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The Verbal and Written Communication Skills Every Internal Comms Pro Needs

Published on: March 16, 2025
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Verbal and written communication skills are critical to success in the workplace. Lucky for us internal communication professionals, we’re already ahead of the curve. But in this blog, we’ll talk about how you can continue to hone your skills as a communicator and what skills are essential to your role.

Let’s dive in!

What is Verbal and Written Communication?

Verbal communication is how we convey meaning with our words. This also includes nonverbal cues, like our tone of voice, expression, volume, how we use our hands to add meaning, and even our body language. With verbal communication, there are many more ways to add nuance to our message. For instance, we can much more easily convey sarcasm or humor with the inflection and tone of our voices. 

At many companies, verbal communication comes to play during in-person meetings like company Town Halls or if you have a video or internal comms podcasting strategy.

Written communication is putting our words down onto paper to share them in some form. For many businesses, this is the main way you communicate with your employees. It’s your emails, newsletters, intranet content, app posts, sms texts, and more.

And that’s why written communication is so important. We have to be impeccable with our written word to make the right impact.

Black woman giving an engaging verbal communication presentation to colleagues

What are some examples of verbal and written communication in the workplace?

Examples of verbal communication in the workplace include:

  1. Team meetings. Verbal communication plays a significant role in workplace meetings where employees and managers gather to discuss ideas, provide updates, make decisions, and address issues. This can involve face-to-face interactions, conference calls, or video conferences.
  2. Presentations. Verbal communication is crucial during presentations when individuals share information, reports, or proposals with colleagues or clients.
  3. C-Suite video communications. Verbal communication doesn’t have to be in person. It can also be recorded in videos and podcasts and shared via distribution channels.

Examples of written communication in the workplace are:

  1. Emails. Written communication through email is one of the most common forms of workplace communication.
  2. Memos or internal messages. Companies often use written memos or internal messages to communicate important announcements, policy changes, or updates to employees.
  3. Reports. Written reports are frequently used in the workplace to communicate findings, analysis, and recommendations.

Why Internal Comms Pros Should Hone Their Verbal and Written Communication Skills

Although internal comms professionals are all naturally gifted in the art of communication, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t continue to hone our skills. And, more importantly, master them to be better coaches to our executive teams and managers.

For verbal communication, honing our skills isn’t just helpful for when we deliver internal comms ourselves. It’s also key for:

  • Budget negotiations
  • Sharing the story in our data to show off our brilliance (or explain our missteps)
  • Building relationships with key stakeholders and leaders
  • Creating a culture of transparency and openness is also essential for effective internal communication. Learn more about how to foster a culture of open communication in your organization to improve engagement and build trust.

And focusing on continuously improving our written communication is key for:

  • Effectively communicating messages in ways our people understand
  • Writing more engaging and motivating copy

vivid illustration of a stack of papers with a question mark and exclamation point popping off the page to represent written communication

What Verbal and Written Communication Skills Do You Need?

There are countless skills you could focus on, but which ones are going to make the biggest difference? Which ones are non-negotiable?

Let’s break down the top skills for both verbal and written communication.

Top 5 Verbal Communication Skills:

Skill

Description

Active Listening

The ability to listen attentively and use that information to modify your responses. It requires being present and truly hearing what others are saying, instead of just planning your next response.

Empathy

Understanding others and considering their needs and preferences while communicating. It helps build stronger connections and enhances mutual respect.

Clarity

Communicating thoughts precisely and without ambiguity. It includes proper articulation, logical structuring, avoiding jargon, and tailoring your message to your audience.

Confidence

Speaking with assurance and poise. Confidence enhances credibility and trust, often conveyed through eye contact, assertive tone, and self-assured delivery.

Adaptability

Modifying communication style based on the listener’s needs and context. It includes reading verbal and non-verbal cues and adjusting to create better understanding and connection.

Top 5 Written Communication Skills:

Skill

Description

Grammar

Using proper grammar helps ensure understanding. It’s about balance—not being so formal that your writing becomes unreadable. A poetry instructor once said: “You have to understand the rules before you can break them—and only break them with purpose.”

Tone and Style

Writing correctly is one thing, but adapting tone and style to fit the medium or reflect someone else’s voice (e.g., C-Suite) is a bigger challenge. As a comms pro, emulating others’ voices is key—and not easy to master.

Proofreading

The ability to find and correct errors in writing.

Editing

Different from proofreading. Editing focuses on high-level revisions: identifying what’s missing or unnecessary, reorganizing for clarity or emotional impact. It’s about improving overall structure and coherence, not just correcting mistakes.

Research and Information Gathering

A critical but often overlooked writing skill. It includes seeking information from stakeholders or past communications. Good writing starts with good research and reading. As a writing tutor once said, “Reading is just as important as writing.”

 

How to Become Better at Verbal Communication

You’ve probably heard that the vast majority of communication is nonverbal—93 percent, in fact. So, when we talk about mastering the art and science of verbal communication, we have to consider far more than just the words we use.

Because so much of how we’re understood isn’t about the words we use, the best way to improve your verbal communication skills is to focus on these nonverbal elements, especially ones you might be less aware of (e.g. posture).

  • It all starts with active listening. You can’t communicate effectively without understanding your audience. And that includes knowing when to be quiet and knowing when to ask the right questions. Too often, we might make assumptions about who we’re talking to or not clarify our understanding before responding. It’s important to slow down and pay attention.
  • Ask for feedback. One of the best ways to improve your verbal comms skills is to ask someone you trust. Find someone that you think is a great verbal communicator and seek their expertise. This can be a little uncomfortable, but growth happens when we step outside of our comfort zones.
  • Practice! I know that public speaking is one of the top fears that people have, but it’s important to practice to get over those nerves.

How to Become Better at Written Communication

You didn’t get the role you’re in without already being a decent writer. But that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to hone our craft. These tips can help you improve, even if you’re already a skilled writer.

  • Get a second opinion. Just like with your verbal communication, it can be very helpful to have someone else read your work. This can be especially helpful for complex or technical writing that has to make sense for your employees.
  • Master storytelling. You can be a great writer and communicator but not a good storyteller. But studies have shown that using storytelling for internal comms can be a great way to engage and build culture. So, make sure you take time to focus on how you can incorporate storytelling techniques into your writing.
  • Enhance your persuasive writing skills. One of the most important parts of your role is getting employees to take certain actions. Focusing on persuasive writing techniques might help make you more effective.
  • Learn how to use AI. AI is the future of writing, but it’s most powerful when a good writer teams up with it. Spend some time learning how to use AI to improve your writing and speed up your processes.

Embrace Your Communication Superpowers!

As an internal communication professional, your superpower is your ability to communicate effectively in a variety of ways.

So, whatever brought you to this blog, I hope you found a few kernels of wisdom and things to focus on. Whether you’re just looking for a gut check that you’re doing all the right things, or if you’re trying to build your confidence negotiating budget with the C-Suite, we hope you’ve gotten something out of this.

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