CHAPTER 5:BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter.

CHAPTER 5:BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter

COMMUNICATION SKILLS:YOUR INVISIBLE ADVANTAGE

Noise - Any interference that causes the message you send to be different from the messageyour audience understands.

Communication Barriers -

Obstacles to effective communication.

Effective Communication – Happens when you transmit

meaning – relevant meaning- to your audience.

Blessing Faster Simpler Spelling/grammar checkers

Curse Faster Simpler Spelling/grammar checkers

ELECTRONIC WRITING

SPELLBOUND

I have a spelling checker,It came with my PC,It plainly marks four my revueMistakes I cannot sea.I’ve run this poem threw it,I’m sure your pleased too no,Its letter-perfect in it’s weigh,My checker tolled me sew.

Americans becoming dependent on computers for literacy Working vocabulary of average 14-year-old

dropped from 25,000 to 10,000 words over past 50 years

Determine best uses of technology Software skills Attachments to be shared via e-mail How far to trust technology

ELECTRONIC WRITING

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS: THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT

Physical barriers

Language barriers

Body language barriers

Perceptual barriers

Organizational barriers

Cultural barriers

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

As globalization gains speed, intercultural

communication will become increasingly pivotal to long-

term business success

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: BEYOND THE WORDS

Reinforce the meaning of your message.

Eye contact Tone of voice Facial expressions Gestures and

posture

ACTIVE LISTENING: THE GREAT DIVIDER

Hourly Employee 30%

Manager 60%

Executive 75%

Top Salesman 75%

% of time spent listening:

““

“Lying is done with words and

also with silence”- Adrienne Rich

CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHANNEL: A RICH ARRAY OF OPTIONS

Consider the audience - it’s not about you!

Communication Channels –

Figuring out the right way to send a message.The number of options is

growing…

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Avoid impersonal writing, such as e-mail and notes, for “heavy” messages.

Deliver “bombs” in person, if possible… The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that

RadioShack has notified 400 workers by e-mail that they are being laid off. The e-mail stated, 'The work force reduction notification is currently in progress. Unfortunately your position is one that has been eliminated.'

Or use formal communications such as letters and memos.

IT’S A MATCHING GAME

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS: LEVELS OF RICHNESS VARY

Memos/Reports Very Low. No information from toneor body language.

E-Mail Very Low. No information beyondwords.

Instant Message Very Low. Very few words lead tobasic communication.

Voice Mail Low. The audience gains tone butno body language.

Telephone ConversationModerate. The audience benefitsfrom changes in your tone.

Videoconferencing High. Conveys richness similar to in-person communication.

In-Person PresentationHigh. Audience experiencesall elements of message.

Face-Face Meeting Very High. Audience experiencesfull message most directly.

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In emotional situations ...

REMEMBER

The more emotional the message, the more personal the medium High emotion: In person (assess & adapt) Medium emotion: Handwritten letter (careful

choice of words, paper, ink) Low emotion: Typed letter (careful choice of

words, paper, formatting) STOP and THINK before communicating

TIPS FOR EXCELLENT EMAIL

Consider both your primary and secondary readers. Keep it short. Don’t forget to proofread. Use standard writing. Avoid attachments. Don’t assume privacy. Avoid anything nearing “off-color” E-mail belongs to your employer! Respond promptly to e-mails. Assume the best. Create a compelling subject line. Think before you write, and think again before

you send!

TRIVIA QUIZ

What report gets better reaction:

3-page or 10-page?

ANSWER

It depends.

AccuracyOrganization

Maximum meat/Minimum fatAttention to detail

ANSWERWhat’s preferred in business writing?

TRIVIA QUIZ

PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: ANALYZE YOUR AUDIENCE

Expectations What kind of language do most people use in

the organization? Education

What vocabulary should you use? How complex should you make the message?

Profession Are there professional acronyms and jargon

that can impact your message?

Know audiences’ preferences Professors/boss preferences

Be adaptable Time issues Stress issues

Use reference materials

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS

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Recommended for Neeley students

Franklin Covey’s

Style Guide For Business and Technical Communication

BUSINESS WRITING STYLE

PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: BE CONCISE

Be clear and concise

But include all required information

“I will spend an hour editing an eight word sentence into five”

- Jerry Seinfield

REMEMBER

On the written page, being clear and concise is more important

than being impressive, brilliant,literary, or academic.

PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: AVOID SLANG

Do not alienate yourself by using slang in

written or verbal communication.

WRITING SCHEDULE

Establish absolute deadlinesMeet deadlines on scheduleWork backwards from project due-

date to set working due-dates

THINK IN REVERSE

Finalized document due on ________ Proofreading due on ________Final draft due on ________Editing #2 due on ________Revision due on ________Editing #1 due on ________Rewrite due on ________First draft due on ________

WHY IS DRAFTING SO HARD?

We don’t write the way we speakFIRST DRAFT

Center on subject and substance DON’T worry about editing and proofing—yet BUT, don’t neglect editing and proofing or you

get the OOPS factor …

Fyrst, lern ta spel!

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Suppose attendance will drop?

“OOPS!” FACTOR

So much for the secret.

