What does it take to be successful in the marketing & communications field today? Professionals should offer much more than the usual writing skills and project management experience. Below find a few ideas of what today’s professional needs to bring to the table:

1) A thorough knowledge of the complete sales lead process is an important priority, including the difference between a sales cycle and a sales funnel.

2) Successful marketing communications pros see the overall big picture, well-versed in exactly how the company’s products and product life cycles synch with business objectives. Professionals need to have this info to understand the part their work plays in the overall scenario, beyond just the next campaign or launch.

3) Marketing technology savvy is also important, including familiarity with current tools. Now that about 50% of the average marketing budget is spent on the Internet, using software to manage campaigns can offer improved results. A successful marcom professional can’t get away with saying they aren’t technically-oriented.

4) A good grasp of mathematics is key in today’s marketing, where managers require a calculation of the return on their marketing investment.

5) Good presentation skills are also needed, including inter-personal, group, phone and email formats. This skill will prove essential when persuasion is needed to compel the boss to increase the budget, provide more staff or grant a raise or promotion.

6) Of course ‘business know-how’ is a sweeping term which means a wide span of basics including manufacturing, accounting, development, and marketing. The span of valuable business knowledge is endless.

Still, the good old-fashioned initiative to run with the ball and form positive relationships on the fly remains essential. If a marcom professional doesn’t quite get how to manage the product and develop teams while speaking the business, they need a refresher course.