[00:00:00] Hi, and welcome to Less Chatter, More Matter, a podcast about all things communication without the waffle. I'm Mel Loi, and in this show, I'll give you short, punchy, practical communication tips and insights you can start using in your communication practices right away. I'm a former corporate communication executive who happily took a redundancy, started my own business, and never looked back.

[00:00:32] These days I use my 20 plus years of experience to guide organizations of all shapes and sizes in how to communicate more effectively. I'm wife to Michael, auntie to 12 nieces and nephews, a gym owner, group fitness instructor, yoga teacher, and a bunch of other things as well. I promise these episodes will always be short, sharp, and insightful, so let's get amongst it.

[00:00:56] Mel: Hello friend, welcome back to less chatter, [00:01:00] more matter. It is a delight to have you here, whether this is your first time tuning in or your 31st time tuning in. As always, I would love to get your feedback on the podcast. What's working for you. What's not any topics you'd like me to cover. And also if you could take two minutes today to your podcast app of choice, I would be most grateful.

[00:01:22] Mel: So let's get stuck into today's episode, which is all about the practical. Comms skills that we think comms pros should have more specifically. These are the practical skills that I think those new to the profession should be equipped with. So whether that's new graduates, people who are about to graduate or people who are shifting careers, maybe you're a project manager or change manager.

[00:01:46] Mel: And you've been told, Hey, we need you to do the comms now as well. These are the skills I reckon you should have. Here's the thing. Over time, comms teams are getting smaller and smaller. So [00:02:00] that means two things. Number one, it's even more competitive than ever before to land your first comms job. And number two, it means that people in those teams have less time than ever before to be able to mentor and grow new professionals.

[00:02:16] Mel: So as much as they'd love to do that, they need to prioritize where they spend their time. And a leader is probably now more likely to hire somebody with at least some experience than none at all. The other reason for this topic today is that I've noticed through my own hiring experience in recent times that graduates don't appear to be equipped with these.

[00:02:40] Mel: basic practical skills I would think they should have. And that's no fault of your own, if that is you. Maybe the courses haven't kept up. Maybe those courses are more theoretical than practical. Maybe grads haven't had enough opportunity to get work experience during their studies. Whatever the case, I'm [00:03:00] not seeing those practical skills that resource poor teams need them to have to join the team with at least some practical capabilities from day one. Could we teach these skills in a team? Yes. But as I said, resource poor teams just don't have the time for that these days. Also, if you are looking at a career change or you're looking to add comms to your current work and whether that's by choice or not, these skills will also come in handy and put you ahead of the rest.

[00:03:31] Mel: So I hope that today's episode will give you some ideas for the skill set you need to build, or perhaps you pass this on to somebody who you know will benefit. And by the way, I also have a special offer for you at the end of today's episode, so make sure you stay tuned in for that. So here are the five practical skills you'll need to be undeniable to a future employer and give you a head start.

[00:03:56] Mel: Number one, be able to write great copy with [00:04:00] purpose. Writing is still the number one core skill communication professionals are expected to have. To be able to write great copy that gets a message across. Resonates with your audiences and reflects your brand is absolutely key. And despite artificial intelligence and tools like chat GPT coming online, they are nowhere near the level of skill and nuance we need in our own writing.

[00:04:25] Mel: They don't have common sense and they don't know your brand and they don't know your audience. So being able to write purposeful copy that is on brand and speaks to your audience is a crucial skill. Also, you need to be able to tailor that copy for different audiences and different channels. The challenge is getting out of the habit of writing that flowery academic style of writing we get used to at university.

[00:04:53] Mel: Or the long winded writing we've just always done; that kind of writing isn't reflective of what we [00:05:00] need in a modern comms environment. And it also takes extra time for people to review. And again, there's not a lot of time to spare for that. So you are going to have to learn how to write concisely; write snappy, sharp prose that grabs attention. There's lots of ways you can learn this - there's courses, you can look at examples online. You can reach out to people who you think are great writers and ask them for tips and feedback on your own writing. Find ways to learn and then be able to demonstrate that skill when you're meeting prospective employers.

[00:05:34] Mel: The second core skill set you'll need is to be able to write a comms strategy and a plan. Now, I absolutely do not expect somebody fresh to the profession to be able to produce one of these at the level my senior consultants do, right? But knowing the basics about what goes into a comms plan, how you create one that serves different audiences and choosing the right tactics and channels [00:06:00] is a great start.

[00:06:01] Mel: The feedback I've received from some friends who have tutored in universities is that, when tasked with creating a communications plan, students are often instead producing a business plan or a marketing plan, not a comms plan. They are all different things. And particularly when it comes to change or internal communication.

[00:06:22] Mel: So you'll need to know what those differences are and what to include in your communication plan. I recommend finding some opportunities to practice writing strategies and plans, even if it's on a volunteer basis for a local business or a charity. See if you can find someone who can also review that plan for you.

[00:06:42] Mel: You could also seek out further training. So my communication career fundamentals course, for example, I teach you how to write a great comms plan. So there's plenty of opportunities out there for you.

[00:06:55] Mel: The third skill is being able to create and manage a content plan. So [00:07:00] these days content is king. Content drives visibility of brands and individuals. We don't do the advertising in newspapers like we used to. We do it all through channels, through like social media and websites, all those sorts of things. And with so many different channels to feed, driving that visibility and engagement of content has become the cornerstone of work for many comms teams.

