1. Business Communication

2. Lecturer Resources: Contact details: Andrew Tucker B Com LLB
See Bibliography for recommended reading
Contact details:
Lecturer
Andrew Tucker
B Com LLB

3. Understanding business communication
Chapter one

4. The communications process
Idea
Encoding
Message
Transmission
Received
Decoding
Response
Feedback
The communications process

5. Themes to improve business communication
Ethical communication
Intercultural sensitivity
Audience centered approach
Giving & receiving constructive feedback
Sensitive to business etiquette
Effective use of communication technology

6. Benefits of effective communication
Faster problem solving
Stronger decision making
Increased productivity
Steadier work flow
Stronger business relationships
More compelling promotional message
Enhanced professional image and stronger brand
Improved stakeholder response

7. Planning business messages
Chapter two

8. Requirements
Your message should:
Have a clear purpose
Meet the needs of your audience
Communicate efficiently

9. The three step writing process

10. Planning (about ½ available time)
Analyse the situation
Gather info
Select correct medium
Organize the message
Planning (about ½ available time)

11. Purpose of a business message
General purpose
Inform
Persaude
collaborate
Specific purpose
What do you want to accomplish?
How should audience respond?

12. Gathering information
Read reports, documents etc
Consider other viewpoints
Talk to staff, customers etc
Ask audience for input
Gathering information

13. Select the right medium
Written, oral or electronic?

14. Written media

15. oral media

16. electronic media

17. Factors to consider when choosing medium
Media richness
Message formality
Media limitations
Sender intentions
Urgency & cost
Audience preference

18. Organising the message
What are you trying to say?

19. Approach
Topic – your overall subject
Main idea – a specific statement about your topic
Scope of message – the range of information presented

20. Indirect or direct

21. Writing business messages
Chapter three

22. Adapting message to suit the audience
The “you” attitude
Good etiquette
Emphasising the positive
Bias free language

23. The “you” attitude
Speak & write to your audiences wishes, hopes, & interests
Replace the “I” with “You”
Don’t overdo it!

24. Good etiquette
Indicates respect for audience & cultivates a better environment for communication
Softer approach when necessary – consider the audience

25. Emphasise the positive
Don’t hide negative news
Look for the positive points
Point out benefits to audience
Don’t use negative words

26. Use bias free language
Be careful not to use words that indicate bias on grounds of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability etc

27. Style & tone
Vary style to match message & relationship to audience
Create a conversational tone
Avoid pompous language
Do not be too familiar
Be careful with humour

28. Style & tone
Use plain English
Select either an active (preferred) or passive voice

29. Style & tone Active voice Passive voice
Subject performs the action (object receives)
Half the class failed the test
I broke the glass
The sales team had a record month
Normally use the active voice
Subject receives the action
The test was failed by half the class
The glass was broken
A record month was had by the sales team
Use to give bad news or create impersonal tone

30. Composing the message Carefully choose your words (see pg 40)
Create effective sentences
Coherent paragraphs