United Airlines were each faced with customer-facing crises:

• “In Chipotle’s case, E. coli outbreaks caused the company’s stock price to plummet 40 percent. The fast-food chain lost an estimated $8.3 million from the fiasco.”

• “United Airlines, which dominated headlines when a man was dragged off an over-booked flight, only took a 2.5 percent stock hit after the PR crisis, but lost an estimated $700 million.”

If your clients have a PR crisis plan in place, terrific. If not, or if you are seeking resources to begin, start with the following infographic shared with us from newsexposure.com: