What Makes a Great Communications Strategist?
If you’re thinking about a career in public relations, wondering how to sharpen your existing skills or evaluating agencies to support your organization’s communications goals, understanding the role of a communications strategist is key.
In an ever-evolving media landscape, a great strategist doesn’t just “get coverage.” They are architects of influence who translate complex ideas into compelling narratives. They create strategies, targeted and grounded in a deep understanding of how messages are disseminated in the modern information ecosystem.
But what separates the good from the great? Three essential qualities stand out: Listening, Focus and Honesty.
Great strategists are great listeners.
Communication is a two-way street. Before you can craft a message, you have to understand the terrain: what your client wants, what your audience will hear and what gaps the strategy needs to fill. Sometimes listening is just as important, if not more, than talking. A good strategist can take a step back and recognize when it is time to listen.
Effective listening requires more than just receiving information from somebody else. You have to put yourself in the mind of your client to understand what they truly mean, beyond just the words coming out of their mouth. For example, a client may say they want to put out a press release about a new partnership. On the surface, the request seems straightforward—they’re excited, they want visibility and they want it fast. But a great strategist knows that wanting a press release is often about more than distributing a document. It’s about a deeper objective: perhaps they want to attract investors, signal credibility to their peers or align themselves with a trending topic in their industry.
A great strategist will probe deeper to learn why it’s important and what outcomes their client is hoping for. They’ll listen to the words, of course, and they’ll also listen for the intent behind them to shape the strategy accordingly.
The world is overwhelmed by information. Countless facts, opinions and news stories exist, and it would be impossible for PR professionals to sort through them all. The ability to filter, prioritize and structure that information – identifying which information is most salient for their clients’ and audiences’ needs – is precisely where great strategists thrive.
Without focus, a communications plan becomes a scattershot effort. Great strategists are hyperaware of the news cycle, constantly keeping up with everything going on in the world and thinking about where their clients’ stories fit in. But just because something in the news seems relevant doesn’t mean a client should act on it. Strategists evaluate whether their client has something meaningful to add to the conversation—whether their voice will enhance it rather than add to the noise or become trapped in an echo chamber.
A strong client-strategist relationship is built on, ironically, effective communication. They’re on the same team, working toward the same objective, but that doesn’t mean every idea is a home run, or every announcement deserves front-page coverage.
It’s tempting to tell clients – who want to have the highest possible impact on their target audience as quickly as possible – what they want to hear. But not every story is worthy of a Wall Street Journal feature, and your favorite reporter from the Los Angeles Times may not want to cover your upcoming program launch. Overselling breeds disappointment, so conveying that reality upfront is crucial.
The better move is to tell them what the audience needs to hear and where their story actually resonates. Good strategists will ask questions that the client may not want to hear the answer to: Is this story newsworthy? Is the timing right? Is the potential reward worth the effort? Is the message ready? Taking time to evaluate all sides of a possible story is often the most effective way to move forward.
Still, strategists will assure their clients that they have their best interests at heart and will do whatever they can to support their goals, fostering a positive, collaborative dialogue throughout the communications process.
Whether you’re an aspiring PR professional, a seasoned communicator seeking to elevate your craft or a company deciding who to trust with your message, these three qualities—listening, organization and honesty—are non-negotiable.
Great communications strategists don’t chase headlines for the sake of it. They craft strategies with care, purpose and a clear-eyed understanding of what will truly move the needle for their clients.
