Communication in Small and Medium Scale business.

1. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
PRINCE J. K WASAJJA
Coordinator,
Language Skills Development Program
and Communication Skills
Kampala University
Public Workshop; INNOVATION AND
MANAGEMENT IN A DYNAMIC
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
19th
October 2010
Kampala University, Uganda.
MEDIUM AND
SMALL SCALE
ENTERPRISE
MANAGEMENT:
“Succeeding Through
Effective communication and
Public Relations”

2. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
• Uganda has progressed well in many of
the economic and social indicators over
the past decade
• the various policy and institutional reforms
undertaken within the context of the
Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP)
currently under revision to produce a five-
year National Development Plan (NDP).
Introduction

3. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Private Sector
• However, despite progress, country’s
competitiveness, compared globally and
regionally remains low.
• Government put in place the Competitiveness
and Investment Climate Strategy (2006-2010)
• improve the competitiveness of Uganda’s
productive sectors and investment climate that
are critical to private sector growth.

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MSMEs
• Recent evidence shows that Micro,
• Small and
• Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs)
• form the bulk of Uganda’s private sector.

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MSMEs
• If Uganda is to become competitive through
growth of the private sector,
• it is inevitable that more attention must be paid
to addressing the key bottlenecks to MSME
growth and competitiveness.

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Statistics
• Uganda estimated to have 1,069,848 enterprises
classified as MSMEs (90% of Uganda’s private
sector).
• MSMEs employ approximately 1.5 m people (90% of
total non-farm private sector workers.)
• Therefore, MSMEs represent one of the most viable
vehicles for sustainable grassroots economic growth
c/o Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development ,JULY 2008

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Definitions:
• A Micro Enterprise is defined as
• an enterprise employing maximum 4 people;
• annual sales/revenue turnover of maximum
Ugandan Shillings 12 million and
• total assets of maximum Ugandan Shillings 12
million.

8. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Small Enterprise
• A Small Enterprise is defined as
• an enterprise employing maximum 50
people;
• annual sales/revenue turnover of
maximum Ugandan Shillings 360 million
and
• total assets of maximum Ugandan
Shillings 360 million.

9. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Medium Enterprise
• A Medium Enterprise is defined as
• an enterprise employing more than 50 people;
• annual sales/revenue turnover of more than
Ugandan Shillings 360 million and
• total assets of more than Ugandan Shillings
360 million.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Business Guide March 2008

10. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Public Relations
(Leon Noone)

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PR Lifecycle Model

12. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Effective
Communications
• Regardless of how innovative your business
plan, how talented your workforce, or how
ripe the market, you won't get far unless you
can communicate effectively.
• Too many small and medium-sized businesses
overlook the importance of communications,
and as a result, miss opportunities.

13. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Checklist for a speaker
• Recognizes that talk is cheap and therefore have good
reasons for speaking in the first place.
• Talks to achieve a goal or a result. Talk for talk's sake
may be enjoyable but It's not productive.
• Take care to use words that don't threaten. Listeners
who are threatened will say what they think will
reduce the threat. They probably won't mean what
they say.

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Checklist continued..
• Respects listeners' feelings. Upset and anxious
listeners are more concerned with their
emotions than speakers' words.
• Accepts absolute responsibility for conveying
meaning to listeners in their terms: use jargon
as little as possible.
• Accepts listeners' misunderstanding as
genuine. Never ridicules or belittles listeners
who fail to understand.

15. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Checklist continued..
• Welcomes, encourages feedback and questions.
Feedback and clarification are essential for effective
communication. Discouraging comments and
questions is counterproductive.
• Treats listeners as equals. "Talking down" listeners
may make a speaker feel good. But it alienates
listeners.
• Speak clearly and distinctly. If you want to be heard,
be clear.

16. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
The Effective Listener
• Concentrates entirely on what the speaker's saying.
It's not only a question of courtesy. Listening is an
active, not passive, art.
• Seeks the speaker's meaning. As a listener, be careful
you're not over impressed by words. It's what they
mean that matters.
• Recognizes that silence is most important. Shut up
and show respect for the speaker whether in the car
park or at the monthly meeting.

17. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Effective Listener
continued.,
• Avoids actions or words that threaten speakers'
self esteem. Speakers who believe that their
listeners lack respect for them will be more
concerned about that than what they're saying.
• Acknowledges that the speaker has something
worthwhile to say. Interrupting, correcting,
heckling or making dismissive comments are
hallmarks of a poor listener.

18. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Effective Listener
continued.,
• Accepts their responsibility for the clarity of their
questions to the speaker. If your questions lack clarity
don't blame the speaker if his or her answers are
inadequate.
• Maintains composure. Getting upset with speakers
won't help communication.
Shows patience. Not all speakers are as articulate as
listeners might expect. Good listeners help such
speakers rather than dismiss them.

19. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Customer Satisfaction

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SME customer
satisfaction
• To succeed as a small or medium-sized
business,
• you need to keep customer satisfaction and
• Keep employee productivity high and
• Keep operational costs low.
• Dynamic communications help you
strengthen relation.

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Customer Satisfaction
• And controlling costs isn't just about getting a
solid return on investment.
• It's also about managing expenditures -
especially communications expenses - in a
way that suits your budget and your
organizational structure.

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Customer Satisfaction
• Satisfied customers generate repeat business.
• Effective communications can raise your level
of service dramatically.
• Ensure you handle incoming inquiries
professionally with an efficient greeting
system that welcomes clients by name and
rapidly refers them to the right salesperson.

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SME Communication:
Employee
• Small business employs who involve in
regular customer contact must;
• possess strong communication skills to create
customer satisfaction and increase their odds
for job retention and advancement.

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Employer;
Business owners must;
have strong communication
skills to please customers and
employees.
•
Customer;
• There has to be an excellent flow of communication
among the customers, employees and managers for a
business to succeed.

25. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Final Tips for Succeeding through
effective communication
• You must be able to start a conversation with
others, especially your customers, at any given
time.
• If you see a customer who appears to need
help, do not be shy and stay out of the way.
• Just think of the customer as your friend and
enthusiastically say, "Hi! Is there anything I
can help you with?"

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Caution!!
• Demonstrate you are someone who will
remain available to help a customer while
knowing how to back off.
• For example, if your customer says he does
not need help now or she is just looking
around, you can reply, "I understand. I will be
nearby if you need assistance.“
• Do not monitor customers too closely.

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Non – Verbal
Communication
• Body language and eye contact are two important components
of effective communication.
• The way you express yourself with your body and eyes tells
others the emotions you feel and how serious or unserious you
are about something.
• To earn trust and put the person you are talking with at ease,
sit or stand up straight without your arms crossed and
frequently gaze into the other person's eyes with warmth.
• Do not try to get too physically close to a customer, fellow
worker, employee or boss. If you are sitting at a table with
someone in close quarters, do not lean over the table.

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The social aspect
• Display your ability to lighten up when the
occasion is not serious.
• Smile.
• Tell a joke.
• Laugh at a harmless joke.

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On-line PR
• It is a must to have strong writing skills to
make a good impression on customers and
prospects,
• To convey that you provide quality products
and
• that you are serious about your business,
double-check your web site and every
publication you create for accuracy and
professionalism.

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Confidence = Efficiency
• Respond with timeliness. Always reply to every
inquiry and complaint from customers quickly.
• Work at being a quick thinker. You can make a good
impression on customers if you can always think of
solutions to any problems they might have very
quickly.
• Show your understanding, concern and empathy to
customers. If a customer has a particular problem you
are not authorized to handle, you can say, "I'm not
personally allowed to handle this matter. Please let
me talk to the manager for a second to see how we
can help you."

31. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Intrapersonal communication
• Be proactive about improving your communication
skills
• if you are really tired of being misunderstood,
disregarded or disliked, look within for the answers
as to why you are ineffective.
• That means paying attention to your intra-personal
communications, which is the conversation you have
with yourself about yourself and others (aka "self-
talk").

32. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Exercise self-monitoring;
• Start writing down your thoughts as you pay
attention to them, and write contrasting thoughts to
off-set any negative/unproductive attitudes.
• For example, replace, "I feel inexperienced in this
position" with "I will exhibit enthusiasm about
learning, and always do my best work."

33. Public Workshop; 19th October 2010, Kampala University
Start creating all-positive
intra-personal
communications;
• Using tools like a dream book or journal,
collect and record the imagery, messages and
goals that make up your ideal life.
• Once you have a clear vision of the future
you, you can fulfill that vision more easily.
You can also use an affirmations table,
where you list unwanted intra-personal
thoughts, and beside them list the
contradictory thoughts that should replace
them.

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Conclusion
• If you are employed for a small business or
owns one,
• you have already considered starting or
becoming employed for a corporation that is
not too large,
• you work for an organization, especially a
small business that involve regular customer
contact, then;

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You must possess strong communication
skills to create customer satisfaction and
increase your odds for job retention and
advancement.
Effective Communication
=Success!!

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End
THANK YOU