Business Communication & Ethics Preparing for Business
Business Communication
&
Ethics
Preparing for Business
What Do You Think?
Is it dishonest to change the way you communicate
in business compared to your everyday method?
2
Qualities of Good Communication
3
Briefness Organization
Clarity Relevance
Courtesy Suitability
Briefness
4
KISS
Keep it
short and
simple
Organization
5
Use an easy
to follow
format
Clarity
6
Include the
details your
audience needs
to act on your
message
Relevance
7
Supply the
right
information
to the right
audience
Courtesy
8
Communicate
respect and a
positive
attitude
Suitability
9
Different types
of
communication
are required for
different
situations
OR
Put It in Writing
Written Communication
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Types of Written Communication
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Letter Memo
Fax E-Mail
Business Letter
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Used for:
Communication outside the business
Formal communication inside the business
See format guide for details.
Shaping Your Message
Yes Replies No Replies
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1. Tell good news first
2. Explain special
conditions or
qualifications
3. Close with statement
that specifically relates to
the request.
1. Relate to reader by
offering praise or
understanding
2. Explain why you are
refusing the request
3. Close with a counter
offer, compliment or
helpful news.
Shaping Your Message
Complaints Angry Customers
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1. Explain what you are
unhappy about
2. Explain effect on
business
3. Close by asking for some
compensation
Be firm, but not rude!
1. Acknowledge customer
frustration
2. Assure customer their
business is important
3. Offer some
compensation
4. Close on a positive note
Individual Activity: Can You Write?
Response to Angry Customer’s Letter
You own a small travel agency. You received a
letter from a customer. You cannot do what
the writer demands, but you do want to try to
regain the customer’s goodwill.
Write a letter to the customer.
Must follow the format guide
Memo(randum)
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Less formal than a letter
Used for communication inside the business
See format guide for
details.
Fax
17
Uses phone line to transmit data to another
location
Should be sent with a cover sheet
Your name, phone number and fax number
Recipient’s name, phone number and fax number
Number of pages
Date
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Used for all types of communication
Instantly sends information to another location.
Can create a message thread which shows
every previous message in the correspondence.
Let’s Talk About ItSpoken Communication
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Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Spoken CommunicationTo be a good speaker:
Speak Clearly. Having to repeat information can be
disruptive, time consuming, and frustrating to your
audience.
Draw in the Entire Audience. Look and nod at people
individually. Refer to individuals if possible.
Encourage Participation. Use pauses and careful word
choices.
Read the Mood of the Room. If the audience seems
relaxed and sociable, act the same.
Use Gestures. Avoid distracting gestures. Use gestures
for emphasis.
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Types of Spoken Communication
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Telephone
CallVoice Mail
Live
Presentation
Video
Presentation
Telephone Call
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Identify Yourself
Check back with people every
minute if you put them on hold
If you need to leave a message,
leave enough info so that caller
can prepare response
Give call your full attention
Voice Mail
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Greeting
Name and business position
Reason you are not
answering the phone
Instructions for message
Emergency contact
Closing
Activity 2: Voice Mail Message
Create a voice mail message
1. Use Audacity to record a voice mail
message as the owner of your business.
2. Export the message as a .WAV file. The file
name should be your last name.
3. E-mail your message to Ms. Olson at
[email protected]. Be sure to follow the
e-mail format guide.
Live Presentation
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Make sure visuals are sized correctly
Have a good “filler” (I see; Let me think; Yes; Good question, etc.)
Check Your Technology
Keep good posture
EYE CONTACT!!!!
If using a microphone, lower the pitch of your voice and SLOW DOWN!
Video Presentation
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All skills in a live
presentation
Have a plan before you film
Make sure sound and
images are clear
Watch out for distracting
backgrounds and clothing
Activity 3: Elevator PitchCreate an Elevator Pitch to Introduce Yourself as an Entrepreneur1. Plan what you want to say and film!
2. Borrow a camera to film your pitch. Always record twice as much as what you think you need.
3. Use a video editing program to edit your movie.
4. Pitch must be between 28 and 32 seconds!
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When you are not listening, you
are preventing opportunity
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Listening is not a reaction.
Listening is not talking.
Listening is not thinking.
Listening is not judging.
Listening is not what someone tells you it is.
Listening is not about you.
Listening is not what you want to say.
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Listening is a very humble quality.
Listening is very revealing.
Listening is informative.
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Conversation1. Listen carefully to the conversation
between Ron and Mari about Hawaii.
2. You will be asked several questions at
the end of the conversation.Hawaii
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1. Ron says Hawaii is famous
for its:
a. Beaches
b. Hospitals
c. People
2. In Hawaii, ____ can be
common.
a. Rain
b. Fog
c. Rainbows
3. He talks about ____ at the
beach.
a. What you can do
b. The waves
c. What to wear
4. He says the wallabies are:
a. Very tasty
b. From Australia
c. Wild in the forest
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5. He says the pigs are:
a. Wild
b. Tasty
c. Protected
d. Hunted
6. He mentions:
a. Sharks
b. Whales
c. Seals
d. Turtles
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What’s the Word1. Listen carefully to the list of words.
