The Corporate Communications Specialist’s Starter Pack

You just resumed in an organisation that has chosen to set up a Corporate Communications Unit so as not to be left behind.

They have seen the difference between their brand equity in the marketplace compared to those who are giving their brand some deliberate attention.

And like you already know, they want the same result without having to break the bank for it.

Make no mistake about this: any company that has been around for a while and is just newly setting up a Corporate Communications Department most likely might have felt at some point that it could do without the function. Someone in the Management Team or the Board most likely will be skeptical about the idea. After all, is it not something that HR can do effectively?

If you happen to find yourself in a situation like this, I have chosen to list out some things you will need to succeed in the role.

1.      Know Your Onions

The truth is that there are many “specialists” out there that have nothing special about them. They have just some general knowledge about what they are claiming to be specialists in.

For you to be a specialist in anything, you must have gained a level of mastery that cannot be faulted. As a Corporate Communications Specialist, you play a key role in how your colleagues, investors and the general public perceive the organisation. You have to be well grounded in internal and external communications for you to pass as a Corporate Communications Specialist. Just in case you have some knowledge or experience gap in any of the areas, your surest bet is to learn on the job and to learn real quick too.

2.      Build A Support Base

As a Corporate Communications Specialist, stakeholder management should be your forte, and this includes effectively managing your colleagues. Right from the very first day you are introduced to the employees by HR, you should do well to look out for people you can instantly build some form of friendship with. And you can do this effortlessly by looking out for the good in people so you can acknowledge and compliment it. Dale Carnegie talks about this in his book, How to Win Friends and Influence People (it’s a book I think you should read by the way).

The secret is that when you show yourself friendly, people will naturally want to be friends with you. Build and shore up this support base of colleagues-turned-friends. Let it be a mix of junior, mid-level and senior staff. Pay close attention to the last category, as they will be the ones defending you in the boardroom and in meetings that hold without you in attendance. If you do this well, you will be building allies without breaking the bank.

3.      Have A Clear Plan

During the interview process, you must have taken enough time to study the company and learn about what things you can help it achieve. As soon as you are offered the job, and well before your resumption date, you should draw up a detailed plan about what you want to achieve and how you would go about achieving it. Identify the low-hanging fruits that you can start with immediately, and also the long-term projects. The low-hanging fruits will help you gain instant credibility while the long-term projects will show the Management and Board that you have your head in the right place and that you intend being around for a long while.

Also, a clear plan will help you prioritise your goals, as there might be the tendency to feel overwhelmed as a result of resuming in a role where you have to build from the scratch.

It is at this early stage that the Management will be reviewing the decision it made to hire you and also deciding how much support they are willing to give you to help you succeed in your new role. Build friendship with the decision-makers in the company but make sure not to suck up to them. You will regret it over time if you do.

4.      Get Clear Support from Management

It is important to have some clear support from the start. Even before you accept the job offer, you need to confirm what resources would be available for you to work with. How many people would be on your team? If you are starting alone without a team, is the company willing to engage freelancers? What about a marketing agency? If there is anything you would need, it would be a full-fledged marketing agency to take your briefs and deliver results under your supervision. This will make for effectiveness in the new role.

The easiest way to fail is to take up the job, hoping to get the support of Management afterwards. Many companies hate spending money on marketing that promises mid and long-term results when they can spend half of that in sales and get immediate results. Make sure to get all the support from the beginning, otherwise, you will be very frustrated in the role.

5.      Deliver Results!

Yes, you read it right! Deliver results! If the company would be pumping some millions into the plans you drew up for the company or some existing marketing initiatives, then you had better deliver outstanding results to convince Management that it is money well spent. If you are executing a digital marketing campaign, activating an integrated marketing plan or handling an event marketing project, you owe it to the company to deliver results that would help increase brand visibility, build goodwill for the brand and increase the company’s brand equity. After all, that is what you are being paid for.

Also, there is no feeling that can trump that of delivering amazing results. I remember that night at Eko Hotel after ideating and executing about the biggest event of the year for a particular company, the smile on the MD’s face, the big hugs from different Management Staff and the nod of approval from other stakeholders were more than enough for me. For the next one week, I was on cloud nine and didn’t want to come down. That feeling is indescribable but not unachievable. Go for that feeling by delivering results!