Business Communication

Communications with Spoken Components

FACE TO FACE DISCUSSION

Submitted to:
Ms. Gimelyn B. Tanquerido, MBA

Submitted by:
Anilo Abong
Romelito Bedoria
John Philip Villa
BSIT-III
 FACE TO FACE DISCUSSION

A CONVERSATION’S GOAL
To get the most out of conversations, first be clear about your goal. The goal in many
conversations is simply to understand where the other person is coming from, and to
use his or her perspective and information to make more informed choices, expand a
project's scope, or reach a satisfying conclusion to a problem or decision.

GUIDELINES FOR THE MOST FRUITFUL CONVERSATION:

 Be prepared with your topics for discussion, and your facts and figures to back
them up.
 Ground your statements and responses in facts and research, rather than
emotion.
 Don't be content to let a conversation be one-sided, with you or the other party
doing most of the talking strive for balance.
 Be ready and willing to listen to the other party.
 Ask questions to make your case stronger and to ensure clarity for both sides.
 Don't enter conversations fixated on there being a "winner" and "loser."
 Don't leave conversations confused or frustrated in understanding the other
party.

KNOW THE RIGHT TIMES

A key component of sound communication practices is discerning the appropriate
time for such a conversation to take place. In some of the following instances, a
conversation is necessary because a situation has occurred that has unsavory
elements or could have ramifications that could negatively impact business. In
others, you may deem a situation appropriate for face-to-face meeting for a positive
reason: to make or leave a favorable impression.

To mitigate possibly negative  Defending your company's

professionalism
outcomes:
 Resolving a contract dispute
To enhance positive outcomes:
 Firing someone
 Hiring someone

2
 Making a case for your company  Meeting a potential client for the
to win a bid first time

ARE YOU A GOOD LISTENER?

For conversations to be their most productive, a strong set of listening skills is
required for all participants. You can begin to improve your listening skills by taking
care to concentrate on the conversation participants at hand.

Strategy to embrace the following components for a good listener:

 Ignore phone calls during the conversation, and abstain from multitasking
overall.
 Look at the other person, and focus on the other person's words and meanings,
realizing both content and intent.
 Avoid interrupting the other person; similarly, wait until the speaker finishes to
form opinions.
 Be aware that each person in the conversation may have a different agenda;
don't let yours veer you off-track from listening to others.
 Offer help to others if they're having difficulty expressing or articulating their
thoughts.
 Wait until the other person has finished before offering your own comment;
resist jumping to conclusions, and instead analyze rather than judge the
speaker's words.
 Concentrate on the flow and back-and-forth of the conversation, rather than
becoming hung up on bits of information or parts of past conversation.
 Consider body language and respond with both words and actions, taking into
account your own body language and such traits as concern and empathy.
 Restate key points to ensure accuracy and prevent potential misunderstanding.

LOOK OUT FOR BODY LANGUAGE

Body language can give you immediate indications of how you’re being received by
your conversation participants. Unsurprisingly, you convey a wide range of
messages through your posture, facial expressions, gestures, mannerisms, and
appearance. Whether it is subtle and unintentional or not, body language can foster
an outstanding first impression.

3
Body Language: The Good
Sharpen your listening skills by noticing and giving thought to the body language
you're witnessing. Realize, too, that even as you're deciphering body language,
you're sending your own signals as well.
 A handshake that is firm signals confidence, as does a posture that is straight
but not stiff.
 Eyes should be intent and focused, and your face should suggest a sincere
approach.
 Your arms should be uncrossed and, to appear open to comments, your jacket
should be unbuttoned.
 Rolling up your sleeves usually means getting down to work.
 Making eye contact, leaning slightly forward during conversations, and nodding
occasionally all are mannerisms of an attentive, earnest, and interested
conversationalist.

Body Language: The Bad

Conversely, you can detract or divert from a message by using body language that
casts doubt, mistrust, dullness, or cynicism.
 For instance, on the negative side, slouching can convey a lack of interest.
 Eyes that dart back and forth could signal discomfort or uncertainty.
 Gritted teeth and running hands through your hair may mean frustration.
 Fidgeting can express nervousness.

Tuning In to Feedback
Feedback refers to the information you give or receive regarding a job or project
done well. Constructive feedback is vitally important because it allows you to build on
correct actions, learn from mistakes, and determine whether you are taking the right
course or should alter it. The nature of feedback is subjective; therefore, it can be
positive of negative, and can often prompt harsh or hurt reactions.
Feedback Methods
Consider several ways to provide feedback that increase chances it will be heard,
understood as intended, and accepted by the receiver, and then used in a positive
way.
Characteristics for effective feedback:
 Focus on actions - Discussing actions should provide the clearest, most
direct link to the feedback.

4
  Be objective in its evaluation - Steer clear of judgmental or inflammatory
comments that will trigger the recipient's defensiveness and take the focus
away from the issue at hand.
 Be specific to the incident – Stay away from making broader
generalizations, or bringing in words such as “always” and “never”.
 Provide alternatives –Understanding the power of considering other
possibilities in the future.
 Be timely - Provide feedback as close to the event as possible, while
memories are still fresh.
 Be mindful - Recognize that the recipient can take or leave the feedback.
Remember: Feedback is different form advice. Feedback should be human, but
objective.

Great Ways to Get Your Point Across

Sometimes in discussions, people seem to be more focused on being right than on
communicating well. When you engage in a face-to-face discussion, you should work
to be so succinct, clear, and educated in your message that it convincingly presents
the case you want to make.

Right Can Be Wrong

Don't arrive at a discussion with a presupposed position or fixed determination that
you're the only one at the table who's right. That stance not only prevents fruitful
discussion, but also limits your ability to understand another perspective and a mass
potentially valuable information that may make your case even stronger.
Realize that for your own message to be heard, you need to have been listening,
taking into account other views and opinions. This openness helps you take a more
well-rounded approach to conversing.

Educate Yourself
When you enter into a conversation or discussion, come prepared with the facts and
information you need. Do your research and have your backup. Don't assume that
you can carry your point just by sounding authoritative, or being committed to your
opinion.

5
You should arm yourself with information that is important to that individual and
relates directly to his or her perspective, which actually helps the other person see
the overall picture you're trying to present.