Beyond being a natural communicator, having impeccable writing skills and the ability to pitch a potential story, communication consultants are increasingly required to possess a sense of business acumen.
1. Leadership
Whether you hold a management position or not, leadership skills are vital to workplace success. Beyond implementing processes, leadership focuses on the people and vision that guide change.
Enhancing your leadership skills is a critical business skill for communication consultants. From learning how emotional intelligence impacts your leadership style to develop an understanding of leadership during a crisis, these critical skills will help you understand how to bring your vision to life and set your team up for success.
2. Strategy and Planning
At their core, all campaigns are about planning and strategy and knowing how to effectively manage your resources, including time, money, and staff will help you to achieve your goals.
Ultimately, without a good strategy, it would be impossible for a communications consultant to ensure that they were having the correct impact on an audience with their communication solutions or releasing press content at the right time.
For communication consultants establishing an understanding of the purpose of strategic planning for organizational change and growth is intrinsic to your organisation’s success.
The “strategic planning” part of communication sets it apart as a critical component of building a business and managing a company reputation.
3. Collaboration and Maximising Your Influence
Collaboration and teamwork are vital to business success. For a communication consultant, they carry several benefits from better communication to increased employee satisfaction to a higher product or service quality.
The art of collaboration isn’t just one thing, though; it’s a complex network of interrelated skills.
To collaborate, you must be good at asking questions, respecting others’ contributions, generating their trust and considering their perspectives.
Embracing these skills will help you develop the right communications strategies and on-target messaging to engage with stakeholders. These skills contribute to an employee’s ability to collaborate effectively, and there’s another essential component of collaboration: emotional intelligence and awareness.
4. Communication
Today’s media and communication landscape are so fluid that communication consultants must demonstrate agility and possess effective written, verbal and non-verbal communication skills that will help you to build good working relationships.
From navigating thought-leadership content on LinkedIn to communicating on Clubhouse, consultants must continue to remain open-minded and challenge themselves to remain aware of changing behaviour and communication styles.
5. Financial Management
Financial management is a critical business skill for communication consultants.
The know-how of finance and its implications on your organisation can benefit your career, especially for communications consultants who may not come from a financial background. While it can seem like an intimidating subject, it’s far more approachable than you might think.
Concepts such as cash flow and profitability help understand your organisation’s performance and potential. And knowing how to read and interpret a balance sheet is critical for communicating financial results.
The Importance Of Business Essentials
No matter your industry, an understanding of essential business concepts can help you better understand your organisation’s performance and equip you with the tools needed to spearhead initiatives and drive strategic decision-making.
For communications consultants, especially those who excel at “softer” skills such as public speaking, writing and non-verbal communication, mastering “hard” skills such as financial management, strategy development, and leadership tactics are required to advance your career.
Business skills provide a framework for communication consultants seeking to advance their careers and improve communication. They contribute to inspiring others to drive innovation, sustainability, and positive change in your organisation.
For more information on how you can adopt the 5 critical business skills for required for all communication practitioners, please contact a member of the Koukash Consultancy Team at info@koukashconsultancy.com
Koukash Consultancy
We advise global brands, business and organisations on reputation, communications and public affairs and partner with them to create impactful communication through our beskpoke solutions.
We specialise in protecting and promoting business, brands and individuals through public relations & strategy development, reputation management, media relations and through leadership, learning & development and executive coaching.
