EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

1. Business Communication
Trainer:
Kiran Nalluri,
Vishal Arogya Sampat.
kk.nalluri@gmail.com

2. Improved Quicker Stronger
Stakeholder Problem Decision
Response Solving Making
Enhanced
Professional
Effective Increased
Communication Productivity
Image
Clearer Stronger
Steadier
Promotional Business
Work Flow
Materials Relationships

3. Usage of Business Communication Channels
Writing
9%
Receiving
Sending
Speaking Listening
30% 45%
Reading
16%

4. What is communication
• Giving, receiving or exchanging
information, opinions or ideas
• Medium is by writing, speech or visual
• Understood by everyone
• Intentional and unintentional
• Dynamic process
• Systemic
• Interaction and transaction

5. Some definitions
• It’s a process of passing information and
understanding from one person to
another- Keith Davis
• It is any behaviour that results in an
exchange of meaning- The American
Management Association

6. Forms of communication
• One-way and two-way communication
• One-way
– Radio, television, newspaper, advertisements
• Two-way
– Interactive
– Source and receiver

7. Forms of communication
• Formal and informal
• Formal used in corporate / organisations
– Advantages
• Official language, so binding
• Written so less likely to be misunderstood
• Saves time
• Avoids embarrassment if information is sensitive or
painful

8. Forms of communication
• Disadvantages of formal communication
– Rigid
– Bureaucratic jargon
– Does not give reasons, just orders
– Takes time
– Authoritative and downward
– Social matters seldom mentioned
– Impersonal and final
– Fails to motivate employees

9. Forms of communication
• Informal communication
• Advantages
– Personal and carries enthusiasm
– Encourages flow of ideas
– Oral so two-way
– Promotes open climate
– Reduces rumours
– Fosters harmonious relationships
– Co-operation based on shared concerns and interests

10. Forms of communication
• Disadvantages
– Flexible, so difficult to apply
– Can lead to spread of inaccurate information
– Coloured by emotion and distort the meaning
– Difficult to trace when an enquiry has to be
made
• 2 types- oral and written, internal and
external

11. Internal Communication
Official Structure The Grapevine
Formal Chain Informal
of Command Networking
Up, Down, Across Unofficial Lines
Formal Power Lines of Power

12. External Communication
Formal Contacts Informal Contacts
Marketing Employees
Public Relations Managers

13. Internal Communication
• Oral communication
– Telephone
– Intercom
– Meeting/ Conferences
– Presentations
– Face-to-face discussion
– Messages

14. Internal Communication
• Written communication
– Reports
– Graphs/charts
– Email
– Fax
– Notice
– Forms/Questionnaire
– Minutes
– Newsletters
– Memos

15. External Communication
• Oral communication
– Meeting
– Conferences/ seminars
– Meetings
– Conversations
– Telephones
– Presentations

16. External Communication
• Written Communication
– Leaflet/brochures
– Invitations
– Press releases
– Advertisements
– Reports
– Emails
– Fax
– Letters

17. The Communication Process
Phase 1: Phase 6:
Sender Has Channel Receiver
an Idea And Medium Sends Feedback
Phase 2: Phase 5:
Sender Encodes Receiver Decodes
Idea Message
Phase 3: Phase 4:
Six-Phase
Sender Transmits Receiver Gets
Process
Message Message
Situation

18. Communication Barriers
• Perception and language
• Listening
• Pre-judgement
• Relationships
• Emotional responses
• Systems

19. Communication Barriers
• Physical barriers
– Defects in the medium
– Noise
– Information overload
• Language barriers
• Socio-psychological barriers
– Self centered attitudes
– Group identification

20. Communication Barriers
– Self image
– Status block
– Resistance to change
– Closed mind
– Poor communication skills
– State of health

21. Communication Barriers
• Organisational barriers
– Cross cultural barriers
• Language
• Values/norms of behaviour
• Social relationships
• Concepts of time
• Concepts of space
• Thinking process
• Non-verbal communication
• perception

