Business Communiction

Business Communication
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Basic Principles of Communication
Structure: 1.1 Introduction Objectives 1.2 Understanding Communication 1.3 The Communication Process 1.4 Barriers to Communication 1.5 The Importance of Communication in the Workplace 1.6 Summary 1.7 Terminal Questions 1.8 Answers
1.1 Introduction
Communication is a non-stop process and is a vital ingredient for success, both within and outside the workplace. It is a part of soft skills, as opposed to domain or technical knowledge, which is a part of hard skills. A formal study of business communication is important, since the average business executive today spends a good part of his time on the job communicating in some form or the other. In this unit, we will see how communication involves certain key elements, no matter in what context it takes place. We will also examine some of the general problems that come in the way of smooth communication and ways of overcoming these problems. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to: Explain the general purpose of communication Describe the key elements in the communication process Identify the barriers to communication and suggest ways to overcome these barriers Recognize how good communication contributes to managerial success
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1.2 Understanding Communication

Communication in simple terms is a transfer of information between people, resulting in common understanding between them. Communication has been defined differently by different writers and behavioral theorists. Some popular definitions are According to Newman and summer, Communication is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons. According to Allen Louis, It is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create an understanding in the mind of another. Bellows, Gilson and Odirone define communication as A communion by words, letters, symbols or messages, and as a way that one organization member shares meaning with the other. Hoben defines communication as The verbal interchange of thoughts or ideas. In the words of Anderson, Communication is the process by which we understand others and in turn endeavor to be understood by them. It is dynamic, constantly changing and shifting in response to the total situation. According to Berelson and Steiner, communication is the transmission of information, ideas, emotions, skills, etc., by the use of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs, etc. It is the act or process of transmission that is usually called communication. In the words of Fotheringham, Communication is a process involving the selection, production and transmission of signs in such a way as to help a receiver perceive a meaning similar to that in the mind of the communicator.
From the above definitions, it is clear that communication has the following characteristics It is Unavoidable It is impossible to not communicate, since we communicate unintentionally all the time, even without the use of
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words. Our body language, the way we dress, the importance we give to arriving on time, our behavior and the physical environment in which we work, all convey certain messages to others. It is a Two-way Exchange of Information Communication is sharing of information between two or more persons, with continuous feedback. It is a Process Each message is part of a process and does not occur in isolation. This means that the meaning attached to a message depends on what has happened before and on the present context. For example, your bosss response to your request for a promotion will depend on your past relationship with him, as well as his mood at that particular moment. It involves a Sender and a Receiver of Information Any communication starts with a sender of a message and requires a receiver to attach some meaning to that message. It could be Verbal or Non-verbal Communication could be through the use of words in spoken or written form, or through the use of body language such as gestures and facial expressions. It is successful when the Receiver Interprets the Meaning in the Same Way as that intended by the Sender The receiver does not always attach the same meaning to a message as the sender. When the message is wrongly interpreted, the communication is a failure. This may be due to several reasons, which we will examine later in this unit.
Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 1. For communication to take place, there must be a _________________ and a ________________ . 2. Our dress code is an example of __________________ communication. 3. Communication is accurate when the _____________ that is sent is the same as the ________________ that is attached to it. 4. Communication can take place using ____________, _____________ or ________________ . 5. Communication may best be described as a _____________ .
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Let us now look at communication as a process and discuss its key elements.
1.3 The Communication Process

Irrespective of the setting in which communication takes place or the number of people that are involved, all communication consists of certain key elements. The Communication Model shown below illustrates each of these elements. Model of Communication
NOISE
SENDER/ ENCODER Channel(s)
MESSAGES Channel(s)
RECEIVER/
DECODER
(SENDS & RECEIVES)

NOISE
(RECEIVES & SENDS)
Sender or Encoder This is the person who transmits a message. For example, a manager is writing a letter of apology to a customer regarding a defective product, or a sales manager making a presentation to his sales team. Receiver or Decoder The person who notices and decodes, or attaches some meaning to a message. Decoding may not always be accurate and a wrong meaning may be attached to a message. For example, a friendly joke might be taken as an offense, or feedback given to a subordinate by a superior might be taken in the wrong sense. Message This is any signal that triggers the response of a receiver. Messages may be intentional (as in the example of the sales presentation given above) or unintentional (non-verbal signals such as yawns that convey the message of boredom).
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Channel This refers to the medium or the method used to deliver the message. As a business executive, you will often have a choice of channels. For example, you could communicate with a customer through a letter, through email or telephone. Feedback Most communication is two-way. Receivers generally respond to messages for example, students may ask questions during a lecture session and an employer may tell an employee that he has to think about his proposal. This response to a senders message is called feedback. This kind of feedback is oral. Sometimes feedback could also be written, as when you respond to a customers letter of complaint, for example. At other times, feedback could be non-verbal, as in smiles and nods of appreciation during a talk or presentation. Even failure to respond could be considered as feedback, since it may indicate a lack of interest or indifference to the senders message. Due to the element of feedback, people are simultaneously senders and receivers of information in face-to-face communication. Noise Communication fails when the message received is not identical to the message that is sent. Several factors could interfere with the exchange of messages. Noise refers to all these factors that disrupt the communication and could be classified under the following typesPhysical Noise Distracting sounds, poor acoustics, or just information overload could interfere with the listening process. Physiological Noise Hearing or other disabilities, fatigue, or physical illness could come in the way of both speaking and listening. Psychological Noise Sometimes emotions within the sender or receiver such as preoccupations, hostility, fear or lack of interest could interfere with the speaking or listening process. Context This refers to the setting in which the communication takes place and could sometimes determine the success or failure of the communication. Context could be classified as followsPhysical context refers to the physical surroundings for example a work or social environment, in which the communication takes place. Asking your boss for a promotion might be received differently, depending on
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whether the communication takes place in your office, your bosss office, at a company party or over lunch at a restaurant. Social context refers to the relationship between the sender and the receiver. Taking the same example, asking for a promotion is likely to be received differently, depending on how well you get along with your boss and whether you are personal friends or not. Chronological context refers to time related factors that could influence the communication. For example, is your request made first thing in the morning or at the fag end of the day? Is it made during or after work hours? Is it made at a time when the company is going through problems such as a strike in the factory, or major losses? Cultural context refers to the similarity of backgrounds between the sender and the receiver, such as age, language, nationality, religion and gender. These factors could influence the communication favorably or unfavorably. Each of the elements discussed above contributes to the success of the communication. In other words, communication can go wrong if any of the following elements go wrong 1. The wrong person sends the message. For example, a junior accountant in a company writing a letter to a bank, asking for a loan for a project worth several crores, is not likely to get the banks approval. 2. The message is unclear or badly worded. Or there are too many messages, leading to confusion and information overload. 3. The wrong channel of communication is chosen. Placing an ad for a liquor product in a religious magazine for example, is not likely to be received favorably! 4. The message is wrongly interpreted, i.e., the receiver attaches the wrong meaning to the message. 5. The feedback is not adequate to ensure understanding. 6. Physical, physiological or psychological noise distorts the message. 7. The communication takes place in the wrong physical, social, chronological or cultural context. This brings us to the next topic, namely the barriers or obstacles to effective communication.
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Activity Select any situation at your home, workplace or school/college in which you were involved. Prepare a brief summary of the communication process, using the various elements of communication discussed in this sub unit.
Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 6. Communication is mostly through words. 7. The communication message is the same as the meaning of the message. 8. Communication is a dynamic process. 9. One reason for failure of communication is wrong interpretation of the message. 10. The success of communication depends only on the sender of the message. 11. Immediate feedback is possible in the case of face-to-face communication. 12. You feel that your professor does not have anything new to say and do not listen to him. This is an example of physiological noise leading to communication failure. 13. Your boss gives you a good performance review at a time when the company is making profits. This is an example of chronological context influencing the communication.
1.4 Barriers to Communication

In the earlier section on the communication process, noise was mentioned as one of the elements of communication. Noise is essentially a barrier to communication and we distinguished between physical noise, physiological noise and psychological noise. There are many other barriers to communication, an understanding and analysis of which are needed before coming up with ways to eliminate or minimize them. These barriers may be classified as follows
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1. Environmental Barriers This is the same as physical noise, which could be in the form of distracting sounds, an overcrowded room, poor facilities and acoustics, all of which may hinder the ability to listen to and understand the message. 2. Individual Barriers A major barrier to interpersonal communication is a tendency to judge, evaluate, approve or disapprove of the views of another person. This happens particularly in situations where we have strong feelings about something. In such cases, we tend to block out the communication and form our own viewpoints. 3. Organizational Barriers In organizations that are too hierarchical, that is, where there are multiple layers, messages may have to pass through many levels before they finally reach the receiver. Each level may add to, modify or completely change the message, so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver. In other words, there is likely to be loss of meaning and the message may not reach the receiver in the same way as it was intended by the sender. The following example illustrates an organizational barrier to communication. By the time the message is passed down from the Chief to the lower level Executives, it is distorted completely, so much so that the original message is interpreted differently by each level in the organization The Chief of the Space Center gets to know about the possibility of seeing Halleys Comet and decides that the entire organization should witness this spectacle. He sends a memo to the Director Tomorrow evening, at 20:00 hours, we will be able to see Halleys Comet in the sky through the naked eye. Since this is not an everyday event, everyone at the Center should assemble outside in their best clothes to watch it. If it rains, we will not be able to see it very well, in which case everyone should assemble in the Canteen. To Director By order of the Chief
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of the Chief
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The Director then sends the following memo to various Executive Directors
Formatted: Font color: Black
By order of the Chief, we will be able to see Halleys Comet at 20:00 hrs, tomorrow evening. If it is raining, we shall not be able to see it very well on site, in our best clothes. In that case, the disappearance of the Comet will be followed through in the Canteen. This is something which we cannot see happening every day. Director To Executive Directors
Formatted: Font color: Black
The Executive Departments
Director
sends
out
memos
to
the
Heads
of
Formatted: Font color: Black Formatted: Font color: Black Formatted: Font color: Black
By order of the Chief, we shall follow through, in our best clothes, the disappearance of the Comet in the Canteen at 20:00 hrs, tomorrow evening. The Chief will tell us whether it is going to rain. This is something which we cannot see happening everyday. Executive Director To Heads of Departments
The Heads of Departments send this message to their ManagersIf it is raining in the Canteen tomorrow evening, which is something we cannot see happening everyday, our Chief in his best clothes will disappear at 20:00 hrs. Head of Department To All Managers
Finally, each Manager sends the following notice to their Executives Formatted: Font color: Black
Tomorrow evening, at 20: 00 hrs. Our Chief will disappear. It is a pity that we cannot see this happening every day.
Formatted: Font color: Black Formatted: Font color: Black
Another type of organizational barrier is a departmental barrier. This means that each department in an organization functions in isolation and there is no co-ordination or communication between them.
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4. Channel Barriers In the earlier section, it was pointed out that communication can fail due to any of the different elements going wrong. Wrong choice of channel is one of the main barriers to communication. Using a wrong medium of advertising, or conveying a message orally when a written letter would be more appropriate, are examples. The written channel is more appropriate when the communication is more formal or for keeping things on record, while emotional messages such as feelings about co-workers are better conveyed orally. 5. Linguistic and Cultural Barriers When the sender of the message uses a language that the receiver does not understand, the communication will not succeed. Either the sender may be using a different or foreign language, or the language used may be too highly technical for the receiver to understand. Linguistic barriers may also occur in cross-cultural advertising and distort the communication, when translating campaigns or slogans literally from one language to another. For example, Pepsis slogan Come Alive with Pepsi, when translated into Chinese, read Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave! Cultural differences refer to differences in values and perceptions, which may affect the interpretation of the message by the receiver. For example, a joke about women may be taken in the wrong sense if the receiver belongs to a culture where women are highly respected. 6. Semantic Barriers The word semantics refers to the meaning of words and the way in which they are used. For example, different words may have different meanings in different cultures. Failure to take this into consideration could lead to serious blunders. Example : Saying The new product launch went like a bomb in British English would mean that the new product launch was a success. On the other hand, saying The product launch bombed in American English would mean that the new product was a disaster. 7. Non-verbal Barriers This refers to the non-verbal communication that goes with a particular message. Non-verbal communication includes tone of voice, body language such as gestures and facial expressions, etc. We will be discussing this in great length in a later unit. If the tone of voice and
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body language are negative, the communication will fail, however positive the spoken and written message. For example, if you happen to meet a long lost friend and say I am delighted to meet you, but in a sad tone of voice, the exact opposite message will be conveyed! Therefore, it is important to avoid giving conflicting signals, through the use of non-verbal communication. 1.4.1 Overcoming the Barriers to Communication Certain steps can be taken, both at the organizational level, as well as at the individual level, to effectively deal with the barriers to communication, in order to try to minimize them, if not eliminate them entirely Organizational Action 1. Encourage Feedback Organizations should try to improve the communication system by getting feedback from the messages already sent. Feedback can tell the managers whether the message has reached the receiver in the intended way or not. 2. Create a Climate of Openness A climate of trust and openness can go a long way in removing organizational barriers to communication. All subordinates or junior employees should be allowed to air their opinions and differences without fear of being penalized. 3. Use Multiple Channels of Communication Organizations should encourage the use of multiple channels of communication, in order to make sure that messages reach the intended receivers without fail. This means using a combination of both oral and written channels, as well as formal (official) and informal (unofficial) channels of communication. The types of channels will be discussed in detail later, in a separate unit. Individual Action 1. Active Listening This means listening to the meaning of the speakers words, rather than listening without hearing, or passive listening. Passive listening is a barrier to communication, whereas real communication takes place when we listen actively, with understanding. Listening is a skill which can be developed through proper training.
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2. Careful wording of messages Messages should be worded clearly and without ambiguity, to make sure that the message that is received is the same as the message that is sent. 3. Selection of Appropriate Channels Individuals should be competent enough to choose the right communication channel, depending on the situation. Channels of communication and the criteria for selection of channels will be discussed in detail in a later chapter. Self Assessment Question 14. Match the following i. Environmental barrier ii. Individual barrier iii. Understanding customers problems iv. Suppressing the views of junior employees v. Speaking with a foreign accent a. b. c. d. Psychological noise Physical noise Organizational barrier Active listening
e. Written communication channel vi. Messages with multiple meanings f. Eye movements vii. Non-verbal communication g. Cultural barrier viii. Letter addressing customer complaints h. Semantic barrier
1.5 The Importance of Communication in the Workplace

Communication is the nerve center of business today. As you go up the corporate ladder, you will find that communication skills are required, more than technical skills. Communication research has revealed that among the factors most important for managerial success, communication skills rank above technical skills. Several surveys conducted among people who have been successful in their professions have indicated that communication skills are more vital to job success than subjects taken in college. Communication has assumed even greater importance today, since the new model of business is based on teamwork, rather than on individual action. Teamwork requires greater coordination and communication. Communication is also required all the more in this age of information and technology. Without communication and human skills, technology will
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overwhelm an organization. Communication helps to make sense of technology and to manage all this information. For example, communication is required to explain a new computer program or software. While computers can perform routine tasks, jobs like responding to customers needs require a high degree of communication skills. Effective communication serves the following specific purposes in an organization Greater Awareness of Organizational Goals and Teamwork When there is open communication between superiors, co-workers and subordinates, there is smooth flow of information regarding the goals of the organization. Coordination between the different departments in particular, leads to greater motivation to work together towards achieving a common organizational goal, rather than working in isolation. Better Employer-employee Relationships By listening to employees, showing empathy and giving them the freedom to express their opinions without fear of being repressed, a manager can create a climate of openness that leads to better work relationships. Employees will then feel more comfortable in approaching their superiors and discussing any matter with them. Problem-solving Effective communication can help resolve conflicts between co-workers, work related and performance related problems. Faceto-face communication is especially suited for achieving this task, since it is one to one and highly personalized in nature. Improved Performance Effective communication by managers at the time of appraising the performance of their employees can point out areas for improvement. A constructive review of performance, through which a manager gives positive feedback and counsels the employee, instead of criticizing him for poor performance, can motivate the employee to perform better. Stronger Link between Managers and the External Environment Apart from internal communication within the organization, effective communication by managers with external audiences such as customers, government, bankers, media and suppliers leads to a better rapport with them.A manager will be able to understand the
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needs of his customers, be aware of the presence of quality suppliers of material, of government regulations and of the expectations of the community at large, only through proper communication. Self Assessment Question Are the following questions true or false? 15. Listening is not a part of communication skills. 16. Communication is needed only between superiors and subordinates. 17. External communication is as important as internal communication. 18. Team skills do not require the ability to communicate effectively. 19. A destructive review of performance can lower employee morale.
1.6 Summary
In this unit, we have looked more at communication in general, its nature and principles. Although there is no single and correct definition of communication, most communication theorists and writers on the subject agree that communication has certain characteristics It is a non-stop process like breathing, since we communicate all the time in some form or another. Communication is not only through the spoken and written word. A large part of it is also non verbal. Body language is a part of non-verbal communication. For communication to take place, there must be a sender and receiver of a message. Communication usually involves a two-way exchange of information, where the receiver provides some feedback in some form or the other. Communication may be said to be accurate when the intended message is understood in the same way by the receiver. This unit also described the communication process in detail. Irrespective of the number of people involved, communication always includes some key elements a sender who transmits a message, a receiver who decodes or attaches meaning to a message, a channel or medium through which the message is sent, feedback given by the receiver to the sender, noise that can disrupt the communication at any time and the context in which the communication takes place.
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Communication is not always successful and can go wrong if any of the above elements go wrong. There are a number of barriers or obstacles to smooth communication. These may be categorized as follows External or physical barriers, such as distracting sounds Individual barriers, such as ego problems Organizational barriers, such as lack of coordination between departments Linguistic or cultural barriers, such as use of a foreign language Semantic barriers, such as multiple meanings of words Channel barriers, such as use of a wrong medium Non-verbal barriers, such as conflicting signals This unit also dealt briefly with organizational communication and how effective communication can enhance performance in the workplace. As one goes up the corporate ladder, communication skills are more important for success than technical skills. Communication contributes to success in the workplace, in the following ways It leads to better information flow and teamwork It creates a climate of openness and trust It strengthens employer-employee relationships It helps to resolve conflicts It improves morale and enhances performance It links managers with the external environment of the organization
1.7 Terminal Questions

1. Describe a situation you experienced where the communication was a failure. Analyze the problem by identifying the element of the communication process that contributed to the failure e.g. wrong sender, wrong channel, etc. 2. List out some barriers that stand in the way of your own communication. What are some ways in which you could overcome these barriers? 3. In your opinion, what is the most important way in which effective communication contributes to managerial success?
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1.8 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Sender; receiver Non-verbal Message; meaning Words; symbols; pictures Process False False True True False True False True i) b ii) a iii) d iv) c v) g vi) h vii) f viii) e False False True False True
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 1.3 2. Refer 1.4 3. Refer 1.5
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Structure: 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6
Types and Channels of Communication
Introduction Objectives Types of Communication Classification of Communication Channels Summary Terminal Questions Answers
2.1 Introduction
In the introductory unit, we looked at the communication process in detail and examined each of the elements of communication. The channel or medium of communication was mentioned as one of the key elements. It was pointed out that selection of a wrong channel can lead to communication failure. In fact there is a saying that the medium is the message. This means that the choice of a channel itself can speak volumes, without a written or spoken message. For example, advertising a product in an exclusive magazine conveys the message that the product is of high quality. Given their importance, this unit will focus entirely on channels of communication. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the different types of channels will be explained and guidelines will be offered on how to choose the right channel in a particular business situation. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to : Distinguish clearly between the different types of communication List the advantages and limitations of each type of communication Categorize the different channels of communication Select which channel to use in different situations, as a business communicator
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2.2 Types of Communication

Broadly, communication may be divided into two areas verbal and nonverbal communication. Verbal communication, or communication through words, provides the opportunity for personal contact and two-way flow of information. A large part of our communication, whether at work or outside, is verbal in nature. Verbal communication in turn, may be divided into two areas oral and written communication. Oral communication may be defined as a process whereby a speaker interacts verbally with one or more listeners, in order to influence the latters behavior in some way or the other. Example In a business context, a manager doing a performance appraisal with an employee, or a sales manager making a sales plan presentation to his sales team. In the first example, the manager may point out areas for improvement and in the second case, the sales manager may be explaining how to achieve new sales targets. Oral communication in a business context can take the form of meetings, presentations, one-to-one meetings, performance reviews and so on. Written communication is a process whereby a writer interacts verbally with a receiver, in order to influence the latters behavior. Example A manager writing a letter of apology in response to a customers complaint regarding poor service. Written communication at the workplace can take several forms such as letters, memos, circulars, notices, reports and email. We will examine some of these in more detail in later chapters. Non-verbal communication, on the other hand may be defined as communication without words. It refers to any way of conveying meanings without the use of verbal language. The game of dumb charades is a perfect example. Non-verbal communication is generally unintentional, unlike verbal communication. All of us tend to communicate silently and unknowingly send signals and messages by what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial expressions, posture and the way we dress, are all part of non-verbal communication.
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Non-verbal communication can have a greater impact than verbal communication, since how you say something is sometimes more important than what you say. Although non-verbal communication can affect both our personal and business relationships, it is particularly important in the workplace. Consider the following example Your boss has asked you to make a presentation on your suggestions for improving the organization. You take him at his word and come prepared with an elaborate presentation and a list of ideas. However, as you make your presentation, he yawns repeatedly, sits back casually, looks out of the window, clenches his jaw muscles and begins to frown. At the end of your presentation, he rises abruptly from his chair, says thank you for your ideas in an angry voice and gives you a curt handshake In the above example, the boss, through his non-verbal behavior, conveys a message beyond the spoken word which he does not really want to hear your suggestions. Therefore, while the spoken or written words may be perfect, the non-verbal aspects could convey the exact opposite meaning. We will discuss the different aspects of non-verbal communication in more detail, later in this unit. 2.2.1 Verbal Communication We communicate most of our ideas to others through verbal messages, i.e., through spoken or written messages. However, verbal messages have some drawbacks the message may not be properly worded, or the message may be misunderstood, or interpreted differently from its intended meaning. For example, even a simple statement like lets discuss this matter tomorrow might be interpreted by one person as lets meet tomorrow and by another as lets discuss this over the phone. Miscommunication through verbal messages could be avoided by following a few simple guidelines Avoid Words with Multiple Meanings: Words sometimes tend to have different meanings in different cultures. Therefore, when communicating
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in a cross-cultural context, it is particularly important to avoid literal translation of words, since they might have a negative meaning in another culture. Example: The advertising campaign for Electrolux vacuum cleaners with the slogan Nothing sucks like an Electrolux, was introduced without any changes in the American market. However, the product failed since the word sucks which is American slang, has a negative connotation which means bad. Even simple words used in the same cultural context could have multiple meanings and be interpreted differently. Example: If I ask you What kind of shape are you in?, you might understand it to mean what kind of financial position you are in, whereas the intended meaning might have been What kind of mental or physical shape are you in?. Therefore, when communicating verbally, it is important to use words that are precise, unambiguous and have a single accepted meaning. Ensure Clarity through Highly Specific Statements: Instead of describing an object or idea in general terms or in abstract language, use highly specific language to avoid a variety of interpretations. Example If you are calling the IT support staff in your organization to fix a problem with your computer, instead of saying My computer doesnt work, it is better to state in more precise terms that I get a message saying that my computer is not responding. Avoid overuse of Jargon: Jargon refers to technical terms or specialized vocabulary. Every profession has its own jargon which only experts in that field can understand. For example, IT experts use terms like computer architecture which the layperson may not understand. The use of jargon depends on the audience with whom you are communicating. A certain amount of jargon may be permissible when writing a technical report for example, but should be avoided when communicating with a general audience, since the terms may not be understood. Above all, never use jargon just to impress your audience. Avoid Biased Language and Offensive Words : Language has the power to arouse negative feelings, if it is not used with care. This can
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happen when the words used seem to be objective, but actually contain an intentional or unintentional bias. For example, referring to a co-worker as wishy washy if he is not quick in making a decision, could lead to misunderstanding and conflict. Similarly, certain words may have a sexist connotation and be taken in an offensive way for example, referring to a lady receptionist as that female. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. Two broad areas of communication are oral and written communication. 2. What you say is more important than how you say it. 3. Verbal communication is more likely to go wrong in a cross-cultural context. 4. Jargon refers to words with multiple meanings
2.2.2 Non-verbal Communication We have defined non-verbal communication earlier in this unit. Let us now take a look at some of its characteristics, which distinguish it from verbal communication. * Non-verbal Communication Cannot Be Avoided While one can avoid verbal communication by refusing to speak or write, it is not possible to do the same with non-verbal communication. That is because non-verbal communication is not always intentional, unlike verbal messages, as pointed out earlier. Sometimes, silence itself may convey a lot of meaning. Example A speaker making a presentation may find that the audience is not very interactive. Instead he notices people yawning during his presentation. At the end of the session, when he asks for some feedback, there is total silence. The message conveyed in the above example is that the audience is bored with the session. The silence indicates that they have not listened to the session and that the feedback is negative. * Non-verbal Communication is Powerful Non-verbal communication helps us to form first impressions and make judgments of others. First impressions generally tend to be lasting impressions.
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Let us say you go for a job interview fifteen minutes late and dressed in informal attire. When asked some questions, you avoid eye contact. This immediately reflects on your attitude and the impression formed of you is that of a person who takes things casually, is insecure and lacks knowledge. * Non-verbal Communication is Ambiguous While precise words can be used in verbal communication to ensure that that the message is clearly understood, non-verbal communication is not always clear and easy to understand. For example, sitting back in a relaxed posture may be a signal of boredom or fatigue. Similarly, avoiding eye contact with your audience could mean that either you are nervous or guilty of something! Therefore it is not possible to accurately understand the messages conveyed by non-verbal behavior. * Non-verbal Communication Cannot Express All Messages Nonverbal behavior can only express a persons feelings, attitudes, level of interest, liking or dislike for something. Certain messages about ideas or concepts can only be expressed through the spoken or written word. Consider the following exampleA sales manager wanting to report that sales for the current year has exceeded targets, can only do so through a written report or oral presentation. If he is making an oral presentation, his non-verbal behavior can only indicate how pleased he is about the increase in sales. *Non-verbal Communication Varies Across Cultures While certain types of non-verbal behavior are universal, others may be different in different cultures. Examples There are different rules regarding the appropriateness of the handshake in oriental and western cultures. Generally, in oriental cultures like India, any form of physical contact is not common and is interpreted as being intimate, while it is an accepted thing in western countries. Similarly, a nod of the head means yes in some cultures and no in other cultures. In this age of business communication across cultures, it is important for you to understand these differences, especially when doing business overseas. Failure to do this could lead to costly blunders.
Unit 2
Classification of Non-verbal Communication We have seen how non-verbal communication plays an important role in business communication. Given its importance, an understanding of the different types of non-verbal communication is essential. There is a common misconception that non-verbal communication is synonymous with body language and includes only body language. The fact is that it is a vast area which has been widely researched and includes several aspects. The table below lists the different types of non-verbal communication, with the corresponding communication terminologyTypes of Non-verbal Communication Description Body Language Personal Space and Distance Meaning Attached to Time Tone of Voice Physical Environment Communication Terminology Kinesics Proxemics Time Language Paralanguage Physical Context
Let us now look at each of the above aspects of non-verbal communication in detail1. Kinesics This is the most often studied and important area of nonverbal communication and refers to body movements of any kind. Different body movements can express inner states of emotion. Facial Expressions can convey feelings of surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a long lost friend and say Im very happy to meet you again, but with a sad facial expression, it conveys the exact opposite meaning. Eye Movements, such as wide open pupils express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance of eye contact with ones audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye contact is an indication of intensity and interest, while lack of it can convey feelings of nervousness and guilt. Gestures, such as movement of the hands while giving a lecture or presentation indicates a high level of involvement in what you are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of nervousness and speaking with ones hands in ones pockets is considered to be casual or even rude.
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Head Movements like nodding the head can convey interest, appreciation, agreement or understanding. Body Shape and Posture Body shape is not within ones control but can be stereotyped to convey certain meanings. For example, someone who is strong and muscular is generally thought to be athletic, as opposed to a person who is short and fat! Posture on the other hand is within our control. In formal settings such as job interviews or classroom settings, it is essential that you maintain an erect posture to convey that you are attentive, since slouching or a relaxed posture conveys a casual attitude. Physical Appearance Our outward appearance, including the way we dress and the jewelry and make-up that we wear can convey an impression of formality or informality. Going to a job interview dressed in blue jeans or not sticking to a stipulated dress code at the workplace can convey that you are a rebel, non-conformist or a very casual person. Therefore, it is important to take care of your appearance, so that you convey the right meaning to others. 2. Proxemics Proxemics is derived from the word proximity or closeness and is the communication term for personal space and distance. The space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also part of non-verbal communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer circles, which differ for different people. Our inner most circle is an intimate space, into which we generally admit only select people such as family and close friends. Next comes a personal space which might include other friends and colleagues or coworkers. These two spaces involve communication of an informal nature. Most of us also have a social and public space, which includes official or workplace relationships, where the communication is of a more formal nature. In a business context, it is more relevant to understand the concept of fixed space and semi-fixed space. Fixed space means that the physical features of the work environment such as furniture, room size and seating arrangement are permanent.
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This conveys an impression of formality. On the other hand, semi-fixed space means that certain elements of the environment can be changed for example, the seating arrangement could be changed and this conveys an impression of informality. Sometimes, use of space at the workplace can determine leadership positions. For example, seating at the head of the table conveys leadership or authority. A round table meeting, however, conveys the idea of equality, since no one can be seated at the head of the table! All points of a circle are the same. That is why when heads of state meet (as in UN Security Council meetings), it is always a round table discussion, since all heads are equal. Space should therefore be used carefully in a work environment, so as to convey the right impressions. 3. Time Language This refers to the meaning or importance attached to time and varies between different people. One person may value time more than another. Similarly, time language also varies across cultures. In most western cultures for example, punctuality is considered to be important. Arriving late for a business meeting is inexcusable. In other cultures, it is more relaxed and time is not given that much importance. We convey messages to others through the time we spend on a work related activity or by the importance that we give to time. Arriving early at work or for a job interview shows interest, involvement and seriousness. Spending time with an employee and giving him suggestions on how to improve his performance shows interest and involvement in his career growth. 4. Paralanguage Para means like or similar to, therefore paralanguage means like language. Of all the forms of non-verbal communication, paralanguage is closest to verbal communication. It refers to the tone of voice with which something is said. In other words, it is how something is said, and not what is said. The tone of voice includes the pitch (high or low pitch), the pace (slow or fast) the emphasis on words and the volume (soft or loud) and can convey different moods and emotions, as mentioned earlier in this unit. Example: The statement I practice good business communication can be understood in different ways, depending on the emphasis on certain words.
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Saying I practice good business communication means that I alone practice it above anyone else. On the other hand, saying I practice good business communication could be interpreted to mean that you communicate particularly well in a business context, rather than in a general context. The important point to keep in mind regarding tone of voice is to avoid mixed signals that is, making sure that what you say is consistent with how you say it. 5. Physical Context This refers to the physical environment or surroundings within which we communicate and includes two aspects 1) color and layout and 2) design. Colors are known for their symbolic meaning and have associations with different feelings. For example, colors like black and grey are associated with death, mourning and negative feelings. Yellow and green are associated with more positive feelings. Of course, these can also vary across cultures. The point to remember is that you can make the right impressions with use of the right colors. Layout in a work environment refers to the size of an office, or the arrangement of furniture. Design refers to the type of chairs, desks or carpeting. All these can convey status, formality or informality. We have seen how the types of non-verbal communication outnumber the types of verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is an important supplement to verbal communication and can enhance verbal communication, if used in a positive way. The sender should use the right non-verbal cues to convey a positive message, while the receiver should learn to look for unintended messages conveyed by non-verbal communication. Activity Observe a person with whom you work or interact regularly and note down the messages (both positive and negative) that he/she conveys through his/her nonverbal behavior in terms of a) Tone of voice b) Dress c) Body language and d) Use of personal space and distance.
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Self Assessment Question 5. Match the following i. Nodding the head ii. Time language iii. A boss visiting an employees office for discussion iv. An executive chair and a carpeted room v. Speaking loudly a. Paralanguage b. Kinesics c. Arriving late for a meeting d. Personal space and distance e. Physical context
2.3 Classification of Communication Channels

