Mr. Valanzano Business Communications

 Communication – the transfer or exchange of thoughts, information, ideas, and feelings by speech (verbal), writing, or signals (nonverbal)  How do you communicate on a daily basis?

ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION How can the receiver give feedback? Why is one-way communication not effective?

TThere are 5 Elements of Communication involved at work: SSituation SSender RReceiver MMessage PPurpose Which element do you think will be most important? Why?

 What is happening and where it is happening that needs to be communicated  No matter what job site, communication is constantly happening  As the situation changes, the types of communication activities may also change

 The person who is speaking, writing, or using signals to deliver a message  A sender’s background, experience, attitudes, and skills will affect the message  At work, the sender’s ideal image should be one of competence, confidence, and cooperation towards co-workers

 Also known as the audience, the receiver of a message could be 1 person or a large group  Receivers can be divided into 2 groups: specialists and the general audience  Specialists – people who have interest, experience and knowledge in a particular field  General Audience – clients, customers, patients, sales reps, suppliers, and the general public

 The information and ideas relayed by the sender to the receiver/audience  A message can be spoken, written, or visual  If communicated in an unclear manner, messages can cause workers to waste time, materials, and money GAME TIME! DO YOU REMEMBER THE TELEPHONE GAME?

 Messages can have many purposes: to amuse (telling a joke), to inform (about a situation, need, problem, or success), or persuade (to make a decision, revise an opinion, take an action)  Most communication at work is informative or persuasive, and it is always to make something happen

 Questions an effective sender will ask him or herself about the receiver/audience:  What does the audience need to know?  What does the audience already know?  How many people are in the audience?  How old is the audience?  How much education does the audience have?  What is the audience’s attitude toward the subject?  How much time an the audience spend decoding the message?  What is the audience’s job?  Will the audience pass the message along to someone else?  What is the audience supposed to do after receiving the message?

 A good audience will ask the following questions during and after the message is delivered:  Why should I read (or listen to) the message?  What qualifies the writer (or speaker)?  What kinds of information are contained in this message?  Can I understand this message without spending a lot of time and effort?  Is this fact or someone’s opinion?  What’s in it for me?  What am I supposed to do now?  What will happen if I do it? An effective sender will have already asked these questions to him or herself before sending the message. An effective message will answer all of these questions.

 Once the message has been delivered and feedback has been given, the sender can adjust the message to clear it up for the same audience or improve it for the next audience  Questions to consider when adjusting a message:  What information does the audience need and want?  What form should the message take?  How will the audience use this message?  What vocabulary will the audience understand?  Will the audience have the desire to read or listen, or will I have to get their attention?  Will an illustration help the reader understand?  How can I capture and keep their attention?  What kinds of sentences will be most effective?  How should the information be organized?  How can I convince the audience to do what I want?

GOOD LISTENERPOOR LISTENER  Listens closely to what is said  Keeps eyes on the speaker  Remains quiet  Asks appropriate questions to help clarify what the speaker says  Acts interested  Listens for emotional content  Lets mind wander  Lets eyes wander around the room  Distracts the speaker  Does not respond to the speaker  Acts bored  Listens only to the words  Does not listen for hidden meanings

 The behavior of a good and poor listener can often be see in the forms of feedback.  Verbal Feedback – talking to the speaker, asking questions, giving constructive criticism  Using feedback helps to build successful communication because it often helps clarify the message.

 Tone – attitude show through the voice  To communicate effectively it is important to speak with and listen for respect, courtesy, and competence.  When communicating, it is important to analyze not just the words of the person speaking, but also the:  sounds of the words  emotional content  physical movements  facial expressions