Why you may be your company’s best spokesperson

© Copyright 2001, Wilson Group Communications, Inc

Who would be your organization’s best spokesperson in a crisis?

It’s a question we’re continually asked at our seminars, and with little wonder. When it comes to speaking out in a crisis, companies not only need the right message, but the right messenger as well.

It’s a matter of credibility. If people don’t believe your spokesperson, the message is irrelevant. So start with the believability test. Who would the public most likely believe in a crisis?

Then there’s accountability. Is the spokesperson someone who knows what they are talking about? Are they in charge, or at least close to the person who is?

Is the spokesperson a local person? Do they live in the community, or at least work there? That can be extremely important when a local community is impacted.

Does that eliminate outside professional spokespersons? Most of the time, yes. Companies almost always fare better when they speak for themselves. It’s difficult for an outsider to express believable compassion or appear terribly sincere when they don’t work for the organization or live in the community.

So who do you select?

As a basic rule, go for the person who will appear most credible. Generally, that means the person needs to be local, accountable and hopefully, even likable. They should have enough authority to back up their words with actions.

They don’t want to appear “slick,” but they should be comfortable in their ability to communicate their primary message. Lagging communications skills may eliminate otherwise top choices.

Availability may also temporarily eliminate an otherwise top choice. A senior-level manager may be too caught up in managing the crisis to be cast as spokesperson, at least initially. As a result, backups may be in order to respond to media inquiries until a more senior manager is available.

Don’t overreact to a situation. Bringing in your top guns - or bringing them in too early - may make people think the situation is worse than it really is. React accordingly. Don’t make a local crisis a national crisis if you can help it.

What about the CEO? Sure, there are times when the CEO needs to address the news media, but they’re rare. If it’s a national recall and the company’s reputation is at stake, it’s a no-brainer. Use the CEO.

But don’t jump the gun. When you bring in the CEO, you’ve just played your trump card. You can’t go any higher. If they fail, who follows?