Why communications professionals are not necessarily communicative

If you're not in the communications business you might be surprised to learn how few communications professionals actually like to be in the spotlight.

You could be forgiven for assuming anyone who chooses this profession would have a love for communicating, that they were eager to be on camera or on stage, or that they were gregarious extroverts who couldn't stop communicating.

But that's actually not the case. While there are clearly some comms people who love to talk, in my experience the range of personalities is as diverse as in every other industry.

There are four personality groups of CliftonStrengths®, namely Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking. The Influencing talents are rarer than all the others – even in the communications industry.

But just because communication professionals don't have Influencing talents doesn't mean that they can't influence. They might have a predominance of Executing or Strategic Thinking talents, which means they are exceptionally creative at conceiving communication plans, and exceptionally efficient at executing them. No Influencing Talents required.

The result is many communications professionals are very happy to push their spokespeople into the limelight, without ever wanting to be in the limelight themselves. If this describes you, you will know about the friction this causes:

1. Spokespeople might resent being pushed forward while you remain backstage
2. There are times when communication professionals do need to step up. If the main spokesperson for your organization is unavailable, the duty to speak on behalf of the company will fall on you
3. There are other instances when you need to step up, such as when you have to manage your press conferences or earnings calls.

The good news is, even comms people who do not want to be in the limelight can get comfortable there. That's where "Comms Coaching for Comms Teams" comes in.

What you will learn

1. Where your stage fright comes from, and how to overcome it
2. How to succeed in the comms industry, even if you're an introvert
3. Empathy with your spokespeople
4. How to best cater to the unique personalities of the spokespeople you serve
5. How to play to the strengths that make you an excellent communication professional
6. How to build a cohesive communications team

Practical exercises

Participants get hands-on training and practise in one or more of the following:

1. How to manage a press conference
2. How to write a press release
3. How to launch, manage and present a podcast or thought-leadership webcast
4. How to create your own audio and video content in-house
5. How to moderate a panel discussion

Bonus

Participants produce a podcast or LinkedIn video they can actually publish in our radio and television studio.