UNIT1: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

IN THE DIGITAL AGE

What are communication skills?

Traditional
• reading, listening, writting, speaking and
non-verbal skillspresence
New Requirement
• Media savvy
• Good judgement online
• protecting employer's reputation
• maintaining positive image
Connect With the Audience

Communication Process

Communication Barriers

Mind of Your Audience

 Communication Process

1 8 7
Sender Audience Audience
Has an Idea Provides Feedback Responds to Message

2 6
Sender Audience
Encodes the Idea Decodes Message

3 4 5
Sender Sender Audience
Produces Message Transmits Message Receives Message
 Communication Barriers

• Noise and Distractions

• Competing Messages

• Filtering of Messages

• Channel Breakdowns
 The Mind of Audience

• Business Message

Receiving

Decoding

Responding
Achieving Success in Today’s
Competitive Environment

Writing Clearly
Competing for Jobs
Speaking Skillfully

Listening Carefully
Winning Customers
Adapting to Situations
 Decision Problem Productivity
Making Awareness & Work Flow

Benefits for Effective Business

Investors Communication Relationships

Employee Professional Persuasive

Satisfaction Image Marketing
The digital revolution and YOU
• COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
– Cloud
– Telephony (VOIP)
– Open offices
– Voice regconition
– Voice and video conference
– Smart devices
– Electronic presentations
– Social media
– Blogs, podcasts and wikis
Bad communication
Bad communication
 What employers expect?

Excellent oral and written communication skill

Ability to work in team

Professionalism and work ethic

Critical thinking and analytical reasoning

Unblemished social media presence

 Characteristics of effective messages

Practical information

Factual information

Concise and efficient information

Clear expectations and responsibilities

Persuasion and recommendations

Activity:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYVirk
vNYco
 LISTENING SKILL
• Many of us are poor listeners.

• We listen at only 25 to 50 percent

• efficiency.

• Poor listening skills affect

professional relationships.

• Costly errors may result from poor

 Overcoming
• Physical Barriers
• Psychological barriers

• Language Problem

• Nonverbal distraction
• Thought speed
• Faking attention

• Grandstanding
 Build powerful listening skill
• Face the speaker and • Wait for the speaker to
use eye contact pause
• Be attentive but relaxed • Ask questions
• Keep an open mind • Try to feel what the speaker
• Listen to the words and is feeling
try to picture what the • Give the speaker feedbacks
speaker is saying • Pay attention on non-verbal
• Don’t interrupt cues
 Silent Messages

BODY LANGUAGES TIME,SPACE

AND TERRITORY

• Eye Contact • Time

• Facial Expression • Space

• Posture and • Territory

Gesture
Tips to Improve Nonverbal Skills

• Be honest • Touch people when

• Use a firm and friendly appropriate and
handshake acceptable
• Reinforce your words • Smile genuinely
with tones and gestures • Show respect for
• Use appropriate speakers and listeners
gestures to support your • Maintain eye contact
points
How culture affects communication?
 High & Low context culture
HIGH CONTEXT LOW CONTEXT
indirect and implicit messages Direct, simple and clear message
Polychromic Monochromic
High use of non-verbal Low use of non-verbal
communications communication
Low reliance on written High reliance on written
communication communication
Use intuition and feelings to make Rely on facts and evidences to make
decisions decisions

Long term relationships Short term relationships

Relationships are more important Schedules are more important than
than schedules relationships

Strong distinction between in-group Flexible and open

and out group
 Activity

• High context culture • Low context culture

https://www.youtube.com/ https://www.youtube.co
watch?v=BIJA2mVUCl4 m/watch?v=jz3MtN41J
Ow
 Benefits of diverse workforce

• Wide range of ideas

• Able to provide quality experiences for

customers
• Customer services increase
• Better understanding different people which is
benefit on marketing
• Creativity and innovation
 Writing Techniques

• Being Positive rather than Negative

ex: Your order cannot be shipped by January 10
ÞYour order will be shipped January 15
• Expressing Courtesy
ex: Stewart, you must complete all performance
reviews by Friday
=> Stewart, will you please complete all
performance reviews by Friday
 Writing Techniques (con't)
• Using Bias - Free Language
ex: female doctor, woman attorney,
waiter/waitress
• Using plain language and familiar words
ex: commensurate => equal
interrogate => question
• Using Precise words
ex: a change in profits => hike in profits