Communication: the skill that is becoming rare and worth more every day

We talk a lot here about entrepreneurship, management, artificial intelligence and business. But there is one skill that cuts across all of these topics and that, in my view, is becoming increasingly rare: knowing how to communicate.

And when I say communication, I don’t just mean writing. I mean spoken communication: having a conversation, presenting an idea, defending a point of view, negotiating, speaking in public, persuading.

We are losing the habit of talking

People spend more and more time on computers, social media and their phones. Conversations became messages, debates became comments, presentations became a link dropped in a group chat. The result is that a lot of people struggle to communicate live, face to face.

On top of that, the way we study has changed. With more distance learning and online courses, there is less group work, fewer seminars, fewer presentations in front of the class. These formats have many advantages, but they remove exactly the moments when we used to learn how to present, work as a team and sell our own ideas.

Good communicators never go hungry

Communication has always been and always will be extremely important. There is a saying I like: a good communicator, a good salesperson, never goes hungry. They know how to express themselves, how to build connection and how to sell their idea.

The corporate world is no different. How often do we see highly technical people, the top students in the class, become excellent employees, but working for the kids who sat in the back row? The ones who maybe didn’t get the best grades, but knew how to talk, build relationships and pitch an idea.

Technical knowledge opens the door. Communication is what gets you through it.

It’s not that technical knowledge doesn’t matter. It does, a lot. But on its own it isn’t enough. A great idea poorly communicated is worth less than a good idea well communicated.

The opportunities that pass by in silence

People who don’t develop their communication lose opportunities without even noticing: the promotion that went to someone who knew how to position themselves, the client who signed with the competitor who explained things better, the project that never got off the ground because nobody managed to convince the board.

For entrepreneurs, this is even more critical. A business owner is communicating all the time: selling to clients, negotiating with suppliers, pitching to investors, leading the team, representing the company. Communication is not an extra, it is part of the job.

Startups: investors also bet on the communicator

In the startup world this becomes even more evident. Knowing how to deliver a good pitch is practically a condition for existing: in a few minutes you need to explain the problem, the solution, the market and why it is worth betting on you.

And here is something I see happen on the investor side: many times we don’t even like the idea that much, but we like the communicator. We like the clarity, the conviction, the way the person defends what they believe in. And, in many cases, we end up believing more in the founder than in the idea itself.

It makes sense. Ideas change, products pivot, markets shift. What remains is the person: their ability to sell the vision to the team, to customers and to the next investors.

Investors often don’t buy the idea. They buy the person presenting it.

That is the power of knowing how to communicate.

Communication can be learned

The good news is that communication is not a gift, it’s a skill. And skills can be trained. Some ways to practice:

• Speak in public whenever you get the chance: meetings, events, internal presentations.
• Work in groups and take on the role of presenting the results.
• Talk more in person and less over text, especially about important matters.
• Learn other languages and spend time with other cultures, which broadens the way you think and express yourself.
• Ask for feedback on how you communicate, not just on what you deliver.

And a reading tip for anyone who wants to improve at this: The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking, by Dale Carnegie (published in Brazil as Como Falar em Público e Encantar as Pessoas). It is a book I have read and recommend to anyone who wants to improve their communication and public speaking. Carnegie shows that speaking well in public is not a talent reserved for a few: it is preparation, practice and confidence, built step by step.

What I want to teach at home

For me this is not just business theory. It’s something I want my daughter, Maya, to learn: to communicate well, to speak in public without embarrassment, to express herself in other languages and to get to know other cultures. Because whatever path she chooses, this skill will open doors.

For entrepreneurs, business owners and anyone who wants to grow in their career, communication has always been and always will be essential. In an increasingly digital world, those who know how to truly talk with people will stand out even more.