Preparing Your Spokespeople Before the Need Arises

Who Is a Spokesperson in Your Organization?

More people than you might think. A spokesperson is not simply the person whose name appears at the bottom of a press release. It is anyone whose public comments may be seen as representing your organization.

That includes senior leadership, of course, but also a board member speaking about an issue at an industry gathering, an expert contacted by a journalist after publishing a study, or an operations lead who is handed a microphone at an industry event on a Saturday morning simply because they happen to be the only person on site.

Most organizations have one designated spokesperson. Few have a second. Fewer still have considered who would step in as the third option if the first is unavailable and the second is directly involved in the situation.

This is the kind of vulnerability that often goes unnoticed until it matters. Under normal circumstances, it is almost invisible. But when the need arises, the consequences can be difficult to manage, and organizations quickly realize how valuable it would have been to plan for it earlier.

Why Prepare Before the Need Arises?

An issue rarely comes with warning. No one schedules the day when a situation will suddenly take a turn for the worse. An incident on a worksite, a contested decision, a complaint gaining traction on social media, a partner pulling out, or the appearance of a conflict of interest can arise on any ordinary day, during the week or over the weekend.

At that point, the question is no longer whether your spokespeople are capable; it is whether they are ready. Those are not the same thing, and only the second can be addressed in advance.

Key Factors to Keep in Mind

The story will move forward with or without you. Newsrooms are working with fewer resources, more platforms to manage, and increasingly tight deadlines. The journalist calling you rarely has a full day to wait; more often, they have only a few hours before publishing the story or airing the report. Being prepared to respond quickly matters, because the story will move ahead either way.

You need to provide a response. If you do not give a journalist your perspective, they will look elsewhere for answers, from a competitor, a former employee, or comments found online. Silence is not the absence of a message; it sends a message of its own, and in most cases, that is not the message you want to send.

A well-prepared spokesperson is valuable far beyond a crisis situation. Spokesperson training is often seen as a form of insurance against a crisis, when in reality, it is useful year-round. This is something we regularly emphasize with our clients to help broaden the way they view the role a spokesperson can play.

A three-minute interview, a meeting with a funding partner, a presentation to a board of directors, or a networking conversation in the hallway at a conference all require the same core skills: lead with what matters most, avoid jargon, and communicate clearly within the time available.

Media constraints are simply a more demanding version of those same expectations. Today, a usable media response may need to be delivered in just a few seconds. Someone who has learned to communicate a clear message on air within a 10-second window will be far more comfortable introducing themselves to a full room in 30 seconds.

This is where spokesperson training becomes especially practical. We prepare people for a situation we hope they never have to face, while giving them communication skills they can put to use as early as the following week with a client or partner.

Talent alone is not enough. Some people are naturally comfortable in front of a microphone. They find the right words quickly, know how to phrase things effectively, and are not intimidated by silence. That talent is real and can provide an advantage.

That ease in front of an audience is only part of what makes an effective spokesperson. What matters most is learning how to decide, in advance, what you want to say, say it out loud at least once to build confidence, and return to your key message when the conversation starts to drift. These are all skills that can be learned, and that is good news, because it means no one is automatically ruled out as a spokesperson.

In practice, even if it may seem counterintuitive, a more reserved person who has prepared their answers will generally perform better than a polished speaker who tends to improvise. Talent helps you deliver the message well; preparation determines what the message should be.

How to Know Whether Your Spokespeople Are Ready

There is no need for an elaborate assessment. Five questions, answered honestly around the table, are enough to gauge how prepared an organization really is:

• Who can act as a spokesperson, and in what order of priority? If you cannot name three people and rank them, you effectively have one potential spokesperson and two unknowns.

• Can these people clearly explain what your organization does in 15 seconds? If so, can they do so without acronyms, naming a program, or using the word “mandate”?

• Has anyone ever answered your most challenging question out loud? Writing the answer in a document does not count, saying it in front of others does.

• Do you know what you will not say? An organization that has not defined its limits in advance often discovers them only after crossing them.

• Would a spokesperson be reachable at 4 p.m. on a Friday? When a journalist calls and a response is needed, there is rarely a convenient time.

An organization that can answer all five questions with confidence may not require spokesperson training this year. However, if three of those questions present challenges, it is worth addressing them while circumstances remain stable.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When should spokesperson training take place?

When things are calm. That is when people are available, focused, and able to practice, make mistakes, and try again. An organization seeking training in the middle of a crisis is not really looking for training; it is looking for immediate support.

Should someone who already speaks well in public still receive spokesperson training?

Yes. A presentation and a media interview are two different exercises: in one, you control the flow; in the other, you do not. People who are very comfortable speaking in public are often the most likely to improvise, which can make them more likely to move away from their key message.

Does a small organization need spokesperson training?

Often, even more than a large one. Smaller organizations may not have a communications team to manage the situation and prepare the response. In a 10-person organization, senior leadership may also be the spokesperson, the client service contact, and the crisis-response team.

Can spokesperson preparation be done internally?

Partly. Developing key messages, preparing a list of difficult questions, and identifying spokespersons can all be done effectively in-house. What is more difficult to do internally is the practice itself. In most teams, no one is naturally inclined to ask the uncomfortable question, and it can be difficult to step back and objectively assess what did not work.

How often should spokesperson training be refreshed?

Every 18 to 24 months, or whenever a spokesperson changes roles, a sensitive matter arises, or a new person is added to the spokesperson list. Once the fundamentals are in place, a short refresher is usually enough.

How many spokespersons should an organization have?

Three, ranked in order of priority. Most organizations have one designated spokesperson, some have two, and very few have identified a third, the person who will need to speak if the first is unavailable and the second is directly involved in the matter.