Business Communication

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Tapsri R Marak
Communication
Fundamentals
Unit I
What is Communication?
We live in a world of communication: a world in which
people react violently or peacefully to a statement, an
action, or a concept. Pick up the newspaper, snap on the
radio, or flip on the TV for proof. A world leader directs a
statement of hostility to another (communication), and
tanks begin to roll! A president or prime minister steps
down (communication), and peace settles over a torn
and battered nation. A representative speaks in the
United Nations (communication), and fifteen minutes
later, rioting and bloodshed take place six thousand
miles away. Nations, companies, families, and
individuals in todays world constantly act and react as a
result of communication.

Sigband and Bateman 1981
COMMUNICATION
1. WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
2. HOW DOES COMMUNICATION WORK?
3. WHY DOES COMMUNICATION HAPPEN?
4. WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION?
Relevant Questions about
Communication
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Can we ever agree on the true nature of communication?
Here are some descriptions of human behavior. Does
communication take place in all of them?
(A) _______You yawn, but no one sees it.
(B) _______You yawn, and your friend later realizes that you
were tired even though she didnt pay any attention to it at the
time.
(C) _______You yawn, and your friend says, Am I that
boring?
(D) _______You wave at a friend, but he doesnt see you.
(E) _______Your friend later says, Im sorry I didnt wave
back, but I was thinking about something else and didnt
realize you had waved to me until after I turned the corner.

W
h
a
t

i
s

c
o
m
m
u
n
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
?

(F) _______You wave to a friend, and she waves back.
(G) _______You send a letter to a friend, but it gets lost in the
mail.
(H) _______Your dad lectures you for having a messy room,
and although you know he is talking to you, you really
arent paying much attention.
(I) _______You give a speech to a group that is eager to
hear what you have to say.

Adapted from Littlejohn 2002: p. 8

W
h
a
t

i
s

c
o
m
m
u
n
i
c
a
t
i
o
n
?

Communication is the transferring and
understanding meanings
The best idea, or suggestions, or plans cannot
take form without communications
Communication can take many forms:
Oral vs. written
Verbal vs.non-verbal
Interpersonal vs. organizational
Communication
COMMUNICATION
Communication is the process of sending
and receiving messages.
Communication is complete when feedback
is received, message is understood, the
receiver assigned the same meaning to
the message as you intended, and action
taken.
Achieving success in todays
workplace depends on
effective communication among
employees and their managers as
well as with people outside the
organisation such as customers,
suppliers, government, NGO(non-
governmental organizations),and
stakeholders (various groups you
interact with)
Communication challenges in
todays workplace
Advances in technology: Use of new technological
tools (internet, e-mail, voice mail, faxes, intranet,
extranet, e-commerce) increase the speed,
frequency,and reach of communication.
Market Globalization: Increasing tendency of the
world to act as one market driven by technological
advances in telecommunication
Workforce Diversity: Workforce is made up of
people with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Team-based Organizations:Organizations use
teams and collaborative work groups to make fast
decisions required to succeed in a global and
competitive market place.
Communication: The Role of ICT
In business, communication can be:
between individuals
between individuals and organisations
within a business
between a business and an external
organisation
Communication
Communication takes place within
networks. These are some of the types of
network:
chain
circle
wheel
all-channel
Communication
A chain network
e.g formal
contact

Communication
A circle network
e.g. between
people at the
same level

Communication
A wheel network
e.g. sales teams
report to head
office

Communication
An all-channel
network e.g.
brainstorming

Communication
Communication in the business world is
very different today compared to twenty
years ago, because of:
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT)

Examples of ICT Use
Mobile telephones
Video and tele-conferencing
Lap-top computers
E-mail
Multi-media communications
Communication Failure
No matter what medium of communication is
used, it can fail if:
jargon is used inappropriately
badly written messages are transmitted
the message goes to the wrong receiver
information overload takes place
the communication channel breaks down
Communication Failure
In the UK until recently, firms wanting to move
into e-commerce have been:
prevented due to slow connection speeds
affected by lack of broadband services

Go to the Activity for more on this.
Communication in Business
Communication
Transferring information from one part of the
business to another that leads to some outcome,
changed behaviour or changed practice
Formal Communication established and
agreed procedures
Informal Communication channels not
formally recognised the grapevine
Communication
Process:

Sender or
Instigator
Channel
Medium
Receiver
Change in
payment systems
Finance Dept
E-mail
Feedback
Communication
Methods:
Verbal face to face
Written
Electronic
Visual
Audio
Group meetings
Notice boards
Text!
Communication
Medium:
Letters
Memo
Report
Notice board
Faxes
Telephone
E-mail
Face to face
Body language
Video/video conferencing
Internet

Communication
Choice of Medium affected by:
Need for record
Direction of the information flow
Number of people to be reached
Confidentiality
Nature of the information length, complexity, speed
of transfer
Cost of the medium

The Communication Process
Sender
Encoding
Receiver
Decoding Channel
Feedback
Message
Message
Noise
COMMUNICATION PROCESS
The six steps of communication process:
1) The sender has an idea
2) The sender encodes the idea
3) The sender transmits the message
4) The receiver gets the message
5) The receiver decodes the message
6) The receiver sends feedback
(Comm.Process cont.)
1.The sender has an idea

You have an idea/information
and want to share it. Express
the idea.
(Comm.Process cont.)
2.The sender encodes the idea

When you put your idea into a message
form that your receiver will understand,
you are encoding it. You decide on the
messages form (words, facial expression,
gesture), length, organization, tone, and
style- all of which depends on your idea,
your audience, and your personal style or
mood.
(Comm. Process cont.)
3.The sender transmits the message

To physically transmit your message to
your receiver, you select a communication
channel (spoken or written) and a medium
(telephone, letter, memo, e-mail, fax,
report, face-to-face exchange). This
choice depends on your message, your
audiences location, your need for speed,
formality required, and the media available
to you.
4.The receiver gets the message
For communication to occur your receiver
must first get the message. If you send a
letter, your receiver has to read it before
understanding it. If you are giving a
speech, your receiver has to hear you and
has to pay attention.
5.The receiver decodes the message
Your receiver must decode (absorb and
understand) your message. The decoded
message must then be stored in the
receivers mind.
6.The receiver sends feedback

After decoding the message, the receiver
may respond in some way and signal that
response to you. This response (feedback)
enables you to evaluate the effectiveness
of your message.
Example
Write out the steps of
communication process and use
these steps to communicate to
Mr. Akshay that his application for
the position of Project Manager
has been accepted by the
company.
Communication Channels
Written Communication
Verbal Communication
The Grapevine
Nonverbal Cues
Electronic Media
Identifying barriers
Communication is about overcoming barriers.
State all the barriers
that you can think of
that impact on your
day-to-day
communication.
Common barriers to communication: probing for causes
Common barriers to communication:
Apparent cause Practical Example
Physiological Message in an internal report not received due to blindness.
Psychological Message from external stakeholder ignored due to groupthink
Cultural Message from organisation misinterpreted by members of a
particular group
Political Message from internal stakeholder not sent because individual
is marginalised
Economic Message not available to a public sector organisation due to
lack of resources
Technological Message not delivered due to technical failure
Physical Message cannot be heard and visual aids cannot be seen by
some members of the audience
Filtering
Emotions
Selective
Perception
Information
Overload
Apprehension
Language
Communication Barriers
1)Perceptual and Language Differences

2)Restrictive Environments

3)Deceptive Communication Tactics

4)Distractions
Comm. Barriers
1) Perceptual and LanguageDifferences:
Perception is peoples individual interpretation of
the sensory world around them.
Selective perception: As a sender you choose
the details that seem important to you. As a
receiver, you try to fit new details into your
existing pattern, if a detail doesnt quite fit, youre
inclined to distort the information rather than
rearrange your pattern- a process known as
selective perception.
Comm. Barriers cont.
1)Perceptual and Language Differences:

Language: is an arbitrary (random) code
that depends on shared definition
2)Restrictive Environments
Restrictive environment is when
information flow is limited, blocked by an
authoritarian style of management.
3)Deceptive Communication Tactics
Deceptive comm. (exaggerating
benefits,quoting inaccurate statistics,
hiding negative or positive information,
displaying graphic data unfairly, leaving
out crucial info.) manipulates receivers,
blocks comm. and leads to failure.
4)Distractions
Physical Distractions: Background
noise, bad connection on phone, poor
accoustics, illegible copy, uncomfortable
chair, poor lighting, health problems, poor
air conditioning
4)Distractions
Emotional Distraction: When you are
upset, hostile, or fearful, you have hard
time shaping your message objectively.

4)Distractions cont.
Information Overload: Too much
information make it difficult to discriminate,
sort out what is useful/not useful
information.
Round the clock accessibility: To be
accessible immediately wherever
whenever. Technology demands instant
answers. Professionals are constantly tied
to work by cell phones, voice mail, e-mail.
Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers to communication are
those that result from the performance
characteristics and limitations of the human
body and the human mind.
Perception object recognition
Perception object recognition
Whats your perception?
Optical illusion (1)
Optical illusion (2)
Port 1010 building in the Docklands region of Melbourne, Australia.
1010 LaTrobe Street, Docklands, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 3008
Human memory processes: a three-stage model
Human memory processes
Human Memory
The sensory memory
acts as a kind of
temporary collection-
point for incoming
stimuli of all kinds; this
limit is often identified
as 67 separate pieces
of information.

Consider the three out
of ten best slogans of
all time according to
Inc. magazine:
Social, cultural and ethical barriers
Social barriers to communication include the social
psychological phenomenon of conformity; a process in
which the norms, values and behaviours of an individual
begin to follow those of the wider group.
Cultural barriers to communication, which often arise
where individuals in one social group have developed
different norms, values, or behaviours to individuals
associated with another group.
Ethical barriers to communication; these occur when
individuals working in an organisation find it difficult to
voice dissent, even though their organisation is acting
in ways they consider to be unethical.
Cultural barriers
Cultures shape the way we think and
behave.
They can be seen as both shaping and
being shaped by our established patterns
of communication.
Nations, occupations, organisations,
teams and other social groupings, all
share a tendency to develop distinctive
cultures.
Figure 2.5 The iceberg metaphor for culture
Source: http://www.indoindians.com/lifestyle/culture.htm
The iceberg metaphor for culture
Culture and environment
Where are
they?
What is above
the woman's
head?
Robert Laws, a Scottish missionary working in Malawi, Africa, in the late 1800s:
The influence of culture and environment can have an effect on our visual
perception. What you see will largely depend on where you live in the world.
Barriers to ethical behaviour
Three communication-related barriers to ethical
behaviour in business organisations are:
moral silence, failing to speak up about issues
that are known to be wrong;
moral deafness, failure to hear or attend to
moral concerns raised by others;
moral blindness, failure to recognise the moral
implications of actions.
(Bird 2002)
Ethical choice (1)
Your company has been a major employer in
the local community for years, but shifts in the
global marketplace have forced some changes
in the company. In fact, the company plans to
reduce staffing by as much as 50% over the
next 3 to 5 years. The size and timing of future
layoffs have not been decided, but a small
layoff will certainly start next month. You are in
charge of writing a letter on this issue. Your first
draft is as follows:
this first layoff is part of a continuing series of
staff reductions anticipated over the next
several years.
Ethical choice (2)
Your first draft is as follows:
this first layoff is part of a continuing series of
staff reductions anticipated over the next
several years.
Your boss is concerned about the negative tone
of the language and suggests the following
sentence:
this layoff is a part of the companys ongoing
efforts to continually align its resources with
global market conditions.
Do you think this suggested wording is ethical?
Ethical choice (3)
This first layoff is part of a continuing series of staff
reductions anticipated over the next several years. (Too
Negative)
This layoff is a part of the companys ongoing efforts to
continually align its resources with global market
conditions. (Unethical)
The company should be as specific as possible without
causing itself unnecessary damage.
Unless business conditions change, we anticipate further
reductions in the future, but we are currently unable to
identify the timing or extent of such reductions.
Overcoming Bias in Language
Example Unacceptable Preferable
Gender bias Salesman Salesperson;
Sales representative
Manpower Workforce; Workers
Man-made Artificial; Manufactured
Ethnic bias Jim Wong is an
unusually tall Asian
Jim Wong is very tall
Disability
bias
Crippled workers
face many barriers
on the job
Workers with physical
disabilities face many
barriers on the job
Overcoming the barriers
E Taking the receiver more seriously
E Thinking more clearly about the
message
E Delivering messages skilfully
Focusing on the receiver
Using multiple channels and
encoding
Securing appropriate feedback
Guidelines for overcoming
communication barriers:
1)Adopt an audience-centered approach

