Oral communication

The brain starts working the moment you are born and

never stops until you stand up & speak in public

Meaning Also known as verbal communication Speech precedes writing Speaking, reading, writing Develop the ability through listening (words) The ability to speak/articulate single words and

later on speak groups of words in meaningful sequence comes to us in due course of our growth as a child

100 % life 70 % waking life spending in communication 45 % listening 30 % speaking 16 % reading 09 % Writing

Need for learning OC skills It does not matter what you say, what matter is

how you say it. To help problem solving To resolve conflicts To influence people To persuade other To be assertive without being aggressive To develop listening skill To be an effective negotiator To make a proposal

Objectives of oral communication in business Meetings, discussions, negotiations, seminars,

presentations, interviews, peer conversation, subordinate instructions and telephonic conversation.

Choice of form of communication Oral and written

Oral communication Written communication

More personal & informal Better for complex & difficult subjects, facts & opinions

Makes immediate impact Better for keeping records of message

Opportunity for interaction & Feedback

Opportunity to refer back

Helps to correct Can be read at receiver’s convenience or pleasure

Better for conveying feelings and emotions

Can be revised and circulated

Oral communication Written communication

Demands ability to think coherently as you speak

Never know if the message is ever read

Uttered words can not taken back Impersonal and remote

Hard to control voice pitch and tone, especially under stress, excitement or anger

Immediate feedback is not available for correction on the spot

Very difficult to be conscious of our body language

Reader is not helped by non-verbal cues that contribute to the total message

Time consumingMany people don’t like to read

Principles of successful oral communication Talking is to be heard and understood by the listener Have the rhythm and tone of a living voice Language that Is free from long winding sentences,

clichés, old-fashioned words and phrases. Commonly used words, short and simple sentences The pitch of voice wrt distance of listener Tone wrt accent of sincerity & confidence Body language 7 % verbal + 38 % Tone of voice + 55 % visual factors

The nature of the spoken words Correlation between pace of speaking & rate of listening Research has established that an individual speaks nearly

125 words a minute, and the brain of the listener processes nearly 4-5 times more rapidly

What if fluency Fluency usually means Ease as a condition of speaking

but a fluent speaker is one who is heard with ease Listener has to strain his mind to receive, register,

interpret the message heard Distinct and connected words

Characteristics of effective OC – Francis J Bergin Candidness (frank/open) Clarity Completeness Conciseness Concreteness Correctness Courtesy

Consider the objective Think about the interest level of the receiver Be sincere Simple and familiar language Be brief and precise Avoid vagueness and generalities Give full facts Assume nothing Use polite words and tone Cut out insulting message Say something interesting and pleasant to the recipient Allow time to respond

Barriers to effective OC Status Halo effect Complexes Closed and all knowing mind Poor retention Pre mature evaluation and hurried conclusions as

distortions Abstracting Slant Cognitive dissonance Language barrier

What is conversational control Skills of listening and talking in a positive and meaningful

way at an appropriate time Techniques of changing the direction of conversation

smoothly The ability to allow a discussion to develop along key

issues in an uninterrupted way towards the desired end Does not mean control of someone’s conversation

In business following situation require application of CC How to sell or buy How to negotiate How interview How to participate in meeting How disagree without being rude How protest without offending How to complement/praise How to respond to personal criticism

Ability to notice cues and clues Verbal indicators Stated message & implied message Very, too, essential Signs and signals Cue = keyword or phrase a person uses to indicate something important

Clue = word or set of words that someone else gives to us

Ex. In case study

Recognizing cues and clues ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’ - the person of greatest importance to them Adjectives :- pressurized, concerned, angry, worried, annoyed,

unhappy, disappointed or enthusiastic, keen, excited, inspired Ex. I am under pressure to finish the task

The whole plant went wrong. Things were all confused. I think I failed in my responsibility to organize the event.

I must change my strategy and approach. The whole thing was a disaster.

I am determined not to let it happen again Doubts and concerns Natural pauses

Interpreting signs and signals Visual indicators Signs given and signals received Body movement, gesture Smile, eye movements, drinking of water during

a speech

Parallel conversation (mgt game)

•It is necessary that we increase our export•I think it is most important for us to reduce our manpower immediately

•By increasing our exports we can build our brand image•By reducing the number of workers we can cut down our costs

•I always look for building up our company in a positive way by promoting its sales abroad•Cost reduction is the only way we can manage our company. And that Can be done only by reducing the number of workers.

Sequential conversation Logical link between speaker and listener

Reflection and empathy Take interest in speaker Pick up the cue and reflect upon their meaning The purpose of reflecting on something is to help

the other person see his/her feelings and ideas with greater clarity and precision.

Sense of time as a skill In one to one conversations/discussions, the

desire should not be to monopolize conversation. Passive listening generates disinterest and boredom.

Interactive sessions, humorous, illustration, cases

Summarizing as integral skill of oral communication Assurance of understanding the facts of presenter Before giving opinions or response you should recognize,

analyze and evaluate what the other person has said Comprehension of the given facts Receive and understand the true meaning of words

spoken by the other person

Two sides of effective communicating – Listening and presenting

Good listener

Do not interruptRemain patient

Make eye contactShow interestLook attentiveConcentrate

Ask open questions

Poor listeners

Over talkativeInattentiveInterrupt

Impatient to talk“yes, but..” approach

Very critical Poor concentration

Look away from the person

Be an effective presenter Present facts not your opinions Keep to the point Keep the listener’s interest in mind Support your argument with suitable examples Ask for feedback and answer questions honestly Make eye contact Avoid being vague

Application of conversational control Meetings

“we are drifting away from the point’, “ let us keep to our agenda”

Agenda as a control Advance circulation of agenda papers It create the necessary framework for holding discussions

in a guided sequence. They also act as cues to keep the discussion to the point Sequence of discussion – how and in what time Understand the issues

The chairperson The procedure

Control the conversation and focusing on important issue

Creating conditions for sequential, linked, and meaningful discussions for solutions

Begins meeting on schedule Discussion – uncontrolled conversation

The chairperson regulating it

To be assertive without being aggressive The skill of avoiding parallel conversation and

ensuring linked sequential conversation and disagreeing without offending and asserting without being rude is basic for the smooth conduct of business in a meeting

To be assertive is to be confident It is impossible, it is too difficult, it is useless

Negotiation through conversation control Conversational attack and controlled

response Cool facts/change the direction

THANK YOUBy - GAURAV MULIYA