Speaking Frankly: The Impact of Sarah Sanders on the Role of the Spokesperson
Linda J. Popky, Founder of Leverage2Market AssociatesLast week, Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced she was resigning from her position as White House Press Secretary after about 2 years on the job.Spokespeople are, by definition, the voice and face of the organizations they represent. Their statements and actions reflect back on their organizations, and their approach to the job can determine how that organization is portrayed in the media and with other key stakeholders.Sanders took on the presidential spokesperson role from Sean Spicer when he left in 2017. Her tenure has been marked with contention and dissent: the press were declared enemies of the people, press briefings became fewer and farther between, and she was often defending administration statements that strained credibility.Working in the White House is by nature not an easy job. Working in the White House as the official spokesperson for this administration appears to be even more challenging. Sanders may have met the expectations of her boss (she certainly demonstrated consistent, unquestioned loyalty)—but at what cost? Not only did she seem ineffective in managing her function, but her actions raise questions about her approach to the job—and they cast a shadow on how other spokespeople work as well.Spokespeople of all stripes—whether in corporate or government--will likely be scrutinized more closely from here out. Are they going to accuse their audience of creating fake news? Will they ask the media to accept scenarios and explanations that don’t seem plausible? Are they there to serve as a conduit for communications—or to be a mouthpiece for the leaders they represent?Here’s the lessons C-Suite executives and corporate spokespeople can take away from this experience.
- This is a relationship business. It’s even more important than ever to build relationships that cross political or strategic viewpoints, disagreements, or policies. There’s nothing wrong with holding divergent views, but personal attacks are unwarranted and damaging to everyone involved.
- Give the benefit of doubt to your audience. Don’t presume they’re damaged. Give them the opportunity to work with you, not against you. In most cases, the media do not want to see you fail—unless you give them cause to mistrust you.
- Don’t put your spokespeople in a no-win position. Don’t ask them to do the impossible. If you’re got bad news to deliver, do it with compassion and empathy. If you have a message you need to get across, do it with respect for the intelligence and professionalism of those on the other side.
- Let your people do their job. A spokesperson is there to provide information about an organization to its key constituents. Not doing that for weeks at a time doesn’t help your cause or build credibility. It makes people wonder what’s going on behind the scenes that isn’t being communicated instead.
- A good spokesperson is a filter between the media and executives. They can carry messages between the two parties in a way that is beneficial for everyone. Neither Sanders nor her predecessor, Sean Spicer, embraced this part of the role. They became seen as a mouthpiece for an executive viewpoint, rather than a credible source of factual information.
Finally, remember integrity is critical. When it comes down to it, the most important factor all of us have going for us is our word. When the people you work with don’t believe they can trust what you say or how and when you say it, you have a problem that transcends the individual and tarnishes the reputation of the organization you represent. There isn’t a spokesperson in the world who can save you then.
About the Author: Linda J. Popky, founder of Leverage2Market Associates, is an award-winning Silicon Valley-based strategic marketing expert who is the author of the book Marketing Above the Noise: Achieve Strategic Advantage with Marketing that Matters. Follow her on Twitter at @popky #mktgabove.