2)Foster open-communication climate

3)Commit to ethical communication

4)Create efficient messages
Overcoming communication
barriers

1)Adopt an audience-centered
approach:Make your message
meaningful for those who will receive
it.
2)Foster Open-Communication
Climate:Get everyone participate
share their ideas and feelings freely
with everyone else.
Overcoming communication barriers
cont.
3)Commit to ethical communication
Ethics are principles of conduct that
govern a person or a group. Ethical
communication includes true
accurate information. Ethical people
are trustworthy, fair, not deceptive,
respecting the rights of others.
Overcoming communication barriers
cont.
4)Create efficient messages:
Minimize physical distractions
Minimize emotional distractions

Overcoming
Constrain emotions
Watch nonverbal cues
Use feedback
Simplify language
Listen actively
Types of Communication
IITTM
M.B.A.-II Semester (PGDM-IB)
Unit I
Types of Communication
1. Personal communication and Business
communication
2. Internal communication and External
communication
3. Upward communication and Downward
communication
4. Formal communication and Informal
communication
5. Lateral communication
6. Interactive communication
7. Mass communication
8. Grapevine
Communication in organizational settings
Internal
Formal
communication
network
Informal
communication
network

External
Formal
communication
network
Informal
communication
network

Internal Communication
The exchange of information
and ideas within an
organisation
Internal Communication cont.
Formal Communication Network:
Information may travel down, up,
and across an organisations
formal hierarchy.

Internal Communication cont.
Informal Communication
Network:
People have casual
conversations with friends in the
office about anything (personal
and business matters)
External Communication
External communication
carries information into and
out of the organization.
External Communication cont.
Formal Communication Network:
(letter, website, phone, fax,
internet, videotape)
Marketing or public relations teams
job is to create and manage the
flow of formal messages to
outsiders.

External Communication cont.
Informal Communication Network:
(Networking)
Informal contacts with outsiders
are important for learning about
customer needs.
Effective Business
Communication
Provide practical information
Give facts rather than
impressions
Clarify and condense information
State precise responsibilities
Persuade others and offer
recommendations
Forms of Communication
1. Oral communication
2. Written communication
3. Non-Verbal communication
4. Visual communication
5. Audio-Visual communication
6. Silence
Verbal and Non-Verbal
Communication
IITTM
Unit I
Defining Verbal & Non-Verbal
Before we turn our attention to a detailed
explanation of non-verbal communication
(NVC), we need to be very clear about our
understanding of the term verbal

Quick discussion what do you think
verbal means?
Verbal Communication
We often use the term verbal to mean
spoken eg. I gave her a verbal warning

In Communication & Culture, we use the
word verbal in a slightly different and
more technical way
Definition of Verbal
Verbal = communicating with words
and language (as opposed to images,
actions or behaviour)

Verbal communication is restricted to
language

Design Features of Language
Language enables us to communicate
about events beyond our immediate
sensory experience

The capacity of language is infinite

Introduction to non-verbal
communication
in communication with others only 30 % of the
communication is verbal, 70 % is non-verbal

non-verbal communication involves gestures,
facial expressions, eye contact

our non-verbal behaviour is mostly
subconscious
Definition of NVC
All communication other than that involving words
and language

This is fine but could include everything from
animal communication to films to gardening. For
our purposes we will use a more restricted
definition:

Bodily communication, other than words and
language

Comparing verbal and non-verbal
communication
both are symbolic, communicate meaning and
are patterned

all societies have different non-verbal languages

the non-verbal communication is more than just
body language; the use of time and personal
space, our voice etc.

Forms

1. Different categories (or types) of NVC

2. The functions (or uses) of NVC

Before we do this, we need to establish some
general points about NVC and its relationship
to language and culture
Relationship between NVC,
Language & Culture
When travelling, we do not, on the whole, make the
assumption that everyone will understand our first and
preferred language

Most of us accept we must either learn a new language
or rely entirely on verbal signals for communication

We assume we will have no difficulty in decoding non-
verbal clues

We need to be aware of the enormous range and
diversity of non-verbal behaviour
What emotions do these facial
expressions portray?
NVC, Language & Culture
Even in the secure territory of your own
familiar culture, care is needed in the
interpretation of non-verbal clues

Jumping to conclusions about meanings of
non-verbal clues can be dangerous
Your Approach to NVC
You should suggest possible meanings and
interpretations when analysing NVC, whilst
paying due regard to the influence of context
and culture and context
Your own culture and context has an impact on
the deciphering of NVC
Interpretations are both relative and subjective
Categorisation of NVC
Paralanguage
PARALANGUAGE CONSISTS OF THE NON-VERBAL ELEMENTS
THAT ACCOMPANY SPEECH. IT INCLUDES:

- The way we speak (also known as prosodic features)
- Volume, pitch, intonation, speed of delivery, articulation, rhythm
- The sounds we make other than language
- Laughter, crying, yawning, sighing, screeching, coughing
- Filled pauses such as Mmmm, Ahhh, Ummm
- Unfilled pauses
Categorisation of NVC -
Paralanguage
There are clear variations both within and between cultures in the
use of paralinguistic features.
David Crystal points out some cultural differences:

A creaky or gravely tone of voice is often used in English to
convey unimportance or disparagement; but in Finnish, it is a
normal feature of many voice qualities. And there is no
equivalent in English to the use of strongly nasalised speech to
convey a range of emotional nuances in Portuguese
(Crystal, 1987)

Accent & Paralanguage
Elocution lessons were once very popular amongst
the middle classes, especially for those young
people who were sent to finishing school as a
preparation for polite society.
Categorisation of NVC Physical
Appearance
Clothing, hairstyle, make-up, body adornment,
jewellery, tattoos, piercing, glasses, facial hair,
accessories such as bags

You only have to think of the huge industries
associated with the above examples to
recognise the cultural significance of physical
appearance
Appearance
Includes the things with which we cover or
adorn our bodies, but also the shape and
size of our bodies
It is the bodys capacity to communicate
aspects of an individuals identity which
makes us so aware of our physical
appearance
Appearance
Self expression is a fairly recent
development in historical terms

Many societies had (and some still do
have) highly regulated codes of dress,
often linked to rank and status

Tudor monarchs, such
as Elizabeth I, used
Sumptuary Laws and
Statutes of Apparel to
control what people
could wear eg. only royalty
were permitted to wear
ermine trims while fox and
otter trims were restricted
to members of the nobility.
Appearance
Self expression in contemporary culture is also
limited by requirements to wear uniforms or to
observe dress codes
Not necessarily restricted to schools and public
services
Many corporations and organisations expect
employees to communicate a corporate rather
than an individual identity

Further Categories of NVC -
Activity
- Body movement (kinesics)
- Closeness (proxemics)
- Touching (haptics)
- Eye movement (occulesics)
- Smells (olfactics)
Body Movement - Kinesics
Gesture, facial expression, posture, head
nodding, orientation
Emblems gestures with specific cultural
meanings attached
Illustrators reinforce words of speakers
Adapters are unconscious gestures to relieve
stress or boredom
Posture is heavily laden with value judgements
Closeness - Proxemics
Study of how we use space and distance
Includes seating arrangements, queuing
and territoriality
Ideas of personal space, invasion of
personal space and comfort zones
Use of objects as markers to indicate
ownership of space
Touching - Haptics
Physical contact such as holding, hitting,
kissing, stroking, shaking hands, guiding
Linked to proxemics
Touch is very important in our early
development
Many rules and taboos regulating physical
contact
Eye Movement - Occulesics
Eye movement, length and direction of
gaze, changes in pupil size
We are hypersensitive to information
imparted by eyes
Can be argued eyes reveal the
truthfulness of what is being said
Smell - Olfactics
Humans do not have a particularly well-
developed sense of smell compared with
other species
Perfumes and deodorants send powerful
messages, as can the natural body odours
we try to suppress
A rapidly growing industry has developed
around the use of smells
Complex Messages
Rare for these non-verbal codes to operate in
isolation from one another, or separately from
language
We create and perceive messages using signs
from a range of verbal and non-verbal codes
To make this even more complex, these signs
and codes to not always pull in the same
direction
Communicative Competence
This idea refers to our ability to use language not just
accurately but appropriately. A competent communicator
will:

- Recognise and use different verbal and non-verbal styles
as they are suited to different social situations
- Recognise the subtle interplay of verbal and non-verbal
elements in communication
- Compensate for possible misinterpretations in
communication with others
The Functions of NVC
Communicating feelings, emotions and
attitudes

Replacing and regulating language

Other Functions
Communicating Feelings, Emotions
and Attitudes
NVC has a particularly important role in establishing
and maintaining relationships, otherwise known as
an affective function
We rely more heavily on NVC in this area of
personal communication
Looks, glances, changes in orientation allow others
to know what sort of relationship we want to have
We use NVC to establish a mutually acceptable
level of intimacy

Non-verbal leakage messages
slipping out in spite of our attempts to
control them ensures that high
credibility is given to non-verbal cues in
the area of feeling, emotion and attitude
Puts a lot of power in the hands of a
skilled communicator
Interpersonal attitudes can also be
indicated by body closeness and
orientation
Communicating Power & Status
Within organisations such as the army,
positions within the hierarchy are clearly
signalled by uniforms, badges and
behavioural codes such as saluting
In other organisations the non-verbal rules
of the pecking order may not be so overt,
but they are just as carefully observed
Peter Colletts Handshake Theory
The Bonecrusher
The Limp Handshake
The Firm Handshake
The Limpet Handshake
The Clammy Handshake
The Reinforced Handshake
The Relocated Handshake
The Upper Handshake
The Limp Handshake may seem the most likely to offer evidence of submissiveness,
but this is not necessarily so, as Colletts more detailed explanation reveals:

A limp handshake occurs when someone offers a hand that is totally relaxed. It
doesnt exert any pressure on the other persons hand and it doesnt contribute
to the mutual production of the handshake. A person who offers a limp
handshake is someone who, in more senses than one, doesnt connect with the
other person. Like their hand, they remain passive and detached theyre
simply not focused on the person theyre greeting. This often happens with
people who are self-important or who have to shake hands with a lot of
peopleWomen who want to cultivate an impression of languid femininity often
present a rather limp hand to the person theyre greeting. Strong people often
do the same, but in their case its to emphasise their strength. Its said that
Mike Tyson offers a relaxed, almost tender hand when he greets people outside
the boxing ring the complete opposite to what happens inside the ring.
(Collett, 2003)

Replacing & Regulating Language
The role of NVC in inflecting the meaning
of a sentence can be explored by
performing the following sentence in
different ways

Well, I really enjoyed the party last night.
Paralinguistic features, such as pitch, tone and
emphasis
Throw in other non-verbal cues such as eyebrow
lifting or illustrators such as the use of the index
and first finger of both hands to indicate inverted
commas around a word
Number of potential meanings rapidly increases
Non-verbal cues also make a significant contribution of
conversation management
Rules of turn taking allow us to have coherent
discussions without constantly talking over the top of
each other
Paralanguage, gaze, eye contact and head movement
all play a part
Its a set of rules that takes some time to grasp
Women typically have a more cooperative
conversational style whereas men tend to provide less
non-verbal feedback
Other Functions
Many other uses to which we put our non-
verbal codes including:
- self expression
- group membership
- persuasion and rhetoric
- indicating role
Activity 1
Write and stage a brief scenario to show
NVC at work in one of the following areas:

- Power/status
- Emotion/feeling
- Attitude/Identity
Activity 2
Watch a scene from a television drama with
the sound turned down, paying particular
attention to non-verbal clues. Watch again
with sound. How much of a contribution
has the performance of non-verbal codes
made to the meaning of the scene and the
identity of the characters?
Activity 3
Look at the following situations. In each case try to identify a verbal
form, a verbal function, a non-verbal form and a non-verbal function
that could be associated with the situation.

