Business Communication  Improve Decisions

The word “communication” derived from the Latin Traits

word ‘communicare’ that means to impart, to
participate, to share or to make common.  Appearance

Peter Little defines communication as,  Demeanor

‘Communication is the process by which
information is transmitted between individuals  Reliability
and/or organizations so that an understanding
response result’.  Competence

Newman and Summer Jr. state that,  Ethics

‘Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas,
 Poise
opinions or emotions by two or more persons’.
 Phone Etiquette
Louis A. Allen defines, ‘Communication is the sum
total of all the things that a person does, when he  Written Correspondence
wants to create an understanding in the mind of
another. It involves a systematic and continuous  Organizational Skills
process of telling, listening and understanding’
 Accountability
To sum it all, communication is a process of
exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions and as a
means that individual or organization share meaning Challenges of Business Communication
and understanding with one another.
 Globalization and diversity
On the other hand, in business communication, it is
a transmission of facts, ideas, opinion, feeling and  Information value
attitudes within the business environment.
 Pervasiveness of technology
Business communication is used for:
 running a business  Evolving organizational structures
 managing an organization
 conducting the formal affairs of a voluntary  Reliance on teamwork
organization and so on
Effective Business Communication
Importance of communication in a business

 Share Complex Ideas  Connect with the audience

 Minimize communication barriers

 Enhance Entrepreneurial Endeavors
 Use audience-centered approach
 Become an Effective Leader
 Improve communication skills
 Influence Perceptions
 Provide constructive feedback
 Increase Productivity
 Observe business etiquette
 Improve Employee Satisfaction
 I. Principles of Communication in
Business Communication 5. Completeness –

7 C’s in Communication  Provide all necessary information

 Answer all questions asked
1. Conciseness –  Give something extra when desirable

ATTENTION: All officers will have a

At this juncture Now meeting at the Social Hall tomorrow at 4pm
Due to the fact that Because regarding the preparation for the upcoming
Completely eliminate Remove foundation day.

Employed the use of Used 6. Consideration –

In a few words as Consicely
possible  Do not lose your temper
 Do not accuse without any facts
2. Courtesy –  Try to provide suggestions

 Be sincere 7. Concreteness –
 Be tactful
 Be thoughtful and appreciative  Use specific facts and figures
 Put action into words
3. Correctness –  Choose vivid image building words

Sales are high. Sales in 2019 are

 Check accuracy higher by 89%
 Maintain acceptable writing mechanics compared to the sales
 Choose non discriminatory language in 2017.
 Use right level of language
II. Mastering Team and Interpersonal
Participate Join Skills
Procure Get
Endeavor Try Team - A team is a unit of two or more people who
share mission and responsibility for working to
4. Clarity – achieve a common goal.

 Choose short, familiar & conversational Advantages of Teams

words
 Construct effective sentences and  Information and knowledge
paragraphs by unity of idea and sequencing  Diversity of Viewpoints
 Achieve appropriate readability by using  Levels of Performances
formal and informal language
 Include examples, illustrations and visual Disadvantages of Teams
aids
 Overpowering of ideas
Subsequent Later  Cost issues
Accede Agree  Hidden agendas
Endeavour Try
Supersede Replace
Disclose Show
Improving Team Performance Barriers To Listening

 Valuable assets  External barriers

 Knowledge and skills  Physical distraction
 Exchange information  Difficulty with material
 Trust each other  Lack of good delivery
 Focus on personal agenda  Lack of interest
 Clear objective  Planning a response
 Wandering attention
Productive Meetings  Prethinking
 Semantic barriers
 Purpose
 Participants Qualities of a Good Listener
 Time & Venue
 Agenda  Listen actively
 Take careful and complete notes
Conducting Meetings  Make frequent eye contact
 Focus on speaker and the content
 Stay on Track  Adjust listening style to the situation
 Follow the Rules  Look for opportunities to learn
 Invite Participation  Save question until an appropriate time
 Participate Actively
 Close Effectively Improving Listening Skills

 Talk less and listen more

Meeting Technologies  Listen carefully with patience and
concentration
 Virtual Teams  Do not show casual attitude
 Virtual Meetings  Understand the points, listen to learn
 Teleconferences something
 Videoconferences  Make notes
 Web-Based Systems  Show positive attitude
 Never mix personal feeling about the
Improving Listening Skills speaker

Why do we listen? Communicating Online

 To gain information
 To get feedback  Avoid personal attacks
 To participate in another’s details  Stay focused on the original topic
 To create a relationship  Do not present opinions as facts
 To respect and value others  Use good grammar and punctuation
 Use updated virus protection
The Listening Process  Ask permission before chatting
 Control language and emotions
1. Receiving  Do not waste other people’s time
2. Decoding  Respect boundaries
3. Remembering
4. Evaluating
5. Responding
Preparing Effective Business Messages ENDINGS:

5 PLANNING STEPS: Closing should be strong, clear & polite, they

should leave a sense of closure & goodwill with the
 Identify your purpose- the objective of your receiver.
message is almost twofold: the reason for 1. Make action request clear and complete with 5
the message itself and the creation of W’s and the H.
goodwill. 2. End on a polite, courteous thought.
 Analyze your audience- see the message 3. Keep last paragraph concise and correct.
from your receiver’s point of view: their
needs, interests, attitudes, even their culture. Appearance & design of business messages
 Choose your ideas- the ideas you include
depend on the type of message you are BUSINESS LETTER
sending, the situation & the cultural context. Standard parts of the Letter
 Collect your data- be sure to collect enough
data to support your ideas; check names, HEADING – LETTERHEAD AND DATE
dates, addresses & statistics for precision. Headings-either letterhead or your own address-
 Organize your message- organizing your should be at the top of the letter before the date and
material before writing your first draft can before the name and address of the receiver of your
prevent rambling and unclear messages. message.

APPROACHES 2. INSIDE ADDRESS: The inside address should

begin with the addressee's name, professional title
 DIRECT (deductive) APPROACH: When and address.
your reader or listener will have a 3. SALUTATION: They are typed below the inside
favorable or neutral reaction to your address & two lines above the body of the letter.
message, use the direct approach. Begin 4. BODY: Should be typed single spaced, with
double spacing between paragraphs, before and
with the main idea. After the opening,
after the salutation, and before the complimentary
include all necessary details and end with an
close.
appropriate, friendly closing.
5. COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE: Sincerely,
Sincerely yours, Very truly yours, Warm regards,
 INDIRECT (inductive) APPROACH:
With best wishes, etc.
When your reader or listener might react 6. SIGNATURE AREA: Can include in the
negatively to your message, you should not
signature area several identifications: name of your
present the main idea in the first paragraph. company, your signature, your typewritten name &
Begin with a buffer, give an explanation business title.
and then introduce the main idea. 7. REFERENCE SECTION: May include
information about the message composer, the typist
BEGINNINGS & ENDINGS: & sometimes word processing data.
BEGINNINGS: LETTER STYLES:
1. FULL BLOCK: every line begins at the left
The opening of a message determines whether the margin. 2. MODIFIED BLOCK: the date,
reader continues reading, puts the message aside or complimentary close, and signature sections are at
discards it. the right margin. Rest everything on left margin.
1. Choose openings appropriate for message 3. MODIFIED BLOCK WITH PARAGRAPHS
purpose and reader. INDENTED
2. Make the openings considerate, courteous,
concise, and clear.
3. Check for completeness.