What Makes a Good Spokesperson

By Jennifer R. Farmer

All your life, you’ll need to communicate. But if you’re a business leader or executive, your success depends – in part – on how well you communicate. Certainly, if you are tasked with being the voice or face of an organization or campaign, you’ll want to communicate effectively. You’ll want to become a good spokesperson, and doing so will boost your and your organization’s effectiveness.

The question becomes then, “What makes a good spokesperson?” Good spokespeople do at least these five actions (if you prefer to watch or listen to this content, visit my YouTube page):

• Tell a story

Years ago, I frequently visited a church in Indianapolis called Eastern Starr. I loved the service. The worship was always moving and powerful. But the sermons were masterful. The pastor – Jeffrey Johnson Sr. – was relatable and engaging. It was easy to follow his sermons and understand the points he was making. But I was most impressed with his ability to end on a powerful note. He gave multiple examples throughout the sermon but always ended with a story. He would always say, “I see, you still don’t understand,” and then lead into a story that further drove the sermon home. It was great, and I found myself looking forward to his sermons for that reason. You do not need to be Johnson, but you need to find a compelling and authentic way to tell a story while you’re communicating. A good – indeed great – spokesperson knows how to tell a relevant story in a way that leaves listeners or readers on the edge of their seats.

• Give the audience what it wants.

Good spokespeople know their audience. They understand exactly whom they are talking to and what their audience thinks and feels. They know their audience’s pain points. They know what their audience is searching for and what their audience needs, and they do their best to deliver. There is nothing like communicating with someone who knows you or takes the time to know you.

• Meet a need.

Everyone has a need. Your audience will listen to the extent that your content meets its need. Your job is to determine pain points and speak to those pain points, being careful to outline a solution.

• Eliminate distractions so their message is received.

Good spokespeople scan for distractions and work hard to remove distractions so their audience can hear them. Distractions could be speaking too fast or too slow. Distractions could be technology issues such as a faulty microphone or an unclear image. Distractions could also be wearing something that could take the focus off of their words. Before you speak, think about whether there is anything that would distract from your message, and if there is, work to eliminate the distractions.

• Good spokespeople practice.

They practice delivering a message while being careful to evaluate what went well and what they could improve. Good spokespeople understand that communicating well doesn’t happen overnight nor that past success is inoculation from failure. Therefore, good spokespeople practice. They look for opportunities to sharpen their communication skills, understanding that the more they do so, the better they become.

Being able to communicate well is a life skill. It is worth the investment. But please know that like anything else, being a great communicator takes time. Invest the time, and you’ll never regret doing so.

For more information, see my YouTube page.