A JUDGE addressing a member of the jury who is not paying attention

An upset and lost child approaches YOU in a busy supermarket

YOU want to get past the doorman and into a crowded pub

A MOTHER wants her teenage daughter to come home before 9 p.m.
Comparing verbal and non-verbal
communication
non-verbal communication is learnt through
relations with others

non-verbal behaviours can reinforce, substitute
for or contradict verbal behaviour

we often trust our non-verbal behaviour to reveal
our true feelings

The universal use of non-verbal
communication
there is some universality in non-verbal communication,
especially in facial expressions

six basic emotions are communicated by facial
expressions in much the same way in most societies:
happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, anger and surprise

but what causes the non-verbal behaviours can vary

there are also variations in the rules for non-verbal
behaviour
Non-verbal codes
PROXEMICS
how people use personal space; to keep someone at the
right distance
contact cultures and non-contact cultures

KINESIC BEHAVIOUR
body posture, hand gestures, facial expressions and eye
contact

CHRONEMICS
the use of time
M-time (Monochronic) and P-time (Polychronic)
Non-verbal codes
SILENCE
the use of silence in conversations

HAPTICS
the use of touching
high-touch cultures and low-touch cultures

VOCAL CUES
rate, pitch, loudness, articulation, tone, accent,
pronunciation etc.

ARTEFACTS
things, objects, decorations etc.
Oral Communication
IITTM
Unit II
INTRODUCTION
In most of the cases where immediate action is to be
taken, it is advisable to transmit a message orally to
save time.
Oral communication also saves money.
Speech is a powerful means of persuasion and control
and the executives often prefer to transmit messages
orally.
The speaker can get an effective and immediate
feedback if the speech or oral statement given makes a
favorable impressing on the receiver or antagonizing
him, whether the receiver will acquiesce or protest, or
whether the receiver has clearly under stood his
meaning or is feeling perplexed or baffled, and he can
mould and adjust his message accordingly.
CHARACTERISTICS OF FACE TO
FACE EXCHANGE
Face to Face to communication may seem to be
similar to Oral communication however; there
are certain situations which distinguishes the
two.
A conversation in a telephone is oral but it
cannot be called a face to face communication.
In some cases face to face communication is not
a oral communication

ORAL STATEMENT
An important prerequisite of effective oral communication
is that words should be pronounced clearly and correctly.
When people take pleasure in talking then tend to over
communicate.
Precision makes oral communication very effective.
Saying Can you come to office early tomorrow? is not
as good as Can you come to office half an hour early
than the usual time?
Lack of Conviction causes lack of confidence. Conviction
comes from careful planning and thinking.
Jumbled ideas create confusion, so an effective
statement is made only if the message delivered is
arranged in a logical sequence.
The major problem with communication is the
assumption that it has been accomplished. To avoid this
it is important to carefully select the words to be used. In
a oral communication it is advisable to choose words
familiar to the listener rather than words the speaker is
familiar about.
Speaker should avoid hackneyed phrases and clichs
like What I mean is?, Basically..., Do you follow?.
These words interrupt the flow of speech. These phrases
are used unconsciously & conscious effort is to be taken
to avoid it.
Some speakers create a style to impress the audience
which will make it even worse. The most effective
speech is that which is correct and at the same time
natural an unaffected. The speakers should cutivate a
pleasing tone and speak clearly and distinctly.

DELIVERING A ORAL STATEMENT
There may be lot cases where it is
required to give a oral instruction to other
employees. It needs to be handled
carefully.
Do not assume that the listener would have prior knowledge
about the subject. Start giving the instruction from the basic
details or an overview of the subject.
Select the appropriate time to deliver the statement in such a
way that neither you nor the listeners are in a hurry and you
have plenty of time to explain it in detail if demanded.
Organize the instruction that is to be given which would make
sense to the listeners.
Use simple and clear language along with a pleasing tone.
Do not provide any irrelevant or distracting details. Do not
over talk or over load with a lot of information confusing the
listeners.
Watch for the expressions and gestures of the listeners which
is a immediate feedback and alter the style accordingly.
Allow the listeners to clarify themselves if not clear.
Repeat if there are any complicated instructions or make it
interactive so it reaches well.
If necessary practice you oral statement in writing.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
ESSETIALS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Body language
Speak with conviction
Maintain eye contact
Pause
Humor
Audio-visual aids
Handouts
STOP
Written Copy
PREPARED AND EXTEMPORE SPEECH
Adjudicators look for knowledge of the subject matter, sincerity in
presentation of material, skilful development of the theme, and effective use
of Plain English. Your speech should be prepared, and varied if necessary,
for the particular audience and setting in which it is to be delivered.
Length of Speech
Topic
Speech Writing and Preparation
Writing
DELIVERING THE SPEECH
Make Contact!
Voice
Accent
Pronunciation
Gesture and Movement
Notes and Prompt Cards
PREPARING FOR INTERVIEW
1. As soon as you are invited to an interview, confirm with
the company that you can attend, or if you are unable to
keep the appointment, arrange with them a mutually
convenient time and date.
2. Find out as much as you can about the company, its
products and it services. If it is a local company this may
be quite easy. If not you may have to do your research
in the library / internet.
3. Read through a copy of your application to the company
to refresh your memory.
4. List questions you may wish to ask about the
company/job but never ask about money directly. Ask
only 1 or 2 or 3 maximum
5. Prepare your interview techniques. Rehearse positive
language and think of any awkward questions that may
be asked. Prepare your response and get someone to
give his or her opinion on how it comes across.
The nature of oral presentations
Why some speakers perform badly?
Misconception of the nature of oral communication
Not connected to linguistic problems

Oral communication is different from written
communication
Receiver has no control on information flow [silence]
No feedback monitoring successful comprehension
Real danger of loosing contact with the audience

Oral communication is a complement to written
communication
Focusing on a 15 min. contributed
talk in a conference.
Before the beginning
Do your paperwork well before...
In doubt: prepare, prepare, prepare
Check your colours carefully if you dont want bad
surprises
Check carefully that your presentation works correctly in
the conference computer (use pack & go/package for
CD)
Keep a backup
Check that figures display correctly at the projector
resolution
Dressing
Always dress a little better than the audience
The beginning
Its normal to be a somewhat nervous/tense, but
so is the audience
The talk is for the audience
Stand out in front of the audience without any
physical barrier
Face the audience, look relaxed, unworried and
friendly
even if you are close to panic (body communication &
pointers)
Look to the audience in silence, building eye contact,
then talk to them
The audience is curious and friendly towards you
Can they hear you?
DEVELOPING ORAL SKILLS
1. Speech & Writing/Printing: a
comparison
Speech : pitch, volume, tone, speed,
pauses, body movements, facial
expressions
Writing/Printing: punctuation,
capitalization, spacing, margins, fonts
(continued)
2. Pronunciation of Words:
(a) vowel and consonant sounds
(comparison of sounds with letters a-z);
The letter a in :
fat //, father /a:/,
fate /e/, about //
Or the letters th in thin // & then //.
Also notice
(b) word-stress: language, communication

(continued)
3. Pronunciation of Sentences:
intonation and rhythm
INTONATION: rising / (yes /)
falling \ (yes \)
combination \/ (yes \/)
Attributes of
good oral communication
1.Sounds and sound combinations
2. Stress
3. Rhythm
4. Intonation
5. Speed: pausing
6. Clarity of articulation
7. Voice modulation: volume & pitch
variation (avoiding monotonous speech)

Listening and Speaking
Skills
IITTM
Unit II

Principles for Designing Listening and
Speaking Techniques
(Brown, 1994)
Techniques should cover the spectrum of
learner needs from language based focus on
accuracy to message-based focus on
interaction, meaning and fluency
TO LISTEN CLOSELY AND REPLY
WELL IS THE HIGHEST PERFECTION
WE ARE ABLE TO ATTAIN IN THE ART
OF CONVERSATION.
LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
CONVERSATION SKILLS
WHEN TO SPEAK AND WHEN TO LISTEN
HOW TO MOVE A CONVERSATION FROM THE
PAST TO THE PRESENT AND TO THE FUTURE
WHY CONVERSATIONAL LINKING IS
NECESSARY
HOW TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARALLEL
AND SEQUENTIAL CONVERSATION
HOW TO RAISE ENERGY LEVELS IN
DISCUSSIONS
HOW TO MOVE BETWEEN PROBLEM-CENTRED
CONVERSATION AND SOLUTION-CENTRED
CONVERSATION

Listening Strategies
Looking for key words
looking for nonverbal cues to meaning
predicting a speakers purpose by the
context of the spoken discourse
associating information with ones existing
cognitive

Speaking Strategies
Asking for clarification
Asking someone to repeat something
Using fillers and conversation maintenance
cues
Getting someones attention

Using paraphrases for structures one cant
produce
Appealing for assistance
Using formulaic expressions
Using mime and one-verbal expression

TYPES OF SPOKEN
LANGUAGE (Nunan, 1991)
Monologue (planned and unplanned)
storytelling
news broadcast
readings (short stories, poems, etc.)
Dialogue (Interpersonal and Transactional)

Types of Dialogues
Scripted Dialogue
Semi-Scripted
Using Picture Cues to present scenario for
dialog
Discourse Chain

Using Picture Cues

Discourse Chain
send your son to the
store
Tell mother you will go buy
what she needs
Greet the store keeper. Tell
her/him what you want to
buy, ask how much.
Pay her and say goodbye.
Store Keeper
Tell what you have
and how much
Mother
Son
Written Communication:
Report Writing and
Presentation
IITTM
Unit II
Agenda
Types of Reports
How to Write Reports
Computer Reports
Anatomy of a Report
Sales Proposals
Future of Reports

How We Communicate

CVs, Resumes
Email, Web site, FAQs
Letters, Newsletters, Brochures, Articles,
Catalogs
Advertisements, Notice Board, Pamphlets,
Signs, Press Release
Presentations, multimedia, talks
Reports, Manuals, Proposals, Books
Which Reports?
Annual Reports
Sales Reports
Feasibility Reports
Inspection Reports
Audit Reports
Progress Reports
White Papers
Technical Writing Reports
Proposals
User Manuals
Technical Manuals
White Papers
Classification of Reports
Formal Reports and Informal Reports
Information Reports
Analytical Reports
Recommendation Reports
5 Steps to Report Writing

1. Define the problem
2. Gather the necessary information
3. Analyze the information
4. Organize the information
5. Write the report
Organizing Reports
Comparison/contrast
Problem-solution
Elimination of alternatives
General to particular
Geographic or spatial
Functional
Chronological
Words, Words, Words
UK English and US English
International English and Indian English
Denotation and Connotation
Let me know when youre free next week for a
meeting.
Could you let me know what times you have free?
Tone
Terry is hung up on trivial details.
Terry is meticulous and takes care of details that
others sometimes ignore.
Writing Style
Brief writing style
Omit needless words
Combine sentences
Rewrite
Campus Jewelers main objective is to increase
sales. Specifically, the objective is to double sales
in the next five years by becoming a more
successful business.
Campus Jewelers objective is to double sales in
the next five years.

