How to be a good SPOKESPERSON

According to the Croatian language portal, the spokesperson is “the one who on behalf of an institution is authorized to give official statements or to maintain public relations at special press conferences; the one who publicly and silently represents the opinion or attitudes of the one he is attached to.” (Downloaded from http://hjp.znanje.hr/index.php?show=search 20.9.2017.)The spokesman’s job is to present the organization and conduct public relations affairs.

A good spokesperson is credible, congruent, consistent and creates a personal image based on these personalities. The speaker should inform the internal and external public, try to be positive and continually facilitate communication and motivate their colleagues to be part of a good communication system. The spokesperson should have the curiosity and will to help others, good memory, knowledge of psychology, predicting ability, absorbing new facts, the ability to cope with the unpredictable, and have a quick reaction. He has to be a person of high moral principles and unquenchable behavior.

Speech ethic

“Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the issues of right and wrong in human relationships.” (E. Lucas, Stephen, Umijeće javnog govora, MATE d.o.o., Zagreb, 2010., str.30.) Ethics as a theme is closely linked to private life, not so much in the business world. Everything that is the intellectual property of a company, such as a business secret or confidential information, can also be considered a material that can be treated unethically. Most do not think about ethical matters as essential, but it is very important to understand the ownership of the information and the boundaries that exist to use that property.

The six principles set by S. Cutlip:

(Source: Tomić, Zoran, Odnosi s javnošću – teorija i praksa, Synopsis, Zagreb – Sarajevo, 2008., str: 517.)

Tell the truth – getting to know the public about current events, constantly delivering the company’s image through practice and ideals.
Prove yourself – only ten percent is in words, and ninety percent of work
Listen to the consumer – one needs to understand what the public wants and needs.

Acting in advance – anticipating reactions can help us not to act negatively if the connotation of the situation is possible
Lead public relations as if the whole company depends on them – a person in a public relations company is a participant in creating and implementing an organization’s policy and is able to perform a whole range of activities within business communication with the environment
Stay calm, patient, and well-tempered – especially In the case of a crisis, for example, the “cold head” is best communicated.