Every profession is daily going through a lot of changes. To keep pace with the trend one must keep his eyes open and be willing to dance to the rhythm of the new tune. If we must keep dancing to the old rhythm, it is obvious our dancing steps will not match the rhythm.
Corporate communication is all encompassing. Professional must have the right information from marketing, sales, production and all manner of departments to be able to communicate or give out right information. Information sharing platforms also have become varied and the sooner one masters or get accustom to these media the better. In this piece today we want to examine together essential demands that can help a corporate communication professional function maximally in his/her post. The list is not exhaustive but can become helpful if they are known.
Business intelligence: in a lay man’s language, this is the ability to source for right information, analyse them so that one is guided or be in position to help other Senior employees to make informed decision in their day to day activities. We know the market environment is tough, only the tough can survive. If there is no adequate and advanced information about competitor at the disposal of your company, It is a matter of time before the entity will become oblivious.
Effective communication is based on right information which sometimes must be exclusive. This will help the company to gain the listening ears of all the stakeholders. If what you push out is outdated and has no direct impact, usefulness to your public, you will soon gradually lose all the respect and attention you should command. Business intelligence efforts must not be left in the hands of sales people alone, the more value you bring to the table the better for you.
Media savvy: if you hate the media, you have no value holding this position. You need to be accustomed to all the techniques of media relations which can better enhance the profile of your organization. over exposure may be bad but lack or no visibility at all will not help. Given the fact that media is now also varied, a true professional who will worth his onion must also know how to take the advantage in every media platform. You cannot afford to hate any platform which your stakeholder uses. Keep your hatred at the door and do your job. If video platforms appeal to your audience do not stick only to audio or printed media only. You cannot make much impact that way.
Relationship management: the dynamics of relationship management is changing. Couple with physical contacts is now virtual relationships at the global level. How much of this you can handle will determine how far you can go
Crisis skill :no one prays for crisis but it is is part of life. You do not really know if you can handle or tolerate other people until you have a crisis at hand. You do not also know the worth of patience, endurance and adequate preparation until real crisis hits your lane. Be exceptionally informed and develop right skills in this area. Many of us In developing countries need to continually learn from counterparts in advanced Countries. It will do us a whole lot of good.
Diplomatic but truthful: diplomacy is part of corporate communication skill but as we know there is often a thin line between this and falsehood, propaganda and half truth. Many cross the line easily. Truth today is becoming a social capital and It is soon placed in front of everyone in this age of technology. You need to work out the details here to be taken serious.
Information and data management : in addition to the above, information and data management is very essential today. Data management is no longer the confine of research and development department, to be seen as valuable have your information at your finger tip through adequate data management.
Public speaking: it is not only what you know, how you say what you know will go a long way in building your trust and ‘believability’ quotient. Be warned. Hone your public speaking skills. You will never regret this any day.
Story telling: of course we know we are in the age of creative sorry telling, corporate communication professionals must constantly hone their story telling ability.