>> Well, I think that communication skills of all sort are very, very valuable.
I mean, I am in a small business, so I have to be a salesperson.
I'm also, before I became a consultant, I was a fundraiser, so I was using those kinds of sales
and presentation and communication skills all the time.
I have to say that I would suggest to anybody who wants to be in that kind of position
that taking an acting class or two is not a bad idea.
I didn't do that at Smeal but I did do it before I got to Smeal.
So, I think, but being able to write continues to be very important and while we're writing
in a different way using PowerPoint, instead of more narrative documents
than we did twenty years ago, you still have to be able to pick out the important points
and articulate them in a way that connects with people that's clear.
So, certainly I would say those fields are very important.
It's also important when you're working with the nonprofit world, particularly where,
I mean I've worked with very large not for profits.
I've also worked with very small not for profits.
You have to be able to communicate with the finance office,
so being able to understand financial statements really helps you to find questions
when you're dealing with finance people.
You have to be able to know how they're doing their marketing and so it really helps
to have a smattering of skills and understanding of all aspects of businesses,
particularly small and medium-sized businesses.