INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONBusiness Communication for Managers

M Wahidul Islam

Fall 2014

INSTRUCTION TO THE TRUCK DRIVERS

“GET LOADED AT 0900 AM”

Intended Message to the Truck Drivers

“Load the cargoes at 0900 AM”

RESULT:

SHIPMENT DELAYED

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Challenges for Business Communication Ongoing development of Information

Technologies The global nature of business: cross-cultural

business The growing diversity in the workplace Growing reliance of teamwork

BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Benefits of effective communication skills Stronger decision making ability based on timely

and reliable information Faster problem solving Anticipating potential problems Increased productivity Stronger business relationship Enhanced professional images for employers and

employees Better financial results

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS IMPROVES YOUR CHANCES OF SUCCESS

HOW DO BE EFFECTIVE IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION? Minimize distractions Adopt an audience-centric approach Provide what information is required Being able to give and receive Constructive

feedback Being sensible to Business Etiquettes Careful about information overload Be careful of technology use Ethical communication choices Clarify expectations

Is this all??

CATEGORIES OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Main categories of Business Communication Internal-operational Communication

External-operational communication

Personal communication

Board of Directors

CEO

Departments Heads

Operational Managers

Executives Executives

Departments Heads

Operational Managers

Executives Executives

COMMUNICATION INSIDE AN ORGANIZATION

FormalDownwardUpwardHorizontal

Informal OR “Grapevine”

Which one is the most important?

COMMUNICATION OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION

An Organizatio

n

Core Business Partners

Customers

Public Groups

Industry Partners

Regulatory Agents

Do we communicate to all the same way?

Is it a one-time process?Is it how it works every time?

1. Senses a communication need

2. Defines the problem3. Searches for possible

solution4. Selects a course of

actions (message type, contents, style, format, channel)

5. Composes the message6. Delivers the message

1. Receives the message2. Interprets the message3. Decides on a response4. May send a responding

message

Communicator 1

Communicator 2

Relationship of the communicatorsContext of communication

(Organizational / Professional / Personal)

The Business Communication Process

“knowing your audience”

Audience 1“In 2013 our company’s total sales were USD 117,400,

which was slightly higher than the USD 109,800 total for the year before. Because of this increased sales and

subsequent profits, we were able to increase our dividend per share from 50 cents to USD 1.”

Audience 2“In 2013 our company’s total investments and advances in three unconsolidated subsidiaries were USD 420,000. As a result, despite our increased sales revenue and subsequent gross profit, our net profit remained in similar levels. Therefore, we were only able to increase our dividends from 50 cents to USD 1, lower than the investor’s expected increase of USD 2. this news is expected to have an 15% negative impact on market valuation”

TWO AUDIENCE GROUPSBOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TWO

COMPANIES

SELECTING WORDS Use familiar words Prefer short words Use slang and popular clichés with caution

Only when appropriate May cause mis-communication

Use technical words and acronyms with caution Use concrete language Prefer active verbs Avoid overuse of camouflaged verbs

Assist > give assistance to Judge > make a judgment

Select words for precise meaning Use gender-neutral words Avoid words that stereotype by race, nationality,

age etc.

USE FAMILIAR WORDS

Unfamiliar Familiar

Purchase of a new fleet is not actionable at this juncture

Buying new trucks is not practical now

We must leverage our core-competencies to maximize our competitiveness

Relying on what we do best will make us most competitive

The conclusion ascertained from the data is that a lucrative market exists for the new product

The data studies show the new product is in high-demand

Company operations for the preceding accounting period resulted with a deficit

The company lost money last year

Are difficult words always bad?No, one should use it when it may be needed and may be

understood

PREFER SHORT-WORDS

Long words Short words

The implementation of the proposed enhancement is under consideration

We are considering your suggestions

They acceded to the proposition to undertake a collaborative venture

They agreed to work with us

This antiqued sales strategy is effectual in contemporary business operations

This old sales strategy will not work in today’s business

Generally short words communicate better, however some exceptions are there

USE TECHNICAL WORDS AND ACRONYMS WITH CAUTION

Technical words are useful when used with same peer group (who has same background)

Initials and Acronyms may not be widely known IBM vs SOA

So, we always avoid technical words and acronyms??