Anatomy of a Report
Title Page
Letter of Transmittal
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Report Body:
Introduction, discussion, conclusion,
recommendations
Bibliography
Appendices
Report Components
Title Page
Title of report
Author & author's title
Person/organisation who requested the
report
Date of completion

Report Components
Letter of Transmittal
Is set out as a formal business letter addressed to the
person requesting the report
Explains on whose authority the report was written
May summarise or draw attention to specific material in a
report
Acknowledges assistance in researching and compiling
the report

Report Components
Table of Contents
Show beginning page number where each
report heading appears
Connect page numbers with leaders (spaced
dots)

Report Components
Executive Summary (also known as
synopsis and precis)
Represents 10% of the written report, and includes:-
Why (the purpose of the report)
Scope (what issues are covered and what issues are
not covered)
How (brief details of research methods)
What (important results and findings)
So what (major conclusions and recommendations)
All covered in the same order as the report

Report body
Introduction
What is the report about?
Why it is being written?
Who is conducting the research?
Any background information relevant to
the report
Scope (what will and will not be covered)
Report body
Discussion
Break your information up into sections and sub-sections using
Decimal Numbering System
Confine yourself to the facts
Present your information clearly

Conclusions
This section answers the question what does all this stuff mean?
Relate your answers back to the original purpose of the report
Includes a clear summary of the main points
Outlines the findings of the research
Do not introduce new information in the conclusion

Report body
Recommendations
Should be written in descending order of importance
Emerge from the conclusions
They are the honest, justified opinions of the writer
and include:-
What is to be done
Who is to do it
How/when it is to be done

End matter
Bibliography - sources
Appendices
Contains supplementary material too
detailed for the main body of the report
May include photographs, tables, charts,
maps, statistics, questionnaires etc
Any inclusions must be clearly labeled and
referred to in the body of the report

Other Specifics on Report Writing
Single- or double-spaced
About 2500 words (not counting appendix)
Tables of Contents will help you organize
and write reportwrite early!
Headings of same level must be
consistent
First, second, third levels
Headings
Same-level headings must be written
consistently!
(For example)
Level 1: CENTERED UPPER-CASE
Level 2: Centered Upper-case and Lower-case
Level 3: Centered, Underlined, Upper-case and Lower-
case
Level 4: Flush left, Underlined, Upper-case
and Lower-case
Level 5: Indented, underlined, lower-case paragraph
heading ending with a period.

Visual Aids
1. Introduce
2. Label/Number/Informative Title
3. Discuss
Sales Proposal

Budget
Objectives
Strategy and Tactics
Schedule
Results
Closing
Document Design
Use no more than 5 fonts.
Use no more than 5 colors.
Use glossy paper.
Use white space.
Use templates.
Use parallelism.
Avoid double emphasis.
Future Reports
Proposals
250-page reports
90-minute oral presentation
50-page summary
Reports
Multi-media
Web

Business Letters
IITTM
Unit III
WRITING SKILLS
Effective business letters
Effective business memos
REASONS FOR WRITING
BUSINESS LETTERS
Solicit business
Respond to customer questions
Negotiate purchases
Deal with suppliers
We write business letters to
RULES FOR WRITING
BUSINESS LETTERS
1. Key all formal correspondence.
2. Spell names correctly and have the correct address.
3. Always date your business correspondence.
4. Use names and titles appropriately.
5. Be direct and positive.
6. Be persuasive and specific.
7. Avoid using fancy language.
8. Be polite.
9. Use an appropriate closing.
10. Proofread for spelling and grammatical errors.
E-MAIL AND LETTER WRITING
1. LAYOUT: BLOCK STYLE
2. PARTS OF LETTER OR E-MAIL
3. LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
4. STYLE

E-MAIL: THE BASICS
To:
From:
Subject:
Cc.
Bcc:
Attached:
Signature:
LAYOUT
BLOCK STYLE
study blocks of information on the
following slide or in the book, p.38

1) senders address 2) date 3) reference
4) recipient 5) Dear 6) subject
7) body 8) closing phrase (Yours)
9) writers signature

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
3
EITHER
OR
M
A
R
G
I
N
TRUE OR FALSE?

1. The name and the address of the
recipient (addressee) are at the top on
the left.
2. The date is on the left.
3. You have to write
th, nd, rd
or
st
after the
day in the date.
4. There is no punctuation (.) after the year.
5. The paragraphs start at the margin.
6. Between each paragraph there is a
dotted line.
7. Under the signature, there is the name
and the title of the writer.
8. There is a coma in the address or after
Dear or after Yours
faithfully/sincerely.
9. Subject heading draws attention to what
the letter is about. It usually starts with
the abbreviation Re:_____ .

The date: 12 June 2007
Dear/Yours
Dear Sir or Madam a company
Dear Sir unknown man
Dear Madam unknown woman
Dear Mr Smith man you know
Dear Ms Smith woman you know
Dear Mrs Smith married woman
Dear Miss Smith unmarried woman
PARTS OF A LETTER

beginning (opening)
main message (more paragraphs
possible)
ending (close)

PARTS OF LETTER OR E-MAIL

Dear.

OPENING
MAIN MESSAGE
CLOSING

Yours
Dear Sir
or
Madam

.
.
.
.
Yours
faithfully

Dear
Mr/Ms/Miss/
Mrs Smith
.
.
.
.

Yours
sincerely

Beginning
We are writing in connection with...
We are writing to enquire about ...
We are interested inand we would like to
know
I was happy to see you last week at the fair.
Thank you for your letter of February 20
concerning
Further to our telephone discussion , we
would like to inform you that ...
With reference to your enquiry about
Ending
I look forward to receiving your reply/order.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Please feel free to contact us if necessary.
I hope that this information will help you.
Please contact me if you need any further
information.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any
further questions.
+
CLOSE

LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS
REFERRING

I am writing in connection with
With reference to
Further to
With regard to..
GIVING GOOD/BAD NEWS

I am pleased to tell you that
I am happy to inform you that
I regret to tell you that
I am sorry to inform you that

SAYING WHAT YOU CAN/CANNOT DO

We are able to
We are unable to
GIVING REASONS

This is owing to
This is due to
This is as a result of

This is because of strikes
This is because of the fact that workers
were on strike
This is because workers were on strike.

APOLOGISING

We must apologise for -ing/noun
We are extremely sorry for ing/noun
We are sorry that
(REASON)

Please accept our apologies once again.
We hope that this has not caused you any
inconvenience.
With apologies once again.
REQUESTING INFORMATION / ACTION

Please could you
We would be grateful if you could
We would appreciate it if you could
Please could you give us some details
about
We would like to know about /if
In particular, we are interested in

MAKING A COMPLAINT
Unfortunately, we have not yet received
We must insist that you pay
Unless we hear from you, we will take
legal action
REPLYING TO COMPLAINTS
ACCEPT:apologize,explain,propose action,
apologize again
REFUSE:say youre sorry, say why you
refuse, offer a solution (optional)
MAKING A POINT

I would like to draw your attention to
(the fact that)
I should like to point out that
STYLE

Polite tone better response

Principles of business letter writing

1The first principle is clearness

In order to achieve that you should not
convey more than one idea in a sentence.
You should not introduce more than one
topic in a paragraph. You should not deal
with more than one matter in a letter.
2The second principle is conciseness

Try to make your message brief and to
the point. Avoid using long words and
sentences. Use daily expressions to
replace jargons. Express yourself in an
orderly and logical way. A good business
letter should be natural, human and easy to
read.
Here are some examples:
Instead of saying: We should be obliged if
you could contact Mr Smith at an early date.
You say: Please contact Mr Smith soon.

Instead of saying: With reference to your
Order 319, the goods were dispatched on
the 13 of this month.
You say: We sent your Order 319 on 13
April.
3) The third principle is correctness

You have to make sure that both the
language and facts are correct. In terms of
language, you should make sure that you
make no grammatical mistakes. Pay
attention to punctuation for it will affect the
meaning of the sentence
Our shop, in Canada, was destroyed by fire.

From this sentence, we know that the writer has
only one shop.

Our shop in Canada was destroyed by fire.

Here we know that the writer has more than one
shop.

You should also make sure that there are no
typing mistakes. Pay special attention to numbers,
such as quantity, price and so on.
4)The last principle is courtesy:

This is more than politeness. A good
business letter should be positive, friendly
and sincere.

Instead of saying: I am in receipt of your
order for 1,000 tons of Black Tea.
You say: Thank you for your order for
1,000 tons of Black Tea.
Adopt you approach when you convey
a good news.

Instead of saying: We shall be able to
offer you free customer service for your
newly purchased refrigerator for 3 years.
You say: You will be pleased to hear that
you will soon be able to have a free
customer service for your newly purchased
refrigerator for 3 years.
The You approach
Avoid using you approach when
conveying bad news. In this situation, you
have to handle it tactfully.

Instead of saying: Your letter is not
clear at all. I cannot understand it.
You say: If I understand your letter
correctly.
The You approach
How to learn this course

First, you need to have a good command of
English.
Then, pay attention to the special terms in
this course.
The best way to learn it is to read more
and write more.
In this way you will have a better
understanding of what you have learned and
be able to use them. It is a good idea to recite
some letters. It will help you a lot when you
write business letters yourself.

Layout of the business letter
Full-blocked layout style,
Blocked layout style and,
Semi-blocked layout style are commonly
used.

The full-blocked layout style has no indentation.
Everything is ranged left. There is no punctuation in
the address and after the salutation and the
complimentary close.
Use single space within the paragraph. Use double
spaces between paragraphs.
If you have quotations or a list of something, you
should start a new paragraph, with 5-space
indentations on the left. Mark this part out by leaving
one line space between this paragraph and the rest
of the letter.
This style is widely used today because it is easy
to type and therefore efficient.
Full-blocked layout style
This is similar to the Full-blocked
layout style but the date is placed
on the right. The Subject is
centered. The complimentary close
and the signature start from the
middle.
Structure
1) Letterhead
2) Date
3) Inside name and address
4) The salutation
5) Subject heading or caption
6) The body of the letter
7) Complimentary close
8) Signature
9) Miscellaneous matters

1) The letterhead
Companies usually have paper with
printed letterhead, which includes the
companys name, address, postcode,
telephone number, telex number, fax
number, email address etc. The printed
letterhead is usually centered. Here Id like
to remind you that the address in the
letterhead is the address of the sender not
the recipient. This is important when you
have to write the letterhead yourself.
2)The date

A. The date should be placed two lines
below the letterhead. For the full-blocked
style, you put it on the left. For the blocked
or semi-blocked you put it on the right.

B. The date should be typed in full and
not abbreviated
September , not Sept.
October, not Oct.
C. Do not give the dates in figures for
they may cause confusion. For the date,
use 1, 2, 3, 4.

D. Here are the recommended forms.
Stick to one form once you have chosen it.
There is no comma between the month
and the year in British English.
3 April 2000 (British English.)
April 3, 2000 (American English
3) The inside name and address.

This is the name and address of the recipient. It is
typed at the left-hand margin two lines below the
date.

Courtesy titles are used in business
correspondence, such as Mr., Mrs. and Miss. If you
do not know whether a lady is married or not, use
Ms. All these are followed by family names. If you do
not know whether the recipient is a man or a woman,
use Dear Madam or Sir. They are not followed by
family names.
If you know the appropriate departmental
head, youd better address the letter to him or
her, by his official title not by his or her name.
Thus a letter concerning purchasing should
be addressed to:
The Sales Manager,
the recipients address.

Dear Sir,
When the recipient holds a special title, such
as Doctor, Professor, address him/her by this
title:

Prof. Smith.
Dr. James White / James White, MD
But not Dr. James White, MD
4). The salutation

The salutation is the polite greeting with
which a letter begins. The expression you
use depends on your relationship with the
recipient. You may use formal salutation if
you write to a company and do not know
who to address to. In this case you use
Dear Sirs, and in America people like to use
Gentlemen.
If you know the person you are writing to,
you may use informal salutation. Dear Mr.
Green,
Formal:
Dear Sir
Dear Madam
Dear Sirs
Gentlemen

Informal:
Dear Mr Green
Dear Mrs Green
Dear Miss Green
Dear Ms Green
If you do not know whether a man or a
woman will read your letter, you may write
Dear Madam or Sir/Dear Sir or Madam:
Dear Madam or Sir
Dear Sir or Madam

You cannot use Sir/Sirs alone. You have to
use dear to go with Sir/Sirs but Gentlemen
is used alone and cannot be used in the
singular. The salutation is two lines below
the inside address without any indentation.
5). The subject heading or caption

The subject heading is often placed one
line below the salutation. It can be put on
the left or in the middle depending on
whether the letter is full-blocked, blocked or
semi-blocked. This is used to call readers
attention to the topic of the letter, therefore
it is a good idea to underline it or make it in
boldface letters.
You can write the subject in the
following ways:
A: Underline your subject like
this:
Dear Dr. Jones,

Re: Applying for a position
Subject: Applying for a position
B: Make your subject in
boldface letters
Dear Dr. Jones,

Re: Applying for a position
Subject: Applying for a position
C: Omit the words Re and
Subject:
Dear Dr. Jones,

