Business communication module 4

Business Communication

IAME, Bangalore 1

Welcome to Module 4

Written Communication

Stages of Writing Process

Organizing and Composing messages

Writing Effective Email messages

Writing for web

Writing goodwill, good and bad messages

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Learning to write is learning to think

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There are various ways of written communication E-mail message Memos Proposals Reports Letters Bulletins Minutes, Orders, quotations, contracts, forms, enquires etc

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Advantages Ready Reference. Legal Defence. Promotes Uniformity. Mass Access. Suitable for Distance Communication. Image Building. Accurate and Unambiguous. Permanent in Nature. Facilitates in order to Assign Responsibility. Permits Substitutions and Revisions.



Disadvantages Limited to literate world. Time Consuming. Lot of paper work. Needs expertise in expression. Lack of immediate feedback. Costly than oral communication. More man hours needed. No immediate clarification.



Draft an outline at the beginning by proper planning. Focus on the audience, purpose, topic and desired

outcome. Structure the Introduction, Body and Conclusion in a

systematic and logical order. Focus on each paragraph. Understand the reader’s perception. Avoid grammatical mistakes. Use proper vocabulary, punctuations, commas, colons

and semi-colons.

Tips for effective Written Communication



Avoid using slang language. Avoid using “you” while making any criticism. Always start with a positive phrase. Always write the name of the company and the person

correctly. Keep sentences short, clear and concise. Avoid repetition and too many irrelevant details. Elaborate on the technical language and jargons used. Effectively use the charts, graphs, diagrams and

pictures.

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Never express your anger, frustration, irritation and aggression in written communication.

Proof read the document before sending. Use proper communication channel. Get a proper feedback. Continuously update yourself to improve written

skills.

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Identify your purpose Analyze your audience Choose your ideas Collect data to support your ideas Organize your message

5 step writing process



Identify your purpose

Is it informational? Is it persuasive? Are you trying to negotiate a contract/deal?

All messages have a “relational “purpose.


Business CommunicationAnalyze your audience

Your message has to be seen from the receiver’s point of view.

Needs Interest Attitude Culture



Be sensitive to your audience needs with a “you” attitude.

Ex-

To help us process this order, we must ask for another copy of the requisition

So that your order can be filled promptly, please send another copy of the requisition.


Analyze your audience

Business CommunicationChoose your idea

Ideas depend on the type of message, the situation, and the cultural context(national and international).



Know company policies, procedures, product details.

Collect your data



Organize your message

Outline your message Prepare a draft Different approaches for different cultures.



Basic Organizational Plans

For letters and memos, you can choose one of the four organizational plans

Direct – Request Good news Bad news Persuasive – request plan



Direct – Request Good news

Bad news Persuasive – request plan

Use the Direct – Request plan when the purpose is to make a request that requires less persuasion.

Use the Good news plan to grant requests, announce favorable information.

Direct approach (begin with main idea)

Indirect approach (states main idea later)


Organizing and composing messages


Indirect Approach When you expect resistance to your message,

such as in a bad-news message or a persuasive request.

You should not present the main idea in the first paragraph.

Begin with a pleasant, neutral statement, then give an explanation before you introduce the idea.(“Porch”)



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Good News

When your message is favorable or neutral, you can use the good-news plan.

1.Best news or main idea2.Middle – Explanation, all necessary details, educational information, resale, Sales promotion.3.Positive, friendly ending, motivation to action, willingness to help further, appreciation.

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Bad News

A bad-news message varies from a good-news message in structure, tone, and information. With bad-news there is less tolerance for mistakes in communication.

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Bad News

In bad-news messages it is important that your tone be appropriate. Put yourself in the reader’s place. Include, if possible, the customer-benefits and reasons that are behind your policies and rules. Show confidence in the reader Single people out when you praise them, put them in a group when you criticize them. Be courteous and shield the reader’s pride. Talk with, not down to, the reader.

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Bad News

Every bad-news message has an underlying objective - to present the unpleasant facts in such a way that the reader will consider you fair and reasonable.

Structure the message

Buffer

Explanation and analysis of circumstances

Friendly, positive close

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Bad News

Buffer

Buffers should be neutral in tone: avoid misleading the reader into thinking the news is good.

Explanation and Analysis

Explanation are often crucial to the effectiveness of a negative message.

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Bad News

Friendly, Positive close

•Endings should be positive, with reader friendly requests,

assurances, and reader benefits.