So far we have been discussing the two broad areas of communication verbal and non-verbal, in detail. We will now go into the specifics of the choice of channels for different business situations. As a business communicator, within oral and written communication, you will have a choice of a variety of channels through which to deliver your message. As mentioned earlier, oral communication could take place through a face-to-face meeting, telephone or teleconferencing. Written communication could take the form of letters, reports, memos or email. A basic understanding of the nature of the different channels is required, so as to be able to choose the right channel in a given situation. Communication channels could be classified based on three criteria 1) whether the communication is oral, written or non-verbal, 2) the level of feedback and 3) the personal nature of the communication. 1. Two-way, face-to-face channels Here the communication is oral and non-verbal, immediate feedback is possible and the communication is of a highly personalized nature. This type of channel could take the form of one-to-one meetings (a superior doing a performance appraisal with an employee), meetings involving small groups of people (board meetings) or large gatherings (a speaker making a presentation to a large audience). The advantage of using this channel is that non-verbal communication such as gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice can be used to make the communication more effective. A second advantage is that immediate feedback is possible in the form of questions, clarifications or
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suggestions. Yet another advantage is the personal quality of the communication. This is especially true of one-to-one meetings, where problems and conflicts can be easily resolved. The disadvantage of this type of channel is the difficulty in getting people together and arranging face-to-face meetings. Personal meetings are also expensive and time-consuming, especially when people are separated by distances. 2. Two way, but not face-to-face channels With the advent of new technologies, communication can now be two way, without being face to face, when distance makes such meetings impractical. Teleconferencing, telephone and email communication are all examples of this type of channel. In this case, the communication is purely oral, since non-verbal cues cannot be used to enhance the communication, in the absence of face-to-face contact. Immediate feedback is however, possible, as with the face-to-face channel, since the receiver can react immediately to the senders telephone or email message. This type of communication is of an impersonal nature, due to lack of face-to-face contact. Teleconferencing is almost as good as face-to-face communication, since it enables two parties in different locations to see ( if there is videoconferencing facility) and speak to each other. Today, many large Indian organizations make use of this technology. While teleconferencing has the advantage of saving time and costs involved in travel, it cannot replace face-to-face meetings completely. Some types of interaction such as brainstorming, negotiation, persuasion and problem solving can be conducted better through face-to-face meetings. Telephone communication has the advantage of being able to contact people who would be impossible to reach in person. It is also relatively inexpensive, compared to face-to-face communication. The disadvantage is that it is hard to hold the listeners attention for too long. Email is another two-way, but not face-to-face channel that allows senders and receivers to send and respond to one anothers messages almost instantaneously. Within an office, email is used as an alternative to telephone communication and personal meetings and is called the intranet. Email has the advantage of low cost, speed and the ability to
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send messages to several people anywhere in the world. The disadvantages are its impersonal nature and the lack of confidentiality, since the messages can be stored or passed on to others. 3. One-way, not face-to-face channels All forms of written communication mentioned earlier letters, reports, memos, notices, etc. may be classified under this type of channel. Written communication is largely one-way communication, since there is usually no instantaneous feedback between the sender and the receiver. It is also purely verbal, since non-verbal communication is not possible, in the absence of face-to-face contact. It lacks the personal quality of face-toface communication, although it could be personalized to an extent in some forms such as letters. For example, a sales letter addressed to a customer could be made highly personal, by addressing the customer by name and customizing a product to his needs. 2.3.1 Selecting the Appropriate Channel Let us now discuss the appropriateness of each of these channels for different business situations. Although there is no hard and fast rule, the following guidelines would be useful when selecting a channel for a particular situation When trying to solve problems or improve relationships, oral face-to-face communication is generally the most effective form of communication. This is because of the personal nature of face-to-face communication, which makes it more suitable than the other channels of communication. When there is a need for visual support in explaining an idea, oral faceto-face communication is the most appropriate channel. For example, highlighting the unique features of a product may require actual product demonstration through face-to-face contact. Explaining a concept may require showing photographs or diagrams through a slide presentation, which is best done face to face. For making immediate contact, oral face-to-face communication is required. For example, if you want to have the funds in an account released now, you would have to meet a bank manager personally. Putting your request in a letter or through a telephone call may not be of much help.
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When you want to command a high degree of control over the receiver, oral face-to-face communication works best. This is because, as a speaker, you will have greater command over a listeners attention than if you write a letter or a report, which may not be read at all. When there is need for immediate feedback, oral communication, either face-to-face, or non face-to-face, such as telephone, teleconferencing or email, may be equally appropriate. On the other hand, the following criteria would justify the need for a oneway, non face-to-face, i.e., written channel When you want the tone of the communication to be formal, written communication is more appropriate than oral communication. For example, communication with the government regarding compliance with tax matters, or with the bank regarding funds for expansion should always be of a highly formal nature, through written letters or reports. When you want to explain complicated ideas that require a lot of study and thought by the receiver, written communication is best. For example, explaining the features of a machine is best done through a technical report giving details and technical specifications. When you want to convey a large amount of information, written communication is most suitable. It would be difficult to convey this through a lengthy oral presentation, since the speaker would be unable to command a captive audience for too long. The same is true of telephone communication, which should be kept brief. On the other hand, it is possible to include a number of details in a written report that the receiver can read and re-read, at leisure. The written channel is also more appropriate when you wish to keep a permanent record of happenings. For example, the minutes of a business meeting should always be recorded in writing; written appointment letters should be given to new employees at the time of joining an organization.
2.3.2 Comparison of Oral and Written Channels It is evident that oral and written channels both have their relative advantages
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and disadvantages. This is summed up in the table below, which rates each of these channels as high or low on different dimensions
Characteristic/Dimension Oral Communication Written Communication
Interactivity Level of Feedback Formal Nature Personal Nature Permanent Nature Cost Control over Receiver Effectiveness for Complex Messages Effectiveness for Detailed Messages
High High Low High Low High High Low Low
Low Low High Low High Low Low High High
Communication channels should be selected with care, keeping in mind the requirement of the situation at hand, as well the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each channel. In some cases, it may be necessary to use a combination of channels, in order to make sure that the message reaches the sender. For example, providing a written research report along with a presentation on findings of a study, or making a follow-up phone call after sending an email message is bound to have more impact and to ensure that the message is well understood. Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 6. A job interview between an employer and a prospective employee is an example of a ___________ _____________ communication channel. 7. In a one-way non face-to-face channel, the communication is ________ and __________________ in nature. 8. When you want the receiver to pay attention to your message, ________ communication is better than ___________ communication. 9. When using a lot of jargon, ____________________ communication is more suitable than ___________________ communication.
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2.4 Summary
Communication can be divided into two broad areas verbal and non-verbal communication. Verbal communication comprises oral and written communication, which in turn can take many forms in a business context. Oral communication could take place through presentations, meetings or one-to-one meetings, while written communication could be in the form of letters, reports, memos, notices, circulars or email. Verbal communication has the disadvantage of being inaccurate or misunderstood, unless the message is carefully worded. Therefore, certain guidelines should be followed when communicating through the oral or written word. It is important to avoid words that may have multiple meanings, avoid jargon and use language that is highly specific, unbiased and inoffensive. Non-verbal communication refers to communication without words and plays an important role in business communication. It is unintentional and if used with care, can convey positive messages and thus enhance verbal communication. It is a vast area that includes more than just body language or kinesics. Proxemics or personal space and distance, time language, paralanguage or tone of voice and physical context are some of the other aspects of non-verbal communication. Within the two broad types of communication, there are a variety of communication channels open to a business communicator. A proper understanding of these channels is essential, so that the appropriate one may be used in a given situation. Channels may be classified into three types two way face-to-face, two way non face-to-face and one way non face-to-face, depending on whether the communication is oral, written or non-verbal, whether immediate feedback is possible and whether it is personal or impersonal in nature. Some of the criteria for selection of a channel include The aim of resolving conflicts or improving work relationships The need for visual support while communicating The urgency of the situation The need for quick feedback The complexity and volume of information The formal or informal nature of the communication
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The permanent nature of the communication The requirement for keeping things on record
Oral and written channels have their inherent advantages and disadvantages in any given situation. However, some situations may demand the use of both types of channels for maximum effect.

1. What are some of the advantages of verbal over non-verbal communication? 2. Describe a situation that you experienced where communication went wrong because the non-verbal behavior sent conflicting signals. Which aspect of non-verbal communication was responsible for the communication failure? How would you rectify this? 3. Which channel of communication would be appropriate in the following situations? Justify your answer. a) Notifying employees of a fire in the building b) Announcing to employees that Independence Day is a paid holiday c) Criticizing an employee for poor performance
2.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. F F T F i) b, ii) c, iii) d, iv) e, v) a Two-way; face-to-face Verbal/written; impersonal Oral; written Written; oral
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Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 2.2, 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 2. Refer 2.2.2 3. Refer 2.3.1
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Unit 3
Unit 3
The Nature of Business Communication
Structure: 3.1 Introduction Objectives 3.2 Types of Business Communication 3.3 Communication Network in Organizations 3.4 Summary 3.5 Terminal Questions 3.6 Answers
3.1 Introduction
Our discussion so far has been focused more on the general nature of communication. In this unit we will go into the specifics of business communication and what it involves. We will see how a manager has to maintain communication linkages with different entities, both within and outside the work environment. In continuation with what we discussed in the last unit, some of the appropriate channels for communication with different audiences will be explained. Finally, we will examine how communication flows within an organization, both through official and unofficial channels. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to: List the different stakeholders of an organization, or the publics with whom a manager has to communicate. Explain the primary reasons for communication with each stakeholder Select the most effective channel for communication with each stakeholder Describe how information flows within an organization Discuss the advantages and limitations of formal and informal communication networks
3.2 Types of Business Communication

Business communication is diverse and involves both internal stakeholders within the organization, as well as external stakeholders outside the
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organization. A manager has to constantly communicate with and maintain good relations with each of these stakeholders or publics, so as to achieve the overall goals of the organization and to project a favorable image. The figure below illustrates the wheel of business communication-
The Wheel of Business Communication

Bankers Media Superiors Peers Society Subordinates Management Government
Intermediaries Customers Suppliers Unions
Shareholders Employees/
The wheel of business communication reinforces what we discussed in the very first unit communication is like breathing, it never stops and is a constant process. A manager has to stay in continuous touch with his internal stakeholders on the one hand superiors, peers, subordinates, shareholders, employees and their unions; at the same time, he has to communicate with external stakeholders such as customers, intermediaries (distributors and retailers), suppliers of materials and components, government, bankers, society at large and the media. Effective business communication therefore involves both internal as well as external communication. We will now look at some of the reasons for communication with internal and external stakeholders, as well as the appropriate channels to be used in each case. 3.2.1 Internal Business Communication As illustrated in the diagram, this involves interaction with the following Superiors Every organization has a formal reporting system. Superiors are the higher ups in the organization to whom you report. The frequency of interaction with them will vary, depending on your position and
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responsibilities, as well as their need for information. As a salesperson, you may have to submit daily or weekly reports of sales progress. As a marketing manager, you may be required to make periodic presentations on marketing strategy for new product launches to the Vice President, Marketing. Occasionally, you may also approach your superiors to communicate your feelings about your job, unsolved problems with coworkers and your suggestions for improvement of the organization. Communication with superiors could be through written channels, such as reports, or through oral face-to-face channels, such as presentations and one-to-one meetings. When trying to solve problems or improve relationships, oral face-to-face channels are most effective, as explained in the previous unit. Peers Peers are your co-workers, or people at the same level within an organization. For example, a marketing manager and an HR manager are peers, since they work at the same level within different departments. Communication between peers is essential for functional coordination. An Advertising Manager for example, will need to communicate with the Finance Manager regarding approval of the advertising budget for a new product launch. Information sharing is another reason for communication between peers. The Advertising Manager and the Sales Manager in the Marketing department may need to communicate regarding the special features of a product to be highlighted in an advertising campaign. Regular communication between co-workers in different departments is also essential to ensure that they work together as a team to achieve the common goals of the organization. The most appropriate channel of communication between peers is the oral face-to-face channel, since it helps to build good rapport and improves work relationships. Subordinates These are people in the organization who work below you or report directly to you. For example, as the Marketing Manager, you may have Assistant Managers reporting to you, who in turn may have Marketing Executives reporting to them. The most common reasons for communication with subordinates are on disciplinary matters, such as
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organizational procedures and policies. Other reasons include performance appraisal and feedback, reward and recognition aspects, subject to good performance. Appropriate channels of communication with subordinates may be both oral and written, depending on the situation. Communicating about organizational procedures is best done through written communication; on the other hand, performance appraisal and feedback should be done through an oral one-to-one meeting and discussion. Employees/Unions Employees unions can be quite powerful, therefore communication with them is essential. The reasons for communication include welfare aspects, disciplinary aspects and terms of employment. All these should be clearly spelt out and kept on record. Hence written channels such as written contracts are the most appropriate channels. Shareholders Shareholders are very important internal stakeholders, since they are the owners of the company. Therefore, it is essential to be completely transparent with shareholders and to keep them informed of both positive and negative developments regarding the company. The reasons for communication with shareholders include keeping them informed about the Companys progress on different fronts, development programs and new projects undertaken by the company and new capital issues. At the same time, any major problems faced by the company and the steps being taken to tackle these problems should also be communicated. This is part of public relations, through which the company projects a positive image of itself in the eyes of shareholders. The appropriate channels of communication with shareholders include oral and written channels shareholder meetings and conferences, letters, brochures and advertisements. Before we move on to external business communication, let us sum up our discussion on internal communication. The table given below highlights the appropriate channel(s) to be used and the primary objective of communication with each of the internal publics.
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Stakeholder Superiors
Channel Written Reports Presentations Meetings Face-to-face meetings Written Communication Face-to-face meetings
Overall Objective Awareness of progress Suggestions & feedback Problem solving Coordination Teamwork Information sharing Compliance with instructions & policiesReview of work progress Feedback Employee satisfaction & welfare Building trust and confidence
Peers
Subordinates
Employees/Unions Shareholders
Written Communication Meetings Advertisements Brochures
Self Assessment Questions Are the following questions true or false? 1. Peers are co-workers who work only in different departments of an organization. 2. Criticizing an employee may be done in public. 3. A policy of openness is essential for good public relations. 4. Suggestions should only be given by superiors to subordinates. 3.2.2 External Business Communication Before we discuss the reasons for communication with external stakeholders, it is important that you understand the overall importance of external business communication. External business communication is essential for the following reasons For Successful Marketing Organizations need to inform and create awareness among consumers about their existing and new products. This is largely done through advertising, which is a form of mass communication. This is very much a part of external business communication. To build a Favorable Corporate Image Today, organizations need to focus on projecting themselves as responsible corporate and social
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citizens. This is known as corporate social responsibility. For example, they need to communicate the fact that they are involved in social development or in environmental protection. This involves being in touch with various external stakeholders, especially consumers, media and the society at large. To Increase Shareholder Value If customers have a positive image of the company, the companys share price will go up and shareholders wealth increases, thereby enhancing shareholder value. Shareholder confidence in the company also drives shareholder value. When shareholder value increases, they will participate in the companys expansion and growth. To Overcome a Crisis Sometimes when a company is facing a crisis, a public relations campaign may be needed to manage the situation, put things in a proper perspective and restore the image of the company in the eyes of consumers, the media and society at large. Public relations require effective communication with various external stakeholders.
Examples A few years ago, Reliance was prosecuted by the government for irregularities in the stock market. Shareholders lost confidence in the company. Reliance then mounted a counter campaign against the government, where they told the truth, gave the facts and figures and denied the allegations made against them. This helped them to regain lost confidence and salvage their image. Similarly, when Coke and Pepsi were accused of pesticides in their soft drinks, they had to undertake a massive public relations exercise to set right their image in the eyes of the public. * To Enhance Credit Rating An organizations credit rating will also go up if it maintains good external communication. This way its borrowing ability will increase and more money can be raised for expansion and growth. Having emphasized the importance of external business communication, let us now go into the reasons for communicating with external stakeholders and the channels used to communicate with them, just as we did with internal communication.
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The wheel of business communication illustrates that external business communication involves interaction with the following stakeholders Consumers Organizations need to communicate with consumers to provide information about their products and services, special promotional offers and new product developments. They also need to redress consumer complaints, so as to maintain consumer preference and confidence in their brands. The written channel is the most appropriate medium for communicating with consumers. This could take the form of letters, or mass media advertising. Intermediaries This refers to the trade distributors, wholesalers, retailers, franchisees, etc. It is necessary to communicate with them to provide information about product availability, special offers, incentives and allowances, contractual aspects, order processing, delivery aspects and merchandising, or the visual display of products. Keeping intermediaries aware and informed and motivating them to meet targets through competitions, prizes and incentives is extremely important for the success of any product. The appropriate channels of communication with intermediaries could be both oral and written channels. Written contracts, advertisements announcing special offers and incentives and dealer newsletters inviting dealers to share their experiences, are examples of written channels. Periodic review meetings and continuous communication through sales staff are examples of oral channels. Suppliers These are suppliers of raw material, components, power, water or other utilities. Communication with suppliers is essential to give technical specifications, ensure quality and timely delivery. Today, due to outsourcing or relying on outside sources for raw materials and components, there is need for more sophisticated and direct communication and a more continuous, on-going relationship with suppliers. The internet now plays an important role in communication with suppliers, through Business to Business (B2B) communication. Many organizations today enter into a partnership with their suppliers, whereby there is total involvement on both sides. For example, a company engineer might train the shop floor technical staff of a supplier of automotive
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components, in order to improve the quality of the components. The supplier on his side, may suggest a change in the companys specification process. Direct, one-to-one communication is required with suppliers to ensure transparency and clarity, with respect to specifications. The oral face-to-face channel is most appropriate, although the online channel is being increasingly used in supplier communication. Government Communicating with the government is particularly important in the Indian context and is a part of public relations. Many Indian companies even appoint a PR officer for maintaining good relations with the government. The reasons for communicating with the government include compliance with tax matters and legal aspects, seeking clearances for new activities such as joint ventures, borrowing from overseas banks, foreign exchange requirements and so on. Communication with the government could take place through both oral and written channels. Periodic meetings may be held with regard to statutory compliances such as licensing. However, most of the time, written communication through formal letters is more appropriate. This is because clearances for various activities have to be sought in writing. Society As pointed out earlier, organizations need to communicate with the community at large to project themselves as responsible corporate citizens. Corporate social responsibility as it is called, is top priority with many organizations today. Supporting womens education, building hospitals for the disabled, schools for children, family planning and nonpollution of the environment are some of the ways in which companies are participating in social development and then communicating this to society. The channels of communication with society could be oral and direct for example, talking to elders in a village or locality, about family planning or schools for children. Mass media advertising in the form of public service advertising could also be used to spread these social service messages Example United Breweries ran a public service campaign with the caption Drinking and driving dont mix, to spread the message of avoiding drunken driving. There is a large element of public relations in communication with society.
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Bankers Like shareholders, organizations need to communicate with bankers both in good times and bad times. The reasons for communicating with bankers are the same as those for shareholders. In addition, advance notice needs to be given to bankers regarding any dislocation in repayment schedules and justification has to be provided for any additional fund needs. The overall purpose is to build rapport with the bank, so as to increase borrowing ability. Communication with bankers could take place through oral channels for example, periodic meetings with the Finance Manager of the company to keep them informed of stock build up trends, or future trends that could affect working capital needs. Special meetings may also be held to keep them posted about expansion, contraction and diversification plans, lockouts, strikes and anything else that may affect cash flow. In addition to oral channels, periodic written reports need to be submitted to the bank on overall business conditions. Transparency is needed in dealings with the bank and failure to keep them informed could lead to the companys collapse. Example The Enron Company did not communicate with their shareholders and bankers about the difficult times that they were going through. This ultimately led to the companys ruin. Media Today, the media are becoming more powerful and investigative and are intruding into peoples personal lives. If wrongly informed, the media can destroy an institution. Therefore, the primary reason for an organization to communicate with the media is to maintain good relations. If the company projects a favorable image to the media, the media in turn will carry a positive story about the company for free. This is known as publicity and is part of public relations. For example, a press release in a newspaper may highlight some of the achievements or awards won by the company. This type of publicity is highly credible and can have a powerful influence on public opinion. Communication with the media takes place through both oral channels such as press conferences, as well as written channels such as letters and news releases.
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As we did with internal business communication, let us sum up our discussion on external business communication in the form of the matrix given belowStakeholder Consumers Channel Advertisements Letters Written Contracts Newsletters Advertisements Review Meetings Direct Oral Communication Online Communication Periodic Meetings Formal Letters Direct Oral Communication Advertisements Periodic & Special Meetings Written Reports News conferences News Releases Overall Objective Awareness Information Persuasion Awareness Information Motivation On-going Relationship Partnership Government Cooperation Corporate Social Responsibility Good Rapport More borrowing ability Good Relations
Intermediaries
Suppliers
Government Society
Bankers
Media
Activity Describe the nature of your current job or a job that you would like to take up in future. List out the primary stakeholders that you have to communicate with and the reasons for communication with each stakeholder.
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Self Assessment Questions 5. Match the following i) Mass communication ii) Corporate Social Responsibility iii) Crisis PR iv) Distributors v) Internet vi) Statutory compliance vii) Transparency viii) Credit rating ix) Publicity x) Persuasion a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. Government Advertising Suppliers Social development Bankers Borrowing ability Media Consumers Motivation Restoring company image
3.3 Communication Network in Organizations

