Trained Spokespeople – Your Best Defence in a Crisis

5 Nov

Why Trained Spokespeople Are Your Best Defence in a Crisis: A Crisis Management Perspective

In today's hyperconnected world, where news travels at the speed of a tweet and crises can explode within minutes, you and your business face unprecedented challenges in protecting reputations. Yet surprisingly, many companies still underestimate one of the most crucial elements of crisis preparedness: having trained spokespeople ready to respond when disaster strikes.

The First Hour: When Reputations Are Made or Broken

In what is often called the ‘Golden hour’ by crisis management professionals, how you and your business respond to a crisis in that first crucial hour can determine its ultimate impact on your reputation. Stakeholders form lasting impressions about how well an individual and their organisation handles a situation. These critical first moments require spokespeople who can communicate effectively under intense pressure – a skill that cannot be developed once the pressure is on. And for sure, you need more than one of these specialist individuals because true to life – crises happen at the worst times – usually when your one spokesperson is on holiday, has lost their voice or any number of causes for their unavailability. These observations are borne out of our experience from more than three decades of dealing with major crisis situations.

Consider this scenario: A major product safety issue has just been discovered. Media are calling, social media is buzzing with speculation, and employees are anxiously awaiting direction. Who steps up to the microphone? How they perform in that moment could mean the difference between a well-managed incident and a full-blown reputational crisis.

The High Cost of Unpreparedness

The financial implications of poor crisis communication are staggering. Studies have shown that companies with inadequate crisis response typically suffer stock price declines of 15% or more in the months following a crisis, while those with effective communication strategies often see their stock recover within days or weeks. But the costs extend far beyond immediate financial impact.

The Hidden Penalties of Poor Communication:

Loss of stakeholder trust
Damaged employee morale
Reduced market share
Increased regulatory scrutiny
Extended recovery periods
Long-term brand damage

Why Training Matters: Beyond Natural Ability

Some executives believe that articulate people can naturally handle media interviews. This is a dangerous misconception. Even the most eloquent speakers can falter under the intense pressure of crisis questioning without proper training and preparation.

Effective crisis communication requires specific skills that must be developed and practiced:

Message control and ‘bridging’ techniques (controlling a conversation to ensure you convey your own messaging)
Handling hostile questioning
Managing non-verbal communication
Expressing appropriate empathy
Maintaining composure under pressure
Avoiding common legal pitfalls

These skills aren't innate – they're learned through rigorous training and practice. Just as athletes train for competition, spokespeople must prepare for crisis moments.

The Digital Dimension: New Challenges, New Skills

Modern crisis communication extends far beyond traditional media interviews. Today's spokespeople must be equipped to handle:

Live social media broadcasts
Virtual press conferences
Online video statements
Real-time digital engagement
Multi-platform message consistency

This digital dimension adds complexity but also opportunity. Trained spokespeople can leverage these channels to communicate directly with stakeholders, control narratives, and demonstrate transparency.

Building a Spokesperson Network

Best practice - and our experience, suggests you should have multiple trained spokespeople, each equipped to handle different aspects of crisis communication. This network approach ensures coverage across time zones, languages, and subject matters while preventing ’spokesperson burnout’ during extended crises. Handling live crises certainly takes its toll - both mentally and physically, an element that is often overlooked due to inexperience in these situations.

Training for Success: The Essential Elements

Our spokesperson training includes:

1. Foundation Building

Message development
Interview techniques
Body language awareness
Voice modulation
Crisis communication principles

2. Practical Application

On-camera practice
Crisis scenario simulations
Real-time feedback
Performance analysis
Technique refinement

3. Ongoing Development

Regular refresher sessions
New scenario practice
Media landscape updates
Digital skills enhancement
Lesson incorporation

Measuring Success: The ROI of Spokesperson Training

While the cost of training might seem significant, it pales in comparison to the potential costs of poor crisis communication. Organisations with trained spokespeople typically see:

Faster crisis resolution
Reduced negative media coverage
Better stakeholder relationships
Stronger reputation resilience
Improved recovery times

Learning from History: Case Studies in Crisis Communication

Success Story: Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol Crisis

Their trained spokespeople demonstrated:

Quick, decisive response
Clear, consistent messaging
Genuine concern for public safety
Transparent communication
Regular updates

Result: Brand recovered within a year and became the gold standard for crisis management.

Cautionary Tale: BP Deepwater Horizon

Untrained spokesperson mistakes included:

Insensitive comments
Defensive responses
Poor empathy display
Inconsistent messaging
Delayed communication

Result: Severe reputation damage, CEO resignation, and billions in lost value.

The Path Forward: Investing in ‘Preparedness’

In today's risk-laden business environment, having trained spokespeople isn't just an option – it's a critical component of your business resilience. The investment in comprehensive spokesperson training pays dividends in crisis preparation, management and recovery.

The Stakes Are Too High to Ignore

The question isn't whether you or your business will face a crisis – it's when. And when that moment comes, the difference between success and failure often lies in the performance of your spokespeople. Their ability to communicate effectively under pressure can preserve reputations, maintain stakeholder trust and protect brand value.

The time to prepare is now. As Warren Buffett famously said, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it." Trained spokespeople are your best defence against those reputation-destroying five minutes.

Remember that in a crisis, what you say and how you say it matters just as much - if not more, as what you do. Don't wait for a crisis to discover whether your spokespeople are ready for the spotlight.