Main forms of communication in business Fundamentals of business writing Techniques for effective communication

Part I Main forms of communication in business Oral communication — personal conversations, speeches, meetings, voice mail, telephone conversations, videoconferences Written communication — letters, memos, formal reports, news releases, s, faxes, minutes Communication: meaningful exchanges of information through messages

Formal communication — internal: memos, reports, meetings, written proposals, oral presentations, meeting minutes — external: letters, written proposals, oral presentations, speeches, news releases, press conferences, advertising Informal communication — communication transmitted outside formally authorized channels without regard for the organization’s hierarchy of authority

Verbal communication — transmission of messages in the form of words: meetings, telephone calls, voice mail, videoconferences Nonverbal communication — communication transmitted through actions and behaviours rather than through words: gestures, facial expressions, posture, body language, dress, makeup

Basic patterns Letters (p.138): formal Memos (p.140): less formal Faxes (p.140): less formal s (p.139): least formal Business reports: formal or less formal Part II Fundamentals of written business communication

Keep paragraphs short (100 words or fewer) Use lists and bullets — List items should be parallel in structure — place important ideas first or last Make subject lines informative  Tomorrow's meeting Bring consultant ’ s report to Friday ’ s meeting  Employee parking Revised schedule for parking lot Techniques for writing

Use familiar words (Use plain English) – terminate  end – utilize  use – ascertain  find out – discontinue  stop More examples?

Routine, good-news, and goodwill messages – In the opening, state your main idea directly. – The body provides all necessary details. – The close is cordial, emphasizing your good news or making a statement about the specific action desired. Convey different types of messages

Bad-news messages indirect approach: put the evidence first and the main idea later. – Open with a neutral statement that acts as a transition to the reasons for the bad news. – In the body, give the reasons that justify a negative answer before stating or implying the bad news. – Your close must always be cordial. Convey different types of messages

Persuasive messages indirect approach – In the opening, mention a possible benefit, referring to a problem that the recipient might have, posing a question, or mentioning an interesting statistic. – In the body, build interest in the subject and arouse your reader’s desire to comply. Once you have them thinking, you can introduce your main idea. – The close is cordial and requests the desired action. Convey different types of messages

Writing Business Report Business reports help companies make decisions and solve business problems. – to oversee and manage company operations – to carry out company rules and ways of doing things – to obey government and legal requirements – to inform others of what’s been done on a project – to guide decisions on particular issues – to get products, plans or projects accepted by others

Reports may be classified in several ways: – voluntary or authorized – internal or external – short or long – informational or analytical

Four formats: – preprinted form: fill-in-the-blank reports; relatively short; dealing with routine information – letter: including all the normal parts of a letter; directed to outsiders – memo: short, informal reports distributed within an organization – manuscript: reports that require a formal approach See p.144

Review the relevant unit in Learning Strategies Refer to p.35, pp of Book 3

Types Facial expression Gesture & posture: revealing a lot about a person’s emotions and attitudes Vocal characteristics (tone of voice, volume & speaking pace) Personal appearance Touching behaviour Use of time and space

Develop cross-cultural awareness Accumulate relevant knowledge and information