• Invite future patronage, cooperation, suggestions or

compliances

• Express continued interest, service and offer assurances.

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Bad News

Negative replies to requests

Honesty, tactfulness and caution are necessary when responding to a request for a recommendation for a person about whom you have unfavorable information.

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Bad News

Refusing Credit

Try to use positive language when stating an unfavorable decision

Acknowledging Orders you cannot fill now or at all

Declining Invitations and Requests for Favors

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Bad News

When you have made a mistake, it is often best to admit your error in the beginning of your message.

Letters of resignation should include a reason, appreciation for people you are leaving, and a cordial ending.

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Tips for Email writing

Objectives

To effectively write an email pertaining to the purpose/ subject of the mail

Understand the nuances of writing a good mail Write mails that are concise but precise Comprehend the rules of writing e-mails



Write a meaningful subject line - Recipients scan the subject line in order to decide whether to open, forward, file, or trash a message.




Subject: [Blank]

If you don't put a subject line on your e-mail, this could come across as arrogant, or at the very least, thoughtless.

Subject: "10 confirmed for Friday... will we need a larger room?"

Upon reading this revised, informative subject line, the recipient immediately starts thinking about the size of the room, not about whether it will be worth it to open the e-mail.




Subject: "Important! Read Immediately!!“

What is important to you may not be important to your reader. Write an informative headline that actually communicates at least the core of what you feel is so important: "Emergency: All Cars in the Lower Lot Will Be Towed in 1 Hour.“

Subject: "Follow-up about Friday“

Fractionally better -- provided that the recipient remembers why a follow-up was necessary.




Subject: "That file you requested."

If you're confident your recipient will recognize your e-mail address, and really is expecting a file from you, then this would be fine.




Keep the message focused and readable Avoid fancy typefaces. Don't depend upon

bold font or large size to add nuances. Avoid attachments that are too large or too

many.




Skip lines between paragraphs.

Use standard capitalization.

All-caps comes across as shouting, and no caps invokes the image of a laziness. Regardless of your intention, people will respond accordingly.

Proofread

If you are asking someone else to do work for your work take the time to make your message look professional




Don't assume privacy

Don't send anything over e-mail that you wouldn't want posted -- with your name attached -- in the break room. E-mail is not secure.

Identify yourself clearly –

Be kind -- don't flame –

Just don't hit "Send" while you're still angry.

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Respond Promptly

If you want to appear professional and courteous, make yourself available to your online correspondents.

Show Respect and Restraint

Be tolerant of other people's etiquette blunders.

Distinguish between formal and informal situations

Always know the situation, and write accordingly.




A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, education, experiences and accomplishments designed to capture a prospective employer's interest.

It serves as a letter of introduction to get you considered for a position.


Resumes


Resumes

Write a clear objective statement. Knowing what you want and what the employer is looking for can help you write a clear objective.

Also, keep in mind that you do not want your objective statement to be too broad or too specific.

Make it easy for the reader to pick out specific skills by selecting appropriate categories, presenting relevant experience and skill areas higher on the page, and using underlining, boldfacing or capitalizing.

Present information in reverse chronological order within categories.




Resumes


Good quality writing and clear communication are critical. You might be the most qualified candidate out there, but that is not the message you will be sending if your resume is disorganized and ambiguous.

Use job titles and skill headings that relate to and match the jobs you want. Employers make quick judgments when reviewing your resume. If they see unrelated job titles or skills, they are likely to make the assumption that you are not qualified for the job.

Keep your writing style and formatting consistent throughout.


Resumes



Resumes


Adjust the specifics of your resume and cover letter so that they address each employer and position individually.

If you are applying for an entry level position, focus more on your grades and extracurricular activities rather than on work experience that is not related to the desired position.

Although the design and appearance of your resume matters, the content is what is really important.

Be sure to double and triple check your grammar, spelling, formatting, etc. A mistake in this area says a lot about you as a candidate!


Resumes



Applications

Apply three step process of planning, writing and completion.

Be Specific – avoid general objectives. Be as clear as possible about the kind of opportunity and industry you are looking for. Show that you understand the company and the position by echoing the key messages from the job ad.

Never volunteer salary information unless an employer asks for it.

Keep it short – and keep email cover letters shorter.



Applications

Apply three step process of planning, writing and completion.

Show some personality Keep it professional. Make the most of your chance to reveal not only your excellent communication skills but also some of your personality.

Aim for high qualityBe meticulous. Check spellings, grammar



End of Module 4Thank you

Education

Business communication module 4