<p>When you say that I-Banking requires excellent written and verbal communication skills, what exactly is meant by this? </p>
<p>Example: I attend an Ivy League college. I consider myself fairly intelligent and am completely confident in my written communication skills. </p>
<p>However, when it comes to verbal skills, I am no natural Lincoln-Douglas debater, and some people have told me that I have a New York accent. Would this hurt me? </p>
<p>Can I hear comments from people who have worked in I-banking and Wall Street firms. What kind of verbal communication skills do successful bankers possess?</p>
<p>In the areas I’m familiar with, bankers routinely prepare and deliver presentations, in both large and small group settings. Some of the audiences may be: existing and prospective clients and client groups, investors, commitment committees, rating agencies. They also prepare written responses to requests for proposals, which can be very important for business development. In addition to routine daily correspondence.</p>
<p>Many investment banking transactions involve extensive legal work documenting the transaction. Bankers participate hand in hand with the lawyers who prepare these documents, and need to be able to read reams of legal gobbledygook with good comprehension, and direct the documentation efforts. They also need to assist with preparation and review of offering prosectuses.</p>
<p>They are expected to manage working group meetings for planning and executing transactions, and this requires leadership and verbal communication skills.</p>
<p>I’ve heard more than one partner state that the best banker is the best salesperson, pure and simple. By this criteria, oral and written presentation skills rank first, and verbal comprehension second.</p>
<p>Being quick on your feet verbally is very important, and if debate helps with this it is valuable training.</p>
<p>A New York accent in itself may not be a killer, if you know something worth listening to through the accent. But it’s no help. and specifically it can be an impediment before you know anything worth listening to. They’ll have to find someone else to cover North Carolina, e.g.</p>