Applying for a position
6) The body of the letter

You may use the first person singular: I
have received your application and shall be
bringing it before the Board for consideration
this week.
You may also use the first person plural:
We have received your application and shall
be considering it at a board meeting this
week.
You can even use the impersonal passive:
Your application has been received and will
be considered by the Board this week.
You should plan you letter carefully.
If you are replying a letter, begin your
letter by referring to the previous
correspondence.
If this is the first time to contact, you may
begin by introducing yourself and then state
the purpose of your writing.
If you have several matters to talk about,
especially if such matters are not dealt with
in the same department of the company, do
not talk about them in one letter.
What is the purpose of the letter?
What is your expectation?
What language should you use to
achieve your purpose?
Is this the first time you discuss the
matter or you have talked about it before?
Do you have all the information you need?
What is your companys policy
concerning the matter you are dealing
with?
Important Questions
If a second page is necessary, do not write
only the signature on the second page. You
should try to remove part of the letter from
the first page to the second by leaving more
room between the letter head and the date ;
between the date and the inside address;
and leave more room for the hand written
signature. Write to be continued on the
bottom right hand side of the first page .
The second page should be written on a blank
paper with the same kind of texture and the color
as the first page. Write the page number, name of
the recipient and the date and, like this:
Page 2
The Universal Trading Co., February 10, 2000
or
Mr. James Smith
Page 2
March 2, 2000

When writing a letter, leave enough space for both
the left and the right margins, each having 30---34
mm.
7). The complimentary close

The complimentary close is merely a
polite way of ending a letter. The expression
used must suit the occasion and match the
salutation.
Formal:
Dear Sir(s) Yours faithfully
Gentlemen Truly yours
Less formal:
Dear Mr. Jones Yours sincerely
8). The signature

A letter should be signed by hand in ink.
As many hand-written signatures are illegible,
the name of the signer is usually typed below
the signature and followed by his job title or
position. Leave 3 lines for a handwritten
signature.
Letters predominantly in the first person
singular are signed by the name of the writer.
Letters in the first person plural or
impersonal passive are usually signed with
the name of the firm. Below the name of the
firm is the writers name. Only the
person who can represent the company is
able to sign on behalf of the company. If
that person is not available, then the person
who is given the authority to sign can sign
for the company. In this case you use pp or
per pro, or you may use for.
For a person who has been given the
authority to sign.

Yours faithfully
for/pp The Overseas Co. Ltd
(Signature)

W. Black
Marketing director
b. For a person who has the
authority to represent the
company to sign.

Yours sincerely,
(Signature)
B Davis
Managing Director
The Overseas Co. Ltd
c. The letter is signed by a person in
his official capacity to indicate the
exact degree of authority.

Yours sincerely,
The Overseas Co. Ltd
(Signature)

Philip Wang
The Assistant Sales Manager
9). Miscellaneous matters
1Carbon copy
In this case you write cc below the
signature at the left margin. CC is the
abbreviation of carbon copy.

Yours faithfully
for The Overseas Co. Ltd
(Signature)
W. Black
Marketing director

c.c. Mr. J. Cooper
2)Enclosure
If you have enclosure, it is placed below
the carbon copy. Enclosure can be
abbreviated as Enc.
cc Mr. J. Cooper
2 Invoices enclosed
or
3 Enc./Enclosures 3
or
Enclosure: 1 B/Lading
3)Postscript
Do not use postscript unless you want
to add a personal touch to your letter. It is
placed one line below the enclosure. In
most cases, postscript is regarded as a sign
of poor planning. If it is necessary write in
ink like this:
P.S. See you at the Exhibition at the
Hillside Plaza on January 10.
4)Reference number
A firm or company usually assigns a
reference to correspondence, and this is
intended for quotation in the reply. This
ensures that the reply goes to the right man,
or in a large organization may be the key to
a complicated filing system. Companies
have different ways to form their reference
numbers. These numbers should be quoted
in the letters of reply. They are usually
placed on the top left-hand side opposite
the date.
How to write envelops:

Mr. Johnson Green
Public Commerce Information Service
Bldg.14, Part 3Fangxingyuan,
Fangzhuang, Beijing,
China

Mr. Bill White

B. Wallace &. Co.
Registered 236 St. Louis Street
New York 10202, N.Y.
USA
The Category of Business Letters
Confidential
Registered
Private
Express
Sample Post
Parcel Post
Sometimes you may see an envelope with
c/o, which means care of.

Mr. Charles Wood
c/o The Sales Manager
Percy Astins & Co Ltd
12 Kings Avenue
RICHMOND
Surrey TW6 ISJ
Britain
MEMORANDA
Who its for
Who its from
Date
Subject
A memorandum is a short written form of
business communication that has a set
format.
INTEROFFICE MEMO
Hand-delivered
E-mailed
Sent via interoffice mail
Faxed
From one person in a company to
another. They can be
Resume
What is it? Intro
What is its purpose? Gatekeeper
Target it to your job objective
Generally one page
How and where you place information
indicates its relative importance
Resume writing
Write it yourself
Make it error-free:
Proofread, Proofread!!!
Make it look good
Simple is best
Be brief, be relevant
Be honest
Be positive
Be specific
Update it as needed
Do not include:
Personal info
Salary history
Hobbies
Names of references
High school IF you are in
college or have a college
degree
Philosophy statement [of
life, work, etc.]
Styles of Resumes:
Chronological
Functional
Combination
Chronological
Information organized in reverse order of
occurrence
Pros:
most employers prefer this format
showcases steady work record, steady
growth & promotion
Cons:
bad news for those who have gaps in their
work history or for new grads who dont
have much experience
doesnt help employer visualize the future
Functional
Information is organized by functions or skills
related to the job being sought
for example: Marketing, Organizational
skills, Supervisory skills,
Problem-solving

Functional Resume, cont
Pros:
ideal for presenting transferable skills [skills that
can move from one occupation to another]
downplays irrelevant jobs, spotty work history,
career reversals
helpful when your most impressive skills came
from volunteer work
makes for interesting presentation
Cons:
most employers dont like this format
unless handled well, can be confusing to read
difficult to write well
Combination Resume
Takes the best from both chronological &
functional
Sells what you can do & shows your work
history to prove it
Resume Structure:
Name, Address, day time Phone number,
Email
Objective [simple job title - not your goals]
Skills summary
Education & training
Employment history

Portfolio / References
Extra copies of your
RESUME
List of
PROFESSIONAL
REFERENCES
Complete WORK
HISTORY
Examples of your
BEST WORK
PAD & PEN
Be specific as to how your training or skills
learned in any p/t or volunteer job will help you
do a good job for your prospective employer
Take credit for the duties
and responsibilities you
performed on your past
jobs
References - ask
their permission
before using
their names
Electronic & Scannable Resumes
Now you need to know how to plan & write your
resume both for the computer and for the human
eye

Need to focus on nouns and key words

Scanners differ in their capabilities
Rules for Scanned resumes:
Sans serif typefaces that scan well:
Helvetica, Futura, Univers, Optima, ITC
Avante Garde Gothic

Serif fonts that scan well: Times, New
Century Schoolbook, ITC Bookman,
Palatino, Courier

Scannable resumes cont
* Between 11 - 14 point size type
Boldface is usually okay; when in doubt,
check with prospective employer
Asterisks are okay
Avoid italic, script, * underlining
Avoid graphics & shading
* Keep horizontal & vertical lines away
from text
Omit parentheses & brackets, especially
around phone numbers
* Lots of white space
Laser printer
* Always send originals
* Minimize abbreviations; when in doubt,
spell it out
* Use traditional resume structure
* White, 8 1/2 by 11 paper printed on one
side only
Your name should always be the first text
on the resume
* No staples
Do not fold resume; if it must be folded,
make sure fold is not along a line of text
Additional tips for resumes:
Update as often as necessary
Join a professional society & put that
membership on your resume
Keep the most important data
& keywords at the top of
your resume
90 second self-marketing ad
Intro: who you are &
what you want from
your target
Your training & skills
Your hook
How you will follow
up
The closing

PRACTICE!!
Types of Correspondence for JOBS
Letter of Application written in response to a
specific job within an organization which may have been
advertised or identified through networking
Letter of Inquiry written to explore employment
opportunities with an organization that interests you
Thank you letter used to thank the interviewer
for his/her time and the opportunity to interview; should
be sent within 48 hours of the interview
Letter of Acceptance written to express your
enthusiasm about joining the organization and to
confirm specific terms and conditions of your
employment (start date, salary, benefits, bonus,
negotiated benefits)
Letter of Refusal used to decline a job offer; be
appreciative and polite and thank the employer for the
offer
Letter of Application
Paragraph 1
Hook the reader with creativity. State the reason for the
letter. Identify the specific position you are applying for
and how you heard of the position. Mention information
about the company or the industry. Try to make the
connection as personable as possible.
Paragraph 2
Discuss your strongest qualifications that match the
position requirements. Provide evidence of related
experiences and accomplishments. Explain why you are
interested in working for the employer. Refer to your
enclosed resume.
Paragraph 3
(Optional) Convince the employer that you have the
personal qualities and motivation to succeed. Sell
yourself.
Paragraph 4
Request an interview and indicate how and when you
can be contacted. You can also state that you will
call on a specific date to arrange a convenient
interview time. Thank the reader for his/her
consideration. Be sure to provide your phone
number and email address.
Letter of Inquiry
Paragraph 1
Hook the reader with creativity. State the reason for the
letter. Identify the specific position or the type of work
you are applying for. Mention information about the
company or the industry. Try to make the connection as
personable as possible. Mention past conversations or
mutual acquaintances.
Paragraph 2
Highlight your strongest qualifications. Provide evidence
of related experiences and accomplishments. Explain why
you are interested in working for the employer. Target
the employers needs. Refer to specific aspects of the
organizations work that interest you.
Paragraph 3
(Optional) Convince the employer that you have the
personal qualities and motivation to succeed. Sell
yourself.
Paragraph 4
Request an interview and indicate how and when you can
be contacted. You can also state that you will call on a
specific date to arrange a convenient interview time.
Thank the reader for his/her consideration. Be sure to
provide your phone number.
Thank You Letter
Paragraph 1
Thank the interviewer for his/her time. Express your
enthusiasm in the employer and the position.
Paragraph 2
Re-emphasize your strongest qualifications. Recall aspects
of the interview that were helpful or enlightening. Draw
attention to the good match between your qualifications
and the job requirements. Restate what you can
contribute if offered the position.
Paragraph 3
Reiterate your interest in the position. Give a phone
number where you can be reached.
Job Offer Acceptance Letter
Express your pleasure at receiving the offer and
your enthusiasm about joining the organization
Confirm terms and conditions of your
employment salary, starting date, benefits,
etc.
Request a written confirmation of the offer

Job Offer Decline Letter
Thanks the employer for the offer and the
opportunity to interview
State that your decision is based on careful
consideration of your current interests and goals
Be cordial, appreciative and polite
Be brief and direct
Goal is to maintain goodwill
Email Correspondence
Must be in a different tone a professional, businesslike tone
Necessary to use an appropriate subject header
Address recipient as Mr., Ms., or Mrs. and spell recipients
name correctly
Be brief
Never use slang or symbols - :) , LOL, etc.
Avoid wallpapers, multicolored backgrounds, and strange
fonts
End with your full name
Proofread and check for spelling errors
Cut and paste application letter and resume in message;
never send attachments unless asked to do so
Successful Correspondence Tips
Address letters to an individual; include correct title
Again be brief one page
Discuss your qualifications and meeting the needs of the
employer work-centered and employer-centered, not
self-centered
Customize each letter; no form letters
Keep the reader in mind
Use quality paper and envelopes for hard copies
Include work experiences where appropriate
Thank the reader for their consideration
Proofread, checking for spelling and grammar errors
Cover Letter
Every sent resume must have cover
letter
Purpose?
Address letter to a person
Know your targets needs
Cover letter structure
1st para - purpose of letter; identify job
title; mention specific info about company
2nd para - describe professional &
academic qualifications
3rd- continue; why you should be
considered; expand on resume
4th - ask for interview
closing
Cover letters, cont
Do not discuss salary, unless required
No negatives
Action/key words
Cite work-related accomplishments
Highlight personal attributes
Business Proposal Letters
Why is it important?
-If you plan to be a consultant or run your
own business, written proposals may be one
of your most important tools for bringing in
business. And, if you work for a government
agency, nonprofit organization, or a large
corporation, the proposal can be a valuable
tool for initiating projects that benefit the
organization or you the employee-proposer
(and usually both).
What is a Proposal?
A proposal is a document that request
support-usually money- for work a
proposer wants to do. what makes a
proposal a proposal is that it asks the
audience to approve, fund, or grant
permission to do the proposed project.

