communication skills

There are often an “excellent communication skills” demand
in job demands for programmers.

From my restricted experience I know
that programmers are rather bad communicator,
except with other programmers and about their programs.

So what does the demand mean?

Is programmer supposed
to work at help desk, to be native or something else?

Should the skill be the same as journalist, priesthood,
and politicians have?

And how can a firm benefit from the skill?

Sergey.