An organization’s spokesperson needs to answer required questions entirely
‘Build A Bear’ CEO Apology
An organization’s spokesperson needs to answer required questions entirely, provide the crisis information clearly, and handle difficult questions proficiently. Build the bear CEO, Sharon Price John spoke about a crisis that occurred after failing to offer services to all the customers who attended the pay your age event. The CEO well performs the roles of a spokesperson by answering the questions required and explaining the cause of the problem, and the solutions put in place to avoid such challenges in the future.
According to Coombs (1996), a good spokesperson should have characteristics, including the ability to convey that the organization can control the situation and demonstrate compassion to the crisis victims. Sharon Price was well equipped with the two features. She explained the problem effectively and offered possible solutions to the public. Also, she put herself in the parents’ shoes and felt the hurt they had after the failed event. This led her to apologize to the parents and promise better services in the future.
Also, a spokesperson’s traits could be depicted through her facial and bodily expressions (Coombs, 1996). She was empathetic throughout the interview and could persuade the stakeholders of better days in the future. This was due to her calmness and ensuring the credibility of the information.
I found Sharon Price’s interview more informative and clearer than the Facebook Sheryl Sandberg spokesmanship. In her interview, she seemed nervous, and she seemed to lack answers to some of the questions. Even though she was empathetic, the crisis explanation could not be well understood, and her words and actions could not be connected.
Coombs, W. T., & Holladay, S. J. (1996). Communication and attributions in a crisis: Anexperimental study of crisis communication. Journal of Public Relations Research, 8(4), 279–295.
