Being a good spokesperson for your organization may seem very easy, as if it were an innate ability, but it is not. Imagine for a moment that you are in a live television interview. You are sitting in the forum next to your interlocutor, in front of the cameras, with the studio lights on and pointed at you; Suddenly, the journalist next to you asks about your company’s upcoming product launch.
The question sounds quite common, but it turns out that the next launch of your company is a confidential matter that nobody can talk about, and although you prefer to “turn the question around”, the journalist insists, the pressure is high, and the lights and cameras are pointed at you waiting for an answer. What would you do? Let me tell you, often inexperienced spokespersons succumb and reveal secret information.
Some executives may find it best to limit media encounters to only those spokespersons who have demonstrated good microphone skills. However, if we do this, we would miss out on important opportunities to increase visibility and engagement with critical business audiences. Organizations need confident spokespersons who know how to communicate the values and differentiators of the brand, not only to the media, but also to all their audiences.
Consider these actions to improve your performance as a spokesperson
It is clear that any mistake when speaking to our organization’s audiences can damage our company’s reputation, because as spokespersons we no longer speak in a personal capacity but as representatives of it. In my experience as a spokesperson, I can assure you that these tips can help you achieve a better performance.
Listen or watch your meeting with audiences
It is always advisable to record or videotape the encounter, either with the media or with other audiences. Seeing or listening to it again will help you see and hear yourself, and detect opportunities for improvement.
Focus on the positives
Without necessarily forgetting the mistakes made in the match, start by addressing the positive side (your successes), this will help you build or maintain confidence in yourself, and prepares you to find and recognize your mistakes (if you don’t already have them). identified).
Don’t dwell so much on errors and omissions
Although what we seek is to avoid mistakes, it is also true that getting caught up in them does not solve anything. It is enough to have them identified and find possible solutions for future meetings.
Prioritize these three pillars of communication
1) key messages (phrases that identify the strengths of a company),
2) corporate communication guides and
3) sensitive issues (internal and/or external situations of vulnerability that, if made public, could become a communication crisis). By being clear about these three pillars, we will achieve better performance that impacts business objectives.
ask for feedback
For example, if you know the journalist well and have already been interviewed by them, consider asking feedback about the meeting. Questions such as: Was the information clear? Did I clearly answer everything you wanted to know? And how did you feel about my attitude during the interview? They can help you get feedback and find points for improvement.
Ask yourself what you can do to improve
It is important to understand how you feel as a spokesperson during audience meetings. This will also help you discover what you need to improve. Perhaps you need more information and data from the industry or markets that allow you to have control of the interview, or you need to have the key messages at hand, or you simply need more practice. Whatever it is, it is important to know it to find a solution.
Train yourself to speak to audiences
Make sure you receive professional training where you know how to communicate key messages effectively while giving journalists and content creators the information they are looking for to make news. A media training provides the essential knowledge and skills of communication with the media and with other audiences, to maximize the success of any meeting, including the theoretical part of the spokesperson, a deep dive into the media landscape, hands-on interview simulations, and case studies. This will help to humanize your leadership, have confidence in yourself and generate maximum impact in each meeting you have.
Although spokesperson training was previously limited to considering traditional meetings with journalists from print and electronic media; Currently, with so many communication channels available to promote the brand, it has become necessary to expand the possibilities to other channels used by content creators, such as lives or live broadcasts on social networks and the podcast.
A well-trained spokesperson has the potential to get audiences to listen. and endorse the messages of the organization. So investing time in an appropriate level of media training can make a difference in the results of a communication strategy and help you monetize your thinking.
Editor’s Note: This text belongs to our Opinion section and reflects only the author’s vision, not necessarily the High Level point of view.
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Hector M. Meza General Director of InfoSol. MBA and Communication Consultant. He was Vice President at IBM Mexico.