The Science Council ran a speaker training session a few weeks ago for Registered Science Technicians (RSciTech) and Registered Scientists (RSci) who had answered the call to "tell their story".

It was the first time I had tried something like this and I knew success hinged on getting the right people together: a group that represented the different roles that science technicians play in our modern workforce, but who could also communicate well. Around 30 people had filled in a short webform expressing their interest and giving a bit of background to their career and their experience as a professional scientist or technician.

I whittled these down to six, based on their enthusiasm and willingness to tell a story, as well as the different job roles they had. But, in reality, I knew very little about them, so it was with some trepidation I made my way to the venue on Saturday morning.

The session was run by an experienced media professional called Susan Bookbinder. We decided to take a media approach because in interviews you have only a few minutes to get your message across. With the fast pace and low attention span of modern communication, we need to explain the importance of technicians in a soundbite or two at most.

I needn't have worried! Our six registrants – 3 RSciTechs and 3 RScis – were brilliant. The day began with a bit of background, why we were here and what the Science Council hoped to get out of it. The answer: scientists and technicians primed to promote professional registration with confidence and charisma.

Over the course of the first few hours, we realised preparation was key, along with a clear sense of the message you wanted to convey. If someone asks you about a different topic entirely, simply deflect the question and respond with: "I'm here to tell you about…" It's not rude, it's assertive. We were all clearly far too polite.

By the end of the day, the soundbites were flowing thick and fast: "We help kids learn to love science," "We're always going to need technical support, there will always be a job for technicians," and one of my favourites: "professional recognition – the answer to the invisible technician workforce."

The best part of the day though, was the privilege of hearing the very people professional registration is there to help explain why it matters to them. I can't wait to unleash this first cohort of registration champions on the world to tell their stories.

If you want to know more about being a Science Council registration champion contact Hannah Kowszun at [email protected] .