A communication network refers to how information flows within the organization. Information within an organization generally flows through a system, rather than being a free flow. In the words of Adler, Communication networks are regular patterns of person-to-person relationships through which information flows in an organization. This means that the flow of information is managed, regulated. and structured. Communication networks may be formal or informal. We will deal with each of these in some detail. 3.3.1 Formal Communication Network A formal communication network is one which is created by management and described with the help of an organizational chart. An organizational chart specifies the hierarchy and the reporting system in the organization. Therefore, in a formal network, information is passed on only through official channels such as memos, bulletins and intranet (email within the organization). The organizational chart implies that information can flow in any of three directions vertically, i.e., upward or downward, and horizontally. 1. Upward Communication This may be defined as information that flows from subordinates to superiors. Some of the reasons for upward communication include discussing work related problems, giving
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suggestions for improvement and sharing feelings about the job and coworkers. This type of communication has both benefits and disadvantages. One of the biggest benefits is problem-solving. Once a subordinate has brought a problem to his superiors notice, chances are that the problem will not recur, since the subordinate learns from his superior how to tackle it the next time. Thus, his ability to solve new problems and therefore his managerial ability, improves. Another benefit that could arise from upward communication is that valuable ideas and suggestions may sometimes come from lower level employees. Therefore organizations should encourage this kind of communication. A third benefit is that employees learn to accept the decisions of management and thereby work as a team. The biggest problem associated with this type of communication is that it may lead to handing down of decisions by superiors. When subordinates frequently seek the superiors guidance, the latter may adopt an authoritarian approach and merely give instructions, disregarding the subordinates opinion completely. 2. Downward Communication This may be defined as information that flows from superiors to subordinates. The most common reasons for downward communication are for giving job instructions, explaining company rules, policies and procedures and giving feedback regarding job performance. A number of studies have indicated that regular downward communication in the form of feedback given to employees is the most important factor affecting job satisfaction. Therefore organizations today are trying to encourage more of this type of communication. There are both benefits and disadvantages associated with this type of communication. Downward communication that provides regular feedback will be beneficial if the feedback or review of performance is constructive. A constructive review is one where a manager counsels an employee, or advises him on how to improve his performance. On the other hand, a destructive review can destroy employee morale and confidence. Regular downward communication also creates a climate of
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transparency or openness, where information is passed on through official channels, rather than through rumors. Thirdly, downward communication boosts employee morale, since it indicates that management is involved in their progress. The problems with this type of communication are the danger of doing destructive reviews, as mentioned, and that of message overload. This means that superiors many sometimes burden their subordinates with too many instructions, leading to confusion. 3. Horizontal Communication This type of communication is also known as lateral communication. It may be defined as communication that takes place between co-workers in the same department, or in different departments, with different areas of responsibility. For example, Sales Managers and Advertising Managers in the Marketing department, or Marketing Managers and Finance Managers. The reasons for this type of communication are for coordination of tasks, sharing of information regarding goals of the organization, resolving interpersonal or work related problems and building rapport. The biggest potential benefit of horizontal communication is the sense of teamwork that is created. Regular communication of this type ensures that all co-workers work together towards achieving a common goal in the overall interest of the organization. The biggest potential problem is that conflicts such as ego clashes are bound to arise, when co-workers at the same level communicate on a regular basis. In spite of these problems, horizontal or lateral communication has become more important in todays business scenario than upward or downward communication. This is because the organizational pyramid indicating the different hierarchies or levels in an organization has flattened. This is illustrated by the diagrams given below.
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Multi-layer Organizational Pyramid
General Manager
Manager
Manager
Asst Manager
Asst Manager
Asst Manager
Asst Manager
Executive
Executive
Executive
Executive
Executive
Executive
Executive
Executive
Compressed Organizational Pyramid
General Manager
Manager
Manager
Manager
Manager
Manager
Manager
The first diagram illustrates the previous organizational pyramid which was a multi-layer pyramid. In this type of pyramid, vertical, i.e., upward and downward communication still plays an important role. This is still the case in many traditionally run organizations today. However, this has been replaced by a compressed or flattened pyramid where the hierarchy has diminished, as shown in the second diagram. Thanks to technology and computers which help in faster decision making, a manager today has a larger span of control. He or she can supervise and control more number of people than before. This in turn has led to greater empowerment, which means that even lower level employees are now being given decision making authority. Therefore, in the absence of several layers, there is greater lateral communication than before.
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3.3.2 Informal Communication Network Another name for informal networks is the grapevine. In this type of network, information does not flow in a particular direction, as we have seen with formal networks. The information is also not passed on through official channels such as memos, notices or bulletin boards. The information need not be circulated within the organization, but could be passed on outside the work environment, wherever co-workers or colleagues meet socially. Thus, informal networks are based more on friendship, shared personal or career interests. Example Co-workers may meet outside the work environment at a company picnic, party or a car pool and discuss areas of common interest that may or may not be work related. Information may then be passed on to each other about happenings in the company, such as layoffs, the companys plans for acquisitions and so on. This type of informal network is not just for idle rumors and may be useful in many ways. First of all, it sometimes fills in the transparency gaps left by formal networks. Such gaps usually occur during times of crisis such as strikes or layoffs. The strikes and layoffs may not be officially announced. Secondly, it may help to confirm important information, such as the fact that the company is going in for a major acquisition. Thirdly, the grapevine can be used for a constructive purpose by the organization. Example The government could get the press to publish news in the local paper that there is going to be a petrol price hike soon, just to test the reactions of the general public. If the reaction is negative, then the news may be withdrawn on the basis that it is just a rumor. Similarly, organizations could deliberately plant proposals in the minds of their employees, just to test their reactions. Given that informal communication networks have their advantages, they should not be suppressed as rumors. On the contrary, competent managers should accept the informal network. At the same time, they should make efforts to counter false rumors and to ensure transparency through the formal network. This means making all types of information - both positive and negative, available to everyone in the organization through official channels.
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To conclude, it should be remembered that both formal and informal networks should be cultivated and allowed to co-exist, so that information of all types flows freely to all levels in the organization. Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 6. A formal communication network is characterized by ___________ ______________. 7. The most valuable ideas and suggestions often come from _______________ communication. 8. An advantage of regular downward communication is _____________. 9. In a multi-layer organization, _________________ communication is more important than __________________ communication. 10. While ________________ should be suppressed, _______________ networks should be accepted.
3.4 Summary
While the first two units dealt with communication in general, this unit has focused entirely on the nature of organizational communication. A manager has to stay in constant touch with several publics or stakeholders, both inside and outside the organization. Therefore there are two aspects to business communication internal and external communication. The internal publics include superiors, peers, subordinates, shareholders, employees and their unions. The external publics include consumers, intermediaries, suppliers, government, society, bankers and the media. Some of the most common reasons for communication with each of these publics were explained, along with the appropriate channels of communication to be used. Communication with superiors is primarily for reporting progress, providing feedback or solving work related problems. Peers need to communicate for coordination and information sharing. Communication with subordinates is mainly to review progress and give instructions. Among the internal publics, shareholders are particularly important. The main reasons for communicating with them are to keep them informed about positive and negative developments regarding the company and to win their confidence.
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Communication with external publics such as government, society and the media involves a large element of public relations, or projecting a favorable image of the company. Today, organizations are focusing on corporate social responsibility by participating in social development. Since the media are becoming more powerful, it is essential to maintain good relations with them. Communication with the government and bankers should be of a more formal nature and largely through written channels. Supplier communication is becoming more sophisticated through online (B2B) channels. Consumers and intermediaries also need to be informed about the companys products. This unit also dealt with communication networks, or the system through which information flows within the organization. There are two types of networks formal and informal. A formal network is determined by an organizational chart and hierarchy. Here information flows only through official channels and can flow in three directions upward, downward and horizontally. The main advantage of upward communication is that valuable suggestions could be given by subordinates to superiors. The disadvantage is that the opinions of subordinates could be disregarded. Downward communication has the advantage of constant feedback being given to subordinates and a climate of openness being created. The drawback is that feedback may not always be constructive. Horizontal or lateral communication has assumed more importance today, due to the organizational hierarchy becoming flatter. While its main benefit is teamwork and coordination, it may lead to conflicts between co-workers. An informal network or grapevine refers to information flow through nonofficial channels outside the work environment. It is based on friendship between co-workers. The informal network is not just for rumors and has several benefits. It may fill in the gaps left by the formal network, or help to confirm important news regarding the organization. It could also be used constructively to test the reactions of employees on a particular issue. Therefore the informal network should not be suppressed by managers.
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1. In your opinion, who are the most important internal and external stakeholders that a manager needs to communicate with and why? 2. Explain why Public Relations is an important part of external business communication. 3. What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of formal and informal communication networks?
3.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Question 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. F F T F i) b, ii) d, iii) j, iv) i, v) c, vi) a, vii) e, viii) f, ix) g, x) h Official channels; Upward; Transparency/openness Vertical; horizontal/lateral Rumors; informal
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 3.2.1, 3.2.2 2. Refer 3.2.2 3. Refer 3.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2
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Unit 4
The Importance of Listening in the Workplace
Structure: 4.1 Introduction Objectives 4.2 What is listening? 4.3 Barriers to Listening 4.4 Strategies for Effective Listening 4.5 Listening in a Business Context 4.6 Summary 4.7 Terminal Questions 4.8 Answers
4.1 Introduction
Listening is the most important of all the aspects of communication. In fact, listening precedes communication. It occurs more frequently on the job than even speaking, reading or writing. The new model of business, based on teamwork, requires more effective listening skills than before for greater coordination. Given its importance, in this unit we will try to understand the true meaning of listening, examine some obstacles to listening and discuss methods to be adopted for better listening in the workplace. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to: Distinguish clearly between hearing and listening Categorize the main barriers to effective listening Assess your own listening skills by adopting specific strategies Recognize the importance of listening in the workplace
4.2 What is listening?

Listening is hard work and is more than just sitting passively and absorbing a speakers words. According to Lundsteen, Listening is a highly complex process by which spoken language is converted to meaning in the mind. Listening has been identified by Stephen Covey as one of the
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seven habits of highly effective people, in his book with the same title. This definition implies that listening is a skill which can be cultivated and developed, just like speaking, reading or writing. Listening is often thought to be synonymous with hearing. The difference is that while hearing is a passive process, listening is active. It means being alert to and understanding the meaning behind the speakers words. While listening, one is engaged in processing the information, reconstructing the information and also giving meaning to the information. This brings us to a discussion of the different types of listening. 4.2.1 Types of Listening 1. Discriminative Listening This is the most basic type of listening, whereby the difference between the sounds is identified. Unless the differences between the sounds are identified, the meaning expressed by such differences cannot be grasped. Once we learn to distinguish between sounds in our own language, we are able to do the same in other languages. One reason why people belonging to one country find it difficult to speak the language of another country is that they find the sounds similar and cannot understand the subtle differences. 2. Comprehension Listening Once we have learnt to discriminate between the different sounds, the next step is to try to comprehend the meaning of these sounds. In order to do this, we require a dictionary of words, along with the rules of grammar and syntax. Apart from the verbal communication, we also need to understand the meaning conveyed by the speakers nonverbal behavior. This can be achieved by closely observing various aspects of the speakers body language and tone of voice. 3. Evaluative Listening This kind of listening involves making judgments about what the speaker is saying. We listen critically and try to assess what is being said as good, bad, worthy or unworthy.
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We generally resort to this kind of listening when the other person is trying to persuade us, change our behavior or convictions. The tendency then is to question what the speaker is trying to say. 4. Appreciative Listening This kind of listening could be in the form of paying selective attention to certain kinds of information which might be relevant to us, or which helps to meet our needs and goals. The tendency is to appreciate such information better. Appreciative listening is also used when listening to good music, poetry or a powerful speech. 5. Empathetic Listening In this type of listening, we try to put ourselves in the other persons place and understand the moods, beliefs, goals and feelings behind the speakers words. It requires excellent discrimination and paying attention to the nuances of emotional signals. It also requires a high degree of sensitivity and tactful probing on the part of the listener. Empathetic listening is most often needed at the workplace, when dealing with customer complaints, employee feedback and problems. A manager doing a performance appraisal with an employee for example, should listen to the employees point of view and understand the real reasons for lack of performance. 6. Therapeutic Listening In this type of listening, the listener goes beyond merely empathizing with the speaker and tries to help him to change or develop in some way. In other words, he plays the role of a therapist, by diagnosing the problem at hand and offering a remedy or solution. This type of listening is common in social situations, where family and personal problems are resolved through counseling. It is also important in job situations, where managers try to solve the problems of employees. Taking the same example of a manager doing a performance appraisal, the manager should not only understand the employees problems, but should also counsel him, by suggesting what measures he could take to improve his performance in future.
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7. Dialogic Listening As the name suggests, this type of listening involves listening and learning through dialogue. This implies that listening is a two-way, rather than a one-way process. It involves interchange of ideas and information between the speaker and the listener. This type of listening is active listening, whereby the listener continuously seeks clarifications, gives feedback and engages in conversation with the speaker. Another name for this is relational listening, since a relationship is established through the exchange of ideas. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. Some people are born listeners. 2. Comprehension listening is the most basic type of listening 3. Listening to a salespersons presentation is an example of evaluative listening? 4. Responding to customer complaints is an example of dialogic listening? 5. Solving employees problems often involves both empathetic and therapeutic listening.
4.3 Barriers to Listening

As pointed out earlier, listening is not easy and there are a number of obstacles that stand in the way of effective listening, both within and outside the workplace. These barriers may be categorized as follows 1. Physiological Barriers This was discussed earlier under the barriers to communication. Some people may have genuine hearing problems or deficiencies that prevent them from listening properly. Once detected, they can generally be treated. Other people may have difficulty in processing information, or memory related problems which make them poor listeners. Another physiological barrier is rapid thought. Listeners have the ability to process information at the rate of approximately 500 words per minute, whereas speakers talk at around 125 words per minute. Since listeners are left with a lot of spare time, their attention may not be focused on what the speaker is saying, but may wander elsewhere.
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2. Physical Barriers These refer to distractions in the environment such as the sound of an air conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room, which interfere with the listening process. They could also be in the form of information overload. For example, if you are in a meeting with your manager and the phone rings and your mobile beeps at the same time to let you know that you have a message; it is very hard to listen carefully to what is being said. 3. Attitudinal Barriers Pre-occupation with personal or work related problems can make it difficult to focus ones attention completely on what a speaker is saying, even if what is being said is of prime importance. Another common attitudinal barrier is egocentrism, or the belief that you are more knowledgeable than the speaker and that you have nothing new to learn from his ideas. People with this kind of closed minded attitude make very poor listeners. 4. Wrong Assumptions The success of communication depends on both the sender and the receiver, as we have seen in an earlier unit. It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole responsibility of the sender or the speaker and that listeners have no role to play. Such an assumption can be a big barrier to listening. For example, a brilliant speech or presentation, however well delivered, is wasted if the receiver is not listening at the other end. Listeners have as much responsibility as speakers to make the communication successful, by paying attention, seeking clarifications and giving feedback. Another wrong assumption is to think that listening is a passive activity, in which a listener merely absorbs the thoughts of the speaker. On the contrary, real listening or active listening is hard work it requires speaking sometimes to ask questions, agree or disagree with the speaker, give feedback, etc. Yet another barrier of this type is to assume that speakers are more powerful than listeners. Speakers are seen as being in command of things, whereas listeners are seen to be weak and lacking authority. According to communication experts however, the reverse is true. Listeners are as important and as powerful as speakers. In fact David J. Schwartz, writer and management professor, emphasizes the importance of listening by saying Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the talking.
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5. Cultural Barriers Accents can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently. The problem of different accents arises not only between cultures, but also within a culture. For example, in a country like India where there is enormous cultural diversity, accents may differ even between different regions and states. Another type of cultural barrier is differing cultural values. The importance attached to listening and speaking differs in western and oriental cultures. Generally, Orientals regard listening and silence as almost a virtue, whereas Westerners attach greater importance to speaking. Therefore this would interfere with the listening process, when two people from these two different cultures communicate. 6. Gender Barriers Communication research has shown that gender can be a barrier to listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen very differently and for different purposes. Women are more likely to listen for the emotions behind a speakers words, while men listen more for the facts and the content. Example A salesperson giving a demonstration of a new type of office equipment may be asked by two colleagues if the equipment will work without any problems and respond by saying Sure. A male user may take his answer at face value, whereas a female user may detect some hesitation in his voice. This is because the male user listens for the content of the message, whereas the female user listens for the tone of the message. 7. Lack of Training Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born good listeners. They have to develop the art of listening through practice and training. Lack of training in listening skills is an important barrier to listening, especially in the Indian context. Lee Iacocca, former Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation in the US, was one of the first to recognize the need for organized training programs in listening skills. Today, many organizations both in India and abroad incorporate listening skills in their training programs.
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8. Bad Listening Habits Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor listening habits that are hard to shed and that act as barriers to listening. For example, some people have the habit of faking attention or trying to look like a listener, in order to impress the speaker and to assure him that they are paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and every fact and, as a result, miss out on the main point. Yet another habit is to avoid difficult listening and to tune off deliberately, if the subject is too technical or difficult to understand. Sometimes, the subject itself may be dismissed as uninteresting, because the listener does not want to listen. Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) Listenerspeaker gap ii) Listening for emotions iii) Ego problems iv) Switching from one TV channel to another v) Speaking in a different language a. Cultural barrier b. Physiological barrier c. Gender barrier d. Attitudinal barrier e. Bad listening habit
4.4 Strategies for Effective Listening

Although a number of barriers stand in the way of effective listening, these can be overcome through conscious efforts, training and practice. Some of the suggested methods are discussed in detail below 1. Create a Conducive Environment To an extent, you can try to control the environment in which communication takes place, so that listening can take place without any distractions. Ensuring a proper sound system and acoustics so that the speaker is audible, avoiding places with high levels of activity, loud noises from the outside environment and poor air conditioning systems, shutting off mobile phones and telephones, are some of the ways in which you can overcome some of the physical barriers to listening. 2. Select Face-to-face Channels Listening is less accurate in the absence of face-to-face communication. For example, listening to and understanding ideas correctly over the telephone are much harder than through a face-to-face meeting. Take the case of calling a restaurant and placing orders over the telephone for home delivery of a meal. The chances
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are that your orders may not be understood correctly. Therefore, as far as possible, arrange face-to-face contact to ensure more accurate listening. 3. Be Open-minded and Avoid Distractions Listening is an exhausting activity which requires the right attitude and mindset. You have to focus your attention completely on what the speaker is saying, without letting your mind wander. This kind of concentration can be developed through various techniques and through constant practice. In addition, it is also important to rid yourself of the notion that you have nothing new to learn from the other person. Even if it is a subject about which you may be knowledgeable, the speaker may offer a different perspective or point of view. Therefore it is important to listen actively. 4. Use Non-verbal Cues to Indicate Active Listening It is important to communicate to the speaker that you are listening actively to what he is saying. This can be done even without verbal communication. All the different aspects of non-verbal communication discussed earlier should be used for maximum effect. For example, maintaining steady eye contact with the speaker, sitting up with an erect posture, nodding now and then to show appreciation and understanding and appropriate facial expressions are some of the ways in which your non-verbal communication can indicate that you are involved in what the speaker is saying. 5. Use Verbal Communication to Indicate Active Listening While nonverbal behavior by itself can communicate that you are an active listener, it is also important to engage in verbal communication with the speaker. Silence is often interpreted as lack of understanding or attention. You need to seek clarifications, give feedback and suggestions, or just paraphrase in your own words what the speaker has said, in order to convey that you have understood his message. 6. Listen First Before Responding Always let yourself finish listening before you begin to speak. Avoid the tendency to formulate your own response, even before you have listened completely to the speakers words. If you are too busy thinking about what to say next, you may miss the main point that the speaker is trying to make. This also gives the speaker the impression that you are pre-occupied or rude.
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7. Use the Speaker-listener Gap constructively It was pointed out earlier that listeners have the ability to absorb information faster than speakers rate of speech. This spare time available to listeners is often misused by letting the mind wander and is one of the physiological barriers to listening. One way of overcoming this barrier is to try to use this spare time to note down what the speaker has said, review what has been said so far and anticipate what he may say next. Thinking ahead of the speaker and trying to guess where his talk is leading is a good strategy for effective listening. This is not easy, but can be learnt through proper training. 8. Focus on the Verbal and Non-verbal Message Listening involves not only hearing and understanding the meaning behind the words, but also being alert to the non-verbal behavior of the speaker. The importance of non-verbal cues has been emphasized throughout this book. It is important to watch for any positive or negative messages that may be conveyed through the speakers tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and outward appearance. 9. Focus on the Content, rather than the Delivery In order to grasp the true meaning of what the speaker is saying, it is important to concentrate on the content of the message, rather than on how the message is delivered. For example, looking at the power point slides during a speakers presentation may distract your attention from the main point that he is trying to convey. Similarly, being over critical of the speakers accent or mannerisms may make you miss the essence of the message. 10. Ask Questions of Yourself and Make Notes In order to engage in active listening, you also need to ask certain questions to yourself while listening. For example, What is the key idea that the speaker is trying to convey?, How does this fit in with I already know on the subject? or How is this presentation organized?, are some possible questions that you could jot down along with the answers. The table on the next page sums up some of the characteristics of good listeners, based on studies carried out on perceptions of listening behavior
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A Good Listener
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Considers all evidence before jumping to a conclusion Takes notes when listening, in order to recall information or understand a difficult idea. Concentrates on what the speaker is saying and not on unrelated thoughts Is willing to consider the opinions of others Listens openly when others disagree with him Encourages others to express their ideas, instead of occupying center stage Is able to grasp the main idea from others comments Is curious about other people and their ideas Does not interrupt others, or change the topic to suit his purpose Makes the speaker feel comfortable while talking Remembers important ideas given by others, even when he is busy Does not pretend to understand, when he is confused Recognizes that people may change over time and have something new to offer Tries to find solutions to others problems Knows when to speak and when to listen
Activity Request a professor or a friend to give you a session on career counseling. Assess your own listening skills by questioning the speaker and paraphrasing (i.e., restating what the speaker says in your own words) what he/she says during the session. Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 7. Paying more attention to the way a speaker is dressed, is an example of focusing on _______________ rather than ________________. 8. A good listener tries to understand the meaning behind __________________and ______________________ messages. 9. ____________ are known to be physiologically quicker than _______________. 10. Active listening can be demonstrated verbally through _____________ and ________________. 11. A good listener is ________________ and _____________________.
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4.5 Listening in a Business Context

Effective listening is one of the essential qualities of a successful manager. Studies conducted on the skills considered most crucial for managerial ability have indicated that active listening is rated as the most important. In other studies where business people were asked to describe the communication skills that they considered most important and that they wished they had been taught in college, listening figured on top of the list. Listening is therefore crucial in a business environment. It can boost quality, profits and productivity, whereas poor listening has the exact opposite effect. Listening mistakes can lead to costly errors such as retyping of important documents, rescheduling of important meetings and so on. Good listening skills can help you locate job openings, fare well in job interviews and be selected for the job. Once you are on the job, listening becomes even more important. As a manager, you will have to listen to superiors, subordinates, customers and other stakeholders. Listening has been found to be particularly important in certain professions and industries. The service industry, which is a fast growing industry both in India and abroad, is one such example. In the insurance industry, it has been found that good listening has led to career advancement. In the banking sector, good listening skills have been found to distinguish a good bank manager from a bad one. In the healthcare industry, listening to patients has been useful in gathering more accurate information about them. According to a professor at Cornell, one of the top universities in the U.S., Good service, in many respects, is good listening. In order to thrive in highly competitive, rapidly changing environments, service employees must learn to listen well. Tom Peters, business consultant and co-author of the book In Search of Excellence, emphasizes the importance of listening to your customers. He says Find out what the customers really care about and then act. Listening thats the key. Let us discuss why it is so essential to listen to customers. 4.5.1 Listening to Customers Organizations today are beginning to recognize the importance of being customer oriented. Customer orientation means identifying and then satisfying customer needs, which in turn involves listening to what the customer really wants. When measuring customer satisfaction, it is also important to listen to and respond to customer complaints.
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This is because a dissatisfied customer can create negative word-of-mouth publicity for your product and company. Therefore, it is important to satisfy and retain your existing customers, so that they remain loyal to your company. We will discuss some approaches for handling customer complaints and listening to customers 1. Believe the Customer There is a saying that The customer is the king. Therefore it is important to take the customer for his word, even though he may not be telling the truth, rather than doubt what he is saying. Even if the customers complaint may not be justified, it is important to make an attempt to solve his problem. 2. Listen Actively Make your customer feel that you are showing empathy, or putting yourself in his or her place. When a customer starts to complain, it is important to hear out the complaint completely, before responding or offering a solution. Sometimes a customer may be rude, angry and frustrated, but he/she needs to be handled tactfully. Once he/she has vented his/her feelings, it would be a good strategy to repeat the problem in an objective manner, to show that you have heard and understood clearly. Consider the following example of how a sales assistant in a medical shop deals with an angry customer What you are saying is that you entered the shop, asked for and paid for 20 headache pills and when you got home, you discovered that you had been given only 10, is that correct? This is the best way to show the customer that you have listened to and registered the complaint. 3. Apologize Even if the customer and not the company are at fault, it is always a good idea to apologize to your complaining customer. From the customers perspective, he/she is right and therefore expects an apology. A sincere apology will go a long way in calming down an angry customer. A general statement of apology such as We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to you will be sufficient in such a situation. A written letter of apology would also be effective in regaining the customers trust and confidence in the company.
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4. Satisfy There is a saying that A satisfied customer is the best advertisement for your product. This is because such a customer will spread positive word-of-mouth publicity about your product to others. Therefore, it is important to identify your most valuable customers, listen to them and make efforts to retain them, by offering them special privileges from time to time. 5. Thank Even if the customer has launched a complaint, it is important to thank him/her for bringing it to your attention, so that a solution can be found. A customer complaint should be looked at in a positive way - as an opportunity to solve a problem that did not exist earlier. In the absence of the complaint, you may not have been aware of the problem in the first place and this could have damaged the reputation of the organization. 4.5.2 Listening to Employees In the earlier unit on organizational communication, we discussed the importance of upward communication through which subordinates give feedback and suggestions to their superiors. This type of communication should be encouraged and not suppressed, since valuable suggestions may sometimes come from employees. Superiors need to be open to the suggestions and complaints of employees. This is an indication that they are listening to their employees. Listening also means inviting suggestions and personal opinions of employees through regular downward communication. Another situation where listening to employees is of prime importance is during a performance appraisal. This is also part of downward communication. A manager doing a performance review of a subordinate should take care not to do a destructive review, where the subordinate is criticized for poor performance. On the other hand, a constructive review, through which a manager hears out the employees problems and reasons for lack of performance, is an indication of listening to the employee. In this case, he/she listens with empathy and understanding, what we defined earlier as empathetic listening. In such a situation, the manager should also practice therapeutic listening, whereby he/she counsels the employee on how to improve performance. 4.5.3 Listening during Job Interviews Listening is also a skill that is needed by both job interviewers and interviewees, in order to make the interview a success. Ideally, listening
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should take up half the interviewing time, although this rarely happens in reality, since one person or the other fails to listen for some reason or the other. We have discussed these barriers in detail. The relative importance of listening may vary, depending on the type of interview. In an employment interview where the purpose is to assess how well an applicant will perform on the job through discussion, listening will be equally important for both the interviewer and the interviewee. On the other hand, in an exit interview, where the purpose is to gather feedback from the employee regarding his reasons for leaving the organization, the interviewer may have to do more of the listening. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 12. Listening skills are equally important in all types of industries. 13. Customers should be made to apologize for making wrong complaints 14. Listening actively to a customer should be indicated through verbal communication. 15. Listening to employees, or inviting their suggestions involves only downward communication. 16. The type of listening during a job interview is mostly evaluative listening.
4.6 Summary
Listening is the most important of all the aspects of communication. More time is spent on the job in listening, rather than in speaking, reading or writing. Real listening is a tiring activity since it means understanding the meaning behind the speakers words and requires concentration. This is known as active listening, as opposed to passive listening, which is simply hearing the sound of the words. There are different types of listening, each of which is appropriate for different situations. They are Discriminative listening Comprehension listening Evaluative listening Appreciative listening
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Empathetic listening Therapeutic listening Dialogic listening
Empathetic listening and therapeutic listening are most often required in a business context, when communicating with customers and employees. Listening is not as easy as it seems, since a number of obstacles stand in the way of effective listening. They may be classified as Physiological barriers, such as hearing problems Physical barriers, such as distracting sounds Attitudinal barriers, such as not being open to others ideas Wrong assumptions, such as the perception that successful communication is the senders or speakers responsibility Cultural barriers, such as different accents Gender barriers, such as different listening styles of men and women Lack of training in listening skills Poor listening habits, such as pretending to listen Some of these barriers can be overcome by consciously adopting a few strategies such as the following Creating the right environment Communicating face to face Being open minded Using non-verbal cues to indicate listening Using verbal communication to indicate listening Listening fully before speaking Using the listener-speaker gap constructively Paying attention to verbal and non-verbal messages Paying attention to content, rather than delivery Taking notes Listening has been found to be a vital skill for job success and is one of the essential qualities of a good manager. Service industries such as insurance, banking and healthcare in particular, require good listening skills. Managers need to listen actively to their customers and employees. Customer orientation means identifying and satisfying customer needs. It also involves responding to customer complaints, in order to ensure that the customer is not dissatisfied. This requires listening with empathy and understanding.
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Listening to employees involves inviting their inputs and suggestions by encouraging upward communication. It is also important to listen to employees problems during a performance review and to suggest ways of overcoming these problems to improve performance. In addition to the above, listening is a skill that is required by interviewers and interviewees during job interviews, for gathering meaningful information.