2. Which of the following words was NOT
said?
a. Sharp
b. Needle
c. Cloth
d. Point
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You Got It All, Right?1. Listen carefully to Amazon’s return
procedure. You may ask questions about
the procedure at any time, but you may
NOT take notes.
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FOCUS ON THE SPEAKER Identify the speaker’s purpose.
Identify the speaker’s main ideas.
Note the speaker’s tone as well as his or her body language.
Show that you are listening by nodding your head or saying “I
see.”
GIVE FEEDBACK Tell the speaker that you understand what is being said by
restating his/her main point.
Seek first to understand…then respond!
Let’s practice with another listening test on entertainment.
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
What Is Negotiation?
Negotiation is a process in which two ormore parties reach an agreement or solvea problem through communication.
Bargaining in good faith is when the parties must be
willing to adjust their expectations so they can come to
an agreement.
Negotiation is essential to business—not only to your
business but also to the economy as a whole..
39
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Preparing to NegotiateBefore negotiating, answer these four questions to help clarify your goals:
What do you need and what do you want? Good negotiations involve give-and-take.
What concessions can you make? A concession is something you’re willing to give up.
What concessions can you ask of the other party?Good faith requires that all sides be ready to make sacrifices.
What will you do if you can’t reach an agreement? If neither you nor the other party is willing to change a position, what other options do you have?
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Now you are ready to
prepare some notes
for the negotiation.
Remember to phrase
your positions positively!
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Guidelines forProductive Negotiations
1. State your offer firmly.
2. Look for common ground.
3. Explain your position.
4. Be willing to make compromises. A compromise is an agreement arrived at when all sides have made concessions.
5. Put the offer in writing. Eventually, you may sign a written contract indicating the terms on which you’ve agreed.
6. Weigh the short-term and long-term consequences. Ask yourself whether you must get everything you need from this agreement.
7. Take time off. You may get fresh ideas or see things in a new light.
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In every culture, business takes place in a broader social setting.
Know the rules!
Social Etiquette
Dress
Family
Genie Auction
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Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
What Are Ethics?Individual values form the basis of ethics, a set of moral principles that govern decisions and actions. To act ethically is to behave in ways that are in keeping with certain values.
Values are things that are important to us.
Ethics are moral principles applied to issues and actions.
Laws are created to protect and encourage ethics that all
of society feel are important.
44
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Why Practice Business Ethics?
The main reason for behaving ethically, in business or in any area of life, is simply that it’s the right thing to do.
Three practical reasons why you should practice business
ethics:
Customers are more confident when buying goods and
services from an ethical company.
An ethical workplace motivates employees.
Ethical behavior also prevents legal problems.
45
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Establishing an Ethical Workplace
Universal values establish a strong foundation for society and are also a good basis for running your business.
To deter unethical behavior, companies try to create
transparency, or openness and accountability, in
business decisions and actions.
Social media has helped improve transparency.
A whistle-blower is a term for someone who reports
illegal or unethical conduct to superiors or to the public.
46
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Write a Code of EthicsA code of ethics describes a business’s moral philosophy and gives concrete guidelines for carrying it out.
Writing a code of ethics
forces you to clarify your
own values and principles.
Having a code will also
help prevent and resolve
ethical problems.
A written code provides
some protection against
claims of unfairness.
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Sample Code of Ethics
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Three-Step Ethical Test
1. Is it illegal?
2. Does it violate company or industry standards?
3. Who is affected and how?
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Please Note!
“Will I get caught?”
Is NOT
one of the questions!!!
Entrepreneurship: Owning Your Future, 11th ed.
Steve Mariotti© 2010 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Ethical Issues for EntrepreneursWhen faced with an ethical decision, it’s best to rely on your own strong personal values to help guide your response.
Intellectual property is artistic and industrial creations of the mind.
Copyright is the exclusive right to perform, display, copy, or
distribute an artistic work.
A patent is the exclusive right to make, use, or sell a device or
process.
A trademark is a symbol that indicates that the use of a brand or
brand name is legally protected and cannot be used by other
businesses.
Violating intellectual property is called infringement. You can avoid
infringement through:
Fair Use - a limited amount of a protected work
Public Domain – the copyright or patent has expired
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©
®
Ethical Issues for Entrepreneurs
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A conflict of
interest exists when
personal
considerations and
professional
obligations interfere
with each other.
Confidentiality
involves respecting
the privacy of
others.
Activity 4: Code of EthicsCreate a Code of Ethics
1. Use the Internet to view the code of ethics of several companies.
2. Using your research, create a flyer showing the code of ethics for your business. Your flyer should include the guiding ethical principles you will use in your business.
3. Remember to practice good written communication skills in your flyer.