Assignment

STUDY GUIDE

Choosing and Preparing a Spokesperson

When choosing a spokesperson during a crisis situation, ask yourself these two questions:

• What impression do I want to create?
• Who is best to create that impression for us

Key spokespeople need to present with a communication style that reflects the image you want to project and the values you want to protect during the crisis (Jordan-Meier, 2011).

Transparency and trust are important for a spokesperson's credibility with the audience. Think about crisis situations you have observed through the media. Did you trust the CEO or President of the organization when they spoke? Or did you feel they were just sugar coating the situation? If the spokesperson was not an executive of the organization, did you feel that person was hung out to dry in front of the media, or were they knowledgeable and well prepared?

We all know impressions matter. Body language, sincerity, and communication style impact how we receive a message. Hopefully, if the CEO is present and communicating during a crisis, his or her presence sends the message, "I care and I am accountable." On the other hand, front line employees may be more believable and credible in the publics' eye. So who do you choose to be the spokesperson during a crisis?

Choosing the most appropriate spokesperson is based on the following

• The stage of the crisis.
• The seriousness of the incident.
• The values of the organization.
• The status of the organization's reputation in the affected market or community.

The CEO should be the individual to take responsibility, apologize and express empathy, and an executive or CEO may be more appropriate to speak during Stage Three interviews where there is typically blame and finger pointing. However, it is not always best to choose the CEO or president of the organization to be the spokesperson. Someone who is operationally an expert regarding the situation might be more appropriate to speak on how the crisis happened and what specifically is being done to fix it.

Keep in mind, a good spokesperson is (Jordan- Meier, 2011):

• Authentic and convincing
• Able to keep emotions under control
• A persuasive speaker
• Able to think fast and formulate clear, succinct answers (without using industry jargon)
• Able to work well under intense pressure
• Confident
• Prepared
• Truthful
• In-tune with the needs of the media

In this age of digital communication and social media, frontline employees can quickly become unofficial spokespeople as they Tweet or comment on Facebook about what is happening. Think back on the Fort Hood shootings, when a soldier named Tearah Moore tweeted to her friends that they should pass her phone number on to the press so she could tell them the truth. Turns out, much of what she tweeted was inaccurateand misleading. It is important for organizations to inform and prepare employees, , have clear policies on use of social media to prevent mis-information from leaking out.

Referencing the essential elements of a good and effective spokesperson, write an overview for a spokesperson policy. Include who should be the spokesperson for different types of crises, who will be the lead in each stage, and who will have authority for mainstream vs. social media.

Describe how you would train and prepare employees to be good spokespeople for your organization.

Key Terms

1. Cognitive dissonance
2. Communication style
3. Credibility
4. Head and heart
5. Impressions

Paper directions

You are the CEO of a major corporation whose databases were recently hacked and sensitive customer information was stolen. The press has been hounding you for some kind of a statement regarding the situation and what the corporation is doing to protect its customers and prevent this from happening again.

Would you as the CEO speak out about the crisis or would you choose a frontline spokesperson to represent the corporation? Explain your choice.

Please respond to the following questions (even if you chose the CEO to make the statement):

• What are the essential elements of a good and effective spokesperson in a crisis?
• What criteria are considered in selecting that particular person?
• Why do you think it would be important to have a well-trained spokesperson speak for the corporation during a crisis such as this one.

Why is the "head and heart" principle important for a spokesperson during a crisis?

• Why does the media wish to speak with frontline employees during a crisis?

• How can the spokesperson's body language and presentation skills impact the audience?

• How would you as the CEO mitigate any damage to the corporation caused by erroneous information given out by the frontline employees?

MUST Be in the APA Format , must be 500 words in length.