22. Communication Climate
Overall Corporate Level of
Structure Culture Feedback
Flat More Open High
Tall Less Open Low

23. Communication systems
• Downward
• Upward
• Horizontal
• Diagonal
• Grapewine
• Informal

24. Principles of effective
communication
• Its all about understanding
• Knowledge about the communication cycle
• Awareness of communication barriers
• Knowing the objective
• Knowing about the receiver
• Knowing the circumstances of
communication
• Reaction of the recipient

25. Tips for successful communication
• Read
• Listen intelligently
• Think and plan
• Use appropriate language
• Be open minded
• Select appropriate media
• Time your communication appropriately
• Use appropriate language
• Obtain feedback
• Aim high

26. Oral communication
• Life blood of business and personal life
• Danger of taking it for granted
• Need for practice and improvement
• ‘You’ are the key
• Two roles-
– Listener
– speaker

27. Speaking skills
• Decide the desired outcome
• Select important facts and figures
• Identify key points
• Arrange the key points
• Choose appropriate language
• Monitor feedback constantly
• End on positive note

28. Listening skills

29. Listening skills
• Prepare to listen
• Avoid pre-judgement
• Be open-minded
• Establish eye contact
• Watch for signals
• Extract main points
• Give feedback
• Make notes

30. Listening skills
• Four steps of listening
– Hearing
• If you can repeat the speakers words, you have heard the
message
– Interpretation
• Depends on vocabulary, knowledge, interpretation
– Evaluation
• Listener decides what to do with the received information: eg
sales talk
– Response
• Maybe in words or body language

31. Activity of listening
• Listening is not being passive, it’s a
positive activity
• Hard work with a slightly raised heart beat
• Involves not only understanding the
content but also feelings of the speaker
– Called emphatic or active listening
• Different types of listening
– Appreciative, attentive, evaluative, critical

32. Benefits of listening
• Find out more information
• Learn about people and how their mind works
• Improves relations with people
• Raise morale of employees
• Obtain suggestions and new ideas
• Discover why employees perform as they do
• Help by solving problems

33. Barriers to effective listening
• Distraction
• Wandering attention
• Planning a reply
• Lack of interest
• Tendency to criticise
• Being self centered
• Avoiding what is difficult

34. Barriers to effective listening
• Excessive note taking
• Emotional blocks
• Emotional excitement
• Impatience
• Poor health
• Personal anxieties
• External noise and disturbances

35. Listening to non-verbal messages
• Body language- 55%
• Tone of voice -38%
• Words- 7%
• Speakers body language indicates his
state of mind and feelings
– Facial expression, gestures and posture
– Tone, pitch of vice, speed of speaking
– Omission of facts

36. Profile of an effective listener
• Good listeners
– Consider listening and opportunity to learn
– Are aware of personal prejudices so avoid judging the
speaker
– Are not influenced by word filled with emotions
– Are not upset by use of any words
– Listen to ideas behind the speakers words
– Use the time lag to evaluate what they hear
– Consciously notice the speakers non-verbal
behaviour

37. Profile of an effective listener
• You are a good listener
– Make and maintain good and comfortable eye contact
– Reflect appropriate feelings in facial expressions
– Sit/stand in attentive posture
– Tune in to speakers line of thought
– Use same grammar as the speaker
– Reflect on the speakers terminology
– Use emphathic questioning techniques
– Ask open ended questions, seeking information and
clarification
– Summarise what the speaker has said

38. Guidelines for effective listening
• Following guidelines require practice
– Stop talking, be attentive, make the speaker
feel important
– Put the speaker at ease
– Create positive atmosphere through body
language
– Be patient
– Show that you are listening
– Write down important points so speaker feels
important

39. Guidelines for effective listening
– Do not allow distractions
– Do not interrupt
– Do not give advice
– Do not question
– Do not take conversation in a different direction
– Do not criticise
– Keep your temper- an angry person cannot speak nor
listen
– Listen ‘between the lines’
– Keep an open mind, do not jump to conclusions

40. Non-verbal communication
• Instant feedback
• Body language
• Used unconsciously
• Adds impact to words
• Provides instant impression
• Posture
• Facial expressions
• Gestures
• Eye contact

41. Feedback

42. Feedback
• Ensures communication is understood
• Keeps relationships smooth and open
• Requires an open communication climate
• Completes the communication cycle
• Both speaker and listener need skills of
feedback
• In written communication- delayed feedback
• In oral-its instant from facial expressions and
body language

