Methods of

communication
Verbal communication
Written communication
Non-Verbal communication
What is Communication?

 Communication is a way to express your ideas,

thoughts, expressions, feelings or emotions
through verbal and non-verbal signs and
symbols.
1. Verbal communication
 In verbal communication, Spoken words are
used. It includes face-to-face conversations,
speech, telephonic conversation, radio, voice
over internet.
 In oral communication, communication is
influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of
speaking.
 Intrapersonal Communication:
This form of communication is extremely private
and restricted to ourselves. It includes the silent
conversations we have with ourselves.
 Interpersonal Communication:
This form of communication takes place between
two individuals. Here, the two individuals
involved will swap their roles of sender and
receiver in order to communicate in a clearer
manner.
 Small Group Communication:
This type of communication can take place
only when there are more than two people
involved.
 Here the number of people will be small
enough to allow each participant to interact
and converse with the rest.
 Press conferences, board meetings, and team
meetings are examples of group
communication.
 Public Communication:
This type of communication takes place when
one individual addresses a large gathering of
people.
 Election campaigns and public speeches are
example of this type of communication.
 In such cases, there is usually a single sender
of information and several receivers who are
being addressed.
 In public speaking, the speech must be
prepared according to the type of
audience you are going to face.
 you must have enough information on
the topic you have chosen for public
speaking.
 All the main points in your speech must
be highlighted and these points should be
delivered in the correct order.
Advantages of verbal communication:
 It brings quick feedback.
 In a face-to-face conversation, by reading
facial expression and body language one can
guess whether he/she should trust what’s
being said or not.
 Time saving
Disadvantages of verbal communication:

 user is unable to deeply think about what he is

delivering.
 A speaker may get confused.
2. Written communication
 In written communication, written words or
symbols are used to communicate. A written
message may be printed or hand written.
 In written communication message can be
transmitted via email, letter, report, memo
etc.
 Message, in written communication, is
influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used,
writing style, precision and clarity of the
language used.
 Internal communication: Memos, reports,
bulletins, job descriptions and employee
manuals.
 External communication: electronic mail,

Internet Web sites, letters, telegrams, faxes,

contracts, advertisements, brochures,
 According to the National Commission on Writing,
67% of salaried employees in large American
companies have some writing responsibility.
 Half of responding companies reported that they
take writing into consideration when hiring
professional employees
 91% always take writing into account when hiring
(for any position, not just professional-level ones).
[4]
Types of written communication

 Letter
 Memo
 Notice
 Circular
 Report
 Minutes
Advantages of written communication
 Messages can be edited and revised many time
before it is actually sent.
 Written communication provide record for every
message sent and can be saved for later study.
 A written message enables receiver to fully
understand it and send appropriate feedback.
 Written communication can be constructed
over a longer period of time.
 A written communication can also be read by
many people (such as all employees in a
department or all customers).
 It’s a “one-to-many” communication, as
opposed to a one-to-one verbal conversation.
 Can be duplicated through printing or
photocopying.
 Suitable for lengthy messages i.e annual
reports, instruction manual etc.
 More reliable.
Disadvantages of written communication
 Unlike oral communication, Written
communication doesn’t bring instant feedback.
 It takes more time in composing a written
message as compared to word-of-mouth.
 number of people struggles for writing ability.
 Very often valuable papers get lost.
 Poor writing skills can hamper the effectiveness
of the written communication.
 Expensive.
 Cannot be changed easily at any time so lack of
flexibility is there.
 If the receiver needs some clarification of the
message, he will have to write back and wait for
the reply to his query.
Non-Verbal Communication
 Nonverbal communication manages to convey the
sender's message without having to use words.
 Research shows that 55% of in-person
communication comes from nonverbal cues like
facial expressions, body stance, and tone of voice.
According to one study, only 7% of a Receiver’s
comprehension of a Message is based on the
Sender’s actual words; 38% is based on
paralanguage (the tone, pace, and volume of speech),
and 55% is based on nonverbal cues (body language.
 The muscles of our faces convey our emotions. We
can send a silent message without saying a word.
 Adopting a smile (even if we’re feeling stressed) can

reduce the body’s stress levels.

 Research shows that when individuals are lying, they
are more likely to blink more frequently and shift
their weight.
 The speaker’s body language must match his or her
words.
 Body Language:
• A firm handshake, given with a warmth.
• A weak, clammy handshake conveys a lack of
trustworthiness.
• A direct smile conveys confidence.
 Eye Contact:
• In business, the style and duration of eye contact
considered appropriate vary greatly across cultures.
 Eye Contact:
• In the United States, looking someone in the
eye (for about a second) is considered a sign
of trustworthiness.
 Facial Expressions:
• The face is the index of the heart. Whatever
we feel, it reflected in the face.
 Appearance
 Posture
• person’s posture conveys that we are listening and
responding.
 Touch
• In Indonesia, to touch anyone on the head or touch anything
with one’s foot is considered highly offensive.
• In the Far East, it is considered impolite for a woman to
shake a man’s hand. Americans,, place great value in a firm
handshake.
Advantages of non-verbal communication

 Information can be easily presented through

using sign language, audio-visual aids.
 Non-verbal message may substitute for the
verbal message specially if it is blocked by
noise, long distance etc. for example: gestures-
fingers to lips to indicate for quiet.
 Help in handicapped people.
 Paralanguage (speaker’s voice, tone, pitch) tells
about speaker’s educational background.
 Colorful photographs, paintings, posters, makes
communication interesting.
Disadvantages of non-verbal communication
 Vague and imprecise.
 Long conversations are not possible.
 Facial expressions, gestures and posture of the
speaker become ineffective if the listener is
inattentive.
 Sign language can communicate only simple ideas
not the complicated ones.
 It is not easy to draw effective pictures or posters.