1. As a student of management, which types of listening would you need to practice most often? Justify your answer. 2. Describe any situation in your experience where the communication failed because the listening was faulty. Identify the barrier to listening in this situation. How would you overcome this barrier? 3. How would you rate your own listening skills on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being excellent and 5 being poor. Which are your strong and weak areas? How would you overcome your weaknesses?
4.8 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. F F T F T i) b, ii) c, iii) d, iv) e, v) a Delivery; content Verbal; non-verbal Listeners; speakers Clarifications/questions; feedback/suggestions Curious; open-minded/attentive F F T F T
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Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 4.2 2. Refer 4.3 and 4.4 3. Refer 4.4
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Unit 5
Unit 5
Structure: 5.1 Introduction Objectives 5.2 General Principles of Writing 5.3 Principles of Business Writing 5.4 Summary 5.5 Terminal Questions 5.6 Answers
Guidelines for Written Business Communication
5.1 Introduction
This unit will focus on how to improve your written communication in general and will also provide some introductory guidelines for effective business writing. Errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation and typing can be harmful, since they can lead to misunderstanding of a message and make the receiver lose confidence in the sender. Therefore it is important to strive for perfection in writing, in order to ensure that your message is received accurately. At the same time, you must remember that general writing is very different from business writing in terms of tone, language and degree of formality of the communication. Some of the dos and donts of business writing will be highlighted, which will lay the foundation for more detailed units on writing business letters and reports, later in this book. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Evaluate your writing style Identify common errors in English usage Recognize the appropriate use of active and passive voice, grammar and punctuation Distinguish between general and business writing Compose a piece of business communication confidently
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5.2 General Principles of Writing

Written messages must be made as readable as possible, by making them uncomplicated and easy for even the average person to understand. Readability in turn is largely determined by the length of words, sentences and paragraphs. A common mistake made by writers, especially Indian writers, is to try and impress the reader by using flowery language and an oratory style of writing. Two broad principles of writing are Write to express, not to impress and Keep it short and sweet. A good writer is one who follows these principles and asks himself/herself even before framing a sentence What am I trying to say? What words will express it? Let us try to understand these principles by first looking at some tips on writing style, followed by some specific rules regarding English language usage, spelling and punctuation. 5.2.1 Tips on Writing Style Writing style can be vastly improved through the choice of words. Some of the common problems of word choice include use of complicated words, use of jargon, slang and colorful language and mistakes in various part-ofspeech categories. 1. Simple vs. Complex Words As far as possible, the sender should select words that are within the receivers vocabulary. If the words used are outside the vocabulary of the receiver, the latter may either not get the message at all, get the wrong message by guessing the meaning incorrectly, or wonder whether the sender intentionally selected a complicated word for making an impression. Therefore, it is better to rely on plain, simple words, such as the ones shown in the left column, rather than in the right column below, even though they mean the same thing About = Approximately Do = Accomplish Improve = Ameliorate Show = Demonstrate Change = Modify Ask = Interrogate
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This is because short, simple words convey ideas more effectively and require less time and space. They also invite the sender to concentrate on ideas, rather than calling attention to the words themselves. 2. Jargon, Slang and Metaphors Jargon refers to technical terms that belong to a particular subject area or discipline. For example, medical jargon would include terms that only medical practitioners and not the lay person might understand. Such terms are to be avoided in general writing, since they would be out of context. The only instance where jargon can be used and might be essential, is in reports of a highly technical nature, where the reader is in a position to understand these terms. Slang refers to casual words that are not accepted and recognized in a Standard English dictionary. While they could be used in a limited way in general or informal writing, they are to be avoided in business writing, which needs to be formal in nature. A metaphor is a figure of speech and refers to colorful comparisons which evoke visual images. Examples 1. He is rock solid in his support. 2. We provide an umbrella of insurance products for your security. While such comparisons may be used in informal writing or in the language of advertising, they are to be avoided in business communication which has to be objective and formal. 3. Parts of Speech In the same way that use of big, complicated words may result in receipt of the wrong message, use of small words in the wrong way grammatically could have the same result. Such problems exist in all part-of-speech categoriesNouns Just as the main actor in a film is the most important character, the subject in a sentence is the most important noun. There are two categories of nouns abstract nouns or nouns that cannot be visualized and concrete nouns or nouns that can be visualized. A message will be
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understood more clearly if concrete nouns are used as subjects in a sentence, rather than abstract nouns. Example Cancellation of the contract will be done in March. (use of abstract noun as subject) The contract will be cancelled in March. (use of concrete noun as subject) In the above example, the second sentence, using contract as the subject, is likely to be understood more clearly by the receiver. Not only is contract something which can be visualized, it also emphasizes the main idea in the sentence. Consider another example That decision can be made only by the supervisor. (abstract noun as subject) Only the supervisor can make that decision. (Concrete noun as subject) Pronouns Sometimes, using the masculine form of a pronoun might be taken in an offensive way by the receiver, especially if the receiver happens to be a woman. Even if the receiver is not a woman, the use of a masculine pronoun may convey the impression of being sexist. Consider the following example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but he has to be a specialist in the area of Finance. In the above sentence, the use of the masculine pronoun he conveys the unintentional message that professors can only be men and not women, which could be taken as an offense. Such offensive pronouns can be avoided in the following ways1. Avoid use of the pronoun completely Example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but a specialist in the area of Finance is required. 2. Repeat the noun Example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but the professor has to be a specialist in the area of Finance.
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3. Use a plural noun Example You need to consult some of your professors on that subject, but they have to be specialists in the area of Finance. (The use of they avoids implying that professors can be only men). 4. Use pronouns from both genders Example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but he or she has to be a specialist in the area of Finance. Another principle regarding use of pronouns is to avoid excessive use of the first person pronoun I, since this gives the impression that one is always talking about oneself. Never sound too pleased with yourself or boast of your own achievements. This is especially true of business writing, where it is important to be objective, rather than subjective. The second person pronoun you also needs to be used with care. A rule of thumb is to use the second person pronoun when emphasizing a positive idea or message and to avoid the second person when presenting a negative idea. The following example illustrates this You made a good presentation. You made a number of mistakes in the report. The first sentence contains a positive idea. Therefore, the second person pronoun should be used, since it gives credit to the person who made the presentation. On the other hand, the second sentence contains a negative idea and emphasizes that you are responsible. This should be avoided by framing the sentence differently, such as The report contained a number of mistakes. Verbs Since verbs are action words and action is an essential part of a sentence, correct use of verbs is important. Senders of messages must use verbs that agree in number with the subjects of the sentence. The following examples illustrate the misuse of verbs in sentences 1. Only one of the students are present. (Wrong usage) Only one of the students is present (right usage) 2. Each of the following reports have been modified. (Wrong usage) Each of the following reports has been modified. (Right usage)
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Note that the singular form of the verb and not the plural should be used in both the above sentences, to agree with the subject which is in singular form (Only one and Each). Verbs must also agree in person. The most common errors are made in agreement with the third person and the second person 1. He dont like to work late (wrong) He doesnt like to work late.(correct) 2. You was informed that the exams begin next week (wrong) You were informed that the exams begin next week. (Correct) Thirdly, since verbs indicate the time of action past, present or future, they should be used in the correct tenses. The tenses should also be used consistently. Consider the following examples 1. He listens to the presentation and gave his feedback. 2. The manager spoke to the customer, but does not respond to his complaint. In both the above sentences, it is not clear whether the event is past or present, since the tenses are not used uniformly. It is better to use two present tense verbs or two past tense verbs, but not one of each in the same sentence 1. He listens to the presentation and gives his feedback. 2. The manager spoke to the customer but did not respond to his complaint. Adjectives Adjectives give information about or describe nouns. Although they play a less important role in a sentence compared to verbs and nouns, they must be used with care. A common tendency is to use very strong adjectives, too many adjectives, or superlatives. Examples 1. Sales this year have been absolutely incredible. 2. That is the most wonderful, powerful and moving speech that I have heard in a long time. 3. Ours is the best product in the market today.
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In the first sentence, if a sales report is being written or presented, it would be better to give details about sales figures, rather than describe sales as incredible. In the second sentence, a single adjective could have been used in place of three adjectives, which are too many. The third example is a claim that needs to be defined ( i.e., best in what way?), or supported with adequate proof. Adverbs In the same way that adjectives describe nouns, adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Therefore, the same principles apply when using adverbs i.e., avoid use of adverbs that are too strong, or are superlatives Examples 1. Sales have been fantastically high this year. The adverb fantastically describes the adjective high and is too strong to be credible. 2. This secretary types the fastest. Here, the adverb fastest describes the verb types and is a superlative, which is to be avoided, unless it can be defined or supported with proof. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. It is better to use the word cognizant, rather than aware. 2. The expression Her voice was silky smooth is an example of a metaphor. 3. Abstract nouns should be used as the subject in a sentence. 4. The sentence Each of the following employees are being promoted is grammatically correct. 5. Positive ideas may be expressed by using the second person pronoun. 5.2.2 Active vs. Passive Voice We discussed the correct use of verbs in the previous section. Verbs may also be classified as active verbs and passive verbs. Using the active voice means that the subject is the doer of the action and that the verb is active. On the other hand, a sentence in passive voice means that the subject is the receiver of the action and that the verb is passive.
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Examples John wrote the report. (Active voice). The report was written by John (Passive voice). Note that in the first sentence, the use of the active voice draws attention to the doer of the action. Namely John. This gives a sharper picture to the receiver of the message. In the second example, the subject, i.e., the report, is emphasized more than the doer of the action, giving a less clear picture to the receiver. In most cases, the active voice is preferable to the passive, since it conveys ideas more vividly. However, there are instances when use of the passive voice is more appropriate When the Doer of the Action has to be Subordinated, rather than Highlighted For example, this is the case when writing research reports. It is more important to emphasize what has been done, rather than who has done something. Therefore, it would be better to say A questionnaire was prepared and interviews were conducted among a small sample., rather than saying I prepared a questionnaire and conducted interviews among a small sample. This makes the report more objective, rather than subjective. When an Unpleasant or Negative Idea has to be Subordinated Generally, negative thoughts should be de-emphasized and not highlighted. The passive voice comes in useful in such cases, as illustrated in the example below
The corrections in the report have not been carried out. (Passive voice) You have not carried out the corrections in the report (active voice) The first sentence downplays a negative idea the fact that the changes in the report have not been included and is therefore less annoying to the receiver than the second. Expressing the same idea in active voice may seem like pointing fingers at the doer of the action and is likely to upset human relations. 5.2.3 Spelling and Punctuation The important point to remember with regard to spelling is the difference between British English and American English. Certain words are spelt differently in British and American English. Here are a few examples
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British Humour Colour Analyse Organisation Programme Centre Cheque
American Humor Color Analyze Organization Program Center Check
Generally British spellings should be used, unless you are addressing an American audience. In any case, either British or American spellings should be uniformly used and not mixed together, in order to ensure greater readability. Another common mistake made with spellings is to confuse the noun form with the verb form. Consider the following examples Noun Licence Advice Practice Verb License Advise Practise
Some words may sound the same but have different meanings when spelt differently. Some words may include a single vowel that makes them sound different and have very different meanings. It is important not to get confused with the spellings of these words Examples 1. Compliment means to praise someone, whereas complement means to go with ( e;g; your jewelry complements your outfit). 2. Stationery refers to paper, pencils, etc., whereas stationary means still or not moving. Punctuation Correct use of punctuation is important in both general writing, as well as in business writing. The main categories of punctuation and their uses are highlighted below
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1. Apostrophe To form the possessive singular e.g., the Companys profits. To form the possessive plural of words ending in s e.g., the dealers margins. In expressions that indicate ownership e.g., last years records. 2. Parentheses or Brackets To separate a phrase from the main section of a sentence, when it is not related to it grammatically e.g., The Indian team tried their best (God knows it) but lost in the finals. 3. Colon * To suggest that a list will follow a statement in sentence form e.g. ,For three reasons, we have decided to expand our market : 1) 2) 3). 4. Comma To separate words in a series e.g., The main punctuation categories are the full stop, the comma, the colon, the semi colon and the apostrophe. To separate two adjectives that modify the same noun e.g., The MBA exam is a long, difficult, objective type exam. 5. Dash * To separate the words in a sentence which are not necessary for its structure e.g., His answer the correct answer was supported by examples drawn from his own experience. 6. Full stop or Period At the end of a sentence After abbreviations e.g, Dr., No., Jr. 7. Quotation Marks To enclose what is stated by others, verbatim e.g., The manager said I will review your progress every month. To enclose titles of magazine and newspaper articles e.g., Progress in Stem Cell Research.
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8. Semicolon It is a pause that is longer than that expressed by a comma and is used to separate clauses of a compound sentence when they have a comma. Example We would like the material to be delivered in the morning hours, but before 5 pm will also be convenient. We would like the material to be delivered in the morning hours; but if this is not possible for you, before 5 pm will also be convenient. 5.2.4 Common Errors in English Indian English tends to be prone to some common mistakes which should be avoided, in order to make the communication clear and easily understood by the receiver. Some of these mistakes include redundancies, clichs and frequently misused words. We will discuss each of these briefly. 1. Redundancies These refer to phrases which contain repetitive or unnecessary words to express the same meaning. This is a common Indian tendency and must be avoided. Consider the following sentences 1. In the first class, the professor taught the basic fundamentals of Marketing. 2. I have to return back home before midnight. The highlighted words are redundancies. In the first sentence, basic is an unnecessary word, since fundamentals themselves are basic; in the second sentence, it is sufficient to say return home and back is an unnecessary word. Here are a few more examples True facts Past history Exactly identical Personal opinion Other alternative A redundancy does not serve any purpose and is a mistake since it wastes words.
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2. Cliches These are phrases that are overused and should be avoided, since they make reading monotonous. They should be substituted with more original expressions. Some commonly used clichs are 1. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the students for attending this session. 2. Thanking you in advance, I remain . 3. Looking forward to meeting and discussing this with you at an early date. 4. No problem. In the first sentence, last but not least, which is a worn expression, could be substituted for finally. The clich thanking you in advance is presumptuous, since it assumes that the reader will do whatever has been asked of him. It seems to say that instead of thanking him later, you will save time by expressing your thanks now. Therefore, it is better to say I shall appreciate your (action)or If you will (action), I shall be grateful. In the third example, the expression at an early date is too vague and should be substituted with soon or with a specific date. The fourth example No problem, is a clich used commonly by Indians. Although it denies that there is a problem, the problem exists. You might have said for example, that you did not have enough cash to pay for something, in response to which the shopkeeper may have said No problem. We accept credit cards. Therefore this expression is avoidable. 3. Frequently Misused Words Certain words which sound similar or are spelt slightly differently tend to be used in the wrong context. Some examples are given below 1. All together and altogether All together means in one group, whereas altogether means completely. Example The answer is altogether wrong. The students were all together. 2. Already and all ready Already means at a previous time, whereas all ready means everything is ready. Example He had already left when I called. The computers are all ready to be used.
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3. Eminent and Imminent Eminent means well known, imminent means about to happen. Example An eminent lawyer will handle the matter. A midterm election is imminent. 4. Lose and loose Lose means to fail to keep carefully, loose means not tight. Example Dont lose the money. The shirt is too loose for him. 5. Principal and principle Principal means main or primary, principle means rule. Example The principal reason for leaving early is the peak hour traffic. One of the subjects studied in the first semester of MBA is Principles of Management. Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) Passive voice ii) American spelling iii) Quotation marks iv) Redundancy v) Frequently misused words a) b) c) d) e) Labor Full complete Raise and rise Enclose title of an article Negative ideas
5.3 Principles of Business Writing

Having dealt with writing in general, we will now go briefly into the specifics of business writing. As pointed out earlier, the language, style and tone of business writing is very different from general writing. Therefore, we will examine these aspects in some detail. 5.3.1 Tone We discussed tone of voice or paralanguage, in an earlier section on nonverbal communication. It was pointed out that the spoken words, however perfect, can convey a negative message, if the tone of voice is not consistent with what is said. Tone is equally important in conveying written messages, particularly business related messages.
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In written communication, tone refers to the way a statement sounds, which in turn, depends on the choice of words. A sentence or statement may be grammatically perfect, but may convey a negative message, if the choice of words is wrong. Example You failed to meet the sales target. The above statement has a negative tone, since it emphasizes what could not be achieved. The same idea could be expressed in a more positive tone, by emphasizing what could have been done instead. Example With a little extra effort, you could have achieved the target. The example shows that even a negative idea can be expressed in positive language through the use of appropriate words. The tone of business communication should also be confident. You should avoid language that makes you sound unsure of yourself. Consider the following example I hope you will agree that my qualifications match your job profile. Beginning the sentence with I hope creates the impression that you lack confidence in yourself. It might be better to say On reviewing my bio-data, you will find that my qualifications match your job needs in the following respects. While it is important to be self assured, avoid sounding over confident and pompous. Example I am sure you will agree that our Company has the best reputation for quality and service. Instead, something like We shall try to live up to our reputation for quality and service. would be more appropriate. Another aspect of tone is to sound courteous and sincere. This builds goodwill and good relations and increases the likelihood of a message achieving its objectives. Avoid statements such as the following
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You sent your complaint to the wrong department. You should have sent it to the shipping department. This sounds very discourteous and rude when responding to a customer complaint. Instead, it might be better to say We have sent your complaint to the concerned department, which will be contacting you shortly. Sincerity also means avoiding exaggeration and flattery, especially when communicating with customers. Consider the following examples 1. We are more interested in your satisfaction, than in making profits. 2. You are such a valued customer that we shall go to any lengths to earn your satisfaction. The first sentence sounds insincere, since the main objective of any organization is to make profits. The second sentence is exaggerated and unduly flatters the customer. It should be toned down by saying something such as We value your goodwill and will make quick efforts to ensure your satisfaction. Finally, the tone of business writing should be non-discriminatory. This means that the language that is used should not be offensive, irrespective of gender, religion or race. One way of ensuring this is to avoid sexist language by using neutral job titles, or titles that do not imply that a job is held only by a man. For example, the following titles should be used Chairperson, instead of Chairman. Salesperson, instead of Salesman If the readers gender is not known, use a non-sexist salutation such as Dear Customer, Investor, or Advertiser, instead of Dear Sir or Madam. Personal titles and salutations such as Dr., Professor, etc. should be also be used Wherever appropriate. 5.3.2 Emphasis and Subordination A business writer can be compared to an artist or a musician. Just like an artist or a musician tries to make certain elements stand out and others to get little attention, so too with the business writer. An important principle of
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business writing is to emphasize important ideas and to downplay unimportant ideas, so as to make the reader understand what you consider to be significant. Generally, pleasant and important thoughts are emphasized, while unpleasant and insignificant thoughts are subordinated or de-emphasized. Several techniques for emphasis may be used by the business writer Place the idea in the first paragraph or in the last paragraph, in order to get attention. Put the word that you wish to emphasize first or last in the sentence. Example Success comes through sincere efforts. Failure will result without them. Or, The event was a success. Without your efforts, it would have been a failure. Use the active voice to emphasize the doer of the action and the passive voice to emphasize the receiver of the action. Example John made the presentation. (Active) The presentation was made by John. (Passive). Use words such as primary, major and significant to lay emphasis. Example Cost is a significant factor to be taken into consideration. Use repetition. Example The Tata Nano is an inexpensive car. Inexpensive to purchase and Inexpensive to maintain. Number the ideas, so as to rank them in the order of importance Example The main reasons for his poor performance are 1) Lack of training 2) Lack of team skills and 3) Lack of motivation. Use visual elements such as bold type, capital letters, bigger font size and underlined words to emphasize key ideas. Example The Reva electric car is 25% LESS POLLUTING than other cars. Another point to be remembered regarding emphasis in business writing is to stress what is known as the you attitude, rather than the me attitude.
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This means explaining the benefits to the reader, understanding his situation and answering his unspoken question How is it relevant to me? Example Instead of saying, Our bank will be open 24 hours, say You will be able to avail of round-the-clock banking service. 5.3.3 Write at an Appropriate Level of Readability A third very important rule of business writing is to tailor your writing to your audience and to make it simple enough for even a layperson to read and understand. As pointed out in an earlier section, readability is determined by the length of words and sentences. Robert Gunning developed what is known as the Fog Index or a readability formula to measure the readability of a piece of writing. According to this formula, the appropriate reading level in business writing should be between 8 and 11. Calculation of the Fog Index involves the following steps 1. Select a written passage of approximately 100 words. 2. Calculate the average length of a sentence by dividing the total number of words in the passage by the number of sentences. 3. Find the number of difficult words. A word may be defined as difficult if it contains three or more syllables (e.g. communication).Determine the number of difficult words per hundred, by dividing the total number of words in the passage into the number of difficult words, then by multiplying this figure by 100. 4. Add the number of difficult words per hundred and the average sentence length. 5. Multiply the figure obtained in step 4 by 0.4, to calculate the reading grade level for which the passage was written, or the Fog Index. Ideally, the Fog Index should be between 8 and 11 for most business writing, indicating that a reader between the eighth grade and the eleventh grade should be able to understand it without difficulty. Activity Select an article from any business publication and measure its readability by calculating the Fog Index. Is the level of readability appropriate for the audience?
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Self Assessment Question Fill in the Blanks 7. The tone of business writing should not be ________ and _________. 8. Using the passive voice is a technique of _____________________. 9. Saying Our products are synonymous with quality and affordability is an example of ____________ _________________. 10. Readability is determined by ______________ ________________. 11. Saying Manpower instead of Human Resources is an example of ______________________ ______________________.
5.4 Summary
This unit explained some important guidelines for written communication in general and for business writing in particular. Regarding general writing, some tips on how to improve writing style through the choice of appropriate words were offered, such as Choosing short, uncomplicated words Using parts of speech correctly Avoiding jargon, slang and colorful language The appropriateness of the active and passive voice for different situations was also highlighted. The active voice draws attention to the doer of the action, while the passive voice draws more attention to the receiver of the action and is used in some types of business writing, such as reports. Regarding spelling, some common errors tend to be made in the following areas Confusion between British and American spellings Confusion between the spelling of the noun and verb form of certain words Mistakes in spelling of similar sounding words that have different meanings The main categories of punctuation and their uses were also explained in some detail.
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Some common mistakes made with regard to English language usage were pointed out, such as Redundancies, or use of unnecessary words Cliches, or worn out and overused phrases Frequent misuse of similar sounding words Business writing differs from general writing in terms of being more formal in tone. Some rules of good business writing include Making the tone positive, courteous, confident, sincere and nondiscriminatory, through the proper choice of words. Knowing which ideas to emphasize and which ones to downplay. Some techniques for doing this include placing ideas at the beginning or at the end, using active and passive voice, using emphatic words, repetition of words, use of visual elements and numbering of ideas. Stressing the you attitude, or benefits to the reader Writing at an appropriate level of readability. A formula for calculating the readability of a piece of writing, the Fog Index, was also explained.

1. Select any piece of general writing from a newspaper or magazine, of approximately 250 words in length. Evaluate it by determining the number of simple and complicated words, the correct usage of parts of speech and the use of jargon, slang and metaphors. Is it well or badly written, in your opinion? 2. What are some of the consequences of spelling and punctuation errors, redundancies, clichs and misuse of words? 3. How does general writing differ from business writing, in terms of language, style and tone?
5.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. F T F F
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5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
T i) e, ii) a, iii) d, iv) b, v) c Negative/insincere/discourteous/exaggerated / discriminatory Subordination/de-emphasis My attitude Sentence length/word length Sexist language/discriminatory tone
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 5.2.1 2. Refer 5.2.3 and 5.2.4 3. Refer 5.2 and 5.3
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Unit 6
Unit 6
Developing Oral Business Communication Skills
Structure: 6.1 Introduction Objectives 6.2 Advantages of Oral Communication 6.3 Oral Business Presentations 6.4 Summary 6.5 Terminal Questions 6.6 Answers
6.1 Introduction
Irrespective of your field or the type of job that you choose to take up, developing good oral communication skills is a must. Oral skills are needed for making effective presentations, participating in and conducting meetings, dealing with customers and interacting on a day-to-day basis with your superiors, peers and subordinates within the organization. Your oral communication skills often reveal your personality. Speaking effectively also gives you great visibility and confidence and can contribute to your career success. As you go up the corporate ladder, presentation speaking skills become more important than technical skills. Your ability to organize your ideas, present them and sell them to others is what determines your success. Surveys have revealed that business executives spend a good deal of time making presentations of different types. Whatever the nature of the presentation, it requires planning, developing a structure and strategy and using supports, to make it effective. This unit provides some detailed guidelines for enhancing the effectiveness of business presentations. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Explain the advantages of oral communication skills in a business context Classify oral communication into different categories
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Recognize the need for preparation of oral presentations Use a step-by-step approach for making presentations Select visual and other presentation aids for maximum effect
6.2 Advantages of Oral Communication

To recap briefly what was discussed in Unit 2, oral communication has some advantages compared to written communication. These include its personal quality, high interactivity, possibility of making immediate contact, instantaneous feedback and control over the receivers attention. Oral communication was also classified into oral face-to-face communication (meetings and presentations) and oral non face-to-face communication (teleconferencing, telephone and voice mail).While face-toface meetings are more effective than non face-to-face communication in most ways, they are expensive and impractical sometimes, due to the distance factor. Thanks to advances in technology, meetings today can still take place without being face-to-face, through teleconferencing. Teleconferencing allows participants at distant locations to speak and sometimes to see each other. Apart from the high cost and the difficulty in setting it up, teleconferencing has the same advantages as oral face-to-face communication. Example Several retailers like Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, make use of teleconferencing to keep their US headquarters in touch with their store managers worldwide. Some headhunters also make use of the facility to conduct preliminary interviews and shortlist candidates based in other countries, before inviting them for a face-to-face interview. Many multi-national corporations and large Indian organizations also use this facility extensively. In spite of its advantages, teleconferencing will not replace face-to-face meetings completely, since it is unsuitable for certain types of communication that involve brainstorming, negotiations, persuasion and problem solving. Telephone communication, another form of non face-to-face communication, has the biggest advantage of being able to contact a receiver who would be impossible to reach in person. Today, mobile phones
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have made it even easier to contact people who are on the move. Telephone communication also has a personal quality and permits the use of some non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, to enhance the communication. Voice mail is a type of telephone communication and is similar to an answering machine. Although it is generally inferior to speaking in person to the other party, it has some advantages. When you leave a recorded message, you can make your point felt and save time that might be wasted in exchanging pleasantries. Invitations can also be declined without having to give an explanation or reason, or having the other person talk back. Thus, there is greater control over how the message is composed and delivered. Besides, voice mail also makes it possible to keep a permanent record of the communication, unlike other types of oral communication. In spite of these advantages however, voice mail has not caught on in India. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. Conflicts between co-workers can be resolved through teleconferencing. 2. Asking for a few days of leave from work may be done through voice mail. 3. Telephone communication has the advantage of providing immediate feedback.
6.3 Oral Business Presentations

