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Chapter 6Building Communications Skills
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.2
Building Communications Skills
Examining the Communication Process Writing Effective Business Messages Preparing Written Communications Preparing Documents for Distribution Demonstrating Ethics in Writing International Correspondence
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.3
Examining the Communication Process
Communication methods Verbal Interactive Mobile Instant Written Nonverbal
Nonverbal clues most effective method
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.4
Verbal Communication
Listen and watch for verbal and nonverbal feedback
Choose words carefully in sensitive/controversial topics
Encourage other person to talk Give other person undivided attention Avoid talking incessantly Summarize important points in logical order
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.5
Ten Ways to Improve Verbal Communication
Avoid repetitious phrases Slow your speech Don’t talk in a monotone Don’t speak loudly Speak clearly Use the correct word Use the right word Use eye contact Use gestures Smile occasionally
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.6
Mispronounced Words and Phrases
Acrosst Across Bidness Business Close Clothes Fedral Federal Idn’t Isn’t Jist Just Off Ten Often Probly Probably Wadn’t Wasn’t
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.7
Nonverbal Communication
Image Personal space Eye contact Posture Facial expressions
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.8
Crazy Phrases and Sayings
Beady little eyes Gets under my skin Opening up to you Pain in the neck Pushy Shifty eyes Sparkle in the eyes Standoffish Stand on your own two feet Under the thumb
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.9
Overcoming Barriers to Communication
Missing the meaning Differing interpretations Using unfamiliar words Emotional or physical detractions Not listening
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.10
Communicating Across Cultures
Oral messages Learn common greetings and responses Use simple English Speak slowly and enunciate clearly Watch for blank stares Ask listener to paraphrase Accept blame for misunderstanding Listen without interrupting Follow up in writing when negotiating Observe nonverbal messages
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.11
Communicating Across Cultures (continued)
Written messages Use familiar words Respect titles and ranks Use short sentences and paragraphs Use correct spelling, grammar, punctuation Follow guidelines for writing business
messages
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.12
Writing Effective Business Messages
The writing process An effective business letter:
Focuses on a single purpose Is written from the reader’s viewpoint Conveys a meaningful message by applying the six
C’s of writing Reflects a positive, sincere, appropriate tone Is expressed in an interesting style using natural,
vivid, varied language
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.13
Writing Effective Business Messages (continued)
Know your purpose To inform To create understanding To accept an idea To stimulate thought To cause action
Make other points secondary to main point
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.14
Writing Effective Business Messages (continued)
Ask yourself questions after composing After the reader reads this letter, I want him or
her to…. The purpose of this letter is to…. Will this letter get the results I am seeking…?
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.15
Writing Effective Business Messages (continued)
Focus on the reader—use the “you attitude” Write each sentence from reader’s point of view Explain what benefit(s) reader will enjoy Put reader’s needs first Emphasize reader’s interests Use words meaningful to reader Review letters received from reader in your files to
know him or her better
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.16
Writing Effective Business Messages (continued)
Convey a meaningful message Completeness Correctness Coherence Conciseness Clearness Courtesy
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.17
Writing Effective Business Messages (continued)
Reflect a positive, sincere, appropriate tone Be courteous and tactful Do not write sentences that include negative
words
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.18
Writing Effective Business Messages (continued)
How to make your writing interesting Use active verbs Make the subject the person, idea, or thing Use specific, meaningful words Use familiar words and phrases Use a phrase or clause to describe rather than an
adjective or adverb Use short words instead of long words
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.19
Preparing Written Communication
Writing letters for your manager’s signature Routine letters Letter formats E-mail memorandums Informational reports Other forms of communication
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.20
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Writing letters for your manager’s signature Letter must sound as if manager wrote it Study manager’s letters for similar vocabulary
and style Use same salutation and complimentary close Follow manager’s organization procedure
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.21
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Routine letters Appointments Routine requests, inquiries, orders Routine replies Acknowledgments Cover letters Follow-up letters Appreciation letters
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.22
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Letter formats Full-block letter style Modified-block letter style Punctuation style
Mixed Open
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.23
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
E-Mail memorandums Follow writing principles for letters Include a salutation Create descriptive subject line Write an attention-getting opening Use short sentences and simple words Focus on the “you attitude” Keep each e-mail to one subject
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.24
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Add a sense of urgency Avoid flaming Show respect and restraint when sending
sensitive information Proofread all messages Don’t send unsolicited attachments Protect your PC from viruses Do not open suspicious e-mail
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.25
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Include the e-mail signature in your closing Don’t break e-mail threads Format messages simply Don’t expect prompt replies to all e-mails
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.26
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Informational reports Ask yourself the following questions
What kind of report am I writing? What is the purpose of the report? Who will read it? What are the key points of information the reader
should know?
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.27
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Trip reports Progress reports Periodic reports Investigative reports
Other forms of communication MySpace Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.28
Preparing Written Communication (continued)
Standard memorandums Writing rules for letters applies to memos Use a standard format or word processing
template Write informally Keep the memo to one page Make sure memo covers only one topic Use lists whenever possible
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.29
Preparing Documents for Distribution
Proofreading Consider your first version a rough draft Proofread manually as well with computer Be sure to turn on widow/orphan protection Print hard copy to check spacing Edit thoroughly before making corrections Check cross-references to other pages after editing After editing, proofread each change carefully Do a spell/grammar check again of corrected version
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.30
Proofreading Documents for Distribution (continued)
Double-check outgoing documents Check facts and figures Check format Check for completeness and meaning Check mechanics
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.31
Preparing Documents for Your Manager’s Signature (continued)
Submitting letters for signature Make certain each document is signed Verify enclosures and place check mark on file
copy by enclosure notation Make certain name and address on envelope
and letter are the same If your manager has written a note on the
letter, photocopy it
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.32
Preparing Documents for Your Manager’s Signature (continued)
Assembling enclosures Your responsibility is to make certain when there is an
enclosure, it is included with the document Copies being mailed are also enclosures Keep a record of persons and dates receiving copies Keep track of needed enclosures; list on To Do list
and check them off as completed
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.33
Preparing Documents for Your Manager’s signature (continued)
Letter-sized enclosures are placed behind the document and folded simultaneously; small enclosures are placed in the fold
Hold small enclosures temporarily in place with a paperclip but remove paperclip before mailing
Do not staple enclosures to the document
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.34
Preparing Documents for Your Manager’s Signature (continued)
When attaching a file, make sure the person can open the file
When mailing large items, prepare labels; type address in all caps, no punctuation
Make sure address can be seen through all window envelopes
Cross out last name on inter-office envelopes
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.35
Demonstrating Ethics in Writing
Make certain information included in writing is correct
Keep confidential information away from prying eyes
Make certain information you write is your own Never violate copyright laws Maintain integrity in your communications
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.36
International Correspondence
Addressing envelopes Type entire address in all caps Type country name in English on the last line If writing from outside the U.S. to someone in
the U.S., type UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as the last line of the address
Office Procedures for the 21st Century, 8eBurton and Shelton
© 2011 Pearson Higher Education,Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights
Reserved.37
International Correspondence (continued)
Writing international letters When the information is negative, the usual
neutral lead sentence may need to be omitted or changed
Letters from abroad may be overly wordy Your acceptance of cultural diversity should
extend to business letters; be patient, tolerant, and understanding