USE CONCRETE LANGUAGES

Abstract Concrete

A significant loss A 53 percent loss

The majority 62 percent

In the near future By noon Thursday

Sometimes abstract words are used to convey an idea, rather then giving an exact picture.

Example, giving a bad news to someone etc.

Substantial amount USD 2,000,000

The firm has seen substantial losses in the near past. The awful operating performance has seen majority of the investors pulling away.

The firm has lost 25% share value in the last 2 years. This is due to the 20% drop in sales revenue and 10% drop in net profit.

PREFER ACTIVE VERBS / ACTIVE VOICE

Passive Active

The results were reported in our July 9 letter

We reported the results in our July 9 letter

The office will be inspected by Mr. Hall

Mr. Hall will inspect the office

Sometime, passive voice is preferred when the message about the doer is not important

The policy was enforced by the committee

The committee enforced the policy

SELECTING WORDS Use familiar words Prefer short words Use slang and popular clichés with caution Use technical words and acronyms with caution Use concrete language Prefer active verbs Avoid overuse of camouflaged verbs Select words for precise meaning Use gender-neutral words Avoid words that stereotype by race, nationality, age etc.

“In 2013 our company’s total investments were USD 420,000. As a result, despite our increased sales revenue and subsequent gross profit, our net profit remained in similar levels. Therefore, we were only able to increase our dividends from 50 cents to USD 1, lower than the investor’s expected increase of USD 2. this news is expected to have an 15% negative impact on market valuation”

“knowing your audience”

“choosing words”

SENTENCES Using short sentences

Emphasis in sentence

Giving sentences Unity

Wording Sentences logically

USING SHORT SENTENCES

Short sentences communicate better because of mind limitationsAbout 16-18 words for middle readersBut avoid excessive use of short sentences

Achieved in two waysLimiting sentence contentEconomizing the words

Avoid cluttering phrase Avoid surplus words Avoid roundabout constructions Avoid unnecessary repetition of words

SHORT SENTENCES:LIMITING SENTENCE CONTENT

Regardless of their seniority or union affiliation, all employees whose hope to be promoted are expected to continue their education either by enrolling in the special courses to be offered by the company, which are scheduled to be given after working hours beginning next Wednesday, or by taking online courses selected from a list, which may be seen on the company portal.

Regardless of their seniority or union affiliation, all employees who hope to be promoted are expected to continue their education in either of the two ways. 1) They may enroll in special courses to be given by the company. 2) they may take approved online courses selected from the list on the company portal.

SHORT SENTENCES - ECONOMIZING ON WORDS : CLUTTERING PHRASES

Cluttering Phrase Shorter Substitution

Along the lines of like

At the present time Now

For the purpose of For

For the reason that Because | Since

In accordance with By

In very few cases Rarely | Seldom

With regards to / With reference to

About

In the event that payment is not made by January, operations will cease

If payment is not made by January, operations will stop.

SHORT SENTENCES - ECONOMIZING ON WORDS : SURPLUS WORDS

Additional Words No Surplus Words

It will be noted that the records for the past years show a steady increase in special appropriations.

The records for the past years show a steady increase in special appropriations.

