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Phone: 450.370.8357
Fax: 450.264.8284
E-mail: [email protected]
Alba Public Relations
PO Box 90047
Huntingdon, Québec
J0S 1H0
HOW TO BE AN AWESOME SPOKESPERSON
Follow these simple tricks and
tips and you’ll look like the com-
pany rock star!
• Whatchya talkin’ about
Willis? If you don’t know
what it is you want to com-
municate then what the
heck are you doing talking
to people?! Develop three
key messages (no more –
it’s ‘scientifically proven’
that people have a hard
time remembering more
than that) you want to
communicate to your audi-
ence.
• Lather, rinse, repeat. Re-
peat your messages as
many times as you can in
your interview/speech/
what have you - without
sounding too crazy. Try to
work one of them into
every response. This
doesn’t mean using the
same sentence over and
over;
rather re-word the main
idea/theme of that mes-
sage to fit the answer.
• Building bridges - If it
doesn’t seem like there’s
an opportunity to work in
any of your key messages
directly from the question
you’ve been asked, then
transition to it: start by
answering the question
and then work in some-
thing like “The most im-
portant thing to remem-
ber, however is
[message].” or “…and that
relates to ________”, etc.
• This isn’t Facebook—
You’re not making friends
– Some journalists will ac-
tually be friendly and help-
ful (after all it’s a symbiotic
relationship: you help a
journalist get a good story
this time, and you’ll likely
be sought out as an
‘expert’ for the next. You
get exposure as an expert/
leader in your field and
your company/
organization gets earned
[read: free!] media), but
others will have a hidden
agenda: as soon as you let
your guard down, they’ll
fire hard questions at
you like a game of paint-
ball (ouch!). You’ll be-
come flustered and go
off message – or worse,
say something you’ll re-
gret. Whether genuinely
friendly or not, keep the
relationship professional
and stay on message.
• Don’t speak jargonese –
Unless you are present-
ing to a group of widget
buyers and sellers and
you sell widgets, use
everyday, plain old Eng-
lish words. Nothing
makes people tune out
faster than someone
droning on in a language
© 2011—Alba Public Relations
HOW TO BE AN AWESOME SPOKESPERSON
they can’t understand and this includes industry-speak. General audiences read and listen at a grade
7 / age 12 level so don’t let the language create a barrier between you, them and your message.
• Fireworks first, fizzle after – Catch your audience’s attention by answering questions with the most
important and/or interesting information first, then add in more detail/context/filter down. This will
also avoid the deadly ‘cut-off’ that reporters often do: the audience may never hear your best material
if you bury it at the end of your diatribe when a reporter cuts you off mid-way with another question.
Be as quotable – as quickly – as you can.
• You’re a person, not a cardboard cut-out – Be personable and engaging. A lot of people will tend to
act all stiff and overly serious mistakenly thinking this helps them seem more ‘expert’, ‘official’,
‘professional’. Passion and true emotions – within reason, of course - will win the day as will a smile.
Have you ever noticed that you can tell when someone on the phone is smiling? Practice that for radio
interviews.
• Appearances ARE everything – For TV or live interviews dress appropriately, avoiding dizzying patterns
and colours that the TV does NOT love. Relax. Don’t fold your arms – it makes you look defensive.
Don’t stand at attention like you’re being inspected by the General. Don’t fidget like you have to go to
the bathroom. Also, if you feel defensive your body language will convey defensiveness.
• What’s that sonny? – For radio interviews, enunciate and speak clearly into the microphone. For TV,
raise your voice’s volume level a few notches; TV tends to have a ‘muting’ effect so speak louder than
you would normally.
• The big no-no – Never, ever say ‘no comment’. You will succeed only in looking incredibly guilty.
Rather, you should say something like, “We don’t have that information/those numbers/etc. right
now, but I’ll be happy to get those to you as soon as they’re available’ – and then DO.
• A negative and a negative do not make a positive – Maybe in math they do, but repeating a nega-
tively formed question from a journalist will only reinforce that negative. Example: “Isn’t this going to
ruin the environment?” don’t say “No it won’t ruin the environment”. Instead say something like, “We
have in fact received the approval of the [Ministry of Environment] for this project…”
• Verbal stumbles – Practice avoiding detours like ‘um’ ‘ah’ ‘you know’, etc. It’s often just a nervous re-
action, but be aware of it.
Go forth and be awesome.
© 2011—Alba Public Relations