The article was written by Ms. Khong Loan - a seasoned journalist and currently a spokesperson/communication coach for business leaders in Vietnam. She is also an Advisor of Women In Tech Vietnam & Women Tech Entrepreneurs (WTE). This article was originally published on cafebiz.vn. It has been translated and adapted by WTE.

Why CEOs must prepare, script and control their message before using livestreams as a public platform

Livestreaming remains one of the most powerful communication and sales channels today. Yet the question that keeps resurfacing for business leaders is not whether to livestream, but how to do it without creating a crisis for themselves or their company. The risks can be serious - so much so that livestream hosting should be treated as a discipline that requires training and preparation.

From sales channel to leadership platform

Around the world - and particularly in China and Vietnam - companies have been quick to adopt livestreaming to bring brands and products directly to consumers. For many entrepreneurs, livestreams are an effective, immediate way to establish authenticity and spur sales.

Some leaders have turned livestreaming into a strategic pivot. Michael Minhong Yu, founder of New Oriental Education in China, famously shifted from education to livestream commerce after regulatory pressure on private tutoring. Partnering with former teachers, he combined live product sales with short English lessons related to those products - an approach that drew huge audiences, boosted revenue, and helped his company’s share price surge by over 80%. The success pushed him back into billionaire territory with an estimated net worth approaching $2 billion.

Dong Mingzhu, Chairwoman of Gree Electric, is another high-profile example. In a three-hour livestream, she reportedly sold household appliances worth as much as $43.7 million. These CEOs are ruthlessly focused on sales - while simultaneously building personal brands. Their public personas become company assets: when a CEO speaks directly, customers often feel they’re buying into a trustworthy face rather than just a faceless corporation

Pictured is Dong Mingzhu (second left), chairwoman of Gree, who sold a record number of air conditioners in a livestream session.

When livestreaming is purely for sales - and when it isn’t

For straightforward product selling, livestreaming is highly effective - provided hosts avoid denigrating competitors and instead highlight product value and benefits. In practice, however, not every leader gets it right. Liu Tao, CEO of Zhiji (an electric vehicle maker), had to issue public apologies three times after making negative remarks about competitors - a reminder that casual comments on livestream can spiral into reputational problems.

A different set of risks applies when leaders use livestreams to confide, share, or “tell their story” - what Vietnamese media calls “tâm sự.” While such livestreams may humanize leaders and foster trust, they also expose executives to considerably higher reputational and operational risk. Think of a livestreamed personal talk as a double-edged sword: it can cut through opacity and build intimacy, but if misused it can inflict severe damage.

The communication challenge: livestreaming is unforgiving

When an executive chooses to livestream personal reflections, they are effectively wielding a very sharp tool. Words and expressions broadcast live cannot be edited or taken back. That’s why leaders must ask themselves: is this livestream necessary? Wanting to speak is different from needing to speak.

Other practical considerations include duration and audience control. A two - to three-hour open livestream is analogous to holding a press conference with no attendee vetting - anyone can listen, interpret, and amplify the message. This lack of control increases the chance of message distortion: listeners may draw wildly different conclusions from the same narrative. Moreover, unscripted length often leads to rambling, which makes it harder to keep the message focused.

In short, when leaders address the public they must speak accurately, concisely, relevantly, and in ways that are easily understood and likeable. Few people can sustain those four criteria in long, live broadcasts without careful training.

Why less is more - and how to avoid Pandora’s box

A guiding principle for public remarks is: saying less reduces risk. Great public speakers convey inspiration and direction with measured words. Long, unfocused livestreams multiply messages and create openings for misinterpretation; in times of crisis, lengthy public monologues often erode trust rather than build it.

The leader’s public appearances gain value because they are rare. To deliver a clear message, leaders need to focus not only on what they say but how and where they say it. In a multi-hour livestream, a single slip of the tongue, an awkward glance, the wrong wardrobe choice, poor lighting, or a cramped set can change how audiences perceive the message - sometimes catastrophically. The highest level of craft is to make a meticulously planned presentation feel spontaneous. If those decisions aren’t carefully made, the livestream does more harm than good.

Journalist and speech coach Khong Loan warns: “A livestream can carry a company to great success or throw it into an unnecessary reputation crisis.”

Practical rules for leaders who decide to livestream “heartfelt” messages

If leaders still choose to livestream, here are concrete, practical guidelines to reduce risk:

1. Be in the right physical and emotional condition.
   Your voice tone and facial expression influence trust more than almost anything. If you feel unwell or emotionally fragile, postpone the livestream.

2. Prepare content diligently.
   Rehearse. Focus on one clear message or story per session. Too many topics dilute impact and raise risk.

3. Only livestream when there is a clear need.
   Distinguish need from want. Speak when the message is important, symbolic, or necessary - and then keep it short and consistent.

4. Avoid oversharing personal details.
   Personal anecdotes must be purposeful and symbolically valuable. Random personal revelations create opportunities for misinterpretation.

A final thought: prudence pays

As Lao Tzu wrote, “He who knows when to stop will not meet danger. He who knows contentment is richest of all.” In the era of real-time livestreaming, leaders must plan with even greater care than when speaking behind closed doors. A livestream is a message to the world - not the same as addressing your internal team in a meeting room. Treat it accordingly.

Source: Cafebiz.vn