SHORT SENTENCES - ECONOMIZING ON WORDS : ROUNDABOUT CONSTRUCTIONS

Roundabout Direct

The union is involved in the task of reviewing the seniority provision of the contract

The union is reviewing the seniority provision of the contract

SHORT SENTENCES - ECONOMIZING ON WORDS : UNNECESSARY REPETITION OF WORDS

Needless Repetition Repetition Eliminated

We must assemble together at 10:30 AM in the morning

We must assemble at 10:30 AM

At present time we are conducting two clinics

We are conducting two clinics now

We should plan in advance for the future We should plan for the

future

DETERMINING EMPHASIS IN SENTENCE DESIGN

Determining emphasis is a matter of good judgment and good logic

Long-sentence de-emphasize contents

The main building was inspected on October 1. Mr. George Wills inspected the building. Mr. wills is a vice president of the company. He found that the building has 6500 square feet of floor space. He also found that it has 2,400 square feet of storage space. The new store must have a minimum of 6000 square feet of floor space. It must have 2000 square feet of storage space. Thus, the main building exceeds the space requirements for the new store. Therefore, Mr. Wills concluded that the main building is adequate for company’s needs.

GIVING SENTENCES UNITY

All parts of the sentence should concern one thought.

All parts must combine to form one clear thought.

Two common problems Unrelated ideas Excessive detail

GIVING SENTENCES UNITYUNRELATED IDEAS

Unrelated Related

Our territory in the southern half of the state, and our salespeople cannot cover is thoroughly

Our territory is the southern half of the state. Our salespeople cannot cover it thoroughly

GIVING SENTENCES UNITYEXCESSIVE DETAILS

Excessive Improved

Our New York offices, considered plush in the 1990s but now badly in need of renovation, as is the case with most offices that have not been maintained, have been abandoned.

Considered plush in the 1990s, our New York offices have not been maintained properly. As they badly need repair, we have abandoned them.

WORDING SENTENCES LOGICALLY

Often the cause of “awkward” sentences is illogical wording

Common problems Mixed constructions Incomplete constructions Dangling / misplaces contractions Faulty parallelism

WORDING SENTENCES LOGICALLYMIXED CONSTRUCTIONS

Mixed Improved

Some activities that the company participates in are affordable housing, conservation of parks and litter control.

Some causes the company supports are affordable housing, conservation of parks and litter control.

WORDING SENTENCES LOGICALLYINCOMPLETE CONSTRUCTIONS

Incomplete Complete

As far as time management, he is a master of multitasking

As for time management, he is a master of multitasking

WORDING SENTENCES LOGICALLYDANGLING / MISPLACED MODIFIERS

Believing the price would drop, the purchasing agents were instructed not to buy

Believing the price would drop, we instructed the purchasing agents not to buy

WORDING SENTENCES LOGICALLYFAULTY PARALLELISM

The company shows their support through yearly donations, giving free materials and their employee volunteer at the local schools.

The company shows their support by giving donations, giving free materials and volunteering at the local schools.

Believing the price would drop, the purchasing agents decided not to buy

“knowing your audience”

“choosing words”

“sentence construction”

PARAGRAPHS

Giving paragraphs unity

Keeping paragraphs short

Making good use of topic sentences

Leaving out unnecessary details

Making paragraphs coherent

GIVING PARAGRAPHS UNITY

Sticking to one single topic or idea, with everything in the paragraph developing this topic or idea.

At the university I studied all the basic accounting courses as well as specialized courses in taxation, international accounting and computer security. I also took specialized coursework in the behavioral areas, which emphasizes on human relations. Realizing the value of human relations in business, I also activity participated in social activities and organizations. I selected my elective coursework to round out my general business knowledge.

KEEPING PARAGRAPHS SHORT

About 8 lines in one paragraph.

As always, it should vary as required What about one line paragraphs? What about long paragraphs? More than 10 lines?

MAKING GOOD USE OF TOPIC SENTENCES The topic sentence expresses the main idea

of paragraph, and remaining sentences build around and support it.

The topic sentence serves as a headline for the paragraph, and all the other sentences supply the story.

Placement of the topic sentence depends on the content and writer’s plan

Making good use of topic sentences Topic sentence first Topic sentence at end Topic sentence within the paragraph

MAKING GOOD USE OF TOPIC SENTENCESIDENTIFY THE TOPIC SENTENCE

Numerous materials have been used in manufacturing this part. Material 232, however, is superior of them all. When built with Material 232, the part is almost twice as strong as when built with the next best material.

