UNIT I
Introducing business communication
The word “Communication” has come from the Latin word “communis”, which suggests common. Thus, communication signifies sharing of ideas in common. The dictionary meaning of communication is to convey or exchange information and share ideas.
It is a process through which two or more persons transmit or exchange thoughts and concepts among themselves. consistent with W. H. Newman and C. F. Summer, “Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons.”
Communication is that the process of transmitting information and understanding from one person to a different or from one unit to other unit with a view to getting the specified response from the receiver. Through this process two or more persons exchange ideas and understanding among themselves to attain the specified effect in the behaviour of another person.
It is a two-way channel for transmitting ideas, feelings, plans, commands, instructions, reports and suggestions that influence the attitude towards an organization’s objectives. The communicator’s goal is to convey the meanings or ideas without distortion. Success of the leader and therefore the enterprise depends upon adequacy of communication.
It is the responsibility of the managers to determine and maintain the channels whereby they will convey their own thinking and policies to the subordinates, and may receive their reactions and an account of their problems.
Louis A. Allen defines communication within the following manner:
“Communication is that the sum of all the items one person does when he wants to form understanding in the mind of another. it's a bridge of meaning. It involves a scientific and continuous process of telling, listening and understanding.”
The definition involves two aspects in communication.
First, there's something which is transmitted, like facts, feelings, ideas, etc. It implies that there must be a receiver if communication is to occur.
Second, the definition emphasizes the understanding element within the communication process. Sharing of understanding would be possible only the person to whom the message is shipped, understands within the same sense during which the sender of message wants him to know.
So, communication involves something quite mere transmission of the message or transmission and physical receipt thereof. The right interpretation and understanding of the message is vital from the purpose of view of organizational efficiency. Effective communication, as such, could be the accurate transmission and receipt thereof, and its correct understanding.
In their book “Business Communication Today” C. L. Bovee, J. V. Thill and B. E. Schatzman write: “Communication is that the process of sending and receiving messages. However, communication is effective only the message is known and when it stimulates action or encourages the receiver to think in new ways.”
Communication made among persons to convey their personal information, message or thought are personal communication; but exchange of data , facts and concepts concerning business could also be termed as “Business Communication”. Business Communication refers to the communication concerning commercial activity which suggests providing goods and services to the consumers with a view to earning profit
It is a process through which information, facts, ideas, orders, advices, decisions, etc. are conveyed, sent or exchanged between/among the persons related to business. Thus, Communication concerning trade, law, Finance, administration, management, etc. of a commercial enterprise could also be termed as ‘Business Communication’.
The success of a commercial enterprise depends largely upon good communication. Effective communication wipes out the hindrances in achieving the target of a commercial enterprise. Ineffective communication or communication failure may cause loss of cash, time, energy, opportunity and even goodwill of a business.
In this age of globalization every commercial enterprise, big or small, requires proper communication for its existence. The success of any business largely depends upon successful communication.
In this age of speed, complexity and competition, sending of data regarding the product to the ultimate consumer is extremely important. Unless they understand the product of the business enterprise, it's impossible for them to create contact and buy the product. Communication plays an important role in this sphere.
Basic forms of communication:
Verbal communication: The word verbal means connected with words and the use of words human beings are the only species gifted with the use of words that makes language. The process of communications involves the use of common set of symbols between the sender and the recipient. Words are most accurate and powerful set of symbols. The verbal communication can be oral as well as written.
It may be in the form of direct talk and communication between the speaker and the listener when they are both physically present at the same place. Radio broadcasts, public speech, telephonic conversations, attending meetings, negotiating and making presentations also come under communication e.g, this is quite common at airports while providing information to passengers about flight departure and arrivals. It saves time and provide immediate feedback. It also helps in making communication effective as questions can be asked and answered and doubts, fears and apprehensions can be asked and removed. As a request it provides better understanding of ideas and interventions.
An oral communication generally takes place when the audience is largely illiterate and there are problems of language difficulty. Such communication is direct between the supervisor and the worker, and is often known as face-to-face (or one-to-one) communication. Oral communication is not recommended in which formal record of communications is required and when communication is lengthy and distant.
Oral communication can take any of the following forms
Types of Oral Communication-
2. Written - It implies transmission of message in black and white. It includes those decisions policy statements, rules, procedures, orders, instructions, agreements etc. which are expressed on paper.
Written communication is one of the formal systems of communication. It is one of the best and reliable way of communication. This method is best suitable in the situations when there is need to send the information to the persons who are distantly placed and where records are required to be kept in written form.