[00:07:28] Mel: So being able to develop a content plan that outlines what you'll say, Through which channel and when is absolutely vital, especially being able to demonstrate how that content helps you achieve business objectives and aligns with an organization's brand. Also, you need to know how to tailor that content for different channels, depending on the algorithms they use, how they're designed and what drives engagement.

[00:07:54] Mel: Content planning and development is a full time job for many people. That's how critical it is. We [00:08:00] do quite a bit of content for our clients and that's a weekly job because things also change really quickly. So we are planning week by week in many cases. As well as creating the content. Now again, I teach you how to create this content plan in my course, but you can also learn about this stuff a myriad of other ways.

[00:08:18] Mel: So, for example, do a quick Google search for a content planner template. There are also courses on LinkedIn about content creation. And again, volunteer for an organization. Volunteers manage their, a couple of their social media channels, for example. Learn from others as well.

[00:08:36] Mel: The next skill, which ties in with our content planning, is knowing how to use digital channels. So this means having a really good understanding of websites, social media, podcasts, even intranet. We live in a digital world, and these channels are central to business communication, both internally and externally. So knowing how to manage these channels, [00:09:00] at least at a high level, is absolutely imperative.

[00:09:03] Mel: Now you may not know all the ins and outs of the algorithms. I don't think any of us really do, but having that understanding of how these channels work for both paid and organic content, what drives search engine optimization and how to measure effectiveness is a great start and it will make you highly valued.

[00:09:23] Mel: Again, look out for some courses online to learn about this. So places like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Allison, et cetera, et cetera. Just do a Google search if you have to. Also have a look at what top performing brands are doing across various social media channels. So you've got some good examples you can draw on as well.

[00:09:44] Mel: The final practical skill I'll talk about today is the ability to take a great comms brief. This is so critical to saving Everyone time in the long run, if you know the right questions to ask up front to get the information you need, there's going to be less back and [00:10:00] forth on your comms plan and your key messages.

[00:10:02] Mel: That's going to save a lot of time and a lot of angst. Getting clarity up front also means you're able to offer the best advice to your client, whether that's internal or external. And also in the process of actually taking the brief, it's. It can be a really great opportunity to build relationships with your clients because you get to know them as you're chatting through this, what's important to them, and they get the sense that you are this trusted advisor.

[00:10:26] Mel: So building those relationships from day one is absolutely critical in any business, to be honest. So how do you learn to take a comms brief? Again, hunt down some templates. I'll give you one in my course and walk you through it. Find an experienced comms pro, ask them to share the tips with you, then give it a go yourself. And again, being able to demonstrate you have this skill when you're approaching a prospective employer or starting a new role will show the value you can add right away.

[00:10:57] Mel: Okay, so let's recap today's episode. [00:11:00] The five key practical comms skills I think every comms pro should have are: number one, being able to write great copy with purpose.

[00:11:09] Mel: Snappy on brand copy that resonates with your audiences. Number two is knowing how to write a communication strategy and plan. And again, I don't expect this to be done at the level of someone with many years of experience, but you should know what goes into one. You should also be able to create and manage a content plan.

[00:11:29] Mel: So feeding that beast that is the million channels every week, week on week and knowing how to tailor content for different channels and audiences. And the fourth skill is knowing the basics of how to use digital channels. So including websites, intranets, podcasts, and social media channels. No comms pro can get by these days without knowing at least the basics.

[00:11:52] Mel: And finally, being able to take a great comms brief, setting you up for success with your strategy and helping to build relationships. [00:12:00] So if you can show you have those five practical skills, I promise you, people will be very, very interested in having you on their team, even if you have limited experience.

[00:12:11] Mel: It's because you'll be able to show you can hit the ground running 10 steps ahead of any other new professional. It also shows that you have a learning mindset and you've invested your time in those skills, which is exactly what we want on any team, not just in comms.

[00:12:29] Mel: Now speaking of learning, here's that special deal I talked about at the top of the episode. I am super, super excited. And excitement is my favorite emotion, by the way, so this is great - to launch my first online course: communication career fundamentals. It's in pilot phase at the moment and will be launched in a couple of weeks. So, in the course, we go through in much more detail everything I've mentioned today, including: building a stakeholder engagement plan, creating a broader corporate affairs strategy, [00:13:00] selecting the right channels to use, tips for best practice accessibility with digital channels, and so much more.

[00:13:07] Mel: It's six self paced modules, all online, that are designed to give you, or maybe someone you know, the skills to be undeniably employable. You'll also get a pack of 10 fully customizable templates. So I'm giving you templates for things like a communication strategy and plan, a channels matrix, stakeholder matrix, content plan, key messages... the lot, it's basically your starter pack. You'll also get a resource guide, which is packed full of links and tools to explore and a 30 minute one on one coaching call with me.

[00:13:40] Mel: So you can ask me anything about comms or your career progression in that 30 minute session. So here's the deal. Sign up to the wait list by the end of September and you will get a massive discount off the course price. So for that discounted price, you will get all of those templates, the six [00:14:00] modules, the resource guide, and a coaching call.

[00:14:02] Mel: Now a coaching call with me for about 45 minutes alone is normally anywhere from 150 to 350 dollars. So keep that in mind when you start to explore the course. Now, if this sounds like something you or someone, you know, might be interested in, the links are in the show notes or shoot me a message if you have questions.

[00:14:24] Mel: So go to the show notes, sign up to the wait list. You'll get an email as soon as the course is open to everybody with that special deal. In the meantime, thank you for tuning into another episode and I will see you all again next week. Have a great week, keep doing amazing things and bye for now.