Oral business presentations are a powerful way of presenting your ideas to others and are usually called for when a written memo or report will not be sufficient to do the job. A written report tends to be less persuasive and may also be set aside without being read, whereas an oral presentation commands attention and fetches immediate feedback. Besides, approval for important ideas is rarely given without a face-to-face explanation. Presentations may be made to both internal audiences superiors, peers and subordinates, as well as to external audiences consumers, intermediaries, bankers, suppliers etc. Presentations may also be of different types, each with a different purpose. Some of the most common
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types of presentations and the audiences to whom they are addressed are mentioned in the table below
Type/Purpose of Presentation Briefing and Information Orientation Training Reporting Research Findings Reporting Progress Highlighting Companys Achievements TV and Radio Interviews to describe Company Viewpoints Introduction Product Presentation Project Proposal Policy Proposal Marking Special Occasions Example New online leave application procedure Orientation on Distance Education Terminology How to operate a new software Consumer satisfaction survey Report of weekly sales Reporting awards won by the Company Describing companys position on environmental issues Overview of the company Highlighting features of a new product New project undertaken by the company New mobile reimbursement policy Presentation at company anniversary celebrations Audience Employees Employees Employees Superiors Superiors Media Society at large
New employees Consumers, Intermediaries Bankers Superiors Internal and external audiences
6.3.1 Steps in Making Oral Presentations The table above indicates that oral presentations can range from simple to more complex ones, each with a different purpose. Whatever the nature of the presentation however, the same steps in planning and preparation are to be followed. In this section, we shall discuss each of these steps in detail. 1. Definition of the Purpose of the Presentation Before preparing for the presentation, it is important to be clear on the goal of the presentation. A statement of purpose, expressing what you want
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to achieve through the presentation should be framed, so that it becomes easy to measure whether the goal has been accomplished or not. The purpose of the presentation may be stated in broad or general terms, or in more specific terms. A general statement of purpose could be expressed in terms of one of the following To Inform A presentation that seeks to inform would merely create awareness about developments and progress on specific fronts, or try to spread knowledge about something new. In the table above, the first eight types of presentations are aimed at informing different audiences about something or the other new procedures, new terminology, new software, findings of a study, sales progress, company achievements, viewpoints and background. To Persuade A presentation that aims to persuade would try to change the attitude or behavior of the audience. It usually involves selling either a product, or an idea. In the above table, the product presentation, project proposal and policy proposal, are all persuasive presentations. The product presentation seeks to persuade consumers to try a new product, the project proposal tries to persuade bankers to provide funds for a new project and the policy proposal tries to persuade top management to adopt a new policy of reimbursing mobile expenses. To Entertain A presentation with this purpose is meant to make the audience relax and have a good time. In the table above, presentations marking special occasions such as the company anniversary, may merely focus on making people feel good about them.
Although it is useful to define the general purpose of a presentation, it is more important to frame a specific statement of purpose, which clearly spells out the answers to the following questions 1. Whom do I want to influence? 2. What do I want them to do at the end of the presentation? 3. How do I want them to do it? 4. When? 5. Where?
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Example I want 50% of my prospective customers to be convinced enough to walk in to the store and try out the new product on a trial basis, within the next one week. The above statement of purpose describes the reaction that you are seeking from your audience and also describes the goal in measurable terms. The number of customers who walk into the store and sample the product during the one week period would indicate whether the goal has been achieved or not. As far as possible, the goal should be quantified, so that it is measurable. Presentation goals should also be realistic, keeping in mind the limitations of time, the topic of the presentation and the nature of the audience. For example, a presentation that aims to train employees on the use of complicated software should not expect them to become experts at the end of the session. 2. Development of the Key Idea The key idea of a presentation is a statement that expresses the main message to be conveyed to your audience. It is different from a statement of purpose, in that the purpose is generally meant for yourself as the presenter, while the key idea is mentioned to the audience at the beginning of the presentation. Example If the purpose is to persuade a prospective customer to try out your companys brand of vacuum cleaner, the key idea or message may be to explain how your brand is superior to other brands, feature for feature. Once the key idea is clearly stated, it becomes easy to develop the rest of the presentation. 3. Audience Analysis Making a good presentation alone is not enough. It also has to be tailored to your listeners, in such a way that they understand and appreciate it. The following information should be gathered about your audience, even before you begin preparing for the presentation Job Designations and Areas of Expertise You need to find out whether the audience comprises of specialists in a particular area such as information technology, or generalists. If they are specialists, your presentation could include technical aspects and jargon, which they
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would be able to understand. If not, you may have to make the presentation more simple, or explain some of the terms elaborately. Preferred Style of Presentation It would also be relevant to know the personal preferences of your audience, with regard to the style of presentation that they are most comfortable with. Some people may prefer a more informal or conversational style with some humor thrown in, to a more formal style. Others may like the presentation to be made at a slower pace. It should be remembered however, that humor should be used with care, so that it is relevant and does not offend the audience. Analyzing all this in advance would help in determining how the presentation should be delivered. Demographic Characteristics of the Audience The gender, age, cultural background and economic status of the audience also needs to be studied in advance, so that the presentation may be tailored to appeal to that particular audience.
Example A financial planner addressing an audience comprising of senior citizens, is likely to suggest investment options that would be different from those that might be suggested for a younger audience. Size of the Audience The size of the audience would determine your presentation style, the time set aside for questions and answers, the size of visuals and so on. With a smaller group, the presentation could be made less formal, the time for questions and answers less and the visuals smaller, than for a larger group. The Level of Knowledge on the Subject You need to know how familiar your audience is with the subject of the presentation. If the audience comprises of experts in that particular area, basic explanations may not be needed. On the other hand, if the level of familiarity is not so high, a lot of background information and explanation will be required. The Attitude of the Audience The attitude of your listeners, both towards you as a speaker and towards the topic of the presentation, needs to be studied in advance. If the audience is prejudiced towards you for some reason, you may have to alter your style of presentation considerably. If the presentation happens to be on a sensitive topic, you
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may have to proceed very tactfully. This is especially true of presentations that aim to persuade. 4. Analysis of Yourself as a Speaker Apart from analyzing your audience, you also need to do a self-analysis to determine your own purpose of making the presentation, your level of knowledge on the subject and your feelings about the subject. As explained earlier, a clear statement of the specific purpose of the presentation should be developed. If you have a choice of subject, it is always better to speak on a subject on which you are an authority. If the choice is not given to you and you are less knowledgeable, then it is important to research the subject thoroughly, so that you are in a position to anticipate and answer any questions. Finally, you need to assess your feelings about the subject and make sure that you are convinced enough to be able to persuade others as well. This is similar to a salesperson being convinced about a product to be sold.. 5. Analysis of the Circumstances This includes taking into consideration any limitations of infrastructure, time and context that might affect your presentation in any way. For example, if you will be speaking in a small room where the lighting and the acoustics are insufficient, you may have to overcome these limitations by altering the seating arrangement, using brighter visuals and speaking loudly. If the presentation is to be made after lunch, it may have to be made more attention getting, so that the audience is kept alert. If you are making a presentation as part of a team, your style of presentation has to be consistent with that of your team members. 6. Preparation of Outline Once the initial groundwork has been done, you will need to develop an outline of your presentation. Irrespective of the nature and purpose of the presentation, a standard format is generally followed, including the following Introduction This should include an attention getter to get the audience involved and interested in the presentation topic. Several techniques may be used to command attention, which will be discussed later. The key idea, or main message which was discussed earlier, will also be conveyed to the audience during the introduction.
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Body or Main Section This is where the main points will be presented and elaborated upon. It is best to limit the number of main points to five, so as not to overload the listeners with too much information. Conclusion A brief summary of the presentation, along with concluding remarks would be included in this section. The conclusion should have as much punch as the attention getter in the introduction.
7. Collection of Information and Material Once the outline of the presentation has been developed, you will need to start gathering the relevant material. This is a time consuming process and requires a fair amount of research. The information can generally be gathered from existing sources such as magazines, newspapers and the internet. Sometimes, you may need to do original research in the form of a survey to gather fresh data. For example, if you are making a presentation on a new product, you may have to conduct a survey to find out how consumers feel about that product concept and also about similar, competing products. 8. Organization of the Body The body of the presentation should always be prepared before the introduction. Organizing the body consists in identifying the key points that will support your main idea and then selecting an organizational plan to develop these key points. Let us take our earlier example of a sales presentation on a vacuum cleaner to prospective customers, where the key idea is to highlight that it is superior to competing brands. The main points in this case may be 1. It has greater cleaning power than other brands. 2. It is more affordable 3. It is easier to use than other brands. Once the main points have been determined, sub points can be developed to expand on each of these. The next step is to choose an organizational plan to present these main and sub points. Example In the case of a sales presentation such as the above, a problem-solution pattern or plan may be followed, where the customer is
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confronted with a problem and the product is offered as a solution to the problem. 9. Planning the Introduction Since the introduction is where you make the first impression, it should be planned with care. It should take up between 10 and 15 percent of your total speaking time. At the outset, you need to try and establish your credibility, by showing that you are qualified to speak on the subject of the presentation. An attention getting opener should be developed, using techniques such as humor, dramatic questions, an interesting story, a quotation or a startling statement. Example Do you know that the number of road accidents last year touched the 100,000 mark? Once audience attention has been captured, the main idea should be stated clearly, followed by a preview of the entire presentation, so that people know what to expect. 10. Planning the Conclusion The conclusion of a presentation should be shorter than the introduction and occupy only 5 per cent of the entire presentation. Generally, every conclusion should have a review and a closing statement. The review is essentially a reinforcement of the key idea and a summary of the main points. The main points can be enumerated, as in the outline of the presentation. The closing statement should be as strong as your opening statement, so that your audience will remember the presentation. Therefore, the same techniques used to capture audience attention may also be used to prepare a good closing statement. In the case of persuasive presentations, the closing statement can include a call for immediate action. Example Now that you have seen what our vacuum cleaner can do, walk into our store today to place your order and avail of an early bird discount! 11. Selection of a Delivery Style Once your presentation has been adequately prepared in terms of content, you also need to ensure that it will be delivered effectively, by selecting an appropriate style of delivery.
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Five different delivery styles are available to speakers Speaking Impromptu In this case, the speaker is called upon to say a few words without any warning or advance notice. Since there is little or no time given for preparation, it is suited for only expert speakers. Impromptu speeches should be brief, simple and direct, compared to prepared speeches. Speaking Extemporaneously This is different from speaking impromptu. While impromptu speeches are delivered on the spot and not rehearsed, an extemporaneous speech is prepared and rehearsed in advance, but delivered naturally, without the support of notes or other aids. This is the delivery style used by experienced professionals, who have sufficient knowledge of the subject to be able to speak without relying on notes. Memorizing the Presentation This is the least appealing style of delivery, since it comes across as unnatural and monotonous to the audience. A speaker who memorizes and delivers a presentation word for word will also be at a disadvantage if he forgets a part of the speech, since he or she will be unable to speak naturally. Reading from Written Notes This consists in reading the entire presentation from notes. It is a method used by government or business officials and may be appropriate when the material to be presented is highly technical or complex. However, it has some limitations. First, it gives the impression that the speech is very long and heavy. Secondly, it prevents the presenter from making eye contact with the audience. Speaking from Notes This is generally the most effective style of delivery. It consists in jotting down the main ideas in point form on index cards and then referring to these cards merely as a trigger while speaking. If the main ideas are put down briefly on the cards, the speaker can elaborate on these ideas in his own words and speak for any length of time. The presentation is likely to be more effective, since it comes across as natural and permits eye contact with the audience.
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Self Assessment Question 4. Match the following i) General purpose statement ii) Quantified goal iii) Audience size, age and gender iv) Use of humor v) Trigger words a. b. c. d. e. Demographics To persuade Specific purpose statement Speaking from notes Opening and closing statements
6.3.2 Using Visual Aids to Support Presentations The use of visual aids enhances the effectiveness of a presentation and involves the audience more than a pure oral presentation. As the saying goes, A picture is worth a thousand words. Several studies have indicated that presentations made with visual support have been more successful in persuading audiences than presentations without visuals. Visuals have also been found to make the information in presentations more memorable. In addition, graphics help speakers to illustrate ideas and to answer questions. However, visual aids should be used only where relevant and not just for the sake of it, since they may distract the attention of the audience from the speakers main message. A speaker has a wide variety of visual aids to choose from. Some of the commonly used types of visual aids are Product Demonstrations Since seeing believes, a sales presentation can be more effective and convince a prospective customer to try a product, if it is shown in actual use. Photographs Photographs are true to life and are an effective way of illustrating products and a variety of other images. They are highly credible and can be used as proof to support facts. Diagrams These are two dimensional drawings which can convey information about size, shape and structure for example, floor plans. Lists and Tables These are an effective way of highlighting facts and figures and of making comparisons for example, comparing last years profits with this years profits. Pie Charts and Graphs Pie charts help to illustrate percentages of a single item for example, the percentage of the total students in each
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area of specialization of an MBA program. Graphs are good for illustrating trends, or growth in sales and profits over time. Once the type of visual aid has been decided, the medium for presenting the visual aid needs to be selected. Again, a variety of media are available to the presenter. The relative advantages and disadvantages of each of these media and some guidelines for use of these media will be discussed. 1. Flip Chart This consists of a large pad of thick chart paper attached to an easel, where different pictures are shown on separate charts one at a time, by turning the pages. At the end of the presentation, the charts can be flipped over to recap the session, hence the name flip chart. Flip charts are commonly used during sales presentations and business meetings. They have the advantages of being easy to prepare, use, carry and set up. However, they are unsuited for making a presentation to a large audience. They are also clumsy and can become worn out after repeated use. 2. Transparencies These are clear sheets used with an overhead projector to project an image on the screen. It is possible to transfer text or visuals from other sources on to a transparency, by using a copy machine. It is also possible to write directly on the transparency with special marker pens, during the presentation. Transparencies have a number of advantages. Unlike flip charts, they are better suited for large audiences. Unlike other visual aids, they are also easier and quicker to produce, since you can copy visuals from other sources, instead of creating them from scratch. You can also write on them as you speak and later erase what you have written and reuse them. The disadvantage of using transparencies is that they are unwieldy and require an overhead projector that may not always function. The speaker also has to position him or herself in such a way that the projector does not block anyones view. Some dos and donts of using transparencies for a presentation are Switch off the overhead projector when you are not showing transparencies. Use a piece of paper to cover the parts of the transparency that you have not yet discussed. Reveal the information on the transparency as
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and when you discuss that point, so that the audience does not get ahead of you. Use a pointer to refer to the information on the transparency as you speak. Face the audience and point to the transparency on the glass top of the projector, instead of turning your back and pointing to the screen.
3. Power Point Slides This is an effective visual aid, since it lends a touch of sophistication and professionalism to the presentation. It is ideal for presentations where technical pictures and elaborate diagrams are needed to illustrate ideas to the audience. Power point slides are easy to store, since they are less unwieldy than flip charts and transparencies. It is also possible to transfer photographs, logos and other visuals directly on to the slide. The disadvantage of power point is that it tends to be overused for the sake of technology, gimmickry and special effects. This tends to distract the attention of the audience from what the speaker is saying. Therefore, power point slides should be prepared carefully and used judiciously. The table below lists some dos and donts of preparing and using power point slides for presentations Checkpoints for Using Power Point Slides 1. Do not make the layout of the PPT slides too cluttered or crowded. 2. Do not prepare too many or too few slides. Around 12 slides should be sufficient for a one hour presentation. 3. Plan to spend about 2 3 minutes talking on each slide, excluding the title and outline of the presentation. 4. Pay attention to the font size, number of words and number of lines on a slide. 7 words per sentence and 7 lines per slide is a general rule of thumb. 5. Make the slides look sober and dignified, not over-decorated. 6. Ensure that the style and format used in the slides are consistent. 7. Make the text on the slide crisp, avoiding unnecessary articles and prepositions. Choose key words and phrases, instead of long sentences. 8. Add value to what is on the slide, by explaining key points. Avoid reading directly from the slide.
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9. Balance the time spent on each slide. Do not spend too much time on some slides and rush through the rest. 10. Coordinate your explanation with the slide numbers. 11. Focus on the main points mentioned in the slides. Avoid needless frills and trivialities. 4. Handouts These are printed details on the topic of the presentation that are distributed to the audience. They have the advantage of providing a permanent record of your ideas. They also provide extra information which you may not be able to cover during your oral presentation. For example, if you are making a presentation on a new product, the technical features of the product, along with some illustrations, could be included in the handout for the audience to study later. Handouts can also reduce the need for the listeners to take notes during your presentation. This way, their attention will be completely focused on what you are saying. One problem with handouts is that the audience may study them during the presentation, instead of listening to you speaking. This can be avoided by telling them to study it later, or by distributing them at the end of the session. 5. Computerized Displays These are images stored on your own computer screen or laptop, which can be shown to the audience to illustrate your ideas. This is an inexpensive and convenient type of visual aid and requires little effort or advance preparation. However, it is suitable only for small audiences, due to its small size. One way of overcoming this and using it to make a presentation to a large audience, is to use an LCD projector to project the images on to a big screen. 6. Videotapes These are audio-visual aids that exploit the attention getting properties of television for maximum impact. Using videotapes to support a presentation can add value when you wish to illustrate action for example, to show a sportsperson in action, a product demonstration in a TV commercial, or a speakers gestures. However, like other visual aids, they should not be used for the sake of entertainment. Attention should also be paid to producing them carefully, to make sure that the quality is of a high standard.
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No matter which type of visual aid you choose to support your presentation, some basic rules need to be followed when using them 1. Use Visual Aids only if they Add Value Make sure that you have a reason to use a visual, rather than using it for its own sake. If your ideas are better explained through words, avoid the visual, since this will only distract the attention of the audience. 2. Match your Visuals with the Level of the Audience Your visual aids should be made more or less sophisticated, depending on your audience. For example, if you are making a presentation to top management, the graphics should be extremely polished. For less formal presentations, simple graphics created on your own computer or laptop should be sufficient. 3. Make the Visuals Clear and Large enough Avoid creating visuals that are so small that that they have to be described. It is better to use no visual support, than to use visuals that cannot be seen. 4. Make the Visuals Simple When creating visuals, avoid making them too intricate and detailed, so that the audience can understand them without difficulty. 5. Avoid Too Much Text with Visuals Visuals should have short captions, using only key words and simple typefaces, so that attention is drawn to the visual alone. 6. Give each Visual a Title and Number For the sake of easy identification, make sure that each visual is given an appropriate caption and is numbered. 7. Show a Visual Only When You Discuss it Revealing a visual before you are ready to describe it will only distract the attention of the audience from what you are saying now. 8. Remove Visuals After Use Similarly, blank out, erase, or turn off visuals soon after you have explained them, so that the audience can focus attention on what you are saying next.
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9. Check if Visuals will Work Beforehand Remember to check all the facilities in the presentation room before the session, to ensure that the visuals can be shown without any problem. 10. Rehearse Setting Up Visuals Practice using the visuals before the presentation, so that you are familiar with the sequence, when to show and remove them, without any confusion. Activity Attend any presentation of your choice where the speaker uses visual support. Evaluate its effectiveness, based on what was discussed in this unit. What feedback and suggestions would you give the speaker, regarding the use of visual aids?
Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 5. Two types of visual aids that can make presentations more credible are _______________ and ______________ ____________________. 6. _________________ are better suited for large audiences than ____________________. 7. Power point slides should not be ____________________ and _______________________. 8. In general, visuals should be prepared to match the __________________. 9. Two types of media for presenting visual aids to a small audience are _______________ and ____________________ .
6.4 Summary
The main advantages of oral communication are its high interactivity, personal quality, possibility of making quick contact, immediate feedback and command over the listeners attention. Oral communication may be classified into face-to-face (meetings and presentations) and non face-toface (teleconferencing, telephone and voice mail) communication. While face-to-face communication is superior in most ways, it is also time consuming and expensive, when people are separated by distance.
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Teleconferencing is a good substitute for face-to-face communication and has the same advantages, except that it is unsuitable for certain types of communication. Telephone communication makes it possible to contact people who would otherwise be impossible to reach. Voicemail makes it possible to keep a permanent record of the communication and to control the content of a message. Oral business presentations are needed when written communication alone cannot do the job, such as persuading audiences and getting approval for ideas. Oral presentations are of different types and may have different purposes. They may be made to both internal and external audiences. Irrespective of its nature and purpose, the steps involved in preparing a presentation are the same and include the following Defining the general and specific purpose Developing the key idea, or main message Analyzing the audience their areas of expertise, preferred style of presentation, demographic characteristics, knowledge levels and attitudes Analyzing your knowledge and attitude as a speaker Analyzing the limitations of infrastructure, time and context Preparing a presentation outline Collecting information Organizing the body, introduction and conclusion Selecting a style of delivery Presentations should try to use visual aids wherever relevant, since visuals are more attention getting, persuasive and memorable. Several types of visual aids may be used in presentations, such as product demonstrations, photographs, diagrams, lists and tables, pie charts and graphs. These aids may also be presented through a variety of media, including flip charts, transparencies, power point slides, handouts, computerized displays and videotapes. Each of the above media has its advantages as well as its limitations and should be used depending on the nature of the presentation and the characteristics of the audience. The guidelines for using these aids should be carefully followed, so as to achieve maximum impact. In general, visual
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aids should be used only when they are relevant. Attention should be paid to the design, to ensure that visuals are kept simple, yet sophisticated enough, depending on the audience. The presentation should be rehearsed to make sure that visuals are displayed at the right time.

1. Select a company of your choice in a sector that you would like to work in. Imagine that you have to make a brief presentation on this company to business school students. Develop a) A general and specific statement of purpose b) The key idea c) Your style of delivery. 2. Taking the same example above, list out the types of visuals and media for presentation of these visuals that you will select. Why would these visuals and visual aids be most appropriate? 3. Prepare an outline of a presentation, encouraging prospective students to enroll in the SMU MBA program.
6.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. F F T i) b, ii) c, iii) a, iv) e, v) d Photographs, product demonstrations Transparencies, flip charts Cluttered/overcrowded, over-decorated Audience Flip charts, computerized displays
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 6.3.1 2. Refer 6.3.2 3. Refer 6.3.1
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Unit 7
Reading Skills for Effective Business Communication
Structure: 7.1 Introduction Objectives 7.2 What is reading? 7.3 Types of reading 7.4 SQ3R Technique of Reading 7.5 Summary 7.6 Terminal Questions 7.7 Answers
7.1 Introduction
Apart from listening, written and oral skills, business executives also need to equip themselves with reading skills, in order to succeed in the workplace. These skills are very different from what you require as a student of management. The types of reading that you will have to do at the workplace will be varied sometimes you may have to do extensive reading of professional books, magazines and journals; at other times you may be required to study research reports in an intensive manner. Often, business executives are also asked to scan newspapers and magazines to collect information, or to read and condense business related articles for their busy superiors. Unless you familiarize yourself with the different techniques of reading, you will not be successful. This unit deals with the different purposes and types of reading and some special techniques that should be applied, in order to extract the most out of reading. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to: Explain how active reading enhances comprehension and retention. Describe the text that is read and relate it to other texts Select different types of reading for different purposes Use scanning to read passages for specific information
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7.2 What is Reading?

The following are a few definitions/descriptions regarding the process of reading. Reading is thinking under the stimulus of the printed page (Webster, 1982:30) Reading is a psycho-linguistic guessing game (Webster, 1982:19) Reading comprehension means understanding a written text. Understanding a written text is extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible. Francoise Grellet 1991:3) The above definitions/descriptions suggest that when we read any piece of text, we understand the given text at three levelsi) Pure, literal response to the familiar words on the page there is no indepth understanding. ii) Recognition of the writers meaning. In other words, we read and recognize the intention of the author in writing the given text. iii) Personal experience, which helps you to understand the given matter. All these three levels could be described thus: When you read, you read the lines, read between the lines and also read beyond the lines. So reading is nothing but a decoding process. ENCODER/WRITER MESSAGE DECODER/READER
7.2.1 Purposes of Reading We read many things in our day-to-day lives. Some of them include Newspapers and magazines Advertisements, leaflets and pamphlets Textbooks, novels and short-stories Letters Email Recipes, puzzles, menus Articles, reports, legal documents Dictionaries, telephone directories Cartoons, comic strips Time-tables, maps, statistical graphs and diagrams
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The above items are read either for knowledge, personal interest, pleasure, or to gather information. For you as students, the purpose of reading is either for interest, pleasure or to acquire information and knowledge. Reading for interest or pleasure is usually fulfilled through reading fiction, while reading to learn is associated with informative articles. Reading for information may be both internal and external. When you read for necessary background information about what is going on within the company where you work, or within your group, it is called reading for internal information. Reading for information about what is going on in your field, but outside your own company, is called reading for external information. You may also need to do something concrete in the near future after you have read whatever it is you are reading. This is known as action reading. Professional reading is done when you need to continue learning and studying, so that you develop your own thinking and skills. However, you should bear in mind that a text is not written strictly for any one purpose. For instance, a biography or an autobiography may be read by one person for personal interest, to understand the life story of an individual. The same book may also be read by a research scholar, for research purposes. Peoples interest in reading is so varied, that any text could meet any purpose. 7.2.2 Reading as a Skill Similar to listening, reading, for many of us, is a passive process, where we sit down, relax and run our eyes through the words on the page. However, meaningful reading, or reading with understanding, is considered an active process. A reader can understand a text only when he/she actively uses his/her mental faculties. Therefore, to read efficiently, one has to have: Knowledge of the writing system of the language Knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of the language Ability to interpret A reason for reading and the appropriate method of reading Knowledge of the world (experience/background knowledge)
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When all these requirements are used efficiently while reading, understanding will be effective and meaningful. Thus, reading is a skill, which has to be acquired through constant experimentation. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. We cannot understand the intention of the author while reading any given text. 2. A book is read only for the pleasure of reading it. 3. The intention of reading a medical report is to gain information. 4. Reading is an encoding process of communication.
7.3 Types of Reading

As mentioned earlier, we read in different ways, depending on the purpose for which we are reading a text. Let us look at a few types of reading. 7.3.1 Skimming Let us say that you are a student of management; and as suggested by your professor, you need to buy a reference text book on Investment Management, or to write a paper on Computer Graphics. You go to a book store and see a rack full of books, with the same title, but different authors. You do not have time to read the pages before deciding on buying the book. Therefore, you quickly go through the contents, title page and the blurb (This is a short piece of writing on the cover of a book that reviews and promotes the book). By now, you have decided to buy one book. This type of reading that you do in the book store is known as skimming. Thus, skimming may be defined as looking over a text/book quickly, in order to get a general or superficial idea of the content. Activity 1 (An exercise in skimming) Match the following business publications with the extracts given below. 1. A text book on modern management 2. A travel guide for businessmen 3. A companys monthly newsletter 4. A computer software manual 5. A companys annual report 6. A leading business daily
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a) One of the most popular hill stations in India, Munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. Located at 1600 mts. above sea level, it has an area of 26.2 sq. km., with a temperature of 15.2-25 C insummerand 0 - 10 C during winter. The best time to visit Munnar is from September to May. b) Tokyo stocks drifted downwards on Tuesday, amid light trading, with the Nikkei 225 losing 0.41 per cent to 17.760.91, as investors waited for fresh data from Japan and the US at the end of the week. c) To be an effective manager in todays competitive world, you must keep up-to-date with the latest developments in technology. Technology is changing rapidly and the pace of innovation is accelerating. New technologies are being developed all the time and this puts even more pressure on managers. d) The line, rectangle and oval tools are in Flash function, as you would expect from using other graphic programs. i) Click the Oval tool. ii) Drag the work area to the right. Dont worry about the color or fill. iii) Click the white triangle at the right when you are ready to continue. e) We are pleased to announce the appointment of Shashank Bhat as our new Director of Human Resources. Shashank began his career at Nimbus, after leaving University. He has been working at the Head Office since last year. Shashank is married and has one daughter. f) Towards the end of the year, we saw a slight improvement in our market share in the United States. A more optimistic economic situation there helped our sales to grow by just under 15% in the second half of the year. This was partly due to some very strong competition from other firms.
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7.3.2 Scanning As you read a text, editorial or an article, you may suddenly come across a word that is not familiar to you. Naturally, you would like to know the meaning of the word, for your own benefit. So you get the dictionary and carefully find the word. You see the spelling, pronunciation, meaning and also the various uses of the same word (if any). This type of careful reading to find out the specific, clear details, is known as scanning. In this case, you do not just run your eyes across the page, but look into the information for specific details. Let us go through the following exercise, to be familiar with what scanning is all about. Activity 2 (An exercise in scanning) Read the article and answer the questions that follow: Simon Harris, a senior executive in the London branch of the computer firm Samex Systems, regularly arrives at work wearing jeans, trainers and a colorful pullover. His secretary, Martine, is seen dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt and designer jeans. Samex Systems recently decided to allow its 1,500 employees to leave their pin-stripe suits and smart frocks in the wardrobe and to wear casual clothes to work. Samexs Human Resource Director, Norma Leaman is responsible for introducing the new policy. I travel quite a lot to the USA. Many of the companies I visit there no longer have strict dress codes. In fact, many employees wear practically what they like. Norma decided to introduce casual dress as an experiment in the company. We started off by allowing people to dress in a more relaxed way once a week. Then we extended it to two days a week. Now most employees can wear more relaxed dress when they like. There are, of course, still some rules. Dirty or untidy clothes are not allowed. Male employees are told not to wear earrings at work. And for some people, there is till a dress code. Sales staff do not go out on visits wearing jeans. Overseas visitors especially if they come from the Far East are not welcomed by executives in Bermuda shorts and beach shirts. The fashion for casual dress at work started on the west coast of the United States. American hi-tech companies found that younger
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employees were happier with a less formal style. In the information technology industry, the division between office and home is not very important, says consultant Luis Rodriguez. Many people work at home wearing the clothes they feel most relaxed in. When they are in the office, they just dont see the need to dress very formally. Rodriguez has carried out a survey on dress among 700 US companies. We found that about 70% of companies allowed employees to wear casual clothes on some occasions. There are a number of explanations for the more relaxed modern style, according to Rodriguez. Companies with a higher proportion of women employees tend to be more relaxed about dress codes. It is also significant that there are many younger people in positions of power. You now find senior managers in their early thirties or even younger. They just dont want to dress like their grandfather did. Even the most traditional companies have been caught up in the new fashion. Take MFD Securities, a City of London investment firm. For many years, executives had to wear white shirts, dark suits, and ties. Now they are allowed to wear more casual jackets and trousers. Jeans, however, are not allowed. Our customers are getting younger and younger, says MFD spokesperson Jan Martin. Often they are happier dealing with someone of their own age and background. And that means dressing in a more informal way. However, not all companies are following the trend. A junior executive in a Paris bank recently arrived at work to find four brand new white shirts on his desk. This was his companys way of saying that blue and yellow striped shirts were not acceptable. Answer the following questions: 1. How have Samex changed their dress policy recently? 2. How was the change introduced? 3. What rules still exist in Samex? 4. What were the results of the Rodriguez survey? 5. Do all City companies have a strict dress code? 6. What experience did a French executive recently have? (Taken from: Milne John Morrison. Business Language Practice.)
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7.3.3 Extensive Reading As we have already mentioned, our way of reading is influenced by the purpose of our reading. Most of us have the habit of reading especially when we are free, or have a lot of leisure time. We might get hold of a novel, a comic strip, or a magazine. When we read for the pure pleasure of reading, it is known as extensive reading. However, it should not be given less priority, because it is extensive reading. It is enjoyable, as well as informative. Here, we practice rapid reading to get a global/overall understanding of the matter. Activity 3 Read the passage given below and try to insert words in the blanks. The words that you choose should be contextual based. In a successful negotiation, no one should feel that they have lost. You should reach a win- __1___ solution. After one side makes a proposal, the other should make a 2___ -offer. If both sides make 3_ you can work towards a compromise. By making a goodwill ___4___ you may get something from the other side. It is this __5__ -trading that moves the negotiations along. If you are not prepared to make a 6_ -off, there is a chance that the talks will break down. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. a) lose a) counter a) priorities a) gesture a) bull a) business b) b) b) b) b) b) draw condition objectives mannerism horse work c) win c) consensus c) concessions c) etiquette c) bear c) trade
(Note: Now see the possible answers and try to check whether you have selected the appropriate words. This exercise proves that you can understand the overall meaning of the passage, even if some words are missing.)
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7.3.4 Intensive Reading When we read shorter texts like a research paper for getting specific details or information, we read slowly with a lot of concentration. This is known as intensive reading. When you read a book as a resource material for research, you read it intensively because the overall understanding is not the objective or purpose of our reading. When you read an article in order to write a review on it, you read it intensively. We use all the skills of reading when we do intensive reading. Activity 4 Read the following paragraph. At the end of each sentence, you will find the letters M (main idea) and S (supporting detail). Identify in each case, whether it is M or S and tick the correct letter. The moon's gravity pulls the earth's oceans towards it, as it moves around the earth. (M/S). Then it lets them go again. (M/S) These movements of the oceans are the tides. (M/S) The sun also affects the tides. (M/S) At the seaside, you can see that sometimes the sea covers the beach completely. (M/S) These are called high tides. (M/S) At other times, the water goes back, leaving the shore uncovered. (M/S) These are called low tides (M/S) Most seaside places have two high tides and two low tides every day. (M/S)
Activity 5 Read the following passage and underline the main ideas. Every bright star is a sun, like our own sun. This means that stars are huge balls of glowing gases. They are so hot, that if a piece of steel was placed there, it would disappear in a cloud of gas! In many of the stars, the gases are very thin. This is because the particles or atoms of matter in the gas are far apart. But stars do have matter in them. We know for example, that the sun contains more than sixty of the chemical elements present in the earth. Among the elements in the sun are hydrogen, helium, iron, calcium and magnesium.
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In cooler stars, the matter may be more nearly liquid, somewhat like the boiling iron in a blast furnace. In some very old and cold stars, the matter may be so closely packed that a cubic inch of it would weigh a ton. Such stars are called dead or dark stars. Astronomers can find out all this by using instruments called "spectroscopes". The spectroscope studies the light a star gives, and from this we can learn what kinds of matter it contains and how hot it is. The different colors of the stars-- white, blue, yellow, or red - show us what chemical elements are present in them. Different temperatures of stars also cause differences in the light they give, in their spectrum. In this way, the temperature of a star can be determined.
Glossary Elements - Simple substances Blast furnace - A steel container, where iron is separated from iron ore, by the action of heat and air blown through at great pressure.
Activity 6 Now write a paragraph on "What is a star made of?", using only the main ideas you have identified. 7.3.5 Loud and Silent Reading Most of our day-to-day reading is done silently. When we read an article or an advertisement, we are engaged in the process of deriving meaning from the passage. Actually when we read aloud, our concentration is divided between reading and speaking. This makes reading difficult and may cause problems in understanding the matter. However, there are situations when we may have to read things aloud when others do not have access to them for example, notices and circulars. We need to read the instructions aloud to students or employees, so that there is no confusion later. Apart from these extraordinary situations, most of the time the natural way of reading is silent reading, which is ideal and helps comprehension.
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7.4 SQ3R Technique of Reading