Types of Written Communication
Non-verbal communication: Non-verbal communication involves neither written nor spoken language but includes all forms of communication that occurs without the use of words. It is a process of communicating ideas or message by not using oral or written language, but through facial expressions and body language. It makes verbal communication complete and more effective.
Generally, when people engage in face to face communication, they convey their message through gestures, movement of eyes and eyebrows, facial expression, hand positions, body movements and the tone, all convey meaning which adds to or modifies the spoken word. It also provides feedback to the communicator as to whether he is being understood and believed and also whether his communication is going to achieve its purpose or not. "Body language" or "Silent language is significant. Since it is loaded with emotions. So while communicating, one should keep in mind that the way you speak is as important as what you speak. In fact, one expert contends that only percent of the impact of our face-to-face communication comes from the words we utter; the other 93 percent comes from our vocal intonations, facial expressions, posture and appearance. The various subparts of non-verbal communication are Sign Language, Para Language, Body Language etc.
1. Sign language: Marks or symbols used to mean something is deemed as sign language. Gestures, are used in the place of words. For example, the language system of deaf people and hitch-hikers finger is the example of sign language. There is a vast range of visual and audio sign outside genet of words. Sign language can be categorised into visual and audio sign.
2. Body language: Human beings around the world speak thousands of different languages. However, a universal kind of communication that we use all the time and does not need any form of speech is body language. Everyone sends and subconsciously picks up various body language signals. The way we sit, stand or, look at a person while talking to them sends out waves of negative and positive communication, telling them how we really feel. Many people learn the art of understanding body language and use it to their advantage in establishing relationships and enhancing their careers. Psychologists, have in fact studied body language for years, and many general principles have been established as positive and negative modes on non-verbal communication or body language.
As we know there are various ways to communicate. Communication through body language is the most effective means of communication. So, it becomes very important to make a serious study of the communication through body. "Kinesics" is that branch which studies body movement. In other words, it 1s the way the body communicate without words i.e., through various movement of its parts. When we study kinesics. we specifically look for inner states of emotional as expressed through different part of the body and there
3. Para language: By para we mean "like". Hence para language is like language. It implies how a person say something. It is non-verbal because it does not consist of words. In para language we examine the sound of someone speech. Paralanguage includes tone of voice, pitch, rhythm, volume, pause or break in sentence etc. This language influence meaning and convey message on careful observation we find that a speaker uses a vast range of sign and signal.
4. Proxemics language: Proxemics' is a term developed from an English word Proximity' which means nearness (in terms of distance, gap and time). So proxemics is the personal space language' as kinesics is the body language. Proxemics' is the study of how we communicate with the space around us. When two persons talk to each other, we observe different style of sitting or standing position. By observation one can understand whether they are closely related or not. So, the spatial dimension or distance between us and other people tell us something important about our relations with others our status, our level of confidence and the nature of our communication with them.
Business Communication has certain features or characteristics which enable us to differentiate it from other communication.
A communication to be business communication must be:
1. Practical,
2. Factual,
3. Clear and brief,
4. Target-oriented,
5. Persuasive.
1. Practical:
Effective business communication deals with the sensible aspect of the information explaining why, how, when and therefore the like queries. It avoids impractical, imaginary, unnecessary or repetitive information to eliminate waste of time. It conveys important information to the receiver.
2. Factual:
In general, a business message contains facts and figures in place of overall idea. Important date, place, time, etc. should be clearly mentioned during a business communication.
3. Clear and Brief:
The language utilized in business communication should be simple, clear, brief and unambiguously. Sometimes charts, photographs, diagrams, etc. are used to condense or clarify the information.
4. Target-Oriented:
A business communication must have a selected objective and must be planned properly in order that the targets are often achieved.
5. Persuasive:
Business communication often plays a persuasive role. It persuades an employee to perform his/her duties, a customer to buy a product or service etc. the essential characteristics mentioned above are associated with the message or information of the communication.
Process of Communication:
The process of business communication has certain other characteristics. They are:
1. Integral a part of Management Process:
Communication encompasses those activities by which the ideas, opinions and decisions of the managers are conveyed to the subordinates of various ranks. It also involves the exchange of facts, feelings, suggestions and responses between the superiors and subordinates.
Communication, during this way, puts the people into action, guides and directs their activities, regulates and co-ordinates them for correct work performance. A manager, thus, performs the management functions through communication and managerial positions become the communication centres to receive information from various sources for its transmission to relevant points.
So, communication may be a part and parcel of management function, and is, thus, an integral a part of management process. that's why, Chester I. Bernard remarks, “the first executive function is to develop and maintain a system of communication”.