43. Feedback
• In organisations process of feedback is built into
policies and procedures- eg appraisals and
analysis meetings
• In human interaction- feedback is for helping the
other person to see result of his action so that he
may choose whether to change or not to get
different result
• If feedback is given for any other reason it
becomes criticism, judgement etc
• Feedback not to be given to make oneself feel
better or to relieve ones frustrations etc

44. Barriers to feedback
• No one likes to get bad news
• Hierarchical organisations are less
receptive to feedback
• Managers like to hoard information
– Discomfort about other peoples reactions
– Information may not be reliable
– Feedback can lead to change of relationship
• Listening is essential to feedback

45. Guidelines for giving feedback
• Must be given immediately soon after the
message has been received
• Should be given in a positive manner
• Must be specific, not general or vague
• Must not be evaluative or judgemental, it
should be descriptive
• Should be on aspects which the person
can improve on

46. Guidelines for giving feedback
• Should be limited to one or two important
points at a time
• Must be constructive- alternate options
should be discussed
• Must be sure of ones motive of giving
feedback
• Positive feedback is as important as
negative feedback

47. Telephone skills

48. Telephone
• Guidelines for making a positive impact
– Answering a call
– Listening
– Messages
– Hold on or call back
– Never interrupt

49. Before calling
• Before calling
– Choose right time
– Check the number
– Plan your call
– Be prepared
– Avoid interruptions

50. During the call
– Be courteous
– Establish a rapport
– Smile
– Check your notes
– Obtain feedback
– Be courteous
– Never argue
– Never use slang
– Use conversation cues
– End the call politely
– Never put on the speaker phone without taking
permisiion

51. Cellular phone
• Should be used in emergencies
• If other people are present, excuse
yourself
• Attention to present company is very
important
• Move way to a quiet corner
• Switch off when entering a
meeting, lecture, theatre etc
• Used quiet methods when in hospitals etc

52. Leaving a voice mail
• Include your name, telephone number,
company's name etc
• Spell any unusual name
• Repeat your name and telephone name at
the end of the message
• Specify the purpose of your call
• Indicate what would be the best time to
return your call
• Anticipate and prepare your message

53. Telephone
• After the call
– Make notes
– Take action

54. Negotiating skills

55. MY PERCEPTION YOUR
CONTEXT OF SITUATION
OF CONTEXT PERCEPTION
OF CONTEXT
C1
MY YOUR
INFORMATION INFORMATION
PERCEPTION PERCEPTION
Communication
Motivations
C2 C3
Influence
Bargaining
ME YOU

56. Pre- negotiations
• Establish both, your objectives and those of the other
party
• Decide on your BATNA (Best alternative to no
agreement)
• Collect all relevant facts
• Before framing specific proposals consult with all key
persons.
• Decide who should be conducting the negotiations and
the roles of each member of the negotiating team.
• Ensure that all members of your side are in agreement
• Calculate in advance the cost of various concessions.

57. Negotiation strategies
• Not everybody will receive the same information.
• There is no guarantee that everybody will
receive some information.
• Find out how the other party sees the situation
and try to see it from their point of view
• Understand their problems and find out what
they want.
• Don’t antagonise the other party by making them
defensive and if you feel he needs an
opportunity to save face give him one.

58. Positive behaviour
• Showing respect for the other person’s
opinion.
• Showing willingness to change your
judgement in the light of new evidence
• Keeping an open mind.
• Being sincere and consistent in your
approach.
• Avoiding his defeat in argument – leave
him a way out where possible.

59. Positive behaviour
• Being calm and patient; considerate and cool.
• Listening to what he has to say before
replying and showing interest in what he says
by summarising.
• Acting with deliberate intent and not on
impulse.
• Be flexible and be prepared to offer or accept
alternative solutions to particular problems.

60. Positive behaviour
• The ultimate settlement is frequently not
what was originally envisaged.
• Remember that good negotiators start
high so that they have a strategic anchor!
• Don’t make promises unless you are
absolutely certain of your backing, and
that you will be able to keep them.
• Always leave yourself a small loophole.
Don’t ever be dogmatic.