Types of proposals
Internal proposal: If you write a proposal to someone within
your organization, it is an internal proposal. With internal
proposals, you may not have to include certain sections (such as
qualifications), or you may not have to include as much
information in them.
External proposal: is one written from one separate, independent
organization or individual to another such entity.
Solicited proposal: If a proposal is solicited, the recipient of the
proposal in some way requested the proposal. Typically, a
company will send out requests for proposals (public
announcements requesting proposals for a specific project )
through the mail or publish them in some news source.
Unsolicited proposals: are those in which the recipient has not
requested proposals. With unsolicited proposals, you sometimes
must convince the recipient that a problem or need exists before
you can begin the main part of the proposal.
Things to remember when writing a
proposal:
The proposer has a particular interests and goals, and that's
why he/she writes the proposal.
The recipient of the proposal, be it an organization, a person,
or a group, has its own interests and goals which may or may
not coincide with those of the proposer.
So, the proposal should be convincing to the potential funder,
and it should show that the proposed activity will be a good
investment.
This is especially important when there is a competition
between you and other proposers.
Always make sure that your proposal meets the expectations
of the funder.

Common Sections in Proposals

The general outline of the proposal should be
adapted and modified according to the needs
of the readers and the demand of the topic
proposed. For example, long complicated
proposals might contain all the following
sections. In contrast, shorter or simpler
proposals might contain only some of the
sections or the main ones.
Title page
OSpecific formats for title pages vary from one
proposal to another but most include the following:
-The title of the proposal ( as short as informative as possible)
-A reference number for the proposal
-The name of the potential funder ( the recipient of the
proposal)
-The proposal's date of submission
-The signature of the project director and responsible
administrator(s ) in the proposer`s institution or company

Abstract
The Abstract is a very important part of the proposal because it
provides a short overview and summary of the entire proposal.
The Abstract of the proposal is short, often 200 words or less.
In a short proposal addressed to someone within the writer's
institution, the Abstract may be located on the title page.
In a long proposal, the Abstract will usually occupy a page by
itself following the Title page.
The Abstract should briefly define the problem and its
importance, the objectives of the project, the method of
evaluation, and the potential impact of the project.
Table of contents
The table of contents lists the sections and
subsections of the proposal and their page
numbers.

Introduction
Plan the introduction to your proposal carefully.
Make sure it does all of the following things (but not
necessarily in this order) that apply to your particular
proposal :
Indicate that the document to follow is a proposal .
Refer to some previous contact with the recipient of the
proposal or to your source of information about the project .
Find one brief motivating statement that will encourage the
recipient to read on and to consider doing the project .
Give an overview of the contents of the proposal.

Background
Often occurring just after the introduction. The background
section discusses what has brought about the need for the
projectwhat problem, what opportunity there is for
improving things, what the basic situation is .
It's true that the audience of the proposal may know the
problem very well, in which case this section might not be
needed. Writing the background section still might be useful,
however, in demonstrating your particular view of the
problem. And, if the proposal is unsolicited, a background
section is almost a requirementyou will probably need to
convince the audience that the problem or opportunity exists
and that it should be addressed.

Benefits and feasibility of the
proposed project
Most proposals discuss the advantages or
benefits of doing the proposed project. This
acts as an argument in favor of approving the
project. Also, some proposals discuss the
likelihood of the project's success. In the
unsolicited proposal, this section is particularly
important.
Description of the proposed work
(results of the project):
Most proposals must describe the finished
product of the proposed project. In this course,
that means describing the written document
you propose to write, its audience and purpose;
providing an outline; and discussing such
things as its length, graphics, and so on.
Method, procedure, theory
In most proposals, you'll want to explain how you'll
go about doing the proposed work, if approved to do
it. This acts as an additional persuasive element; it
shows the audience you have a sound, well-thought-
out approach to the project. Also, it serves as the
other form of background some proposals need.
Remember that the background section (the one
discussed above) focused on the problem or need that
brings about the proposal. However, in this section,
you discuss the technical background relating to the
procedures or technology you plan to use in the
proposed work.
Schedule
Most proposals contain a section that shows
not only the projected completion date but also
key milestones for the project. If you are doing
a large project spreading over many months,
the timeline would also show dates on which
you would deliver progress reports. And if you
can't cite specific dates, cite amounts of time
or time spans for each phase of the project.
Qualifications
Most proposals contain a summary of the
proposing individual's or organization's
qualifications to do the proposed work. It's like
a mini-resume contained in the proposal. The
proposal audience uses it to decide whether
you are suited for the project. Therefore, this
section lists work experience, similar projects,
references, training, and education that shows
familiarity with the project .
Costs, resources required
Most proposals also contain a section detailing the
costs of the project, whether internal or external. With
external projects, you may need to list your hourly
rates, projected hours, costs of equipment and
supplies, and so forth, and then calculate the total cost
of the complete project. With internal projects, there
probably won't be a fee, but you should still list the
project costs: for example, hours you will need to
complete the project, equipment and supplies you'll
be using, assistance from other people in the
organization, and so on .
Conclusions
The final paragraph or section of the proposal
should bring readers back to a focus on the
positive aspects of the project (you've just
showed them the costs). In the final section,
you can end by urging them to get in touch to
work out the details of the project, to remind
them of the benefits of doing the project, and
maybe to put in one last plug for you or your
organization as the right choice for the project .
Appendices

Appendices (supplementary material that is collected
and appended at the end of a proposal)should be
devoted to those aspects of your project that are of
secondary interest to the reader. Begin by assuming that
the reader will only have a short time to read your
proposal and it will only be the main body of your
proposal (not the Appendices). Then, assume that you
have gotten the attention of the reader who would now
like some additional information. This is the purpose of
the Appendices.

Organization of Proposals

As for the organization of the content of a proposal, remember that it is essentially a
sales, or promotional kind of thing. Here are the basic steps it goes through :
You introduce the proposal, telling the readers its purpose and contents .
You present the backgroundthe problem, opportunity, or situation that brings about
the proposed project. Get the reader concerned about the problem, excited about the
opportunity, or interested in the situation in some way .
State what you propose to do about the problem, how you plan to help the readers take
advantage of the opportunity, how you intend to help them with the situation .
Discuss the benefits of doing the proposed project, the advantages that come from
approving it .
Describe exactly what the completed project would consist of, what it would look like,
how it would workdescribe the results of the project .
Discuss the method and theory or approach behind that methodenable readers to
understand how you'll go about the proposed work .
Provide a schedule, including major milestones or checkpoints in the project .
Briefly list your qualifications for the project; provide a mini-resume of the background
you have that makes you right for the project .
Now (and only now), list the costs of the project, the resources you'll need to do the
project .
Conclude with a review of the benefits of doing the project (in case the shock from the
costs section was too much), and urge the audience to get in touch or to accept the
proposal .
Format of Proposals

You have the following options for the format
and packaging of your proposal. It does not
matter which you use as long as you use the
memorandum format for internal proposals
and the business-letter format for external
proposals

1. Cover letter with separate proposal:
In this format, you write a brief "cover" letter
and attach the proposal proper after it. The
cover letter briefly announces that a proposal
follows and outlines the contents of it. In fact,
the contents of the cover letter are pretty
much the same as the introduction.

(
C
o
n
t
i
n
u
e
d
)
2. Cover memo with separate proposal :In this format,
you write a brief "cover" memo and attach the
proposal proper after it. The cover memo briefly
announces that a proposal follows and outlines the
contents of it. In fact, the contents of the cover memo
are pretty much the same as the introduction. The
proposal proper that repeats much of what's in the
cover memo. This is because the memo may get
detached from the proposal or the reader may not
even bother to look at the memo and just dive right
into the proposal itself.
3. Business-letter proposal : In this format, you put
the entire proposal within a standard business
letter. You include headings and other special
formatting elements as if it were a report .(This format
is illustrated in the left portion of the illustration below)
4. Memo proposal: In this format, you put the entire
proposal within a standard office memorandum.
You include headings and other special
formatting elements as if it were a report. This format
is illustrated in the right portion of the illustration below)

Check List for your Proposal

As you reread and revise your proposal, watch out for problems such as the
following:
Make sure you use the right format. Remember, the memo format is for
internal proposals; the business-letter format is for proposals written from
one external organization to another. (Whether you use a cover memo or
cover letter is your choice.)
Write a good introductionin it, state that this is a proposal, and provide an
overview of the contents of the proposal.
Make sure to identify exactly what you are proposing to do.
Make sure that a reporta written documentis somehow involved in the
project you are proposing to do. Remember that in this course we are trying
to do two things: write a proposal and plan a term-report project.
Make sure the sections are in a logical, natural order. For example, don't hit
the audience with schedules and costs before you've gotten them interested
in the project.
Break out the costs section into specifics; include hourly rates and other
such details. Don't just hit them with a whopping big final cost.
For internal projects, don't omit the section on costs and qualifications: there
will be costs, just not direct ones. For example, how much time will you
need, will there be printing, binding costs? Include your qualifications
imagine your proposal will go to somebody in the organization who doesn't
know you.

Key Points for a Business Proposal
Provide an overview of the business proposals,
including specific recommendations and the total
expense to the reader.
Provide a detailed cost analysis when possible
or appropriate. This will allow the reader to
evaluate each cost factor as a part of the total
package.
To add authority and credence to your proposal
provide the reader with supporting facts and
figures. These can include examples, survey
results, and case studies.
Sample Proposal Letter 1
Dear Mr. Frank:

How would you like to cut your printing costs by more than 40 percent
per month? Give us a few minutes of your time and well show you
how.

Well review every facet of your current system and analyze its
strengths and weaknesses. Well look at a comparison of costs for
other businesses of your size and provide a comprehensive report of
short and long-term actions that will generate substantial savings for
your company.

The enclosed proposal outlines the details of what well do and how
successful weve been at doing this for other businesses. In fact, we
guarantee youll save no less than 10 percent per year savings as a
result of our efforts.

Ill call after youve had a chance to review our proposal.

Sincerely,
Sample Proposal Letter 2
Dear Mr Bruno:

I enjoyed speaking with you the other day. Enclosed please find a preliminary proposal
for Debt Collection for Mafia Services.

I believe this includes all specifications, options and terms we discussed. If not, please
let me know as soon as possible so we may revise the proposal to meet your needs.

If all is in order, let us know how and when you wish to proceed. As noted previously,
we can arrange a lease with low monthly payments designed to stay within your
operating budget. As always the system is available for purchase.

While I understand this is a major undertaking for Mafia Services, I would advise you
time is of the essence. Several of our suppliers have announced price increases for
the fall. Unfortunately, as their prices increase, so do ours.

The prices included with this proposal are valid for 90 days from the time of receipt.
Please call me if you have any questions or require additional information.

Sincerely,

Enclosures

Sample Proposal

Month Date, Year

PROPOSAL

We will prepare N books for publication by you, combining materials from X, Y, and Z into a
new series targeting the RR market. The cost to produce this new series of books will be:
$$$ (also written as text)

Payments will be made on the following schedule:
$$$ upon acceptance on this proposal. (Comment: This amount equals one-third to one-
half the total fee.)
$$$ upon delivery of each book.
$$$ upon delivery of the final book.

Checks will be made payable to (Contractor). We are able to start work on this project
immediately upon acceptance of this proposal and will deliver the materials on the
following schedule. All dates are approximate and are contingent upon prompt approval
from you on our submission of chapter and book outlines.
Book 1 Title Date to be delivered
Book 2 etc.

In order to meet your deadlines and the above delivery schedule, this proposal must be
accepted on or before Month Date, Year. A signed faxed copy will be sufficient authority to
begin the work with a signed hard copy to follow.