2. Two-Way Traffic:
Communication doesn't only mean its downward movement from superior to the subordinates it implies both the transmission and reception. So, when conveying any information, a manager should know its reactions and responses. Otherwise, managerial task of guiding and directing are going to be ineffective.
A man should, thus, not only speak, inform and order, but should even be ready to listen, answer and interpret. Communication, therefore, involves two-way traffic from the managers to the workers and from the workers to the managers. it's not complete unless the message has been correctly understood by the receiver and its response becomes known to the sender.
3. Mutual Understanding:
The basic purpose of business communication is to cause understanding between individuals within the organization. it's a crucial element for establishing human relationships. a pacesetter can lead and a manager can direct effectively by establishing perfect understanding with the subordinates, peers and superiors within the organization.
The greater the degree of understanding presents within the communication the more possibility that act will proceed within the direction of accomplishing the goals.
4. Pervasive:
The subject-matter of business communication covers a large range and extends to all functions—purchases, production, sales, finance, recruitment, wages, dividends, market standing, innovation, productivity, etc. It also moves through all levels of management— upward, downward and sideways. Business communication is, thus, said to be a pervasive function.
5. Continuity:
Communication is an ever-present activity and without it an organization cannot exist. Communication is as necessary to an organization as blood circulation during a living body. Therefore, the managers should make sure that adequate and smooth communication flows altogether directions.
Breakdown of communication leads to misunderstanding, creation of unfavorable attitudes, hostility and conflict. So, communication must be a continual process and move up, down and sideways for active participation of all concerned.
6. Specific:
A business communication is usually specific in nature. It means a specific communication should deal with one subject at a time. this is often necessary for the effectiveness of communication. Multiplicity of subject during a communication has the likelihood of making confusion which is dangerous to sound management. It must be specific with reference to the information intended to be conveyed or received.
7. Result and not Cause:
Sound communication is that the results of competent management, not the explanation for it. Business communication may be a means to an end and acts as a tool within the hands of the managers. Successful handling of this tool depends upon the competence of the managers. it's not an independent activity, rather an important ingredient of managerial function.
So, good communication doesn't produce good manager. But good manager is almost always an honest communicator. Misconception of management process often results in poor communication.
8. Internal and External:
Business communication is primarily internal. It is, thus, a neighborhood of administrative function and intended to use to the members belonging to an organization. Orders, instructions, suggestions and even public notice announcing the annual general meeting of a corporation are a number of the examples of internal communication.
But nowadays, many communications move beyond the organizational horizons and touch the surface population exceeding the organization’s own (e.g., advertisement). Business communication may thus be internal and external.
9. Different Types:
Business communication could also be of various types—formal, informal, upward, downward, sidewise, written, oral, etc.
10. Feedback:
A communication can't be complete unless and until feedback or response of the recipient is formed. Feedback could also be written, oral or gestural. Sometimes mere silence can also constitute a feedback.
An effective communication system is an essential part of good labour management relations. The prime objective of setting up a communication is to exchange facts and information in a manner which is acceptable to concerned and which will lead to a cooperative action by all concerned. Effective communication is an essential for achieving the overall goals of an organization. Effective communication occurs when the sender obtains his intended results from the receiver. In effective communication the sender's goal is to influence the receiver so that the desired behaviour is achieved. Good communication occurs when the receiver correctly understands the message. In communication, understanding is the goal that is achieved. While it is easy to achieve good communication, effective communication is rather difficult as it involves other aspects of behaviour such as motivation, leadership, persuasion and power. Furthermore, effective communication implies good communication but good communication itself does not ensure effective communication.
COMMUNICATION THEORIES
a) Constructivism: Theory that focuses on the ability to differentiate the way people make sense of things (i.e., personal constructs) and to create person-centered messages.
b) Cognitive-Behavioral Theory: Theory suggesting that the way individuals construe or interpret events and situations mediates how they subsequently feel and behave. Communication is used to disconfirm irrational beliefs and to teach strategies for change, including cognitive restructuring.
c) Social Judgment Theory: Theory postulating that people respond to communication with a latitude of acceptance, rejection, or non- commitment. Depending on ego-involvement (i.e., how important an issue is to them), people can be influenced along a certain latitude.
d) Elaboration Likelihood Model: Theory indicating that people respond to messages along one of two paths: the elaboration (i.e., central) path or the peripheral path. The elaboration path is associated with reflectively thinking about, internalizing, and processing information in a fair and objective manner. Most messages are processed via the peripheral route in an effort to avoid information overload. This pathway is not associated with long-term program success.
