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Published on March 31, 2008

You know, the biggest, most spectacular crisis I've ever been through was the Asian tsunami of 2004, when I was swept up by the wave, spun around like I was in a 15-metre-high washing machine along with trees and pieces of buildings and then washed out into the Andaman Sea for four hours, eventually making it back to shore with nothing left apart from my life.

That's like something hit you on your head and brought it home that a crisis is a combination of "danger" and "opportunity". It gave me the incredible gift of truly understanding that one can only find it inside oneself to go that extra mile.

So now I believe a crisis can create strength and the instinct to survive, which are both powerful attributes when combined with concentration and, of course, luck.

There's always room to develop and expand further, of course, and in my field this intensity can be used most productively in analysing a problem, focusing on it from every angle and challenging assumptions, especially in verifying that the right problem is being addressed and not merely its symptoms.

And I can say that crises have often turned into opportunities for me, teaching me always to ask "What if?" and "What if not?" and see that "What if?" can be 10 possibilities, one possibility can be 10 solutions and one solution can be 10 strategies to work with, so you're never at the end as long as you're still alive.

Just keep looking and see through the problem - and remember, of course, that even if you don't win, you can always learn something along the way. Yes, when you cannot get out of the box you're in, you have to practice loving it.

And when a crisis hits the business world, it seems a big thing for everyone, with many feeling ready to give up, and everyone talking about how much harder it is to achieve sales.

I hear this from clients, as well, and during this time begin to realise that a "hard sell", as it is generally perceived, is not a viable solution and instead begin formulating my version.

My "hard sell" is certainly not about how big to make a client's logo, but rather about getting the logo into the right place and making sure it's seen at the right time, so that it's widely remembered.

My "hard sell" is not about making a television commercial where the brand name is put up at the beginning and repeated right through.

For consumers, this is boring and a turn-off, and they have to be brought in to identify with the brand in a much more sophisticated way.

The "hard sell" that I believe in and practise is an art that includes winning consumers' loyalty and bringing them to the brand in a much more sophisticated way.

And you're going to win if your strategy can win the hearts and confidence of consumers.

During a crisis, everything is backed into a corner and stretched to the limit. All bets are off, and you must concentrate and simply find a way to get through it.

But for me, it's a time of challenge, and I have found I love fighting back against slashed budgets and working under the intensity of the extra pressure.

It's not the end of world - that's what I believe, anyway.

Kanaporn Hutcheson

Managing Director of NUDE communication Co Ltd