What’s more important to an agency, outstanding technical capabilities or strong communication skills?

As a digital marketing recruitment agency and coming from an agency background ourselves, we have seen first hand the challenge of getting the skills balance right between good client communications, and the technical capability of the team, and when I say technical capability, I am referring to an individual’s skillset within a niche area of digital marketing. This could be a UX/UI Designer, a Paid Media Manager, an SEO specialist, a Developer, or even a Project Manager, where each has its own area of technical knowledge, understanding and experience.

So why is it so hard to find good people who posses both a strong client communication skillset, and strong technical ability skillset? And what can be one to improve things going forward?

Historically, we’ve been involved in hiring and placing hundreds of candidates into these technical roles, and there is always a real conflict of interest between these two skillsets. Good communication is essential for building relationships, achieving goals, and resolving conflict. It involves the ability to convey your message clearly and concisely, as well as to actively listen to and understand others. Lets explore this further.

Characteristics of being a good communicator

Here are some of the key characteristics of good communication that are essential attributes when recruiting good candidates for digital marketing jobs:

• Clarity: The message should be easy to understand, free of jargon and technical terms that your audience may not be familiar with.

• Conciseness: Avoid using unnecessary words and get to the point quickly and efficiently.

• Correctness: Make sure the information is accurate and that grammar and syntax are correct.

• Completeness: Provide all of the information that the audience needs to understand the message.

• Coherence: Your message should be organized in a logical way, with each point flowing smoothly into the next.

• Courtesy: Be polite and respectful.

• Active listening: Pay attention to what people are saying, ask clarifying questions, and summarize points to show understanding.

• Empathy: Try to see other perspectives and feelings.

• Non-verbal communication: Be aware of body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions, and use them to reinforce a message and engagement.

In addition to these general characteristics, there are also some specific things good communicators do in different situations. For example, when giving a presentation, it is important to be prepared and to practice delivery. When writing an email, be sure to proofread it carefully before sending it. And when having a difficult conversation with someone, stay calm and focus on the issue at hand. By following these tips, anyone can become a more effective agency communicator.

Characteristics of being a good SEO Manager

In contrast, let’s have a look at the skillsets of a technical role, and we could have picked any technical skill set here, but lets use a SEO Manager as an example.

A good SEO manager is someone who has a deep understanding of how search engines work and how to optimize websites for ranking higher in search results pages (SERPs). They are also able to develop and implement effective SEO strategies, and they are able to track and measure the results of their efforts. Here are some of the key characteristics of a good SEO manager:

• Technical knowledge: SEO managers need to have a solid understanding of technical SEO, including things like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This is necessary to be able to identify and fix technical issues on websites, and to implement technical SEO best practices.

• Content marketing: Content marketing is a key part of SEO, and SEO managers need to be able to develop and execute effective content marketing strategies. This includes things like keyword research, content creation, and link building.

• Data analysis: SEO managers need to be able to collect and analyze data from a variety of sources, including Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other SEO tools. This data is used to track the performance of SEO campaigns and to identify areas for improvement.

• Problem-solving skills: SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, so SEO managers need to be able to think critically and solve problems effectively. They also need to be able to adapt to changes in the search algorithm and to new trends in the SEO industry.

In addition to these key characteristics, good SEO managers are also typically passionate about SEO and are always looking for new ways to improve their skills and knowledge. They are also team players and are able to work effectively with others to achieve common goals.

Is communication more important than technical ability?

In a general sense, whether communication or technical ability is more important depends on the specific role and industry. However, in a digital, marketing, and creative setting, communication is often seen as being more important, especially in leadership roles.

This is because communication is essential for building relationships, collaborating with others, and sharing ideas. It is also important for being able to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Technical ability is also important, but it is not always enough. For example, a highly SEO Manager may not be able to advance their career if they are unable to communicate their ideas effectively to their Director and team members, or clients.

Here are some examples of how communication is important in the workplace:

• A manager needs to be able to communicate their vision and goals to their team, and they need to be able to provide feedback and guidance.

• A business development person needs to be able to communicate the benefits of their agency to potential clients.

• A customer service / account management person needs to be able to communicate effectively with clients to resolve their issues.

• A software engineer needs to be able to communicate their code to other engineers and to non-technical stakeholders.

Overall, communication is a skill that is essential for success in all areas of agency life. It is a skill that can be learned and improved with practice. Here are some tips for improving your communication skills:

• Be clear and concise in your communication.

• Be an active listener.

• Be respectful and polite.

• Be aware of your body language and tone of voice.

• Be open to feedback.

Summary

For me, its the very reason why agencies exist, as they bring together complex personalities and skills sets, and force a positive commercial outcome. In Traction, the EOS model presents the theory of the Visionary and the Integrator. The Visionary is the strong communicator, the leader, the person than can drive a forward looking view. The Integrator is the technical expert, who is the detail person, good with the nitty gritty and getting all the technical stuff delivered. The Integrator delivers on the Visionary’s strategy, both playing to their own natural strengths.

So why do agencies continually make the mistake of trying to promote a technical integrator type person to lead a team of people, where actually a Visionary type character set would be more appropriate? It’s because they feel the need to promote from within and keep all the key players happy and moving forward in their careers, and because they are the most technically competent.

As an agency owner, I would without question split the Head of Department Jobs into two individual job roles, both headed up by different skills sets, one a technical expert, lets call them the Head of SEO (Technical or Strategy), and the second the strong communicator, lets call them the Head of SEO (Commercial). I beleive clients and agencies benefit from this scenario. The technical delivery is strong and cutting edge, and the client and team communication is equally strong and progressive, creating a win win scenario. It’s what the F1 teams have adopted these days. They need to be technically cutting edge, with the brightest minds, data crunchers, scientists, aero-physicists, but they also need to be commercial, publicists, promotors, and communicators. And human nature creates very few people with both character skillsets. So to all you agency owners out there stop fighting it, and recruit a specialist for each role, enabling each to play to their natural strengths, rather than clipping wings by forcing one personal to do a compromised job trying to deliver both technically and with outstanding communication and leadership.