61. Tactics
• There are two rules management should
follow
• - do not accept verbal statements at their
face value.
• - do not counter wild union demands with
equally wild proposals. Always act in a
manner calculated to maintain the
respect of the entire work force.

62. Tactics
• The union negotiator usually begins with an
attack upon the employer.
• This is usually purely ritualistic behaviour;
• Its objective is
– either to strengthen the resolve of the union members
– to strengthen the leader’s position in the union,
– or as a compensating show of strength for accepting
a relatively unfavourable position.

63. Tactics
• The management should simply listen and
ignore his behaviour.
• To shock management into revealing
information.
• To create a nervous or conciliatory mood
in which real negotiations would begin.

64. How to say ‘No’
• Say it promptly.
• Do not feel obliged to explain and justify every
‘no’.
• Do not say ‘no’ impatiently or in anger.
• Find a sound proposal to soften the answer.
• Show concern for the person while rejecting his
ideas.
• Restate their demands and proposals in a
different way more suitable for you
• Be assertive

65. Assertiveness
• Our behaviour towards others may fall into the following
categories.
• Passive - allowing others to get what they want, not
expressing your needs (eg. ‘you have the chocolate
cake’).
• Aggressive - imposing your will or needs on others (e.g.
‘give me that chocolate cake.)
• Manipulative - ‘scheming’ to get what you want (e.g.
‘no, no, you have the chocolate cake, I’ll go without’)
• Assertive - expressing your needs openly without
imposing on the other (e.g. ‘i like chocolate cake, do
you? Should we divide it up?).

66. Your behaviour
• Your behaviour can affect others
– Being passive can make others feel powerful or
frustrated.
– Being aggressive can make others feel angry or
intimidated.
– Being manipulative can make others feel powerless
or as though they are being taken advantage of.
– Being assertive allows others to know where they
stand and to feel respected.
• It also encourages them to be assertive rather than be forced
to react with either one of the other behaviours. People
sometimes equate assertiveness with aggression, but its
very different.

67. Interviewing skills

68. Interviewing skills
• What is an interview
A selection procedure designed to
predict future job performance on the
basis of applicants oral responses to
oral enquiries

69. Selection Interview
IF EFFECTIVE
• Saves Time
• Better job/person matching
• Satisfied interviewers/Interviewees
• Good image / PR
• Tightening of recruitment process

70. Selection Interview
IF INEFFECTIVE
• May end up recruiting unfit candidates
• Missing suitable candidates
• Demotivating suitable candidates from
joining

71. Setting the environment
• No disturbance
• No phone Calls
• Seating - Neutral ( Perhaps an L shape )
• No distraction in the vicinity
• No ‘Power Statements’
• Having water available on the table ( for
candidate )
• Have stationary ready ( for candidate )

72. Interview structure
1 Opening, rapport building
2 Current & previous roles
3 Aspirations & awareness
4 Education & upbringing
5 Circumstances & interests
6 Closing , wrap up

73. Opening, rapport building
• Appropriate recognition
• Relaxed approach
• Introduce yourself
• Share - Interview purpose
» Recruitment process
» Job Role ( briefly)
» Interview structure & Time
• Check understanding

74. Structure of questions
• Open ended Questions
How - What - When - Where - Who - Why
• Close ended Questions
Do you - Did you - Can you - Will you - Could you - Would
you - Should you
• Prompting/ encouraging expressions
Tell me…, Describe …
For example?, For instance?, In what sense?
How come?, In simpler terms...

75. Characteristics of Good Questions
• Purposeful
• Relevant
• Clear & concise
• Limited to one idea
• Neutral in tone & substance

76. Questions coverage
• WHAT Q’s - Elicit information about
knowledge, facts/data, opinions
• WHY Q’s - Analytical skills , reasoning, logic etc.
motivations( what else…How else…, Where else….)
• HOW Q’s - Knowledge of functional skills, process/steps
( also analytical skills)
• HOW MUCH/HOW WELL Q’s - validating achievements

77. The Interview Funnel
• Start with an open ended question
– LISTEN
• Narrow down to specific area
– LISTEN
• How did the person go about it
– LISTEN
• Find out motivations
– LISTEN
• Achievements
– LISTEN
• Summarise and seek agreement
• Start with new area

