Why Are Interpersonal Skills and Communication Skills Important in the Business Environment?

Communication skills in the business environment

Good communication skills are important in many aspects of life, and the business environment is certainly no exception. No matter how talented an individual may be, if they lack the skills required to turn their thoughts into useful contributions then it will be to the firm’s disadvantage. Skills like the ability to make effective and attention-grabbing presentations are extremely important to a variety of businesses when trying to win new clients. For example, an employee could have spent hours producing the most brilliant presentation that has ever been created in order to win a contract from a potential client, but if they lack the interpersonal skills to present it effectively and confidently then it is unlikely to convince those listening to the presentation that the firm could deliver on its promises and that it ‘simply has’ to choose your firm over the competition, and the new order will be lost. Can your business really afford to let that happen?

Handling the media

Similarly when it comes to handling the media, good communication skills are vital in order to get your organisation’s message across. A failure to get that message across could lead to a loss of potential sales if, for example, customers are not aware of your amazing new special offer. Just as failing to get you organisation’s message across is bad, putting out a misleading or factually incorrect message can be just as disastrous. This can make your business look incompetent and unprofessional, leading to a decline in corporate image. You could also potentially be sued if an interviewee from your organisation gets flustered and makes an outburst which contains defamatory or slanderous comments about another person or professional body. A good level of media training will equip them with the skills needed to handle the media, even under hostile and intense questioning.