Within a corporate communication strategy, the figure of the spokesperson plays a fundamental role in building and managing the reputation of the organisation or brands. A good spokesperson not only conveys the organisation’s key messages, but also represents the brand’s image and values to the public and, equally important, to the media. For all these reasons, spokesperson training becomes an essential tool to ensure that those who have this function are adequately prepared to face the challenges of communication in a demanding and, on many occasions, quite complex environment.
Let’s start at the beginningWhat do we mean by spokesperson training?
Spokesperson training is a process designed to teach representatives of an organisation how to communicate effectively and coherently in different situations and to the various audiences they will face. This type of training focuses on developing verbal and non-verbal communication skills, as well as providing specific knowledge about the functioning of the media and corporate communication strategies. During a spokesperson training, participants will learn first-hand how communication processes work with different audiences and will receive instructions on how to structure and present their key messages, how to handle interviews and appearances before the media or their target audiences, how to answer difficult or sensitive questions (inside and outside the organisation), and how to adapt their communication to different audiences and media platforms.
Who should do spokesperson training?
Spokesperson training is suitable for awide variety of professionals within organisations with one common denominator: They need to communicate effectively with different audiences. Some of the recipients of this type of training, within organisations, are:
Executives and business leaders
Senior managers often act as spokespersons at corporate events, in media interviews and in internal organisational communications. Spokesperson training helps them to develop strong communication skills and to deliver key messages effectively and efficiently. Public relations and communications professionals Corporate communications and public relations managers also need to be prepared to represent their organisation to the media, investors, customers and other key audiences. Spokesperson training provides them with the necessary skills to manage these interactions effectively. Experts and/or specialists Sometimes experts in technical and/or specialised areas are required to act as spokespersons on behalf of the organisation to explain complex issues or answer detailed questions on a specific topic. Training spokespersons helps them to communicate their expertise in a clear and accessible way to the general public.
What are the keys to good spokesperson training ?
Needs assessment and customisation
Good spokesperson training must be adapted to the specific needs of the organisation and the participants and never respond to a standard, homogeneous model, regardless of the spokesperson to be trained. This implies knowing the company very well, taking into account the sector of activity, its organisational culture, the communication challenges it faces, the reputational risks it may have to face and the level of experience and skills of the spokespersons. It is therefore important to identify in advance what the objectives of the training are, analyse the previous skills and knowledge of the participants and assess the areas for improvement and the challenges they may face. With all this information, a personalised and tailor-made programme can be designed with a prior definition of the topics to be covered and the learning objectives to be achieved, selecting the methodologies and learning resources that best suit their needs, thus adapting the programme, as much as possible, to the specific needs and characteristics of the participants.
Theoretical information but always with a practical approach
Theoretical training is a must, but the focus of the training should always be practical. An introduction to the basic concepts of corporate communication and spokesperson management, explaining the key communication strategies and best practices for representing the organisation, followed by exercises to simulate meetings with the media, interviews or public appearances, as real as possible, to help identify the weak points that need to be improved. It is important that these practical exercises are repeated after the training, so that the concepts learned can be put into practice. These practices will improve confidence and the ability to deal with real-life situations. Moreover, we must not forget that we live in a fully digital era, so it is essential that the training of spokespersons includes the integration of tools and technological platforms relevant to corporate communication, such as social networks, digital media and videoconferencing platforms.
Feedforward o feedback constructivo
Feedback is key to the development of communication skills. Trainers should provide specific and constructive comments on participants ‘ performance, highlighting their strengths and pointing out areas for improvement. Good communication of individualised feedback on participants ‘ performance, detailed analysis of videos and recordings of practices to identify areas of improvement and to evaluate the effectiveness of the and evaluate the effectiveness of the training or make the necessary adjustments are key aspects.
Continuous monitoring and updating
Effective spokesperson training must be dynamic and adaptable to changing communication trends and public expectations. changes in communication trends and public expectations. It is important to monitor regularly to evaluate the impact of the training on the training on the performance of the spokespersons in real-life situations and, continuous support to resolve doubts and provide additional guidance.
And what are the advantages?
Improving corporate image
A good spokesperson is a great business card. To this end, an effective spokesperson training helps to ensure that company representatives deliver messages that are consistent and aligned with the organisation’ s identity and values. company’ s representatives convey messages that are consistent and aligned with the organisation ‘ s identity and values, which contributes to strengthening its image and reputation.
Skills development
Spokespersons will learn techniques for structuring messages effectively, learning how to adapt communication to different audiences and channels, even handling difficult or unforeseen communication situations. By being better prepared spokespersons will be more confident in themselves and in their ability to represent the ability to represent the organisation or brand they work for, This will result in greater credibility with the public and the media.
Efficient crisis management
Well-designed spokesperson training includes strategies and techniques to handle crisis situations appropriately and effectively. to handle crisis situations appropriately and effectively, This will enable the organisation to respond quickly and coherently to unforeseen events that may affect the events that may affect the organisation ‘ s reputation.
Resource optimisation
By having well-prepared spokespersons, the company can optimise the time and resources devoted to communication, avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring that key messages are conveyed efficiently and effectively, avoiding misunderstandings and ensuring that key messages are conveyed efficiently and effectively.
Protecting the organisation ‘ s reputation
Acting as a spokesperson carries great responsibility as your words and actions can have a significant impact on an organisation’s reputation. Spokesperson training helps to avoid costly mistakes and protect your organisation’s reputation by providing the skills and knowledge needed to communicate in an ethical and professional manner. In short, good spokesperson training is essential to ensure that your organisation’s representatives know how to properly convey messages to the media and your audience. It is important to invest in the development of communication skills, which will strengthen your organisation’s image and reputation, improve your ability to deal with crises and difficult situations, and build strong and effective relationships with different audiences. Our experience over 25 years shows that a well-trained spokesperson is a guarantee of success. 