e) The Extended Parallel Process Model: A fear appeal theory postulating that threat motivates action (e.g., too much unprotected exposure to the sun causes skin cancer) and that perceived efficacy (i.e., confidence in one’s ability to take recommended action) determines whether the recommended action taken (e.g., wearing a hat or using sunscreen when in the sun) controls the danger or controls the fear (e.g., getting skin cancer). For communication purposes, it is important that high efficacy messages (e.g., sun screen is easy to obtain and apply) accompany high threat messages (e.g., one needs to avoid skin cancer).
f) The Spiral of Silence: Theory indicating that the fear of isolation causes people to remain silent about minority opinions and even adopt the majority opinion despite personal and philosophical concerns. The mass media may perpetuate this repression of views through constant repetition or coverage of certain themes.
g) Theory of Reasoned Action: Theory asserting that behavior is predicted by intentions related to the behavior. These intentions are in turn predicted by attitudes toward the behavior and by subjective norms. Subjective norms are predicted by normative beliefs and the motivation to comply with those normative beliefs. Persuasive communication should target the audience’s salient beliefs about the consequences of performing a certain behavior and the audience’s attitudes toward those consequences. To persuade, communication should also address the audience’s beliefs about what other people think about the behavior and the audience’s motivation to comply with the perceived beliefs of others (i.e., to adopt the subjective norm).
The audience of a technical report or any piece of Writing for that matter-is the intended or potential reader or readers. For most technical writers, this is the most important consideration in planning, writing, and reviewing a document. You "adapt" your writing to meet the needs, interests, and background of the readers who will be reading your writing. The principle seems absurdly simple and obvious. It's much the same as telling someone. "Talk so the person in front of you can understand what you're saying." It's like saying, "Don't talk rocket science to your six-year-old son." Do we need a course in that? Doesn't seem like it. But, in fact, lack of audience analysis and adaptation is one of the root causes of most of the problems you find in professional, technical documents-particularly instructions where it surfaces most glaringly.
Principles of Effective Presentations whenever you substitute front of a gaggle, you want to achieve two basic goals. First, you would like to speak a message. And second, you would like to speak your personality — who you're as knowledgeable and a private.
If “the medium is that the message,” your personality is that the window through which the message must visit be received, understood and acted upon by the audience. You convey your message and your personality a day of your life in relaxed conversation.
And relaxed conversation is, therefore, your absolute best communication style. By understanding the subsequent principles, you'll sharpen the talents youʼve acquired one-on-one and transfer those skills to group presentations, thereby increasing your effectiveness in both.
1. YOUR BEST STYLE IS RELAXED CONVERSATION.
2. BE YOURSELF.
3. RELAXED CONVERSATION IS TWO-WAY.
4. RELAXED CONVERSATION IS RECEIVER-DRIVEN.
5. LESS IS MORE.
6. PEOPLE CAN LISTEN OR THINK .
7. PEOPLE WON'T REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAY .
8. BE CONVERSATIONAL IN YOUR DELIVERY.
9. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK .
10. SILENCE is important .
PRINCIPLE #1 YOUR BEST STYLE IS RELAXED CONVERSATION -
A day of your life, you convey your messages and your personality while engaged in conversation. you ought to therefore emulate conversation in your presentations. You are not there to download Information.
You're there to make understanding that's supported a two-way exchange, and to facilitate an environment during which people can apply what you tell them to their personal or business life. If you see a puzzled expression, donʼt await them to ask an issue. Handle it an equivalent way you'd during a conversation.
Ask them if there's something you'll explain more effectively. Allow questions throughout your presentations. But be brief together with your answers. Questions are a chance to make milestones of mutual affection. But remember, you pass milestones. You donʼt camp at them.
PRINCIPLE #2 BE YOURSELF –
You're unique. you've got your own way of speaking and your own mannerisms -- how you talk, how you stand, how you hold your hands.
To convey your personality to a gaggle, you want to express yourself during a manner almost like the ways during which you express yourself one-on-one. If you're expressive together with your hands one-on-one, it's okay to be expressive together with your hands when lecture a gaggle.
In fact, it's essential. You recognize it is vital to get on your best behavior. you recognize there are certain standards that you simply must meet.
you want to dress appropriately. you want to be attentive when someone asks an issue. you want to answer the question. But worry less about how you "present" yourself, than how you communicate with the members of the group.
Your visual communication must be natural. And what's natural for you is perhaps not natural for somebody else, or vice-versa, which is why we hesitate in setting rules for gestures you ought to use or the visual communication you ought to plan to convey. to know this, consider the gestures you create once you are enthusiastically explaining an idea to a lover over the phone.