A majority of the economics consulted think that business activity will drop during the first quarter of next year. Of the 185 economists interviewed, 13% looked for continued increases in business activity and 28% anticipated little or no change from the present level. The remaining 59% looked for a recession.This significant role of inventories in the economic picture should not be overlooked. At present, inventories represent 3.8 months’ supply. Their dollar value is the highest in history. If considered in relation to increased sales, however, they are not excessive. Thus, inventories are not likely to cause a downward swing in the economy.

LEAVING OUT UNNECESSARY DETAILS

At the university I studied all the basic accounting courses as well as specialized courses in taxation, international accounting and computer security. I also took specialized coursework in the behavioral areas, which emphasizes on human relations. Realizing the value of human relations in business, I also activity participated in social activities and organizations. I selected my elective coursework to round out my general business knowledge.

MAKING PARAGRAPHS COHERENT

Paragraph should be “coherent”

Relationship between parts should be clear Presenting in logical order

Making paragraphs coherent Repetition of key words Use of pronouns Transitional words

MAKING PARAGRAPHS COHERENTBecause your advertising seminar is so well planned, I am confident that it can provide a really valuable service to practitioners in the community. To be truly valuable, I think you will agree, each session must be given the time a thorough preparation requires.

Ever since the introduction of our Model V nine years ago, consumers have suggested only one possible improvement – voice controls. During all this time, making this improvement has been the objective of Atkins research personnel. Now we proudly report that these efforts have been successful. Two reasons justify moving from the Crown site. First, the soil in the area was found to be questionable. Second, the transportation cost to the site is very high due to the distance form the site to major areas.Transitional Words: in addition, besides, in spite of, in contrast, however, likewise, thus, therefore, for example, also

EXERCISE

Industry experts attributed the substantial decline in the sales for the last 5 years to the ongoing economic recession. In the view of the fact that economic activities always decline during recession, this was expected. It will be noted that the sales records for the last 5 years show a steady decline in the northern region. Believing the northern region is the main problem, the management has decided to allocate 30% additional resources to the northern region for the next 3 years. At present time, the regional team is conducting two projects. The team members will be focusing their efforts for reaching new outlets, motivating the sales force and apply new sales techniques.

“knowing your audience”

RECAP

“choosing words”

“sentence construction”

“paragraph construction”

THE THREE STEP WRITING PROCESS

Plan

• Analyze the situation• Gather information• Select the right medium• Organize the information

Write / Compose

• Adapt to your audience• Compose the message

Complete

• Revise the message• Produce the message• Proofread the message• Distribute the message

DIFFERENT FORMS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Forms of Business

Communication

Traditional Ways

Letter

Memo

Email

New Ways of Business

Communication

Text Messaging

Instant Massaging

Social Networking

Business Reports

LETTER

Elements Date Sender’s Address Inside (Receiver’s) Address Subject Salutation Body Text Closing Statement Signature Block Enclosure Copy (CC)

LETTERS - DATES

7/5/2014 What Day is this?

Standard Writing Style Numerical Mixed

US 7/5/2014 July 5, 2014

US Government and some US Industries

5/7/2014 5 July 2014

European 5.7.2014 5July 2014

International Standard 2014.7.5 2014 July 5

Must be written with month’s name spelled out to avoid confusion

:

Enclosure:1) Audit Report of current offering

CC: Head of Sales and Marketing

LETTER

MEMO

EMAIL

Eliminates “telephone tag” Saves time Speeds up decision making Is cheap Provides a written record

It is not confidential It doesn’t show emotions It may be ignored or

delayed

Pros Cons

Email should be avoided when the message is long, complicated or needs negotiation content needs discussion content needs softening in tone, voice or wordsThe message is used to avoid unpleasant and uncomfortable personal contactThe message contains sensitive issues

END