“OOPS!” FACTOR

New product offering?

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Talk about oxymorons!

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Care to check in?

“OOPS!” FACTOR

Writing should be this clear.

PICTURE LESSONS

PICTURE LESSONS

Consider readers’ perspectivesPlan aheadEdit carefullyProofread carefullyHave someone else read it

PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: AVOID BIAS

Gender Bias Age Bias Race, Ethnicity and Nationality Bias Use Active Voice Where Possible

Active Voice – the subject of your verb is doing the action

Passive Voice – the subject of your sentence is not doing the action described by the verb

ACTIVE VOICE In sentences written in active voice, the subject

performs the action expressed in the verb; the subject acts.

PASSIVE VOICE In sentences written in passive voice, the subject

receives the action expressed in the verb; the subject is acted upon. The agent performing the action may appear in a "by the . . ."

JUST PLAIN ENGLISH

Has the capability to

Utilize

In the event that

Provided that

Approximately

Can

Use

If

If

About

Be clear and direct when choosing your words:

Close Proximity Near

Transmit Send

SAME MESSAGE, DIFFERENT APPROACH

If your recipient will feel positive or neutral:

Begin with your bottom line

If your recipient will feel negative about

your message:Start with the rationale

and follow with your bottom line

WRITE HIGH-IMPACT MESSAGES: BREAKING THROUGH THE CLUTTER

Strike the right tone Don’t make grammar

goofs Use block paragraphs Use headings and

bulleted lists

WRITING: STRIKE THE RIGHT TONE

Use common words in most situations use versus utilize

Use active voice We made a mistake versus A mistake was made

Use personal pronouns whenever appropriate I, you

Use contractions as often as you would when speaking I’ll, don’t, here’s

WRITING: DON’T MAKE GRAMMAR GOOFS

It is OK to end a sentence with a preposition when doing so sounds natural Where is this book from? is much better than From

where is this book?

It is OK to begin sentences with “And” or “But” Most teens enjoy videogames with a moderate

level of violence. But a small, vocal minority strongly advocates a more clean-cut approach

It is OK to split infinitives Try to effectively film the next scene is a perfectly

acceptable sentence

WRITING: USE BLOCK PARAGRAPHS

Standard Business Writing Use single spacing Double space between paragraphs Do not indent the first sentence of your

paragraphs

WRITING: USE HEADINGS AND BULLETED LISTS

Headings Not a title, but subject label Effective even in short documents

Bulleted List Engage your readers Direct their attention

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYEssential for readers who don’t have the time,

interest or need to read the entire document

Most important part of document Last piece of document created VERY short Introduction/body/conclusion Enough detail to reflect content Concise and complete enough (even if full

document never is read)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Comprehensive restatement of … Purpose Scope Conclusions

Results Recommendations

No new information Use transitional words/phrases Follow organization of document Do not refer to document’s …

Tables Figures Appendices References Other explanatory materials

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

WHY IS EDITING SO HARD?

We don’t write the way we speak.Most business writing is too verbose.Focus on content and meaning

Facts/analysis/recommendationsNumbers and chartsStructure and organizationSentence/phrase interpretationConsistency

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EDITING PRACTICE

Short-term planning is foremost in the prioritization of the planning loop.Writing Coach’s suggested

change:

Short-term planning comes first.

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It is recommended that a legal action against a foreign company for the profit under contention would not be a wise move.

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

Suing a foreign company for this amount of money is unwise.

EDITING PRACTICE

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It is Sabrina’s proposal for the adoption of the employee profile software by the personnel department. This software provides assistance in the selection of new employees.

EDITING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

Sabrina proposes that the personnel department adopt employee profile software for new-employee selection.

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PROOFREADING

Focus on format and usage Appearance on page Spelling, grammar, typographical errors

Electronic checks (be careful!)Physical check of printed copy

Usage errorsLanguage confusionCapitalization and punctuation

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Pay special attention to headings, topic sentences of paragraphs, visuals,

captions

Practice!Check every capitalization, punctuation, word division, number, chart, etc.

Read aloud to slow down and catch more grammar/sense flaws

PROOFREADING TIPS

WHY IS PROOFING SO HARD?

Read in unison…Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

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PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

The nurse and her#patient discussed the patient’s plans for the future.

The nurse and herpatient discussed her plans for the future.

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PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

Don enjoys chemistry and always wanted to be a chemist.

Don enjoys chemistry and he has always wanted to be a chemist.

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PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

In the land of Nod, no one wears clothes.

In the land of Nod no one wears cloths.

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PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

Due to extenuating circumstances, the judge decided to dismiss the charges.

Due to incriminating circumstances, the judge decided to dismiss the charges.

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PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

The tourism industry is becoming saturated, and should not grow at its past rate.

The tourism industry is becoming saturated, and should not grow at it’s past rate.

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PROOFREADING PRACTICE

Writing Coach’s suggested change:

I have been wronged by so many of my so-called friends.

I have been wrong by so many of my so called friends.

AND NOW, THE LAST WORD…

Every time you write, at every phase (drafting/editing/proofreading), consider:

– Purpose of the communication– Medium and its effects– Possible audience interpretations

HOW EMBARRASSING!