PRINCIPLE #3 RELAXED CONVERSATION IS TWO WAY -
To be effective, relaxed conversation must be two-way. Indeed, by definition, all communication must be two-way. One person does most of the talking during a conversation, he or she is trying to find the nods, listening for the "uh-huhs," and stopping to answer questions. The sender quickly recognizes that a blank look means the receiver isn't listening. He or she is going to respond by changing tactics -- pausing to let the listener catch up or asking if there's an issue. Your presentations, like your conversations, must be two-way. If you treat people with respect, and make a two-way process during which their questions are answered clearly and concisely, you stand a far better chance of getting them use or act on the knowledge you present.
PRINCIPLE #4 RELAXED CONVERSATION IS RECEIVER-
DRIVEN during a relaxed conversation, the speed at which information goes from sender to receiver is driven by the receiver's needs, not the sender's. During a conversation, if the person listening doesn't signal that he or she understands — with a "nod" or by saying "uhhuh" — the sender stops to make a milestone of mutual affection before moving on. If the sender doesnʼt do that, the receiver will stop listening. an equivalent applies to your presentations. If you talk nonstop, you'll quickly lose your audience. Instead, confirm the knowledge youʼre sending is driven by the audienceʼs needs, not yours.
PRINCIPLE #5 LESS IS MORE –
The less you say, the more your audience remembers. If you are trying to cram an excessive amount of information into your presentations, you'll not create a two-way exchange. And you certainly wonʼt be receiver-driven. How are you able to be? The speed at which information travels from you to the audience isn't driven by their need for understanding, but your got to get through it beat time. If you've got one hour for your presentation, bring half-hour of data. This leaves many times for questions, enables you to end on time or a touch early, and allows you time for networking at the top.
PRINCIPLE #6 PEOPLE CAN LISTEN OR they will THINK, BUT THEY CANʼT DO BOTH –
As citizenry, we will listen or we will think. But virtually none folks can listen and think at an equivalent time. By definition, this suggests that you simply must “pause” when delivering your presentations. and people pauses must be as full and as frequent in your presentations as they're in your conversations. you would like your seminars to be thought provoking. you would like people to believe what youʼre saying and apply it to their personal situation. But while theyʼre thinking, if youʼre talking, they wonʼt hear a word you say. If you talk nonstop, members of the audience will miss large portions of what you say. Theyʼll rush to catch up once or twice.
PRINCIPLE #7 PEOPLE WONʼT REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAY-
Participants at your presentations won't remember your exact words. Instead, they're going to remember what they considered what you said — how they took your information and applied it to their frame of reference. But this process can only occur in silence, whether you give them that silence, or they take it for themselves. And remember, if they take that silence while youʼre talking, they wonʼt hear a word you say.
PRINCIPLE #8 BE CONVERSATIONAL IN YOUR DELIVERY-
If youʼve ever read the transcript of an interview or conversation, youʼve probably noticed that folks rarely talk in complete sentences. And if you participated within the conversation from which the transcript was drawn, you were probably shocked at what you saw written down. There's a basic pattern in relaxed conversation. within the initiative, which we ask because the first pause, the sender cares what he or she goes to mention. Once the thought is made, the sender expresses it. If the sender is enthusiastic, the words come tumbling out at a rapid rate of word delivery. Once the thought is delivered, the sender stops talking and allows the listener to soak up the thought and relate it to a meaningful frame of reference. During this second pause, the sender watches and listens for the receiverʼs reaction. Once there's a nod or “uh-huh”, the sender forms subsequent idea. and so on.
PRINCIPLE #9 THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK-
During a conversation, you're taking time to make each thought before you say it. you ought to plan to do an equivalent thing at your seminars, although which will be far more difficult due to the impact of adrenaline. But stop talking. Think through the thought. Start talking again. Use good notes. Specialize in delivering one idea at a time. this may get you off to a robust start. And, as for nervousness, by encouraging questions, you're taking the stress off a presentation and switch it to an extended conversation. always remember that the best reducer of nervousness publicly speaking may be a question or two that you simply can answer clearly and concisely.
PRINCIPLE #10 SILENCE is important -
There are two sorts of silence. The primary is for you to think. this is often the primary pause. During a conversation, after you express each idea, you look to ascertain if the opposite person has “gotten it”. Again, you are doing so while pausing. We call this the second pause. the primary pause is for you to think. The second is for them to think. During your presentations, remember that you simply ʼre not there to prove that you can talk nonstop. Youʼre there to supply information that folks can believe and apply to their own personal circumstances. But remember, they will only think in silence — whether you provide that silence or they take it for themselves. If you lose your home or your audience, pause. If youʼre lost, the pause allows you to believe where you're, where youʼre going, and what you would like to mention. If theyʼre lost, the pause will help them find their way back in order that they can hear your ideas again, and relate those ideas to their personal frame
