How PR can turn technical Stem skills into real connection

Strong Stem PR consultants do more than write press releases or arrange interviews. They interpret complexity, shaping stories from technical information that might otherwise stay hidden from the people who need to understand it.

Success in this space depends on more than communication skill, it relies on a deep understanding of the subject matter and the ability to present it with relevance and direction.

Technical knowledge opens the conversation, but it never finishes it. A consultant working in science, technology or engineering must be comfortable navigating the detail while seeing the bigger picture clearly enough to explain why it matters. The language must be precise, the thinking structured and the output readable without simplifying or softening the substance. When that balance is right, the message travels further, and the value behind it becomes easier to recognise.

PR relationships

Expertise alone, though, will not deliver results. PR lives in relationships, and those relationships depend on trust. Consultants need to earn that trust by meeting the expectations of technical audiences and building credibility with those responsible for shaping coverage. A well-built relationship can create space for deeper conversations and more valuable opportunities, but it begins with showing an understanding of what each audience needs from you in order to convince them to listen.

“What’s important is wanting to connect, wanting to understand someone, wanting to have a deep conversation, even when it is hard and scary, or when it would be so much easier to walk away,” explains Charles Duhigg in his 2024 book Supercommunicators. 

Listening is one of the most underrated traits in consultancy, especially in high-tech industries. Great consultants ask purposeful questions and focus on drawing out the client’s goals, even when those goals are still taking shape. A strong campaign doesn’t begin with messaging. It begins with mutual understanding, shaped over time through open conversation and tested thinking.

And it is that connection that is important. Jessica Pardoe, a PR consultant in entirely different industry, working with business to consumer companies in the food sector, asks, “in an industry that’s saturated with tension and tautness, it’s important to have good relationships with journalists anyway, but just how important is it to make that effort? Well, very important actually. When I asked, ‘what would make you more inclined to open a PR email?’, 54.5% said a personal connection. So, it’s probably a good idea to grab a coffee with your local writers after all.”

Adaptable and creative

Being adaptable is a quality that separates good consultants from the best. Technology moves quickly and markets respond to that change at pace. A consultant who waits for the landscape to settle risks missing the moment. Those who recognise early signals of change and respond with timely, relevant action often become the consultants who deliver the most strategic value.

Creativity gives shape to that understanding and transforms it into work that people want to engage with. Data-heavy sectors can lean heavily on facts, but a consultant who can find the story within the evidence gives their client a real advantage. The goal isn’t decoration, it’s direction – showing the audience not just what happened but why it matters and what decisions shaped the outcome.

Results matter more than reach. A consultant who secures a steady stream of mentions without moving the dial on awareness, trust or commercial outcomes isn’t doing the job. Real success shows up in how a business grows, such as when the positioning becomes sharper or when trust grows across the audience that matters most. Great consultants track what matters, question what doesn’t and make sure the work earns its place in the wider strategy.

Good PR doesn’t aim to be loud; it aims to be listened to. Stem audiences weigh every word carefully, and a consultant who brings substance and intent to the story earns attention for the right reasons.

Richard Stone is the founder of technical PR agency Stone Junction, which is a corporate affiliate member of the CIPR.

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