Contractor:.........................Client's Name __________________...... _________________
name...................................name of person
Tax ID #:............................Title:
Address:.............................Address:
Date:...................................Date:
(Date:).................................(Date:)

Interpersonal and Group
Communication : Decision
making and Problem solving
IITTM
Unit IV
Decision Making and Problem Solving
Problem solving is concerned with
overcoming obstacles in the path toward
an objective.
Problem solving may or may not require
action.
A decision is an act requiring judgment
that is translated into action.
Decision Making and Problem Solving
(contd)
Decision making is much more
comprehensive than problem solving.
The terms are interrelated, but not
interchangeable.

The Significance of Decision Making
Decision making is the one truly distinctive
characteristic of managers.
Decisions made by top managers commit the
total organization toward particular courses of
action.
Decisions made by lower levels of management
implement the strategic decisions of top
managers in the operating areas of the
organization.
Decisions invariably involve organizational
change and the commitment of scarce resources.

The Scope of Decision Making
Individual decision making
Group decision making
Organizational decision making
Metaorganizational decision making

Copyright 1999 Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 1 - 321
The Scope of Decision Making

Group
Organization
Metaorganization
Individual
Decisional
Outputs
(Actions
transactions,
outcomes)
Decisional Inputs
(Objectives,
information,
resources,
energy)
Permeable
Boundaries
Interactional
Levels
External Environment
Decision Making and Control
Decision Making
How to Make Good
Decisions
Problem Solving
Building Decision
Making Skills
Controlling
Elements in Managerial Decisions
Decision: A conscious choice
among alternative courses of
action.
Therefore the 3 elements are:
A conscious choice among
alternatives
A specific purpose
A course of action

Approaches to Decision Making
Rational (Logical Approach)
Intuitive Approach
Unable to decide (Indecisive
Approach)
Impulsive Approach
A Simple Version of Decision Making
(The Logical Approach)
Define the problem (conditions
and limitations) and the set of
objectives
Analyze the problem: fact
finding
Develop alternative solutions:
brainstorming
Decide on the best solution
Convert the decision into action
Follow up
Pattern of Problem Solving
Describe the problem
Search out the cause, get
the facts
Define the real problem and
set objectives
Develop alternative solutions
Decide on the best solution
Implement the decision
Follow up
Participative Problem Solving
Argument for Group Decision Making :
You get more info. And expertise relevant to the
decision
You get more good ideas and can generate more
and better alternatives
People thinking together can arrive at better
decisions because of the stimulation and
interplay of different points of view
Participants are more committed to carrying out
Coordination and communication are simpler and
better because everyone understands

Participative Problem Solving
Criticism of group decision
making:
It takes longer in a group
There is usually a dominator in
a group
Group participants get involved
in winning arguments and
showing off
If consensus is required people
may conform to get the meeting
over
Consensus leads to mediocre
decisions
Group Decision Making Works Best
When:
Members are accustom to
working together as a team
and having differing
expertise and point of view
but common goals
The leader is skillful at
keeping the meeting on
target
The group is rewarded for
making good decisions
Solving Peoples Problems
Personal problems are
not yours to resolve but
LISTENING can help.
Keep your own emotions
out of it.
Try to identify the real
problem.
If possible eliminate
friction.

Win-Win Problem Solving
Win-Lose: You win, worker
loses
Lose-Win: You lose, worker
wins (retreat and
appeasement, no stand)
Lose-Lose: The compromise
Win-Win problem solving
means you find a decision
that satisfies both of you.
Include worker from the
beginning: From defining the
problem to carrying out an
agreement
Guidelines for Building Decision
Making Skills
Be sure of your authority for
making decisions
Accept responsibility fully
Distinguish what's important
Make the decision at the time it
is needed
Be alert to signs of problems
needing solutions
Keep an open mind

Guidelines for Building Decision
Making Skills
Dont solicit advise but do
consult your supervisor
when a problem is beyond
your ability to solve
Make sure that you are not
part of the problem
Learn from your mistakes
Evaluate your decisions
when carried out
Interpersonal and Group
Communication : Handling
Interpersonal Conflict
IITTM
Unit IV
Primary Levels of Conflict
Within Organizations
+Intrapersonal (within an individual)
+Interpersonal (between individuals)
+Intragroup (within a group)
+Intergroup (between groups)
Conflict
Functional conflict serves the
organizations interests while

Dysfunctional conflict threatens
the organizations
interests.
Conflict: A process in which one party perceives that its
interests are being opposed or negatively affected by another
party.
Antecedents of Conflict
Incompatible personalities or value
systems.
Overlapping or unclear job boundaries.
Competition for limited resources.
Interdepartment/intergroup competition.
Inadequate communication.
Interdependent tasks.
Organizational complexity.
Antecedents of Conflict (continued)
Unreasonable or unclear policies, standards,
or rules.
Unreasonable deadlines or extreme time
pressure.
Collective decision making.
Decision making by consensus.
Unmet expectations.
Unresolved or suppressed conflict.
Sources of Interpersonal
Conflict
Competition for Limited Resources
Role Conflict
Competing Work and Family Demands
Building Stone Walls
Personality Clashes
Aggressive Personalities Including Bullies
Marketing Manufacturing
Areas of Potential Goal Conflict
MARKETING VS. MANUFACTURING
Operative goal is Operative goal is
Goal Conflict customer satisfaction production efficiency
Conflict Area Typical Comment Typical Comment

Breadth of product line: Our customers The product line is too
demand variety. broad, all we get are
short, uneconomical runs.
New product introduction: New products are our Unnecessary design changes
lifeblood. are prohibitively expensive.

Production scheduling: We need faster response. We need realistic customer
Lead times are too long. commitments that dont
change like the wind direction

Physical distribution: Why dont we ever have We cant afford to keep huge
the right merchandise inventories.
in inventory?

Quality: Why cant we have Why must we always offer
reasonable quality options that are too
at low cost? expensive and offer little
customer utility?

Desired Outcomes of Conflict
Agreement: Strive for equitable and fair agreements that
last.
Stronger relationships: Build bridges of goodwill and
trust for the future.
Learning: Greater self-awareness and creative problem
solving.
Tips for Managers Whose Employees
Are Having a Personality Conflict
1. Follow company policies for diversity,
anti-discrimination.
2. Investigate and document conflict.
3. If appropriate, take corrective action
(e.g., feedback or B Mod).
4. If necessary, attempt informal dispute
resolution.
5. Refer difficult conflicts to human resource
specialists or hired counselors for formal
resolution attempts and other
interventions.
How to Build Cross-Cultural
Relationships and minimize Conflict
Behavior Rank
Be a good listener 1
Be sensitive to the needs of others 2
Be cooperative, rather than overly competitive 2
Advocate inclusive (participative) leadership 3
Compromise rather than dominate 4
Build rapport through conversations 5
Be compassionate and understanding 6
Avoid conflict by emphasizing harmony 7
Nurture others (develop and mentor) 8
Tie
Five Conflict-Handling Styles
Sharing/
Compromising
Accommodative
Forcing Avoiding
Collaborative
High Low
High
Low
C
o
n
c
e
r
n

f
o
r

O
t
h
e
r
s

Concern for Self
Interpersonal Conflict Handling Styles
+Avoiding Style
+Unassertive and uncooperative
+Forcing Style
+Assertive and uncooperative
+Accommodating Style
+Unassertive and cooperative
+Collaborating Style
+Assertive and cooperative
+Compromising Style
+Intermediate level of assertive and
cooperative behaviors
When Should the Avoiding Style Be
Used to Handle Interpersonal Conflicts?
+The issue is of minor or passing importance
+Insufficient information to effectively deal with
the conflict
+Low power relative to the other party
+Others can more effectively resolve the
conflict
When Should the Forcing Style Be
+Emergencies requiring quick action
+Unpopular actions must be taken for long-term
organizational effectiveness and survival
+Self-protective action is needed
When Should the Accommodating Style Be
+Need to defuse a potentially explosive
emotional conflict situation
+Short-run need to keep harmony and
avoid disruption
+Conflict is primarily based on personality
and cannot be easily resolved
When Should the Collaborating Style Be
+High level of cooperation is needed
+Sufficient parity exists in power of
conflicting parties
+Potential for mutual benefits, especially
over long run
+Sufficient organizational support to take
the time and energy for collaboration
When Should the Compromising Style Be
+Agreement enables each party to be better off,
or at least not worse off, than without an
agreement
+Achieving a total winwin agreement is not
possible
+Conflicting goals block agreement on one
persons proposal
Conflict Resolution
Confrontation and Problem-Solving
Constructive Handling of Criticism
Image Exchanging (creating empathy)
Cognitive Restructuring
Negotiating and Bargaining

Alternative Dispute Resolution
(ADR) Techniques
Facilitation: Third party gets disputants to deal
directly and constructively with each other.
Conciliation: Neutral third party acts as
communication link between disputants.
Peer review: Impartial co-workers hear both sides
and render decision that may or may not be binding.
Ombudsman: Respected and trusted member of the
organization hears grievances confidentially.
Mediation: Trained third-party guides disputants
toward their own solution.
Arbitration: Neutral third-party hears both sides in a
court-like setting and renders a binding decision.
Negotiating
Distributive negotiation: Single issue; fixed-pie; win-lose.

Integrative negotiation: More than one issue; win-win.
Negotiation: A give-and-take decision-making process
involving interdependent parties with different preferences.
An Integrative Approach:
Added-Value Negotiation
OClarify interests.
OIdentify options.
ODesign alternative deal packages.
OSelect a deal.
OPerfect the deal.
Basic Types of Negotiation
+Distributive negotiations
+Involve winlose, fixed-amount situations
wherein one partys gain is another partys
loss
+Integrative negotiations
+Involve joint problem solving to achieve
results benefiting both parties

Basic Types of Negotiation
+Attitudinal structuring
+The process by which conflicting parties seek
to establish desired attitudes and relationships
+Intraorganizational negotiations
+Involve sets of negotiators representing
different groups, and each set of negotiators
tries to build consensus for agreement to
resolve intragroup conflict before dealing with
the other groups negotiators

Matrix of Negotiated Outcomes
Source: Adapted from Anderson, T. Step into my parlor: A survey of strategies and
techniques for effective negotiation. Business Horizons, May-June 1992, 75.
Outcome:
Great for Person A
Terrible for Person B
Outcome:
Mediocre for Person A
Mediocre for Person B
Outcome:
Good for Person A
Good for Person B
Outcome:
Terrible for Person A
Great for Person B
Integrative Distributive
I
n
t
e
g
r
a
t
i
v
e

D
i
s
t
r
i
b
u
t
i
v
e

STRATEGY OF PERSON B
S
T
R
A
T
E
G
Y

O
F

P
E
R
S
O
N

A

Handling Interpersonal Conflict
in Groups

Develop skills
Agree on basics
Search for interests in common
Experiment
Doubt your infallibility
Treat conflict as a group responsibility
Customer care : Effective
Customer Care
IITTM
Unit V
Who Are Customers?
Everyone at work with whom you interact
are your customers
Everyone who purchases or uses your
activities, events, products and services
are your customers
Your supervisor, your manager, and all of
your employees are your customers, too

You help achieve extraordinary customer service when you
make each interaction one that is positive, effective,
efficient, courteous, competent, thorough, and
professional. This is your job!
Definition of Customer Care

Feeling concern and interest in someone who has
entered a business to buy a product or obtain a
service.

This brings out the fact that a person can be a customer
without having to spend money.

Basic rule of customer care

Put yourself in the customers shoes; see the
situation as they do.

Customer Service is all about:
Providing customers with what they want
Offering consistent levels of service
Exceeding and not just meeting
expectations
Fulfilling all customer needs
Going out of your way to delight
customers
What is Customer Service?
Companies who provide excellent service:
Exceed the expectations of their customers
Treat customers with respect
Do not just aim to satisfy they aim to delight
Provide solutions to problems
Consistently deliver outstanding service to their
customers
Make customers feel that they are the most
important part of their business which
they are
Customer Service
Why is Service important?
Intense competition
Customers have a choice
It is the only thing that can make us different
from our competitors
Satisfied and delighted customers will come
back
Dissatisfied customers will not come back

Your Service Role Why Care?
Serving every customer well helps you,
your program, and your organization stand
out
Providing good customer service is
essential to:
your job security
future job/career opportunities
how you feel about what you do

Being The Best -- Everyday!
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE
PEOPLE:
Exceed customer expectations
Find out how customers want to be treated
Know the customer's needs are a priority
Listen effectively to ensure they understand the
customer
Dont take complaints personally
Look and act like a professional
Keep learning
Keep teaching
Smile genuinely
Respect the customer

Moments of Truth

"Essentially, Moments of Truth are those contacts
between companies and customers where a firm's
reputation are at stake.