This technique of reading was developed by Robinson in his book "Effective Study" (1970). SQ3R stands for the initial letters of the five steps in studying a textSurvey Question Read Recall Review S Q R R R
Let us briefly go through these steps in the given order. 1. Survey: Survey refers to a quick glance through the title page, preface and chapter headings of a text. By surveying, you will be able to gauge the main ideas of the text. Besides, the authors name, date, place of publication and title page can give you an idea of the general subject area. The table of contents, preface or foreword in a book would give you an idea of the themes and how they are organized. A survey of the index or bibliography tells you immediately whether the book contains what you need. Let us take an example. survey: Choose the appropriate reference by a quick
Here is a bibliography (list of books) on POLIMERIZATION. Decide which of the publications in the list are likely to give you: (encircle the appropriate letter) A brief introduction to the subject: Current developments in the field Historical study of the subject Various opinions by experts on the subject Bibliography (a) Billmeyer, F.W. 1962. A Text Book of Polymer Science New York: John Wiley and Sons (b) A condensed Chemical Dictionary (c) International Encyclopaedia of Sciences abcdef abcdef abcdef abcdef
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(d) Encyclopaedia Britannica (e) Stille, J. K. 1962. Introduction to Polymer Chemistry: New York: John Wiley and Sons. Wassermann, Leonard G., 1974 (f) Chemistry: Basic Concepts and Contemporary Applications California: Wadsworth Publ Co. Inc. (Adapted from ELT Documents, 1980) 2. Question: The second step in the SQ3R technique of reading is question. A survey of the text will surely raise a few questions in your mind regarding the text. Some of the questions could be Is the book useful or relevant to my study ? Does it provide some guidelines/information on the subject at hand ? However, as you go through the individual chapters, you might have specific questions regarding the topic. This will surely lead to gaining some insights into the text, topic and the author's comments. You will be surprised to see how your questions are answered in the process of reading and understanding the text. Therefore, don't treat reading as an automatic process. It has to be conscious and deliberate,.with a definite purpose, where you interact with the topic and the author. 3. Reading: After surveying and questioning, you begin the actual reading. You need to develop a critical approach to reading anything for that matter. Read the text over and over again, each time with a different question and a different purpose in mind. "I read it once and understand everything" kind of attitude is nothing but a myth. Hence, while reading for the first time, you should just focus on the main points/ideas and supporting details. 4. Recall: The fourth stage in reading comprehension is recalling. Reading is not an isolated activity. Every reading exercise increases your background knowledge. You should be able to connect the information gained with the already existing background knowledge. Recalling whatever you have read will enable you to connect and relate the content with the previous and future learning of the subject. This leads us to the next stage in reading i.e., review. 5. Review: Reviewing is nothing but checking whether we have followed the earlier stages promptly and efficiently. Have we surveyed the book, article, or magazine properly? Have we asked the appropriate questions
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relating to the content, have we read it critically and have we recalled most significant details or information required for our study? These questions that should be asked in the final stage of reading. Review sharpen your critical ability, enable you to form your own opinions on topic and express them to others.
the are will the
Try to practice these stages consciously in your reading and research and you will find this to be a highly rewarding experience.
7.5 Summary
Reading is essentially a process of decoding messages, with a view to understanding a written text. It has various purposes, such as reading for personal interest, pleasure or for gaining information. A single text is not written for any one purpose, but could meet any purpose, depending on individual needs. Reading in the real sense is an active, rather than a passive process. Active reading means reading to grasp the meaning. It is a skill which has to be developed and practiced. Based on the purpose for which we are reading, there are five different types of reading 1. Skimming Quickly glancing over a text to get a general idea of the content 2. Scanning Careful reading to find out specific details 3. Extensive reading Rapid reading to get an overall understanding of the matter 4. Intensive reading Reading slowly with concentration to get specific details 5. Silent or loud reading This depends on whether we are reading to ourselves or reading to others. An innovative reading technique, known as the SQ3R technique, consists in reading a piece of written material in five different stages Survey, or glancing through a text to get the main idea Question, or asking yourself if the text is relevant to your needs Reading the text several times with a critical approach
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Recall, or connecting what you read with your previous knowledge on the subject Review, or cross checking whether the first four stages have been followed correctly

1. Read the TV program guides given in a daily newspaper and then answer the following questions a. Programs of how many channels have been printed? b. How many channels offer programs in regional languages? c. What are the different types of programs that each channel specializes in? d. Which music channel has a wider variety of programs? 2. Write a short note on the SQ3R technique of reading. 3. Explain how you will practice skimming and scanning in everyday reading activities, using suitable examples.
7.7 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. False False True False
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 7.3.2 2. Refer 7.3.5 3. Refer 7.3.1 and 7.3.2 Answers to Activities 1. 1-c, 2-a, 3-e, 4-d, 5-f, 6-b 2. 1. They now allow employees to wear more informal clothes 2. The change was introduced gradually. 3. Dirty or untidy clothes are not allowed. Some employees still have to dress more formally.
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4. Mr. Rodriguez found that most American companies allowed some degree of informal dress. 5. No, they dont. 6. He arrived at work to find some shirts on his desk. 3. 1-c 2-a 3-c 4-a 5-b 6-c 4. The moon's gravity pulls the earth's oceans towards it, as it moves round the earth. (M/S). Then it lets them go again. (M/S) These movements of the oceans are the tides. (M/S) The sun also affects the tides. (M/S) At the seaside, you can see that sometimes the sea covers the beach completely. (M/S) These are called high tides. (M/S) At other times, the water goes back, leaving the shore uncovered. (M/S) These are called low tides (M/S) Most seaside places have two high tides and two low tides every day. (M/S) 5. Every bright star is a sun, like our own sun. This means that stars are huge balls of glowing gases. They are so hot, that if a piece of steel was placed there, it would disappear in a cloud of gas! In many of the stars, the gases are very thin. This is because the particles or atoms of matter in the gas are far apart. But stars do have matter in them. We know, for example, that the sun contains more than sixty of the chemical elements present in the earth. Among the elements in the sun are hydrogen, helium, iron, calcium and magnesium. In cooler stars, the matter may be more nearly liquid, somewhat like the boiling iron in a blast furnace. In some very old and cold stars, the matter may be so closely packed that a cubic inch of it would weigh a ton. Such stars are called dead or dark stars. Astronomers can find out all this by using instruments called "spectroscopes". The spectroscope studies the light a star gives, and from this we can learn what kinds of matter it contains and how hot it is. The different colors of the stars white, blue, yellow, or red - show us what chemical elements are present in them. Different temperatures of stars also cause differences in the light they give, in their 'spectrum'. In this way, the temperature of a star can be determined.
Unit 8
Unit 8
Structure: 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9
Internal Business Communication Guidelines for Meetings
Introduction Objectives Types of Meetings Before the Meeting During the Meeting After the Meeting Common Mistakes made at Meetings Summary Terminal Questions Answers
8.1 Introduction
Studies have indicated that business executives spend about half their time on the job attending meetings of some type or the other. We often find that someone we are trying to contact is busy in a meeting. Irrespective of the size of the organization or the job designation, business meetings are a part and parcel of the everyday work routine. While meetings are common, they are not always productive and efficiently conducted. Therefore it is important to understand how to plan, conduct and participate in meetings, so that they produce good results. In this unit, we will examine meetings both from the perspective of the participant, as well as from that of the person chairing the meeting. Some common mistakes made during meetings, along with some guidelines for correcting them will also be explained. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Distinguish between the different types of meetings Prepare effectively for meetings Evaluate your own conduct and active participation in meetings Explain how to chair meetings List the common errors made in meetings
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8.2 Types of Meetings

According to Deborah Tannen, A meeting is any focused conversation that has a specific agenda, especially but not only if it has been set up in advance. This definition implies that meetings are not aimless discussions, require careful planning and revolve around a specific topic that is decided in advance. Therefore, while meetings may be more or less formal in the way they are conducted, they need to be planned, irrespective of the nature of the meeting. At the outset, let us discuss the different categories of business meetings 1. Task Oriented Meetings As the name suggests, this type of meeting is a special meeting that is called to discuss and make arrangements for a specific event. For example, the company may be opening a new branch or a new factory, which will be inaugurated by a minister on a specific date. All the key people involved may be asked to attend the meeting, to discuss the arrangements that are being made for the inauguration. Specific tasks are assigned to each of the participants of the meeting. 2. Progress Meetings These are periodic meetings that are called to review the progress being made on a particular front. For example, weekly meetings may be held to review sales progress. Or, if a new project has been initiated, periodic meetings may be held to review the progress of different stages of the project. 3. Information Sharing Meetings In some organizations, these types of meetings may be called regularly for the main purpose of exchanging information on a topic of relevance to the organization. Such meetings may take place between co-workers, or may also involve top management. Examples 1. The Managing Director of a company may call his senior managers to share information about the companys joint ventures, overseas collaborations or plans for acquisition.
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2. A weekly meeting of top executives may be held to discuss the activities of the companys international divisions. 3. The members of the R & D department may meet regularly, to compare notes on the results of their research efforts. 4. Problem Solving or Decision Making Meetings This type of meeting is the most challenging, since it involves taking some kind of action, making major decisions or changing the existing policies and procedures. Therefore, all interests and departments of the organization are represented at such meetings. They also tend to be time consuming. Example The marketing strategy of the company may need to be revised, since sales are on the decline. Or, a new product is to be launched and a meeting may be called to discuss the launch strategy. Since problem solving meetings are the most complicated type of meetings, the guidelines offered in this unit are more relevant to these meetings.
8.3 Before the Meeting

As pointed out earlier, meetings need to be planned in advance, so that they are successful. Before any planning can be done however, a basic question to be asked is whether to hold a meeting at all. The answers to the following questions would help to decide whether a meeting is necessary in the first place Can the matter be decided or discussed over the telephone? Can the matter be expressed in writing, in the form of a memo, or an email message? Are key people available to attend the meeting and are they prepared? Is the time allotted for the meeting sufficient? If the answers to the first two questions are yes and the answers to the other two questions are no, there is no purpose in calling a meeting. Once the need for a meeting has been determined, the next step is to start planning the meeting. First of all, the type and number of participants should be decided. A problem solving meeting should include representatives from all departments, since the decision would otherwise be incomplete. Shareholders, who are the owners of the company, should also be included.
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In terms of numbers, the size of the group could be anywhere between seven and eleven members. An exception to this is an information sharing meeting, where the numbers could be larger, so that a maximum number of people benefit from the information. The second and most important step in planning a meeting is to indicate the purpose or agenda of the meeting to the participants in advance. An agenda is essentially a list of topics that will be discussed during a meeting. In the words of Adler and Elmhorst, A meeting without an agenda is like a ship at sea without a destination or compass: no one aboard knows where it is or where it is headed. An agenda is prepared by the Chairperson of the meeting, or the person who calls the meeting. Apart from a list of topics, a comprehensive agenda should also include the following 1. The Time, Venue and Duration of the Meeting The starting time and length of the meeting needs to be indicated, so that participants know how much to prepare and can plan their other activities and meetings accordingly. 2. A List of Participants It is important to let all members know who will be attending the meeting, so that they know whom to expect. 3. Background Information This could be in the form of new information, repetition of facts as a reminder, or a brief explanation of the importance of the meeting. 4. A Clear List of Items and Goals These should be included in order to ensure that the meeting has an outcome. Participants need to have a clear idea of their role in the meeting. Goals should be stated so that they sound specific, result-oriented and realistic. Example Pat will explain the advantages and disadvantages of switching to a new supplier, so that we can take a final decision on this. A goal stated like this helps participants to prepare adequately for the meeting. Goals may be set by the person who calls the meeting, or in consultation with the participants. 5. Advance Preparation by Participants A good agenda tells participants how to come prepared for the meeting for example, by
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reading an article, bringing important documents, collecting facts, or jotting down their ideas on a particular issue. In case certain members have to prepare in a specific way, this can be mentioned on their individual copy of the agenda. In general, the items to be discussed are listed in the descending order of priority in the agenda i.e., from the most important to the least important item. Sometimes, the simple issues may be listed first and then the more complicated issues. A sample format for a comprehensive agenda is shown below AGENDA DATE TO FROM TIME PLACE : March 5th, 2008 : (Names of all meeting participants) : : : (Name of Chairperson) Planning for the inauguration of new Manipal Office Monday, March 10th, from 9.30 to 11 am. Fourth floor Conference Room.
SUBJECT :
BACKGROUND: The inauguration of the new Manipal Universal Learning Office, will take place on March 15th, as previously scheduled. Completion of the following tasks will keep us on target and ensure that the new office becomes functional. We will discuss the following items: 1. Office Equipment Needs (Name of person responsible for making a presentation and initiating discussion). 2. Office Decoration (Name of person responsible for making a presentation and initiating discussion). 3. Advertising and Publicity (Name of person responsible for preparing advertisements and press releases). Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. Only problem solving meetings need to be planned in advance
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2. 3. 4. 5.
An agenda is prepared by the participants of the meeting. An agenda provides an outline of how the meeting will run. A progress meeting is the most challenging type of meeting. A problem solving meeting is the most frequently held type of meeting.
8.4 During the Meeting

The task of conducting and moderating the meeting rests with the chairperson. He or she must be well versed with the procedures for opening the meeting, encouraging balanced participation, and solving problems creatively, concluding the meeting and managing time efficiently. We shall discuss each of these procedures in detail. 1. Opening the Meeting The manner in which the meeting is opened is important, since a good opening will ensure that the rest of the meeting will proceed smoothly. There are different ways of opening a meeting. Generally, it is best to sum up what has been stated in the agenda including the goals, background information and expectations of the participants. It is also a good idea to provide an outline of how the meeting will proceed, as well as a time budget. Example We will begin the meeting with a ten minute presentation by Pat on new office equipment, followed by a fifteen minute presentation by Chris on office decoration. The last twenty minutes will be reserved for brainstorming among the group for creative ideas for the advertising campaign. 2. Encouraging Balanced Participation It is also the responsibility of the chairperson to encourage silent members to contribute to the meeting and to moderate the dominant members, so that they do not hijack the meeting. There are several techniques to encourage participation Encourage Participation in the Reverse Order of Seniority This means getting the junior members to speak or air their opinions first. If the senior people speak first, they may feel suppressed or be afraid to disagree with their superiors. Nominal Group Technique In this method, the meeting participants are encouraged to work and contribute their ideas independently. It consists of five different stages
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i) Each participant is asked to put down his or her ideas on paper. These are then collected by the chairperson or a discussion leader. ii) All the ideas are then written down on a chalkboard, so that everyone can view all the ideas, without knowing who has contributed a particular idea. This makes the method unbiased. iii) All the ideas are then discussed openly by all participants. The purpose here is to understand the ideas and not to judge them. iv) The ideas are then rank ordered by all participants, from the best to the least promising idea. v) The ideas that are ranked highest by a majority of the group are then discussed critically and a decision is made collectively on the best idea. The above method is more suitable for decision making meetings involving important issues. Since the process is anonymous, there is less room for conflict and more freedom to air ones ideas. Encourage Participation In Turns In this method, the chairperson goes around in turns, to make sure that each member contributes to the meeting. This is a good way to break the initial silence and start off a meeting. Use Overhead QuestionsThese are questions that are addressed to the entire group and which may be answered by anyone in the group.
Example Can anyone explain the reason for the sales decline? This method is good, as long as all members participate equally. * Use Direct Questions These are questions that are addressed to individual members. The idea is to get quiet members to speak out. Example What is your opinion on this issue, Pat? Direct questions should be used tactfully, since they tend to create a classroom atmosphere, which may be resented by the meeting participants. Use Relay Questions This is similar to an overhead question. When a member asks the chairperson a question, the chairperson refers it to the entire group, to encourage participation.
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Example Pat has a suggestion. What do you think of it? This type of question is particularly useful when the chairperson does not want to give his own opinion and influence the group. 3. Managing Time There is no prescribed length for a meeting. The duration of a meeting will depend on the type and purpose of the meeting. Generally, problem-solving meetings will take longer than other routine meetings. In any case, the chairperson should set a time budget for the meeting, depending on the agenda and ensure adherence to the time limit. 4. Keeping the Meeting Focused Often, a lot of time is wasted during meetings by going off track and by discussing topics that are irrelevant. In such situations, it is the responsibility of the chairperson, or the person moderating the discussion to make sure that the discussion remains focused on the topics mentioned in the agenda. Some of the techniques that could be used to do this are Reminding Members of Time Constraints When members dwell on a topic for too long, or engage in irrelevant discussions, the chairperson must intervene to remind members that time is running out and request them to proceed to the next item Summarizing and Moving On When an item on the agenda has been fully discussed but the discussion rambles on, the chairperson can quickly summarize the ideas, acknowledge the contributions and mention the next item to be discussed. Example I think we have generated a sufficient number of excellent, creative ideas for the advertising campaign. Maybe we should move on to discuss the media plan. Postponing Discussion of Irrelevant Ideas Sometimes, participants may waste time by coming up with ideas that are not relevant to the topic being discussed. In this case, the chairperson should be firm but polite, by appreciating the idea and promising to discuss it after the meeting.
5. Ensuring Convergence Convergence means hearing the points of view of all the members and then arriving at a decision. It is again the responsibility of the chairperson to bring the meeting to a point where an opinion emerges on each item of the agenda.
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6. Summing Up This means summing up the different points of view, the decisions and the actions to be taken. This should be done by the chairperson, identifying the role of each person on each item of the agenda, along with a specified deadline. Example Chris will take the responsibility of contacting the media and sending material for advertisements and press releases by March 13th. 7. Concluding the Meeting The way a meeting is concluded is as important as the opening, since it will influence the follow-up action taken on decisions made during the meeting. The chairperson should know when and how to conclude the meeting. The meeting should normally be concluded at the scheduled closing time, unless important issues still remain to be discussed and members are willing to extend the meeting. Sometimes meetings may be concluded before the closing time, when key decision makers are not present, or when important information such as cost figures are not available. There are different ways of concluding a meeting. One way is to signal and indicate how much time is remaining, so that the group can wrap up the discussions. Another way is to summarize what has been discussed and decided and to mention the follow-up action to be taken. The role and responsibility of each member can also be mentioned, so that everyone is clear about what is to be done after the meeting. An important point to be remembered is to retain the goodwill of the participants, by thanking them for their contributions. Members who have made significant contributions should be acknowledged individually. Example I must thank all of you for coming up with so many wonderful ideas for making this inauguration a success. A special thanks to Chris for negotiating and getting a good deal on the office equipment. And to Pat for the excellent design of the new office floor plan. 8. Keeping Minutes of the Meeting Since meetings are called to take important decisions concerning the organization, it is important to maintain a permanent written record of the proceedings, which can be referred to at a later stage, or serve as a guide for action. Such a record is known as minutes of the meeting and may be done in an informal or formal manner, depending on the type of meeting.
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In the case of routine meetings, minutes are written in an informal manner, in the form of a broad summary of the proceedings. On the other hand, minutes for more formal meetings such as board and shareholder meetings are written in a specific format, recording the names and views of the different participants. The minutes may be recorded by any one of the meeting participants. A sample format for minutes for formal meetings is shown below
Format for Minutes

MEETING DATE _____________ TIME _________ PLACE ______________ PURPOSE _________________________ CHAIR _____________________ PRESENT _____________________________________________________ ABSENT ______________________________________________________ ITEM NO. SUMMARY ACTION BY WHEN WHO
1 2 3 MINUTED BY _________________ COPIED TO _______________________ NEXT MEETING DATE ___________ TIME _______ PLACE _____________
So far, we have looked at how meetings should be conducted from a chairpersons perspective. We will now look at how participants of a meeting should conduct themselves. There is a meeting etiquette, or code of conduct that needs to be followed by participants. 1. Be brief and to the point It is important to focus on the topic mentioned in the agenda and to remember that there is a time limit for the meeting. Do not dominate a meeting by speaking more than what is necessary and do not engage in irrelevant discussions.
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2. Do not say something for the sake of it Participation in a meeting does not mean just saying something, whether it is relevant or not. 3. Contribute to add value Adding value may be done by expressing a new idea, through constructive disagreement (e.g., why not do it this way instead?), by endorsing another persons opinion (e.g., I agree with you) or by seeking clarification ( e.g., Can you explain that again?). 4. Give credit where it is due It is good meeting etiquette to appreciate someone elses idea, if you think it is good. 5. Keep an open mind to facilitate convergence Dont impose your own ideas on others. Give others a chance to express their ideas, so that different viewpoints emerge on a single issue. 6. Do not interrupt If you wish to say something, always signal this by raising your hand politely at a suitable juncture. 7. Always address the chairperson Avoid bi-lateral talks and mini meetings, or discussions with other participants, as well as speaking in another language. Address your questions to the chairperson. 8. Use tools and technology with care As mentioned earlier, meetings today can be non face-to-face, thanks to technological advances. When using facilities such as internal messaging, teleconferencing and videoconferencing, remember to be brief and to avoid using the tool for its own sake. Activity Talk to a few people working in an area of your interest to find out the importance attached to meetings at their workplace. Try to get answers to the following questions a) How often are meetings held? b) What is the duration of the meetings? c) What kinds of topics are covered during the meetings? d) Are the meetings effective? Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) Nominal Group Technique ii) Convergence iii) Minutes iv) Meeting etiquette v) Opening the meeting
a. Mini - meeting b. Outline of meeting c. Unbiased d. Permanent record e. Different viewpoints

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8.5 After the Meeting

A meeting that proceeds smoothly will still not be successful, unless proper follow-up measures are taken to ensure that the goals are fully accomplished. Follow-up may involve the following steps 1. Plan for the Next meeting Very few meetings is conclusive and cover all the items in the agenda completely. It is the chairpersons responsibility to make a note of the items that have not been discussed and to schedule the next meeting, along with a fresh agenda. All participants must be informed that a follow-up meeting is being planned. 2. Check Progress on Follow-up Actions Members of the meeting may have been assigned different responsibilities and deadlines for completion of tasks. Therefore, it is important to monitor their progress every now and then, after the meeting is over, to ensure that the deadlines are met. 3. Do your own Groundwork Apart from monitoring the progress of meeting participants, it is also important that you as the chairperson finish any pending work before the next meeting.
8.6 Common Mistakes made at Meetings

Since meetings are prone to so much inefficiency, it would be relevant to round off this unit with a list of common mistakes to avoid, both from a chairpersons as well as a participants perspective. 1. Lack of Structure Meetings should be structured in terms of an agenda being sent to participants in advance, the discussion being initiated by a specific person and the chairperson ensuring that different points of view emerge. A loosely structured meeting will not be successful. 2. No Goals or Agenda It was pointed out earlier that a meeting without an agenda lacks direction. 3. No Pre-meeting Orientation This is the job of the chairperson. Members must be briefed on how to prepare for the meeting.
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4. Inadequate Preparation This is a mistake made by members who attend the meeting without preparation. 5. Not Focusing on the Subject This is a common mistake made by participants who discuss matters that are not relevant to the meeting. 6. Meetings that are too long The chairperson must try to avoid this, by ensuring adherence to the time limit. 7. Disorganized Meetings Again, this is the responsibility to see that the meeting is well organized. chairpersons
8. Inconclusive Meetings The chairperson must hear out all the points of view and then arrive at a decision. 9. Ineffective Leadership This is the fault of the chairperson, if or she he fails to give direction to the meeting.. 10. Time Wasted Participants may engage in unrelated discussions and the Chairperson may be inefficient at managing time. 11. Dominating the Discussion A few members may speak all the time, while others remain silent. 12. No Follow-up Action The meeting may proceed satisfactorily, but nothing is done after the meeting either by the chairperson or the participants, to ensure that the meeting goals are accomplished. Self Assessment Question Fill in the Blanks 7. After the meeting, follow-up must be done by the _______ and the ___________ 8. A meeting without an agenda and convergence is a meeting that lacks ________ 9. A meeting where there are unrelated discussions is one which lacks _________ 10. Meetings are efficiently conducted when they are _______and ___________ 11. Meetings are ineffective when ___________________ are not made.
8.7 Summary
Business executives spend a good deal of time on the job attending different types of meetings. Meetings fall into four broad categories
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Task oriented meetings Information sharing meetings Progress meetings Problem-solving meetings
Meetings need to be planned in advance and involve a lot of groundwork. The most important task to be accomplished before the meeting is to prepare a comprehensive agenda, or a list of topics to be covered. Ideally, an agenda should also include the time, duration, location, list of participants and the specific goals of the meeting. Participants should also be briefed on how to come prepared for the meeting. Conducting a meeting is essentially the responsibility of the chairperson. This includes the following steps Opening the meeting by repeating the agenda and goals, giving background information and outlining how the meeting will run. Encouraging participation of all the members through techniques such as participation in reverse order of seniority, nominal group technique, members taking turns, overhead and direct questions. Managing time Keeping the meeting focused Ensuring convergence Summing up Concluding the meeting by indicating the time limit, summarizing decisions and actions and acknowledging contributions Keeping minutes of the meeting Participants of a meeting need to follow a code of conduct or meeting etiquette, which includes the following Be brief and to the point Do not dominate Speak to add value Appreciate others ideas Keep an open mind Avoid interrupting Avoid mini-meetings
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After the meeting, a lot of groundwork is needed, such as preparation for future meetings, monitoring the activities of members and ensuring that deadlines are met. Most meetings are prone to common errors such as the following Lack of structure Lack of an agenda No pre-meeting orientation and preparation Starting late and exceeding the time limit Lack of focus Lack of organization No conclusion Individuals dominating discussions No proper follow up Poor leadership Too many interruptions

1. Imagine that Sikkim Manipal University is considering restructuring its MBA program. You have been selected to chair a committee to represent the students viewpoints. Decide who the committee members will be and prepare an agenda for the first meeting of the committee. 2. List out the five most important factors, in your opinion, that contribute to the success of a meeting. 3. Explain the purpose of keeping minutes of a meeting. What goes into the contents of minutes of a meeting?
8.9 Answers
Answers Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T F F i) c, ii) e, iii) d,
iv) a, v) b
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7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Chairperson; participants/members Structure Focus Organized/conclusive/structured/focused Decisions
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 8. 3 2. Refer 8.3, 8.4, 8.6 3. Refer 8.3
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Unit 9
Internal Business Communication Writing Memos, Circulars and Notices
Structure: 9.1 Introduction Objectives 9.2 What is a Memo? 9.3 Circulars and Notices 9.4 Summary 9.5 Terminal Questions 9.6 Answers
9.1 Introduction
In the previous unit, we dealt with an important form of oral communication within the organization, namely, meetings. Written communication within the organization is equally important, especially when things have to be kept on permanent record, information has to be announced and instructions have to be given to subordinates by superiors. In this unit, we will discuss some of the written communication media, including memos, circulars and notices, which are used to communicate with employees within an organization. We shall define the specific purpose of each of these media, and offer guidelines for writing them, along with the appropriate formats to be used. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Recognize the need for written communication within the organization Describe the functions of memos Explain the purpose of circulars and notices Prepare memos, circulars and notices.
9.2 What is a Memo?

