How comms professionals show our value to people who don’t know what we do
As any communications professional can attest to, many people have no idea what we do. Whether it’s that aunt who thinks you make PowerPoints for a living, or your friend who knows you work corporate and write stuff that’s important.. But what that “stuff” is? They have no idea.
Being a communications professional means we can spend a lot of time showcasing what we do and why it’s important, and the other half actually doing it. So what if we could give you some easy tips on demonstrating your value so you could focus more on the doing? Plus, people might know what you do a little better! Read on to learn all about how.
1. Let’s talk value, not tasks
Start by talking about the value that communications professionals bring to the table - rather than merely listing tasks. By aligning communication efforts with strategic business goals, professionals can demonstrate their contribution to employee attraction, engagement, retention, brand awareness, reputation management, customer satisfaction, and sales. Real-world evidence, such as improvements in NPS (net promoter scores) metrics and employee engagement, adds credibility to these claims… the proof is in the pudding, right?
2. Make it about them!
Understanding your audience is key, and when dealing with C-suite executives or senior leaders, the focus should be on how communication adds value to them personally. Addressing their goals, like improving engagement scores, building their personal brand, and positioning them as thought leaders, helps to tailor the message to resonate with their interests and concerns. In reality, they want to see your role add value as a tool that assists them in achieving their financial targets and managing costs on projects.
3. More business case, less wishy-washy
Crafting a compelling business case means presenting evidence that supports the need for not only your role, but any additional communication resources. This could be highlighting poor engagement scores, customer satisfaction scores, social media metrics, brand reputation research, and comparative analyses with competitors. Show the decision makers why it’s crucial for your role to play a part!
4. Share real-life examples
Real-life case studies serve as powerful illustrations of the impact of effective communication and can boost your case for the need for communications professionals. Try to to compile case studies showcasing instances where communication contributed to the success of a business goal or project, as well as scenarios where poor communication led to negative outcomes - i.e. anything that’s occurred in your business where comms could have changed the outcome. The key, however, is in making sure you can show how comms would have impacted the outcome positively with real examples. The importance of leveraging these examples to demonstrate tangible implications is what drives decisions.
5. The BBQ chat
The absolute winner of making sure people know your role value is in explaining your role simply and without jargon, using relatable analogies. Try using a storytelling approach, such as comparing a communications expert to a professional golfer who understands the lay of the land and strategically plans their actions. Analogies help put the role of communication into a context that resonates with the audience, making it more tangible and easily understandable. If you can’t provide context to those without it, they’ll continue to assume your day-to-day involves a lot of typing… and that’s it.
By focusing on the unique contributions, aligning with strategic goals, and presenting evidence-backed business cases, comms pros can overcome misconceptions and secure the recognition and support we need to make a real difference (and build a real team!) in amongst those in the corporate world. So… what will your analogy be?
