As mark Zuckerberg prepares to testify before Congress for the fiasco of Facebook privacy, experts of public relations who have prepared prior to SEO there are many tips to care for hot seat.
Among them: appear sympathetic and be ready to be beaten. To take responsibility. Don’t feign ignorance. And keep in mind that this is more political theater than public policy. The so-called “optics” —how it looks is not as important as what you say.
The stakes are high: CEO testifies in Washington lost a job, faced perjury investigations, and otherwise endured the public humiliation. It is not convenient for those who are in positions of authority essentially to kowtow to the Congress in a television.
“It’s intense, experience grinding, draining mentally and physically,” said Ronn Torossian, founder and CEO of PR Agency 5WPR.
As with those who have trained managers in the past, he could not call former customers because of confidentiality agreements. Torosyan said appearing in front of Congress – “this is a very exciting event for strong men.” But Zuckerberg can learn from those who went before him.
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TO PREPARE, COOK, COOK
Zuckerberg needs to spend days, if not weeks, after reviewing the layout of the room and with specific members of Congress, including the most difficult questions they can ask. CEO of Facebook began to be willing to answer questions.
When BP chief Tony Hayward appeared before Congress regarding oil spill Deepwater Horizon in 2010, he denied involvement or knowledge of the problem in many cases. This is a classic response, to avoid trouble with the law, but that doesn’t make him sympathetic to the audience. Hayward lost his job about a month.
“He was very well-prepared lawyers, but this does not rest well with the American public,” said Richard levick, founder and CEO of PR firm levick. He said Zuckerberg need advice from lobbyists and communication specialists, too.
Helio Fred Garcia, who as President of logos Consulting Group prepared an unnamed banking, pharmaceutical and other leaders, said client CEO has passed his trial hearing in which someone said some very rude things, knocks him out. He showed a video of his expression to make sure that he didn’t want to repeat it before the Senate. The verdict? “He kept his job, so everything went well,” said Garcia.
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ARRIVE MODESTLY
One of the most shameful missteps occurred before CEOs even got in the door. In 2008, the leaders of the three major automakers flew private jets to Washington to ask Congress for Federal assistance. The fiasco of public relations followed.
When the leaders returned to Capitol Hill two weeks later for a second round of hearings, they traveled by car.
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ACCEPT YOUR LOSS
Leaders can be used to get your own way, but they can’t control during the hearing. Garcia said that could lead to their “big hit”.
Zuckerberg needs to understand that he is under the gun and swallow my pride. His job is not to try to convince the senators anything but let the senators Express their anger.
“This is not educational forum,” said Garcia. “This is a highly ritualized part of the theater.”
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DON’T FEIGN IGNORANCE
When the CEO of the company “wells Fargo,” John Stumpf spoke before the Senate banking Committee in 2016 for the creation of unauthorized accounts of the Bank, he feigned ignorance About some details. He was roasted on senators, not recognizing the scale of the problem and his responsibility. Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-mass., and other senators called for his dismissal; he resigned in a few weeks.
It is important to take responsibility and meet so simple, said John Hellerman, founder of the PR firm Hellerman connection.
At the same time, Zuckerberg is not too bogged down in technical explanations, Garcia said. The hearing puts the spotlight on leadership and accountability, not technical details. Garcia said that Zuckerberg should “speak from the point of view of leadership: ‘it was a massive failure and I’m sorry'”.
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SPIN IT FORWARD
Zuckerberg probably won’t lose his job over this, but a bad appearance in Congress may have other consequences — mainly, disputes staying in the news.
So his goal is to be to recognize anger and try to move on. He had to accept the fact that regulation-rather, “so this is his chance to help shape and direct that this provision might look like,” said Hellerman.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