(Stewart, 1992)

Moments of Truth
Each time you meet with a customer, or
potential customer, is a chance to make a
positive impression on that person. These
encounters can be described as "Moments of
Truth".

Moments of Truth
It is important to identify when these Moments
of Truth occur and to manage them to ensure
you make the best possible impression on the
customer

Benefits of excellent Customer
Care?
Benefits of excellent Customer Care
Feel good factor
is high/enjoy
going to work
Improved
reputation
Return/
repeat business
Fewer
complaints
Less stress for
mgt and staff
Greater job
security
Happy boss Improved team
spirit, staff
morale and
motivation
More enjoyable
work atmosphere
Greater staff
loyalty and
retention
Improved
communication
within the
business
Greater chance
of word of
mouth
advertising
Why does poor Customer Care
happen?

Lack of incentive
Complacency
Lack of support
No real training
Staff under pressure

Poor knowledge
No team spirit or
motivation
Lack of awareness

Not all that long ago there were four people
named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and
Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and
Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was
sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could
have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got very angry about that, because it
was Everybodys job. Everybody thought
Anybody could do it but Nobody realised that
Everybody would not do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody
when Nobody did what Anybody could have
done.

What skills do we need to use?

Attitude
Appearance
Communication-listening, talking, reading, writing
Observation of standards and body language
Assertiveness
Customer Care Skills

There are 8 main customer care skills that need to
be displayed when serving the customer
1. Appearance
2. Observation
3. Listening
4. Body Language and Facial Expression
5. Talking
6. Assertiveness
7. Attitude
8. Behaviour

Appearance
The appearance of yourself and the other
members of staff in your team will say a lot
about the standards within your operation.

Remember: You are only as strong as the
weakest link in your staff chain.
Observation
Its easy to miss shortfalls in standards because
of familiarity.

Keep your eyes open.

Try to stand back and look at your workplace in
an objective way.
Listening: The Four Basic Communication
skills

Listening

Speaking

Reading

Writing

Learned

1
st

2
nd

3
rd

4
th

Used
Most
(45%)
Next
Most
(30%)
Next
Least
(16%)
Least
(9%)

Taught

Least
Next
Least
Next
Most

Most
Listening
If we fail to listen to the customer they will
feel that we do not really care about them and
therefore not return.

The 2 main ways of listening attentively are:
1. Physical attending
2. Psychological attending
Physical Attending:
Face the speaker
Maintain eye contact
Maintain an open posture
Lean towards the speaker
Stay relatively relaxed
Psychological attending:
Listen to what is being said:
Listen for the central theme rather than the facts
Keep an open mind
Think ahead
Analyse and evaluate
Do not interrupt
Interpret a tone of voice
Evaluate the non-verbal signs
Body Language & Facial Expression
Reading and understanding body language is an
essential part of listening. If our body language
does not reflect the words that we are using then
the customer will not believe us.

ie. Non-verbal behaviour
Understanding a message
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Words Non-
verbal
Message

Words: 10%
Tone, pitch, volume: 35%
Non-verbal behaviour: 55%
Identify expressions
Eyes up avoiding contact
Looking down
Arms folded
Arms outstretched
Upright/good posture
Face set

Talking
Golden Rule!

-Acknowledge the customer as soon as possible!
Talking
When talking to the customer we must not

Discuss politics, religion, gossip
Complain about the company
Moan, moan and moan again!
Talk over the customers head!
Assertiveness
When dealing with customers there are 3 types of
behaviour we can employ:

1.Aggressiveness,
2.Assertiveness
3.Submissiveness.

We should try to apply an assertive manner at
all times.
By being assertive you remain in control,
have greater self confidence and earn the
respect of others.

Attitude & Behaviour
The way we behave with customers is all
important.
We must display a positive approach and be
courteous at all times.
Remember

Each customer is an individual.
Be enthusiastic-its infectious!
Courtesy costs nothing
Treat people as individuals. Use their name.

Key Test of Good Customer Care:
Keep your
service promise
The 5 second
telephone
response
Documentation
response within
2 days
Five minute
maximum
waiting time
Positive
employee
attitudes
Proactive
Communication
Honesty and
openness
Systems
reliability
Being in the
know

Little Extras Attention to
detail
Immaculate
Appearance
Set Standards
By putting procedures in place all customers
will be dealt with in a professional and efficient
manner
Thus ensuring you have a satisfied customer
network
Examples

You should have answers to common queries at
hand
Promises to customers must be realistic and acted
upon within the agreed time frame
Customer must be notified of delays
When dealing with a complaint
Do...
Show empathy/concern
Use their name if you can
Listen
Take notes
Let them make their case
Ask questions to clarify detail
Confirm with them that you have got it right

Do
Gather your version of events before replying
Tell them what you propose to do
Ensure they are happy
See it as an opportunity to cement the
relationship and encourage more business

When dealing with a complaint
Do Not
Say its not my fault
Say youre the fifth today to complain about that
Interrupt
Jump to conclusions

Do not

Accept responsibility until you are sure its your fault
Be patronising
Argue
Lose your temper
Blame others

The Listen Technique
Lend an ear to the customers problem-do not
interrupt
Identify the important points
Sympathise- Im sorry acknowledges something
went wrong-not taking the blame
Thank the customer for taking the time to tell you
what happened
Explain what can be done
Now act quickly-dont give further cause for
complaint!

Language

Sometimes the words that are used in
communication cause the message to be
misinterpreted. This can happen if imprecise words
are used e.g. sort of or things also technical
jargon can be confusing if it is unfamiliar to the
other person.
Customer Service Language
AVOID NEGATIVE LANGUAGE
- Possibly-maybe-perhaps
- We might be able to do this
- I hope that will be ok
USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE
- I am sure that will be sufficient
- I know we can get that for you
- I am certain you will be pleased with this
Avoid certain words
TRY This implies that you are unsure of
whether you can do something use the word
ensure instead, it is positive and commits you
to action which your customer will believe.

Use the word Please at the start of a sentence
rather than at the end of it as it becomes an
order at the end of a sentence

OK sounds bland, automatic and disengaged
Use Certainly, this conveys warmth and
interest in delighting your customer

Avoid the word busy, your customer should
never feel that you are too busy to look after
his/her needs.

Try saying I will look into this and come back
to you
Customer care : Managing
Customer Complaints and
Negotiating with the customer
IITTM
Unit V
Handling Complaints
What are they?

An opportunity to:

Make things right
Turn dissatisfied customers into delighted
customers
Show you care
Turn complainers into ambassadors

Listening
Actively show you are listening

Empathy

Show that you do care and are concerned

Agreeing on Common Ground
Find something to agree with
Calming Customers
Listen

Apologise

Solve

Thank

Make the most of your LAST chance!
Handling Complaints
Complaint Handling Policy
A good complaint policy:
Helps create a good Complaint Culture in the
organization the culture of total employee involvement
towards total customer satisfaction
Encourages and makes it easy for customers to complain
be it through personal visit, telephone, letter or email
Empowers the employees to deal with complaints
Helps develop an attitude: it is more important to keep
customers than to win the argument amongst employees
particularly front-end employees
Ensures all front-end staff is trained to cope with ctiticism and
process complaints effectively
+ Has a well planned system for monitoring complaint
data to know:
- No of complaints all complaints to be documented
- Nature of complaints
- No of justified complaints
- Analysis of complaints as to product-centred,
precess-centred and person-centred
- Proposed remedical actions including modifications
of products / procedures/ systems and identification
of training needs etc
encourages prompt and competent handling of complaints
helps to ensure constant supervision of customer satisfaction
recognizes and rewards employees who
- process complaints rapidly and satisfactorily
- is able to recover a lost customer / regain the confidence
of a dissatisfied customer
- customers include internal customers
Best Practices Across the Globe
Best Practice Companies:
- Link complaint Management visions to the Corporate Mission
Customer Complaints as opportunities for
improvements:
- Clearly understand the link between complaint resolution
and customer loyalty
- Strongly believe that complaints are primary measure of
customer dissatisfaction
Cont.
- understand that complaints & their rapid resolution are
critical to customer retention & business growth
Cont
Proactive feed back
+ Seek out customer communication, no matter how
negative
+ permit and encourage upward communication of the
issues through meetings, conferences, emails etc.
+ have Associate Response Centre concept in place to
encourage employees to call with ideas, complaints and
process improvements
+ encourage employees to bring complaints to the fore front
in a variety of formal and informal ways
+ are eager to know their shortcomings as well as what
they do well
Complaint Management Process
realize the importance of sharing information across the
organization to ensure total involvement of employees.

are dedicated to integrate complaint data to initiate
improvements

benchmark their services in relation to its competitors &
customers satisfaction industry leaders.
Contd..
use total customer data to make enhancements in
process & automation designs to its services
in a decentralized environment which have total Customer
Satisfaction Center and examines total complaint data in a
consolidated manner, helps perform root cause analysis and
identify where the majority of problems begin

Contd
Out sourced Environment
- Use technology and process, implementing effective
surrogates for being there with the customers
-Ensure that the voce of customer will continue to be heard
in the company
- Ensure out sourcer's service reps. properly represent the
organization to the customers
Complaint Management Measures
O Link to Customer Satisfaction Measure
O Customer Satisfaction measures integral to management
process
O All Supervisors, team leaders & Customer service
representatives are accountable
OContinuous watch on no. of complaints
- Incorporate complaint management measures as part of
their overall customer satisfaction measures
- Types of data measured
cause wise analysis of all complaints
Duration wise complaint resolution
Rewards & Recognition
Individual & team based rewards to illustrate high quality
customer contact and complaint resolution
Have profit sharing schemes in place based on
Customer Satisfaction index
Recognize employees in the complaint management
process with:
Wall of fame noting exceptional work
Gift certificates to employees who are positive role
models in the complaint process
By and large do not prefer to link reward to compensation
because of their apprehensive of manipulation of data
Customer centric organizations:
O Grow into learning organizations
O are innovative in their overall approach
O develop effective customer care programs
O develop effective complaint management systems
O should develop the culture of total employee
involvement towards total customer satisfaction
Key Tasks for a Mediator
+Ensuring mutual motivation
+Achieving a balance in situational power
+Coordinating confrontation efforts
+Promoting openness in dialogue
+Maintaining an optimum level of tension
Counselling Skills
IITTM
Unit V
What is Counseling
Direct face-to-face conversation
between a supervisor and a
direct report

Used to help the employee
identify the reason for poor
performance to improve, not
embarrass or humiliate him or
her

Generally more formal than
feedback and coaching and is
required of a small percentage
of employees
Purpose of Counseling
Communicate concerns to the employee

Determine the cause of the employees
activities

Identify avenues for improvement and/or
development

Improve employee performance
When to Counsel
When more action is required by the supervisor
following feedback and coaching

Re-establish Expectations

Not all unacceptable behavior warrants
discipline:
Usually minor infractions, or case of first offense
by a long term employee require counseling
The Counseling Process:
Before the Session
Define your objectives.
Have all documentation
available
Review all facts
Create an outline
Arrange for privacy
Verbally inform the employee in
person and in private what the
meeting is about, and where
and when it is to take place

Session Guidelines
How you behave and what you
say during the session can affect
the outcome
Set a positive tone
Describe the problem
Ask, then listen
Correct the situation
Listen
Conclude the session
Minimizing Conflict
Counsel in a timely manner
Counsel in private
Look for the root cause of
the problem
Listen. Do not interrupt
Show sincere interest in the
employee
If you can help, offer it, do it
SKILLS FOR COUNSELLING
Listening
Clarifying
questions
Use of Open-
ended questions
Assessing
Ability-potential
deciding
response

Skills to Work with
Clients Feelings
>Help Express feelings
>Identify & Discriminate
bet.feelings
>Help to Alter/Accept feelings
>Attend to Verbal/Nonverbal Cues
Convey Support :Verbal
& Nonverbal methods

Business Communication

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Business Communication

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

You might also like