78. The panel interview
• Agree about roles & structures
• Stick to roles
• Do not interrupt
• Do not help the candidate
• Select lead interviewer
• The others should listen and take notes , ask questions on other key
areas and observe non verbal behavior
• Follow up at end of a section

79. Telephonic Interviews
• You cannot see the candidate , so you
have to trust only two senses - hearing &
intuition
• Do not short circuit the interview. The
process should be the same as a face-to-
face interview
• Follow the interview structure
• Use the funnel - what, why, how,how well

80. Telephonic Interviews
• Use many encouraging , prompting
expressions ,like …
• Yes
• Tell me more
• Describe
• I see
• For example?
• In what sense?
• Keep sentences & discussions short
• Summarise each section

81. Interview Tips
• Interviewers need to be provided with job description &
specification of the requirements of the position to
minimize the influence of stereotypes
• Interview questions need to be job related
• Avoid making quick decisions about an applicant
• Avoid giving too much weight to a few characteristics
• Try to put the applicant at ease during the interview
• Communicate clearly with the applicant
• Maintain consistency in the questions asked

82. Management Interviewing
• Less emphasis on background : more on role and work
• Ask about aspirations before role
• Easy for candidate to obscure track record through jargon and
generalities
• A ‘look good, talk good’ candidate may land up interviewing the
interviewer - superficial interview may take place
• Hence be specific - focus on Critical attributes

83. Management skills
• How results are achieved and how the candidate handles the
process of management
• Setting objectives for self and team
• Decision making style - alone or team
• Resolving conflicts - how and when
• Handling customers - relationship based and task based
• Resolving issues between internal demands and customer
expectations

84. Management focus
• Motivational style - sort of environment in team. Leading
team front or back
• Grooming others - spending time for developing people
• Investing in self - learning & growing
• Monitoring work of self and team
• Handling communication & consultation
• Influencing others through meetings and presentations

85. Interpersonal skills

86. Seven C’s of communication
• Courtesy
– Sincere and genuine expressions
• Out of respect and care for others
– Not merely using phrases
– Be sincere
– Avoid anger
– Refrain from preaching
– Use positive words
– Avoid discriminating words

87. Seven C’s of communication
• Clarity
– Short sentences
– Simple, familiar & right words
– No jargons
– Foreknowledge about audience

88. Factors that reduce clarity
• Use of camouflaged words
• Use of passive voice
• Use of long bureaucratic style of writing
• Use of clichés
• Use of unfamiliar words
• Use of words that have double meaning

89. Seven C’s of communication
• Conciseness
– Time is money in business
– Eliminate all redundant words
• Concreteness
– Be precise and factual
– Concreteness is opposite of being abstract or
vague

90. Seven C’s of communication
• Correctness
– Correct use of grammar
– Appropriate words
– Message composition to suit receivers level
– Right tone
• Consideration
– Also known as ‘you’ attitude

91. Seven C’s of communication
• Completeness
– Business communication message not
complete unless it adheres to all the seven
C’s
– Does not mean providing all necessary
information
– Means how the matter has been put across to
the receiver of the message

92. A communicator may speak or write
fluently but he has to be tactful,
thoughtful, courteous, correct and
complete

93. PRESENTATION SKILLS

94. Definition
• A presentation is delivered to a small
knowledgeable audience at a
conference, a seminar or a business
meeting; its purpose is to
inform, explain, persuade or present a
point of view; it is followed by questions
from the audience

95. Preparation
• Finding about the environment in which the
presentation is to be delivered
– Venue, organisers, occasion, time available, other
speakers, audience
etc
• Preparing the text and the required visuals
– Style, length, humour, style of addressing
– the text of the presentation
– Posters, flip charts, OHPs, powerpoint presentations
• Physical appearance and body language
– Appearance, grooming, posture
• Practising delivery of the talk

96. Profile of a good speaker
• Is lively, enthusiastic, interested
• Has a sense of responsibility to the audience
• Has a sense of responsibility to others
• Has a sense of responsibility to others
• Has a sense of responsibility to the subject
• Stands tall, makes eye contact, speaks
responsibly, with authority, is positive and
friendly
• Does not let confidence turn into over-
confidence
• Can accept feedback and benefit by it