The word memo is a short form for memorandum, which is derived from the Latin word which means a thing which must be remembered. It is also referred to as an inter office memorandum, since it is used primarily as
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a tool for communicating within the organization. The memo is essentially a condensed or a brief report, that can be used to convey information and decisions, or to make short requests to co-workers, superiors and subordinates. It is relatively informal in style, compared to letters and long reports, and is unpretentious and concise. It is important for the business executive to know how to write condensed reports or memos. Often, business executives may also be asked to condense business articles for their superiors. This is essentially the same as prcis writing, where an article is condensed to one fourth its size, without losing the essence or meaning. The condensed article could then be put in memo format and sent to the superior. Given its importance, we shall briefly discuss how to write a prcis. 9.2.1 Principles of Precis Writing As mentioned, prcis writing is regularly done by many assistants of top executives, to help them in keeping up with their business reading. There are three main principles of prcis writing, which may be referred to as the three C s of prcis writing. They are 1. Condensation This means that the prcis should be a brief, shortened version of the original article. In general, the prcis should be one fourth the length of the original. 2. Comprehension While it is important to reduce the article to one fourth its size, the article should not lose its meaning in the process of doing this. It should be as easy to understand the condensed article as it is to understand the original article. 3. Coverage In the process of condensing the article, all the main points or ideas in the original article should be retained and adequately covered, so that the shortened article comes across as complete. Precis writing requires a lot of skill and is not just about chopping sentences and words to reduce the length alone. All the three Cs are equally important for a prcis to be meaningful and readable. A perfectly condensed article is of no value, if it cannot be understood. Similarly, an article which is perfectly understood but which omits some key ideas is not of much use, since it does not reflect the original.
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A writer needs to look for the following, in order to fulfil the three Cs of prcis writing Main Theme What is the article about? This is usually indicated in the caption itself, e.g., The Future of the Indian Auto Industry. If not, it is important to read the article fully and grasp the main theme. Components These are the main ideas, or the ideas used to support the main theme. For example, the fact that the growth of light commercial vehicles is a trend which is likely to continue in the future may be considered as one of the components or main ideas, since it will have a bearing on the future of the auto industry. Elements These are the key words that are used to express the main ideas. For example, the number of light commercial vehicles has increased fourfold in urban and suburban areas this year, compared to the last year. The words in bold are the key words. Once a prcis has been written, it may be written in a memo format, as in the example given below
SAMPLE PRECIS IN MEMO FORMAT TO FROM DATE : : : The VP Marketing Marketing Executive March 10 , 2008
th
SUBJECT : The Changing Face of Customer Relationship Management As discussed during our last meeting, I have summarized a recent article on the current status of CRM, for your review. CRM Mega-trend, Trend or Fad? In 2000, CRM was the buzzword in marketing circles. It was predicted to be a revolutionary technology that would have a lasting impact on business in the long run. However, as CRM software vendors revenue growth slowed down, the forecasts became less optimistic. This gave rise to doubts as to whether CRM was just a passing phenomenon.
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Changing User Patterns In 2002, CRM seemed to gather momentum again, as companies reported significant improvements as a direct result of using the technique. However, CRM users no longer adopted it without questioning and without specific goals. The companys senior management had to be convinced about the long-term benefits. CRM was implemented only after an in-depth cost-benefit analysis. Shifting Vendors Focus From the CRM vendors viewpoint, there was a shift in emphasis from the technological aspects to the functional aspects when approaching users. This meant that CRM developers were more concerned with identifying the specific problems of top managers in different functional areas and with offering customized solutions. CRM solutions were also tailor-made for different industries. Besides, the tools were also specialized to suit specific processes. What the Future Holds CRM is expected to pick up further in the years to come. It will continue to evolve, both from a users and a vendors viewpoint. While users will become more discerning in their approach, only those vendors who can cater to a crosssection of requirements will dominate. Ultimately, it will be the survival of the fittest.
In the above prcis, the main theme is contained in the subject line The Changing Face of CRM. The components, or the main ideas are expressed by the different paragraphs, each with a subhead. Some of the key words that are used to express these ideas are revolutionary technology , longterm benefits, in-depth cost-benefit analysis, functional aspects, customized solutions and survival of the fittest. Note that the prcis is written in a one-page memo format. This brings us to the next section on the components and format of a memo. Activity Select an article from any business publication and prepare a prcis of the article by reducing it to one fourth its size. Send the prcis to your professor in a one page memo format.
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Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. A memo is used only for upward communication. 2. One of the three Cs of prcis writing is Components. 3. Unlike a regular report, the memo is brief and informal. 9.2.2 Components and Format of a Memo As shown in the example above, a memo is a brief, one page or maximum two page report, and includes the following components 1. Header This compact block of information which appears at the top of the memo includes the To, From, Date and Subject headings, which is similar to the title page of a longer, more formal report. The To heading should mention the name of the receiver or the primary target audience. In the above example, this is the Marketing VP. The From heading should include the name of the sender or writer of the memo (Marketing Executive). The Subject line should include the specific purpose of the memo (the title of the prcis in the above example). This helps the writer in the development of the message and lets the reader know what the memo is all about. 2. Body This is the text of the memo which contains the details and major topics. Unlike as in letters, the memo need not have a formal salutation (Dear ). Unlike a formal report which has to be completely objective, personal pronouns such as I and you are acceptable in a memo, as in the opening sentence of the memo shown above. This is because a memo is purely for internal use in the organization. 3. Close/Action Unlike formal letters, memos need not include a formal close (e.g. Sincerely) and a signature line. However, unless the purpose of the memo is just to inform, there should be a clear call for action. For example, I request you to review my proposal and to grant approval. 4. c.c. This is an abbreviation for Carbon Copy. Sometimes a copy of the memo may go to another person(s). This is indicated by c.c., followed by the name(s) of the person(s).
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A memo may follow one of two types of formats, depending on its nature and purpose a) The direct organizational plan or deductive organization and b) The indirect organizational plan or inductive organization. a) Direct Organizational Plan This format is used when a memo is purely informational, as in the example shown above. Since the purpose is only to convey information, the purpose is mentioned right at the outset and all the details are presented right away. It is also used sometimes when the purpose of the memo is to persuade. This is appropriate when you are sure that your proposal or request will be accepted without any resistance. In this case, the writer will make the request right at the beginning and then list out the reasons. An example of a persuasive memo that is written following the direct organizational plan or deductive organization is shown on the page
TO FROM : The Marketing Manager : The Sales Manager
DATE : March 10th, 2008 SUBJECT : Increase in the number of salespersons Based on my experience and knowledge of territory X, for which I am responsible, I feel that an increase in the sales force will yield a positive growth rate. Therefore, I would like to recommend that we increase the number of salespersons from 10 to 15, so as to reach more number of prospective customers. I have done an in-depth analysis of the current market situation in territory X. Although several new entrants and our existing competitors have done well, we continue to enjoy a good reputation in the market. Although the current rate of growth is disappointing, the future market potential is enormous, pointing towards a positive growth. Strengthening the sales force will be advantageous for the following reasons Increases the reach of the company to the customers Increases the frequency of calls made Gives us an edge over the competition In view of the above long-term benefits to the company, I request you to consider my proposal and to grant approval.
In the above example, the sales manager is confident that his request for strengthening the sales force will be granted, since it has obvious benefits. Therefore, the request is made right at the outset, followed by the reasons.
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b) Indirect Organizational Plan or Inductive Organization This type of memo format is appropriate when the purpose of the memo is to persuade, but when the writer feels that the reader might object to the request or the proposal. Therefore, the writer will try to convince the reader by presenting the reasons first and then make the request or recommendation right at the end. An example of a memo written using this format is given on the page TO FROM DATE : The VP Marketing : The Advertising Manager : March 11th, 2008
SUBJECT : Review of advertising campaign An analysis of our latest sales reports has revealed that territory X, for which I am responsible, is a highly profitable one. This territory has been contributing to the bulk of our companys sales over the last one year. The annual advertising budget for our products being sold in territory X is currently Rs. 50 lakhs. Although our advertising has been satisfactory, it needs to be reviewed for the following reasons More frequent advertising is needed to improve awareness levels of our products, which are still new to the market. Advertising is an investment and needs to be sustained over a long term, in order to build our brand. Building a positive brand image through advertising can help build long term brand loyalty. Fast moving consumer goods such as ours require a higher percentage of sales spent on advertising, during the introductory stage. We need to spend an amount on advertising that is comparable to our closest competitor in the region. In view of the long-term benefits of advertising, I would like to recommend doubling our advertising budget in territory X to Rs. 1 crore a year. I request you to consider my proposal and to grant approval.
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Note that in the above memo, the writer delays his request or proposal to the end and justifies the need for a bigger advertising budget first, by listing out the reasons. Since he is suggesting that the budget be doubled, he is not sure if the request will be granted. That is why the indirect organizational plan is used instead of the direct plan. Unlike the direct plan, the subject line does not reveal the real purpose of the memo, which is a request for 9.2.3 Language and Writing Style of a Memo Since a memo is a short, informal report, the following points have to be remembered regarding the language and style that is used Be concise It is important to be brief and to the point, so that the memo does not exceed two pages in length. Make the sentences and paragraphs short, limit each paragraph to five lines or less and use bullet points wherever possible. If you are giving reasons, number them, or put them in separate paragraphs with double line spacing. Otherwise use single line spacing between lines. Use active not passive voice As mentioned earlier, use of personal pronouns and active voice is permitted in a memo, unlike a formal report where the passive voice should be used for the sake of objectivity. In other words, it is appropriate to say for example that Based on my experience, I feel that the budget is not adequate. Use simple language In an earlier unit, the importance of using simple English was emphasized.Use short, uncomplicated words and avoids trying to impress by using unnecessary jargon and technical terms. Avoid giving too many reasons Although it is important to provide a justification when you make a request, or try to persuade someone to do something, do not overdo it. In general, a reader can only absorb a maximum of six or seven reasons at once. Therefore, do not overstate your reasons. Close with a call for action Do not leave the reader hanging. If you wish to persuade him to accept your request or recommendation, you must say so clearly, using action words and indicating a time frame or limit. For example, I would like to discuss this in person with you and get your approval before the end of this week.
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Self Assessment Question 4. Match the Following i) Passive voice ii) Direct organizational plan iii) Persuasive memo iv) Indirect organizational plan v) Subject Line a. b. c. d. e. Main message Reasons first Regular reports Informational memo Call for action
9.3 Circulars and Notices

Like memos, circulars and notices are also written forms of communication within the organization. The difference between a circular and a notice is that circulars are announcements that are distributed to small or selective groups of people within the organization, whereas notices are meant for a larger group of people. Example If a manager wants to call a meeting of heads of departments, he will pass around a circular only to the heads, requesting them to attend that meeting. On the other hand, notices generally contain information or announcements that are meant for all the employees of an organization. Example A list of declared holidays for a calendar year is a notice, since the information is relevant to all employees. A notice is therefore a legal document that has to be put up on an official notice or bulletin board. Let us examine another example of a circular and a notice. Imagine that you are the President of the Student Committee in a management college and wish to hold a meeting to plan for the Annual Management Fest of the college. You will have to send some information to those whom you want to involve in organizing the Fest. You may not want all the students to be involved initially, since it may take a lot of time and there may be too many suggestions. Instead, you may choose to invite only the committee members to discuss details such as the date, venue, duration, how to get sponsors and so on. For this purpose, you may send a
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circular only to the student committee members, requesting them to attend the meeting. During the meeting, the date and venue may be finalized and various smaller committees may be formed, such as a reception committee, stage committee and so on. You may also decide to get each student to contribute a nominal amount for the Fest. In order to announce these details and to ask for student contributions, you may then put up a notice on the official college notice board, which all students can see and respond to. A sample circular and notice are given below TO : All Departmental Heads CIRCULAR Safety Aspects in Science Laboratories The purpose of this circular is to emphasize the importance of safety in research laboratories. All laboratory supervisors are responsible for the safety of research scientists in their charge. It is their duty to draw their attention to any safety hazard that pertains to a particular activity. In this context, supervisors should be familiar with relevant guidelines on laboratory safety and they should be careful at all times to observe standard safety procedures, when practical activities are being conducted in the laboratory. Please bring this circular to the notice of the supervisors concerned and to the notice of the representatives as appropriate, for transmission to individual research scientists. General Manager HR March 11th, 2008 Note that a circular, like a memo is brief and to the point. It has a caption that indicates the message to be conveyed, like a memo, there is no formal salutation or close.
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MANIPAL UNIVERSAL LEARNING Manipal Towers, Bangalore
March 11th, 2008 REF: ADM/N/44-99
NOTICE Sub: Manipal Family Day Celebrations This is to inform all employees of MUL that a Manipal Family Day celebration will be held at Manipal County on Friday March 14th, between 10 am and 7 pm. A pick-up and drop back facility is being organized for all employees and their family members. In view of the celebrations, this will be a holiday. Instead, Saturday, March 15th will be a working day to compensate for this holiday. All are encouraged to attend and make the event a success. SENIOR MANAGER, HR
The above notice is meant for all employees of the organization. It has a reference number, date and a subject, similar to a memo. The notice covers two different issues related to one subject. Employees are first informed that a holiday has been declared to celebrate Manipal Family Day. Then the same notice mentions a different working day to compensate for this holiday. Sometimes, under special circumstances, notices may also be sent to individual employees. An example of this type of notice is the Show Cause Notice, which is sent when an employee is found to be guilty of major misconduct. The notice mentions the allegations against the employee and asks for a written explanation within a specified time, failing which the action that would be taken against him/her (e.g., being suspended from the job) is stated. Notices are read by a large number of people and can also be used as evidence in court cases. Therefore, care must be taken when writing them. They have to be worded very precisely and clearly, to make sure that there is no ambiguity. They should also be brief and to the point. The tone should
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be firm, but not offensive and arrogant. Depending on the type of notice, the duration of display of a notice is specified under various legal provisions. Self Assessment Question Fill in the Blanks 5. A _________________________ is a type of legal document. 6. A common purpose of notices and circulars is to __________________, rather than ____________________________. 7. A ____________ _______________ notice is an example of a notice sent to individual employees.
9.4 Summary
This unit deals with the different written media used in internal business communication, namely, memos, circulars and notices. A memo, which is a short form for memorandum, is also referred to as an inter office memo, since its purpose is to communicate to peers, superiors and subordinates within the organization. A memo is a condensed form of a report and can be used to pass on information, give instructions and make decisions. Writing a memo is similar to prcis writing, or condensing an article to one fourth its length. The principles of prcis writing also apply to memo writing. These principles are referred to as the three Cs, namely Condensation or reduction of the original article. Comprehension or retention of the essence of the original article Coverage or inclusion of all the main ideas. A prcis may be written in a memo format. Business executives often summarize business articles and send them in memo format to their superiors, to help them to keep up with their business reading. A memo should be a maximum of two pages in length and include the following standard components Header with To, From, Date and Subject lines Body with main points A call for action, in the case of a persuasive memo.
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Memos are generally of two types informational memos and persuasive memos. A memo may be written in one of two formats 1) Direct organizational plan or deductive organization and 2) Indirect organizational plan or inductive organization. A memo whose main purpose is to inform, is written following the direct organizational plan. Sometimes, a persuasive memo is also written in this format, when the writer is confident that his request will be granted. On the other hand, a persuasive memo where the writer feels that his request may not be accepted easily, should be written following the indirect organizational plan. In this case, the reasons or justification for the request are stated first, followed by the actual request. Circulars are sent to small or selective groups within the organization. They are written in the same way as memos and must be brief and to the point. Notices are displayed on official notice boards and are meant for larger groups, usually all employees of the organization. Occasionally, notices may be sent to individual employees in the form of Show Cause Notices, asking for an explanation for misconduct and mentioning the action that could be taken.

1. What are the essential differences between memos, circulars and notices, in terms of purpose, audience, format and writing style? 2. As a management trainee, you have conducted an employee satisfaction survey. Write a persuasive memo to your boss, requesting him/her to accept your suggestions based on the findings of the survey. 3. Prepare a brief notice to be put up on official notice boards, informing employees of your organization about a newly introduced, official bus service.
9.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. F 2. F 3. T
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4. 5. 6. 7.
i) c, ii) d, iii) e, iv) b, v) a Notice Inform; persuade Show cause
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 9.2., 9.3 2. Refer 9.2.2 3. Refer 9.3
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Unit 10 Internal Business Communication Electronic Media and Shareholder Communication

Structure: 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Introduction Objectives What is an Intranet? Communicating through Email Communication with Shareholders Summary Terminal Questions Answers
10.1 Introduction
In the previous unit, we discussed communication with employees through written channels, including memos, circulars and notices. Today, the advent of computers and the internet has enabled much quicker communication with employees and speedier decision making. Even small companies have access to email and the intranet, which have made memos, circulars and notices almost outdated. In this unit, these two electronic media for internal business communication will be discussed, including their advantages and disadvantages and the principles of communication. Apart from employees, shareholders are also important internal stakeholders, as mentioned in one of the earlier units. Part of this unit will focus on the reasons for communication with shareholders and the media used to communicate with them Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Explain the meaning and purpose of an intranet List out the advantages and problems in using an intranet Use email more effectively Describe the principles of electronic communication Recognize why shareholders are important stakeholders
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10.2 What is an Intranet?

An intranet is similar to a website, except that it is an internal network that is exclusive to a particular organization. This means that only employees of the organization will have access to it. This is as opposed to an extranet, which is also an internal or private website, but where access privileges are also extended to external stakeholders of the company, such as customers, suppliers, partners and others. Although the intranet is better suited for large organizations where distributing information is an enormous task, a number of smaller companies today are also using this form of internal communication. Simply defined, the intranet is a tool for distributing and sharing information of different types within the company. For example, weekly reports, goals, human resources related information such as employee benefits and declared holidays, interactive forms, vacation requests, supply orders, company policies and even memos and notices can be posted on the intranet. Apart from large organizations, the intranet is particularly suited for virtual companies that have only an online presence, as well as companies with frequently traveling employees and off-site workers, since communicating with such employees becomes a challenge. 10.2.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Intranet Like any other tool, the intranet has its advantages and limitations. Some of the primary advantages are Discourages grapevine Grapevine, or the informal communication network was discussed in one of the earlier units. Although grapevine can be useful, it also leads to rumors, in the absence of information passed on through the formal communication network. When employees are misinformed, they become dissatisfied and de-motivated. Using the intranet as an official channel to post information for all employees to see discourages gossip and avoids creating a transparency gap. Facilitates pre-meeting discussion The intranet may be used to discuss and debate ideas prior to a meeting, so that valuable meeting time is spent focusing only on relevant ideas.
Example Suppose a sales team of five members are required to make a presentation to the Vice President Sales, on how to increase sales during
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the current year. Instead of each salesperson making a lengthy presentation during a meeting and then getting his ideas reviewed and approved, a discussion board can be created using the intranet, a few days before the meeting. The salespersons could post their ideas on the discussion board for the VP to review in advance, so that only the most promising ideas are discussed during the meeting. This way, the salespersons can come into the meeting more focused. Saves time The intranet is paperless communication and is therefore a big time saver. A lot of unnecessary time wasted on filling out forms, leave requests, supply orders, etc., can be saved by doing this through the intranet. Employees can get information on official holidays and other HR related information, without having to interact with the HR manager. Is superior to email Sending some types of information through email can sometimes create confusion and information overload. Let us take the above example of the sales team making a presentation on how to increase sales. If five salespersons each have three different ways in which they could increase sales and start emailing multiple versions of their Power Point presentations for the VP to review, it could lead to disastrous results. Instead, they could work on a shared file, by using the intranet. A central location could be created for the most recent file.
While the intranet saves valuable time and money, it is not without its down side. Before an intranet can be set up, a lot of groundwork needs to be done. You need to determine what you want it to do and how employees will use it. Some of the disadvantages are Getting started Building an intranet to your specifications can be expensive. A consultant may have to be hired to give it the desired look and feel and to make sure that it is user friendly and simple enough for all employees to use. Developing and maintaining content Once it has been set up, someone has to be responsible for maintaining and updating the information on a continuous basis. In small organizations, it may be sufficient to appoint one person to do this. In larger organizations with multiple departments, it may be necessary to appoint several persons to maintain and update information for the different departments.
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This becomes a complex and expensive task. Training employees Once it has been set up, employees have to be familiarized and trained on how to use the intranet. This involves investment in time and money. Convincing old economy employees Some employees may not be technology or computer savvy and may be reluctant to use the intranet to access information. Therefore, they may have to be convinced about the benefits of using the new technology.
The case study given below will illustrate how an intranet should be designed and used as an effective communication tool THE RAND LIBRARY INTRANET The Rand Library is part of a non-profit research institution based in Santa Monica, California, USA, that is involved in helping to improve policy and decision making of federal, state and local governments through research and analysis. The RAND library intranet has been designed with the objective of being an interactive tool that helps library staff and clients communicate regularly with each other. Another objective is to constantly update the information available to its customers. This does not require an IT specialist and can be done by any library staff member. Their intranet communication strategy includes three components an updated home page, an email alert service and several email links. The home page contains the library logo and a menu, which are standard components, while the body of the page is changed at least once a week. The home page includes internet sites that may be of value to their research staff, as well as announcements regarding library news, new services and policy changes. The email alert service includes email distribution lists for topics such as Health Care, Science and Technology. Once someone has signed up for the email alert service for one of these topics, they receive regular email pertaining to these topics. Multiple email links are used to make the communication two way. This means that the clients can come to the intranet site and make requests for books, research articles and so on. They can also click on a Contact a Librarian link that brings up the name, job title and photograph of each of the reference librarians.
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Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. The intranet is part of an informal communication network. 2. The intranet can be customized to meet the needs of smaller companies. 3. The intranet encourages grapevine. 4. The intranet can make meetings more focused. 5. The intranet involves high investment in maintenance and training.
10.3 Communicating through e-mail

Although e-mail is a tool for external communication, it is also regularly used within an organization, in place of telephone and face-to-face contact. This is because e-mail is instantaneous and allows you to send messages that others can pick up at their convenience. Besides, e-mail also makes it possible to send messages to people anywhere in the world and to people who are otherwise impossible to reach. While the other forms of written communication are highly formal in nature, e-mail is more informal and spontaneous. It is therefore easier to write an email message than it is to write a business letter or a report, where greater attention has to be paid to the language, style and tone. Since e-mail is quick, easy to use and spontaneous, it can also help to improve personal relationships in the workplace. 10.3.1 Principles of e-mail Communication The principles of communicating through e-mail are a little different from the principles of written communication, since e-mail is more informal in nature. We shall discuss these in some detail * Watch the content E-mail messages are not always confidential and one can never be sure who will read them. The minute an e-mail message is sent, multiple copies are created on your own PC and server and on the recipients PC and server. There is no way of ensuring that the message will not be forwarded to others. Sometimes, e-mail messages can even be used as proof in court. Once a message is sent, a permanent record is created. Therefore, it is always wise to avoid writing anything negative or offensive.
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It is particularly important to watch the content of official e-mail messages sent using an employers equipment. Since the employer has a right to read the message and is legally responsible for its content, it must be carefully worded. * Pay attention to the tone The very nature of e-mail communication can make the message sound negative, abrupt and rude. For one thing, e-mail lacks the personal quality of face-to-face communication, where body language and other non-verbal cues may be used to make the communication more positive. Secondly, e-mail messages have to be brief, using short words, sentences and lack of salutations. Brief messages may be interpreted as being rude and unfriendly. Therefore, you must pay close attention to the tone of the message and ensure that you sound friendly and courteous. Avoid using humor and sarcasm which might be misunderstood, or sending messages when you are angry or annoyed. * Include a specific subject line Your e-mail message should always include a subject line that clearly mentions the topic of the e-mail. Since business executives receive several e-mails a day, this would help them to decide which messages are most important to them. They will also have an idea of what the message contains. * Place important information first Since business executives do not have time to read lengthy e-mail messages, it is a good idea to put all the important information that you want to convey in the first three lines of the message. Whether you are seeking a clarification, making a request, or giving instructions, it is best to mention this right at the outset, so that it is noticed. * Explain attachments in the body of the e-mail Attachments take time to download and should be sent along with an explanation in the body of the e-mail, as to what they are all about. This will make it easier for the recipient of the message to decide whether they should be opened or not. Otherwise it will lead to unnecessary waste of time. * Use the to and cc button carefully The to box should be used only to send messages to people who are responsible for doing something. The cc button is used when sending multiple copies of the same e-mail message to other recipients, who need to be kept informed on a specific
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issue. This should be used with care, making sure that the message is sent only to the right persons. It is important to respect privacy, since not everyone likes having their e-mail address displayed to others. Besides, sending a long list of e-mail addresses can interfere with the reading of the main message. * Pay attention to brevity, emphasis and white space The look, appearance and language used in the e-mail message can influence the readability of the message. Some techniques for enhancing readability of email messages include short paragraphs ( six lines maximum), spacing between paragraphs, use of bullet points and numbers for lists, use of paragraph captions, highlighting main points in bold type and use of white space. * Use the WIFM rule WIFM stands for Whats In It For Me? and means that the benefits of your message to the reader should be emphasized. This involves use of the second person pronoun, you, rather than the first person pronouns I or me. Stressing on the you attitude rather than the me attitude was discussed in an earlier unit. * Tidy up your mail box E-mail traffic can lead to your inbox becoming cluttered, with more messages than you can handle. It then becomes difficult to retrieve important messages when you need them. It is therefore a good idea to clean up your mailbox regularly, by deleting unimportant messages. The important messages that you want to refer to later should be put into separate topic folders. Every now and then, any outdated messages in the topic folders should also be deleted. * Proofread your e-mail message Just as it is important to proofread business reports, letters and memos, e-mail messages should also be checked for spelling and grammar mistakes, so as to avoid any embarrassment. * Set aside time to check e-mail E-mail should not become a substitute for face-to-face interaction at the workplace, or cut into valuable time spent on other important jobs. It is a good idea to determine a time during the work day when you check and respond to e-mail messages.
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10.3.2 E-mail Etiquette Similar to meeting etiquette which we discussed in an earlier unit, there is an etiquette for writing e-mail messages, which should be strictly followed 1. Mind your Ps and Qs These refer to the three magic words, Please, Thank You and Sorry. They are all the more important in email messages, which have to be extra polite and friendly. 2. Avoid shouting Shouting in an e-mail message refers to use of all capital letters in the text. All caps make it difficult to read a message and are therefore considered to be rude, like shouting. 3. Avoid symbols and acronyms Symbolic messages using punctuation marks, known as emoticons ( for example, : ) for a smiley face!) should be avoided, especially in business related e-mail messages. Similarly, abbreviations such as BTW ( by the way) should be avoided since they sound over casual and may not be understood by everyone. 4. Use friendly salutations and sign-offs Although these are not strictly required in e-mail communication as in business letters, a salutation such as Dear John and a sign-off such as Warm Regards, helps to make the tone friendly and personal. 5. Respond promptly In the case of business related e-mails, it is important to respond promptly, especially when communicating with superiors. Even if you are hard pressed for time, are out of town or out of the office, you can set an automatic e-mail response to your received messages, which will mention that you will be responding in detail on a specific date. 6. Avoid personal messages at work Do not make use of the office facility to send personal e-mail messages. Since confidentiality of the message is not guaranteed, it may lead to embarrassment later. 7. Avoid sending junk mail Do not send irrelevant messages or messages that are not work related, to people at work. If you overload people with this kind of mail, they will not pay attention to the really important messages.
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E-mail should be used constructively and judiciously, to meet your goals at the workplace and to enhance your performance on the job. Here are a few career tips that can help you to take advantage of e-mail SOME DOS OF E-MAIL Use e-mail when1. You wish to be a part of a network where you can share information and receive information from others. 2. You want to contact important people quickly and save time spent in meetings. 3. You want to send information to a large number of people located across the globe. 4. You want to establish a professional image Your language and writing style on electronic media can say a lot about you, just like your dress and outward appearance. Watch your spelling, grammar and usage of English. 5. You want to cut through hierarchy and speed up team projects. Activity List three different situations at the workplace when e-mail communication would be more appropriate for conveying a message, compared to oral and written channels, explaining why.
Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) WIFM principle ii) Ps and Qs iii) Shouting iv) Readability v) FYI a. Acronym b. Reader benefits c. Bullet points and white space d. All capital letters e. Etiquette
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10.4 Communication with Shareholders

Shareholders are important internal stakeholders of an organization, since they are the owners of the company. Since the capital required is huge, there are no proprietors and partners any more. As organizations grow, shareholding is widely scattered. Therefore, it is essential to retain the shareholders confidence in the companys management, through effective communication with them on a regular basis. There are two situations when shareholder communication is extremely vital 1. If a company is doing well and wants to expand its scope of operations, or diversify into unrelated areas. In this case, good shareholder relations can help to raise the required capital and minimize borrowing from banks and financial institutions.
2. If a company is going through a crisis or difficult times, more communication with shareholders is needed. Take the example of Coke and Pepsi during the pesticide controversy. In such a situation, the company should be open with its shareholders and explain the problem clearly, including the steps being taken to overcome the crisis. Crisis communication is an important, but often overlooked area of shareholder communication. Lack of communication during a crisis encourages the grapevine among shareholders and leads to false rumors. For example, rumors may spread that the company is going to close down. On the other hand, if you tell the truth, chances are that your shareholders will stand by you. The appropriate media for communication with shareholders include both oral and written channels. Periodic mailers should be sent to all shareholders, giving a fair and truthful representation of the companys results and progress on various fronts. In areas where there is an aggregation or concentration of shareholders, shareholder meetings and conferences should be held, making presentations on the companys progress. When the company is going through a crisis, shareholders should be taken on project site and factory visits, to show them the measures that are being taken to solve the problem. The overall guiding factor in communicating with shareholders should be that they are the owners of the company.
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Two examples are given below of two companies, Cognizant and Reliance, that are well known for effective shareholder communication. COGNIZANTS COMMUNICATION WITH SHAREHOLDERS Cognizant is a leading provider of IT services, based in New Jersey, USA. They have won national acclaim in the US financial media for being one of the most shareholder friendly companies in the US. In a survey where respondents were asked to rate various companies on criteria such as financial performance, communication with shareholders, investor relations and quality of corporate governance, Cognizant was ranked the highest. Shareholder friendly companies were described by respondents as those that are known for their policy of openness and high quality of communication with their shareholders.
RELIANCES COMMUNICATION WITH SHAREHOLDERS In India, one out of every four investors is a shareholder of Reliance. The company has set up a firm of Chartered Accountants as Internal Security Auditors, to audit the transactions and communication with shareholders. The Board of Directors of the company has also appointed a Shareholders/Investors Grievance Committee, for examining and responding to shareholders complaints with regard to transfer of shares, non-receipt of balance sheet, declared dividends, etc. The Committee also makes recommendations on how to improve the overall quality of investor services.
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Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 7. _________________ and _________________ channels are used to communicate with shareholders. 8. Project site and factory visits are part of _____________ communication with shareholders. 9. Effective communication with shareholders means being ____________ with them.
10.5 Summary
This unit dealt with two more aspects of internal business communication communication through electronic media and shareholder communication. The electronic media include the intranet and e-mail, which is part of the intranet. The intranet is a website exclusive to the company, which permits employees within an organization to exchange information in digital form. It is ideally suited for large organizations, organizations that have a purely online presence, traveling employees and off-site workers. All types of information, including reports, company goals, policies and HR related announcements may be posted on the intranet. The primary advantages of the intranet are Facilitates discussion of preliminary ideas, prior to meetings Enables constant flow of information through an official network and discourages rumors Saves time and paper Is better than email, when multiple versions of a document have to be sent
Some of the disadvantages of the intranet are Is expensive to get started Needs to be maintained and continuously updated Requires investing in employee training and convincing old economy employees to use it
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When communicating through e-mail, the following guidelines should be kept in mind Avoid saying anything negative or confidential Make the tone friendly Include a specific subject line State important information first Describe the attachments Pay attention to use of toand cc Make the email brief and easy to read Stress reader benefits Keep your mailbox tidy Allot time for checking and answering email Email etiquette involves the following Remember to be polite Avoid shouting Avoid use of symbols and acronyms Include friendly salutations and sign-offs Respond promptly Respect privacy
Shareholder communication is important, since they are the virtual owners of the company. It is important to communicate openly with them, both in good times and bad. Good relations with shareholders can help to raise capital for new projects and to retain their confidence, even when the company is going through a crisis. The media used to communicate with shareholders include mailers, meetings, conferences and site/factory visits.

