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ÿ© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
Chapter 5:BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
2
• Why are good communication skills important?
• What are the elements of nonverbal communication?
• Why is it important to choose the correct communication channel?
• Why is it important to choose the right words?
• What are tools to deliver successful verbal presentations?
LOOKING AHEAD
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
3
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:YOUR INVISIBLE ADVANTAGE
Noise - Any interference that causes the message you send to be different from the messageyour audience understands.
Communication Barriers - Obstacles to effective
communication.
Effective Communication – Happens when you transmit
meaning – relevant meaning- to your audience.
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
4
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS: THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT
• Physical barriers
• Language barriers
• Body language barriers
• Perceptual barriers
• Organizational barriers
• Cultural barriers
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
5
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
As globalization gains speed, intercultural communication will
become increasingly pivotal to long-term business success
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
6
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: BEYOND THE WORDS
Reinforce the meaning of your message.
– Eye contact
– Tone of voice
– Facial expressions
– Gestures and posture
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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ACTIVE LISTENING: THE GREAT DIVIDER
Hourly Employee 30%
Manager 60%
Executive 75%
Top Salesman 75%
% of time spent listening: ““
“Lying is done with
words and also with
silence”
- Adrienne Rich
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
8
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHANNEL: A RICH ARRAY OF OPTIONS
Consider the audience, it’s
not about you!
Communication Channels –
Figuring out the right way to send a message.The number of options is
growing…
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Memos/ReportsLow. No information from tone or
body language
E-MailVery Low. No information beyond
words.
Instant MessageVery Low. Very few words are used,
Communication is basic.
Voice MailLow. The audience gains tone but
no body language.
Telephone ConversationModerate. The audience benefits
from your tone.
VideoconferencingHigh. With technology, the channel
conveys much of the richness.
In-Person ConversationHigh. Audience experiences
elements of message.
Face-Face MeetingVery High. Audience experiences
full message.
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE
• Expectations
– What kind of language do most people use in the organization?
• Education
– What vocabulary should you use?
– How complex should you make the message?
• Profession
– Are there professional acronyms and jargon that can impact your message?
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: BE CONCISE
“I will spend an hour editing an eight word
sentence into five”
- Jerry Seinfield
• Be clear and concise
• But include all required information
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: AVOID SLANG
Do not alienate yourself by using slang in
written or verbal communication.
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: AVOID BIAS
• Gender Bias
• Age Bias
• Race, Ethnicity and Nationality Bias
• Use Active Voice Where Possible
Active Voice – the subject of your verb is doing the action
Passive Voice – the subject of your sentence is not doing the action described by the verb
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity
Transmit
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity
Transmit
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
If
About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity
Transmit
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
If
If
About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity
Transmit
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
Use
If
If
About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity
Transmit
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
Can
Use
If
If
About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity
Transmit
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
Can
Use
If
If
About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity Near
Transmit
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
14
JUST PLAIN ENGLISH
Has the capability to
Utilize
In the event that
Provided that
Approximately
Can
Use
If
If
About
Be clear and direct when choosing your words:
Close Proximity Near
Transmit Send
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
15
WRITE HIGH-IMPACT MESSAGES: BREAKING THROUGH THE CLUTTER
• Strike the right tone
• Don’t make grammar goofs
• Use block paragraphs
• Use headings and bulleted lists
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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WRITING: STRIKE THE RIGHT TONE
• Use common words in most situations
– use versus utilize
• Use active voice
– We made a mistake versus A mistake was made
• Use personal pronouns whenever appropriate
– I, you
• Use contractions as often as you would when speaking
– I’ll, don’t, here’s
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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WRITING: DON’T MAKE GRAMMAR GOOFS
• It is OK to end a sentence with a preposition when doing so sounds natural– Where is this book from? is much better than From where
is this book?
• It is OK to begin sentences with “And” or “But” – Most teens enjoy videogames with a moderate level of
violence. But a small, vocal minority strongly advocates a more clean-cut approach
• It is OK to split infinitives – Try to effectively film the next scene is a perfectly
acceptable sentence
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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WRITING: USE BLOCK PARAGRAPHS
• Standard Business Writing
– Use single spacing
– Double space between paragraphs
– Do not indent the first sentence of your paragraphs
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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WRITING: USE HEADINGS AND BULLETED LISTS
• Headings
– Not a title, but subject label
– Effective even in short documents
• Bulleted List
– Engage your readers
– Direct their attention
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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TIPS FOR EXCELLENT EMAIL
• Consider both your primary and secondary readers.
• Keep it short.
• Don’t forget to proofread.
• Use standard writing.
• Avoid attachments.
• Don’t assume privacy.
• Respond promptly to e-mails.
• Assume the best.
• Create a compelling subject line.
• Think before you write, and think again before you send!
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
21
VERBAL PRESENTATIONS: HOOK ‘EM AND REEL ‘EM IN!
The Opening
• An interesting or startling statistic
• Audience involvement
• A compelling story or anecdote
• A relevant simile or metaphor
• Engaging questions
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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HOOK ‘EM AND REEL ‘EM IN!
The Body• Introduce key points
• Include statistics, data, expert quotes
The Close • Summarize key points
• Verbally signal your conclusion
Questions• Indicate time for questions
• Be prepared
Visual Aids• Increase retention
• PowerPoint is only a tool
Handling Nerves • Use your nervousness (adrenalin)
• Mitigate anxiety
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© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
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TIPS FOR A DYNAMIC DELIVERY
• PRACTICE!
• Know your material, but never memorize.
• Look at your audience at least 50% of the time.
• Vary your voice, expression, and body language.
• Use selective notes.
• Stick to your allotted time.
• Slow down and listen to yourself.
• Don’t apologize (unless you really did something wrong!).
• Remember to use natural gestures.
• PRACTICE!
ÿ
© 2009 South-Western, a division of Cengage Learning
24
LOOKING BACK
• Why are excellent communication skills important?
• What are the key elements of nonverbal communication?
• How do you choose an effective communication channel for your message?
• How do you choose the right words for effective communication?
• What are strategies to write effective business messages?
• What are tools to deliver successful verbal presentations?