1. Job Skills: Communication Skills Lesson — Written and Verbal
Retrieved Sept from

2. Categories of Job Skills
Hard Job Skills – teachable abilities - specific to a particular job.
Ex: wiring a motherboard for a computer
Soft Job Skills - consistent throughout the business and industry world.
Ex: Person’s knowledge and relationship with other people , etiquette , “common sense.”

3. Common Forms of Business Writing
Memorandums (Memos)/Electronic Mail ( )
Letters
Reports

4. Business Communication
Your image, your reputation reflects:
Your coworkers
Your manager
Your company

5. Communication… Is A Two-way Street
Convey your own ideas clearly
Listen closely and understand the ideas of others
Must communicate well in writing or speech (many people can’t do both)

6. Listen (or read) Closely
Most important element of good communication. . .
“Treat others the way you want to be treated”.
When you are speaking or have written a document - you want others to give their full attention
Politely understand the information and opinions you are trying to express

7. Listen (or read) Closely (con’t.)
Keep a notebook handy to jot down key points the other person is making.
Writing key points help you remember written OR verbal
It also helps you formulate questions that might arise from the communication.

8. Three C’s of Strong Writing
Clarity
Coherence
Conciseness

9. Hearing and Listening
Hearing is a physiological process and a passive activity.
Listening is a mental process and involves understanding and retaining the message.

10. Elements of the Listening Process
Hearing
Filtering
Interpreting
Responding
Remembering

11. Nonverbal Communication Considerations
Physical appearance
Written message or the sender
Body language
Space
Size of an area, proximity to another, and obstacles
Time
Amount of time spent and punctuality

12. Goals of Business Communication
Receiver understanding – message interpreted as sender meant it to be
Receiver response – receiver responds to the message
Favorable relationship – people involved relate to each other positively, personally, and professionally
Organizational goodwill – the receiver has confidence in the organization and is willing to continue the business relationship

13. Clarity and Coherence
Unorganized presentation will reduce your credibility and your reputation. 
Your presentation will not be taken seriously.
Coherent - hold ideas together. Good writing moves easily from sentence to sentence, from idea to idea.

14. Be Concise Don’t use phrases like “you know.”
Don’t give too much information. Ex: Don’t explain how to build a clock when someone asks you the time.
List the main points, list supporting ideas or information for each point.
Organize the outline, make sure you haven’t forgotten anything…stick to it!

15. Consistency Definition – keeping the same pattern
Formatting a document or your attitude - be consistent.
Consistently present professional quality.
Your style of communicating is the first impression people get about your attitude.
Ex: When you go to an interview,
do you wear old, grubby jeans
and dirty t-shirt?

16. Consistency (con’t.)
Your grammar and punctuation reflects the way you communicate.
Your image reflects on your company and you.

17. Accuracy
Language should be unbiased and respectful of all individuals regardless of race, gender, culture, age, ability, religion, or socioeconomic status.