Write It Down, Take Note! This Is How You Choose Your Spokesperson.

When a crisis occurs, the last thing you should be doing is arguing who is choose for a speech with the public. Choosing the finest advocate for your cause isn’t an undue it’s a need. Your spokesman is a representative of your company, and you need someone who can gracefully handle criticism and attacks while maintaining calmness and steady speech. Using the phrase “no comment” or making a general remark might do more harm than good, so having someone available to speak on your behalf is essential.

Here are five suggestions for picking the proper spokesman in a crisis:

1)     Your spokesman is unlikely to be the company’s CEO or owner.

We suggest choosing an individual or a group of persons who can talk on a variety of themes. For instance, if the issue includes a marketing effort, your Vice President of Marketing, in addition to the CEO, is an excellent spokesperson choice. If the issue includes your CEO or owner, it’s better to put them on hold for now and enlist the help of legal counsel or your COO as your spokesman.

2)     You surely want to pick someone with excellent communication skills, self-assurance, and a positive attitude.

Someone who can readily connect with people and is honest and truthful during interviews, as well as someone who has had considerable media training.

3)     You’ll also want to bring someone who is knowledgeable about the problem.

If the problem is technological, such as a computer related, you’ll want someone with technical knowledge to explain the problem and the next actions.

4)     Your spokesperson should appear professional and organized.

Keep in mind that they are representing your company. You’ll want them to appear trustworthy and friendly some studies have been conducted that physical qualities people possess can lead others to believe they are trustworthy.

5)     This is an excellent time to emphasize the need of media training.

You can have someone who possesses all of the qualities listed above yet freezes or mumbles when the camera is on them. They may be articulate, but they may not know how to respond to inquiries or predict what reporters would ask. To prepare a crisis spokesperson for the media, it’s usually a good idea to have a run-through or arrange mock interviews.