Who You Gonna Call? Spokespeople!

We all know that by adding a face and name to a message, it raises the trust and credibility people associate with that message. But you can't just randomly choose a spokesperson to speak for your organization, you must recruit someone who matches the demographics of the targeted audience. "It is critically important to choose the right spokespeople , as the messenger may be even more important than the message in establishing trust and credibility...," as stated in Strategic Communications for Nonprofits. For example, why would Safe Harbor recruit a 65-year old married woman to talk to a room full of 16-25 year old girls, being the largest age group for domestic violence issues? Uh, random-I know. For Safe Harbor, I would suggest finding a past victim of domestic violence and having them share their personal story, as long as ground rules are established. For example, the following video from Avon tells personal stories in order to gain awareness for domestic violence:

Asking people to tell their stories of domestic violence is a touchy and sensitive subject, but they can "put a face" on the issue that many women try to ignore and hide. Since I am working on the REP program for Safe Harbor, I would love to implement personal stories within the video that they show high school students. The ground rules that we would need to follow in order to actually make this a reality are the following:

• Make sure individuals and families are prepared to talk to the media and understand the possible implications of going public
• Tell them the purpose of the interview and give some information about the reporter
• Give some sense of the questions that will be asked
• Make sure they understand that made-up names can be provided, and pictures can be covered up
• Make sure they know their rights, even after they agreed to do the interview

These ground rules will ensure that the individual speaking will feel comfortable and in control of what they are saying. Personal stories will help build support, reach those who need help, and can help policymakers and the public understand people who are working to improve their lives.

Interviews can be a tough situation for anyone, especially when you do not have professional media training. Professional media training can be quite expensive, but Safe Harbor and other non-profit organizations have options! We all love options! By pooling the costs with other local nonprofits dealing with domestic violence or other women issues, media professionals might be willing to offer small sessions for cheap. Also,Safe Harbor can try approaching a college communications department or try to receive pro bono coaching.

Lastly, I wanted to repeat a few interview tips for spokespeople that I found most helpful. Safe Harbor might be able to have a meeting with current clients, sharing all the tips covered in the book-just in case personal stories are up for grabs.

• State your message more than once
• Be memorable, do not fake anything
• State organization's full name
• Do not say more than you planned to say, be sure to stay comfortable
• Use the interview to say what you want to get across, revise as you go
• Be animated, but do not play or fidget