1. Talk to a business executive in a company and sector of your choice, to find out how the intranet is being used to communicate internally. What type of information is exchanged through the intranet? 2. As a salesperson, write an e-mail message to your Sales Manager, requesting that a meeting be scheduled to present your ideas on how to improve sales for the coming year.
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3. Go through business magazines and daily newspapers and select a situation when a company was facing a crisis (e.g., Coke and Pepsi pesticide controversy). How did the company communicate with its shareholders and other stakeholders to overcome the crisis? Was the communication effective?
10.7 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. i) b, ii) e, iii)d, iv) c, v) a 7. Oral; written 8. crisis 9. open/truthful Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 10.2, 10.2.1 2. Refer 10.3,10.3.1, 10.3.2 3. Refer 10.4
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Unit 11
External Business Communication Writing Business Letters
Structure: 11.1 Introduction Objectives 11.2 Principles of Business Letter Writing 11.3 Types of Business Letters 11.4 Format for Business Letters 11.5 Summary 11.6 Terminal Questions 11.7 Answers
11.1 Introduction
The last three units dealt with internal business communication, or communication with internal stakeholders. The written channels for communication with internal stakeholders memos, circulars and notices, were discussed in detail. This unit will focus on communication with external stakeholders through the written channel of business letters. Business letters can be used to communicate different messages to a variety of audiences. Business letters are also very different from personal letters, in terms of the degree of formality, tone, style and format used. Some general guidelines for writing business letters, the appropriate formats and the different types of business letters, will be explained in detail. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Differentiate between business letters and personal letters Categorize business letters into different types Use the proper format and tone, when writing business letters Develop good business writing skills
11.2 Principles of Business Letter Writing

Business letters are used primarily to communicate with external stakeholders such as consumers, intermediaries, government and bankers.
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The principles of business letter writing are somewhat different from the principles of writing general letters. Business letters are much more formal than general letters. Before we go into the specifics of business letter writing, let us look briefly at some of these principles* Consideration and Courtesy It is very important to retain the goodwill of customers and other external publics. A discourteous, rude letter can make you lose business. Therefore, the business letter should be extremely polite at all times and mindful of the Ps and Qs, i.e., the words please, thank you and sorry. Even if you happen to get a rude letter from a customer, you must respond politely, in order to retain the customer. If the company has been at fault, it is important to apologize to the customer for the mistake and for the inconvenience caused. The overall tone should not be negative. For example, avoid saying We cannot grant your request. Instead state it in a more tactful way, explaining the reasons for not being able to grant the request. If you are sending a job rejection letter to a candidate, it should be worded politely and in a positive tone. Consideration means that you should appeal to the readers interest. The importance of stressing the you attitude rather than the me attitude was dealt with in an earlier unit. This is similar to the language of advertisements, which talk about the benefits of the product to the end user. For example, instead of saying We will be open 24 hours, say You can avail of round-the-clock service. * Directness and Conciseness Business letters should be brief and to the point, avoiding unnecessary details and round about expressions. A typical Indian tendency is to be too wordy or verbose, using redundancies and unnecessary words. Business letters should give maximum information to the reader, using minimum words. * Clarity and Precision Business letters should be clearly worded, avoiding the use of jargon or technical terms, and slang words. Concrete words should be used, so that there is no ambiguity. Example : Instead of saying I received your communication, it is better to be more precise by saying I received your letter. The letter should include a single main idea and paragraphs should be used to elaborate on sub ideas.
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* Appearance Apart from the content, the format, layout and overall look of the letter should be equally appealing to the reader. Attention should be paid to the quality of paper used. The margins should be appropriate, including one inch on each side and one and a half inches on top and at the bottom. A business letter should include the following standard components 1. Date in the upper right hand corner 2. The To address above the salutation in the upper left hand corner. 3. The Salutation When addressing a firm, Messr should be used before the name of the firm. Since business letters are formal, the appropriate salutation when addressing an individual is Dear Mr./Ms., followed by the last name, rather than the first name, which is informal. If the gender of the reader is not known, it is better to use a neutral salutation, such as Dear Customer or Investor. 4. Sometimes, an Attention Line may be included below the salutation, in order to ensure prompt action. For example, Attention : John Smith, HR Manager. 5. A Subject Line indicates the purpose of the letter and is placed between the salutation and the first line of the letter. 6. The Body of the letter includes an explanation of the main idea(s). 7. The Close is the ending of the letter and should be polite and friendly, so as to retain goodwill. A standard close for a business letter is Yours faithfully or sincerely. 8. Enclosures Sometimes, a business letter may include an enclosure such as a pamphlet or a brochure, in which case this should be indicated at the end, below the signature line, as Encl : 2, meaning two enclosures. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. The language of business letters is similar to the language of advertising. 2. Every business letter should have a salutation, a body and a close. 3. The tone of a business letter is more important than the format.
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11.3 Types of Business Letters

Business letters may be used to communicate for a variety of purposes, including routine correspondence, building good rapport, conveying pleasant or unpleasant news and persuading customers to buy the companys products. The types of messages conveyed through business letters may be categorized into three broad types 1. Routine messages 2. Bad news messages 3. Persuasive messages We shall discuss these three categories in detail, including the guidelines and appropriate format to be used in each case. 11.3.1 Routine Letters Routine letters are letters on routine matters pertaining to day-to-day operations. Most of the business correspondence of the typical manager is on routine matters. The most common types of routine letters are 1. Routine Requests and Replies A routine request is a letter from a customer, asking for information on the companys products, or for product catalogs and brochures. It is termed a routine request, since the receiver of the letter is expected to do what is asked in the letter, without having to be persuaded. In general, all organizations will respond to such requests spontaneously, since it is an opportunity for them to promote their products. The response to such requests is known as a routine reply. A sample routine reply letter in response to a customer request, is shown below March 27th, 2008 Thomas Mathew Purchasing Director Home Security Products 6/1 Benson Cross Rd., Bangalore 560 046 Dear Mr. Mathew, I am writing this in response to your request for information regarding our HP 340 portable printer, to be used by your marketing representatives with their notebook computers when they travel.
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I would like to inform you that the HP 340 is an advanced portable printer, which incorporates the latest technology and is compatible with all types of notebook computers. I would also like to provide specific answers to each of your questions 1. The HP 340 is a laser printer, with a wide range of applications. It is quicker, has more printout capability and consumes less ink cartridge than other laser printers. 2. The HP 340 is battery operated and comes with a back-up battery, so that it may be used while traveling. It has a back-up of 5 6 hours, depending on the uses of the printer. 3. The HP 340 has a 15-inch cartridge and is compact and easy to carry while traveling. 4. The HP 340 comes with a three-year guarantee and all services will be free of cost. The product can be ordered either by calling our toll-free number 1-800353-7857, or online, through our website www.hewlettpackard.com. As an incentive for purchase within the next one week, we are offering a 25% discount for our first 500 customers. I look forward to your order and would be happy to give you information regarding our other products in future. Sincerely, Joe DSilva, Sales Manager, Hewlett Packard Company, Bannerghatta Rd., Bangalore 560 028 The above letter is concise and to the point, providing answers to each of the customers queries regarding the product. The last paragraph provides details that make it easy for the customer to order the product, along with a special incentive for early purchase. The close is positive and tries to build a long-term relationship with the customer. 2. Routine Claim and Adjustment Letters A routine claim letter is written by a buyer or a customer to a seller, requesting some type of action or adjustment, to correct a problem with the sellers product or
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service. It is more than just a letter of complaint and may be written by an individual or an organization. The action sought in a claim letter may be replacement or repair of a defective product, a full or partial refund, or just an apology for poor service or unfair practices. A claim letter is considered as a routine letter, since the seller or the organization will normally comply with the request for remedial action. For example, if you order a product from a catalog that mentions a particular price, but the seller charges you more, you can expect the seller to respond to your request to make an adjustment in the price. A routine adjustment letter is the sellers response to a routine claim letter, informing the buyer or customer about the action that has been taken. The reason for the problem should also be explained in a detailed and straightforward manner, along with the measures taken to prevent the problem from recurring. The letter should sound credible, so that the customers faith in the company and the product is restored. A sample routine claim letter regarding a defective product, is shown below March 28th, 2008 The Customer Service Representative Color View Graphics 14, Airport Rd., Bangalore 560 001 Dear Customer Service Representative, Subject : Inferior quality of color slides The poor quality of the color slides that you developed for me on March 20th made them unsuitable for use in my marketing strategy presentation to my marketing team last week. As a consequence, I had to use transparencies with an overhead projector instead. I have enclosed one of the dozen slides sent to me, as proof of the defective quality. As you can see, the colors overlap and the type is not clear. The slides do not meet the high quality standards promised in your recent color advertisement in Business Today.
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Since I have already made the presentation for which I required these slides, redeveloping them now would not solve the problem. Instead, I request you to cancel the charge of Rs. 5000 in your invoice 3063 dated March 22nd, which I have not yet paid. I can return the remaining eleven slides to you, if required. I am aware that mistakes like these happen sometimes, in spite of ones best efforts. I am confident that you will accept my request and correct this mistake promptly. Sincerely, Walter Thompson, Marketing Manager Enclosure : 1 In the above letter, the buyer can reasonably expect the seller of the defective product to make an adjustment by canceling the charges, since the quality of the slides is clearly inferior to what was promised. 3. Goodwill Letters These are routine letters that have no business objective, but are sent purely for building good rapport with external stakeholders. Such letters may express appreciation, sympathy or congratulations. Examples include letters to express sympathy over a business setback, appreciation for winning an award, gratitude for being on a panel of judges, or congratulations for opening a new branch office. 4. Other Routine Letters Routine letters may also be addressed to external audiences other than consumers. For example, letters inviting quotations may be sent to several suppliers, asking for the prices of raw material or components. The idea is to ensure getting the best price. Such letters should state the details of the material required, the information needed regarding price, guarantee, service, etc. provided by the supplier and the time within which the material is required. Once a quotation is accepted, an order letter will be sent to the supplier, placing the order for the required material. Tenders are letters inviting a provider of a service, such as construction of roads, to quote the rates for that particular service. They are usually sent for work that is spread over a period of time.
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Letters requesting purchase of goods on a credit basis, letters granting credit and collection letters addressed to customers, are some other common types of routine letters. 11.3.2 Bad News Letters A bad news letter conveys unpleasant news to customers or other external stakeholders. Typical examples of this type of letter are rejection of customer claims or requests for adjustments, job rejection letters to prospective employees, letters giving news about sudden price increases, products being discontinued, or about problems faced by the organization, such as losses and lay offs. When conveying bad news, the letter should be written tactfully and worded in a positive manner. A sample bad news letter refusing a customer claim is shown below March 28th, 2008 Mr. John Smith, Dean XYZ School of Business Cunningham Rd., Bangalore 560 034 Dear Mr. Smith, We make no money when our customers are forced to take long trips by train, rather than by flying Kingfisher Airlines and when that happens, we try to find out the reasons. A review of the March 19th flight records of the cancelled Kingfisher Airlines flight 1256 shows that it was scheduled to leave at 6 am and was cancelled at 5.30 am, because of foggy weather. Passengers were asked to remain in the boarding area and those who did were rebooked on flight 1257, which departed an hour later at 7 am. This flight arrived in Bangalore just an hour later than the scheduled arrival of flight 1256. Therefore, our ticket agent was correct in refusing to grant a refund on tickets to you and other passengers who did not take the later flight. You have mentioned in your claim letter that you are a frequent flyer of Kingfisher Airlines. Although we cannot grant you a refund, I have asked our Scheduling
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Department to add your name to our mailing list, for receiving a free subscription to our in-flight magazine. A complimentary copy of our current flight schedule is also enclosed. From now on, you will know exactly when every Kingfisher Airlines flight arrives and departs from Bangalore airport. Sincerely, Service Representative, Kingfisher Airlines Enclosure 1 In the above letter, the bad news, namely, the refusal to grant a refund to the passenger for not boarding the flight is conveyed indirectly. The airline tries to compensate for the bad news, by offering a free subscription to their magazine and a complimentary copy of their flight schedule. 11.3.3 Persuasive Letters The most common type of persuasive letter is a sales letter addressed to a customer, persuading him to buy your companys product. A sales letter is similar to an advertisement and uses the same AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) format. This means taking the consumer through different mental stages in a particular sequence first getting his attention, creating interest by highlighting unique features of the product, inducing desire by convincing him that the product is better than others and then motivating him to try the product. Sales letters are used to sell industrial products such as machinery, consumer durable products and other high-value items. A sample sales letter written in the above format is given below SAMPLE SALES LETTER FOR A HOME SECURITY SYSTEM March 27th, 2008 Dear Home Owner, The saying goes that an Englishmans home is his castle. Do you see your home as an investment in real estate or as your castle? Is it a means of getting tax exemptions, or a place where you can unwind and relax after a stressful week at work?
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Homes should be viewed as places where we feel safe and free from outside intrusions. Unfortunately, this is not the case, since recent statistics show that 10% of households in Bangalore city were robbed last year. How can you protect yourself? Home Security Products offers a simple and dependable solution the SafeHome Burglar Alarm System, which can protect up to 2500 square feet of your home. Just plug it in, adjust the sensitivity to the size of the room and turn the key. SafeHomes microprocessor screens out normal sounds like dogs barking, babies crying rain and traffic. Only hostile sounds such as glass breaking, will trigger the alarm. The alarm is also loud enough to alert the neighborhood and to drive away the smartest burglars. You may wonder what might happen if a clever burglar disconnects the electricity to your home. You need not worry, since SafeHome has built-in batteries that recharge automatically and ensure that it operates in spite of power failures. The best thing about SafeHome is the ease of installation. You simply have to mount it on a wall and plug it in. Security now comes at a price that you can afford just Rs. 999, along with a one year warranty and a ten day return policy, to ensure complete satisfaction. With SafeHome, burglaries will soon be a thing of the past. Ordering it is easy just call our toll-free number 1-800-222-3333 and use your credit card. SafeHome will be home delivered to you within a couple of days. Soon, your home will be a haven of peace. Sincerely, National Sales Manager Home Security Products Note that in the above letter, a dramatic question is asked to grab the attention of the reader, followed by startling figures the fact that a high percentage of homes have been robbed. Interest is then created by mentioning the products unique selling proposition (USP), or the features and benefits that are unique to the product. The product is
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highlighted as simple, dependable and easy to install. Desire is induced by overcoming any doubts or objections that the reader may have, such as the product functioning during a power failure. Finally, the reader is motivated to take action, by making it easy for him/her to order the product, by calling toll free and using a credit card. The product benefit is reinforced at the end of the letter. Self Assessment Question 4. Match the following i) Adjustment ii) Order letter iii) Bad news letter iv) AIDA format v) Credit and collection letters a) b) c) d) e) Rejecting a business proposal Persuasive message Routine letters Supplier Replacement of defective product
11.4 Format for Business Letters

Unlike general letters, business letters should be written following a specific plan or format. Two alternative types of formats may be used, depending on the type of message that is conveyed 1) The Direct Organizational Plan, or the Deductive Pattern and 2) The Indirect Organizational Plan or the Inductive Pattern. We will discuss each of these in detail, with an example of each. 11.4.1 Direct Organizational Plan This plan is followed for all routine letters and for messages that convey good news. The pattern followed is 1. Present the main idea first 2. Provide explanations, reasons, details and background information 3. End with a friendly closing The advantages of following this plan are The first sentence can be written with very little hesitation and there is a logical flow to the letter, since the explanation or details follow the main idea. Presenting the main idea first will attract the attention of the reader
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If pleasant news is being conveyed to the reader, presenting it first puts the reader in a good frame of mind. He/she will be more inclined to read the rest of the letter. Once the reader gets the main idea, he/she can quickly scan through the rest of the letter, thus saving time.
The routine claim and adjustment letters given below are written using the direct organizational plan. Dear Customer Service Representative, I am writing this to request you to replace the music CD Golden Tunes of the Sixties, which you had mailed to me last week. I was very impressed with your TV advertisement of the CD Golden Tunes of the Sixties. Your statement 100% satisfaction guaranteed made me place an immediate order and send you a check for Rs. 1000. This seems to be an outstanding CD with great music, but it arrived with a visible scratch on one side, which distorts the music when it is played. I am confident that you will live up to this guarantee. I am returning the CD to you and would like another one in first class condition. In case you do not have one in stock, I would like to request a refund. Sincerely, John Smith Note that in the above letter, the action or adjustment is requested in the very first sentence. The second paragraph explains the details supporting the request for action. The closing is friendly, expressing confidence that the request will be granted. Given below is a routine adjustment letter, granting a request for exchange of defective shirts, also written in the direct organizational format.
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Dear Customer, In view of the fact that you are a regular customer, we are sending you two new wash-and- wear shirts for free, to replace the two shirts that turned grey, due to use of strong bleaches. Your account will not be charged. Compared to conventional shirts, our shirts stay whiter, remain more wrinkle free and last longer. However, they must be hand washed rather than machine washed with bleaches, in order to keep them white and to maintain them in good condition. When you take the shirts to your laundry, just ask them to follow the washing instructions on the label. We will be sending you our annual clearance sale catalog in a few days and look forward to your future orders. Sincerely, Customer Service Representative In the above letter, the main idea granting the customers claim for exchange of shirts that have changed color, due to use of a washing machine is mentioned in the very first sentence, following the direct plan. An explanation follows, giving the reasons for the spoiled shirts and instructions for future care. The letter ends with a friendly closing. 11.4.2 Indirect Organizational Plan This plan or format is followed for bad news letters and for persuasive letters. When conveying unpleasant news, the letter should be worded tactfully and try to minimize the disappointment of the reader. Since the bad news should be de-emphasized, it is better to place this at the end, rather than at the beginning of the letter. Therefore, the indirect plan with the following pattern is recommended 1. Begin the letter with a buffer. This is a neutral or positive statement that lessens the impact of the bad news. For example, if the bad news of a price increase is being conveyed to a customer, begin with a statement about the companys philosophy of customer satisfaction. 2. Present the facts, a background analysis and the reasons for the bad news. Try to convince the reader that the decision is inevitable.
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3. State the bad news, or the main idea, in positive or neutral language. Avoid apologizing to the reader. 4. Close in a friendly manner. Offer some kind of compensation, or special incentive, to make up for the bad news and to retain the readers goodwill. An example of a bad news letter is shown below Mr. John Stanley ABC Distributors # 11, Queens Rd., Bangalore 560 046 Dear Mr. Stanley, Distributors have always been the force behind our success. ABC distributors, in particular, who have been our main distributors for over three decades now, have contributed significantly towards our companys sales. A review of our half yearly report, however, indicates that in South India, we have experienced a significant decline in market share in the frozen food segment. This is mainly because people are conservative in their eating habits, are becoming more health-conscious and are opting for fresh products. Due to this increasing trend, we have decided to phase out this line of products, for which you have been our main distributors. However, we have plans to launch several new products in the future. We will be introducing a new range of ready-to-eat products for working women very soon, for which we will be pleased to offer you the distributorship. Enclosed are a few samples of our new range of products for your consideration. Looking forward to a positive response from you, Sincerely, Marketing Manager Enclosures Note that the above letter begins with a buffer statement in the opening paragraph, giving credit to the distributor for having contributed to the
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companys sales in the past. This lessens the impact of the bad news that follows in the next paragraph, namely, dropping a product line distributed by them. The background and the justification for the decision to drop the product line are explained in the second paragraph. In order to compensate for this bad news, the distributorship of a new range of products is offered, along with some product samples. The indirect organizational plan or the inductive pattern is also used when writing persuasive letters such as sales letters. In a sales letter, the main idea is asking the customer to buy your companys product. This cannot be stated right away, since the reader first has to be convinced about the benefits of the product, before he can be asked to buy or try it. Therefore, it is necessary to delay the main idea, or asking for action, until you have presented the reasons. In other words, the reasons will be presented first, then the main idea, followed by a friendly closing. A sample sales letter was shown earlier in this unit for a home burglar alarm system. This was written in the AIDA format that was explained in detail. The AIDA format is essentially an indirect organizational plan. It tries to capture the readers attention first, then creates interest in and desire for the product, before asking for purchase of the product. Activity Imagine that you are the Marketing Manager of a consumer durables company. You receive a letter from a lady customer, claiming that a frost free refrigerator that she purchased from you is a defective one and demanding an adjustment in the form of a replacement. Write a tactful reply to her, explaining why an adjustment is not possible.
Self Assessment Question Fill in the Blanks 5. A letter expressing a goodwill message should follow the ___________ organizational plan. 6. Granting a request for a refund at the beginning of a letter means presenting the ______________ ________________ first. 7. A ________________ is an opening statement in a bad news letter.
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8. In a persuasive letter, the indirect plan is called the _____________ ____________. 9. In an indirect plan, they ________________ are presented first.
11.5 Summary
Just as memos, circulars and notices are used to communicate with internal audiences, business letters are written channels that are used to communicate with external audiences. Business letters are much more formal than general letters and should be written keeping in mind the following principles Courtesy and Consideration Directness and Conciseness Clarity and Precision Appearance and Format The components of a business letter include 1. Date 2. To address 3. Salutation 4. Attention line 5. Subject line 6. Body 7. Close 8. Enclosures The messages conveyed through business letters may be divided into three broad categories 1) Routine messages 2) Bad news messages and 3) Persuasive messages. Most business letters are written to convey routine messages regarding day-to-day operations. Such messages may be conveyed through the following types of letters Routine requests for product information and routine replies Routine claim and adjustment letters Goodwill letters Letters inviting quotations from suppliers Letters placing orders with suppliers Credit and collection letters
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Business letters are written in either of two formats 1) The Direct Organizational Plan and 2) The Indirect Organizational Plan. The direct organizational plan consists in presenting the main idea first, followed by explanations and reasons and then a friendly closing. All routine letters follow this type of format. The advantage of this format is that it gets reader attention, encourages him/her to read the rest of the letter, saves time and has a logical flow. The indirect organizational plan is used for conveying bad news messages and persuasive messages such as sales letters. It consists in presenting the reasons and explanations first, then the main idea, followed by a friendly closing. The logic behind using this format in a bad news letter is to minimize the impact of the bad news, by delaying it till the end of the letter. The bad news should be expressed in a positive manner and some compensation offered to the reader, in order to make up for the bad news. A persuasive letter such as a sales letter, also follows the indirect organizational plan. In this case, a format known as the AIDA format is used, to first gain attention and convinces the reader about the products benefits, before asking for action or purchase of the product. The main idea, which is the call for action, is presented at the end.

1. Write a letter to your customers, expressing the bad news that the price of a particular product has been increased. Use the appropriate format to present reasons and offer compensation. 2. Reply to a request from a trading company, asking for distributorship and information on your companys range of beauty/cosmetic products. 3. Select a company of your choice. Write a sales letter in the AIDA format to a prospective customer, persuading him/her to buy the companys product.
11.7 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. F 2. T
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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
F i) e, ii) d. iii) a , iv) b, v) c Direct Main idea Buffer AIDA format Reasons / explanations
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 11.3.2, 11.4.2 2. Refer 11.3.1, 11.4.1 3. Refer 11.3.3, 11.4.2
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Unit 12
Structure 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6
Other Forms of External Business Communication
Introduction Objectives Communication with Media through News Releases Communication about the Organization through Advertising Summary Terminal Questions Answers
12.1 Introduction
In the last unit, we dealt with an important form of communication with external stakeholders, namely, business letters. Among the external stakeholders, consumers and the media are particularly important. In one of the introductory units, the importance of retaining consumer goodwill, building preference for the companys product and projecting a positive image of the company was emphasized. In this unit, we will discuss two channels through which organizations communicate with the media and consumers, in order to achieve these objectives 1) News releases, which are a form of publicity and 2)Mass media advertising. While a news release can be used to highlight something unique about the organization to the media and to the public at large, advertising can build a favorable image about the company and its products. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to: Recognize the importance of effective communication with consumers, the media and society at large Define the purpose of news releases and advertisements Prepare news releases and advertisements Explain the importance of projecting a positive company image
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12.2 Communication with Media through News Releases

A press release is a news story that is carried free by a newspaper, highlighting the achievements of an organization on a specific front. Today, it is better known as a news release, since the story may be carried by other media also, such as television. A press or a news release is a form of publicity, which is part of public relations. Public relations involve maintaining goodwill and projecting a favorable image of the organization among its various publics, both internal and external. A news release tends to be more credible than advertising, which is a paid form of communication. While advertisements may be misleading and deceptive sometimes, news releases or publicity have great impact on public opinion, since they are accepted by the particular medium which carries them. It is therefore important to write news releases carefully, making them as interesting and as newsworthy as possible. The purpose of a news or press release is to announce new developments in your company to the media, which in turn will carry the story for the benefit of the public at large. Examples of new developments could be anything ranging from new products and services, to new appointments and promotions, new facilities, involvement in community projects, awards and achievements, joint ventures, seminars, mergers, takeovers and so on. Since the news release communicates all this to the public at large, it must be accurate, timely and complete. 12.2.1 Format and Guidelines for a Press Release A news release should be made appealing to television producers and to magazine and newspaper editors. A press release should include the following components 1. A dramatic opening sentence or paragraph The first sentence or paragraph should highlight the new development as something unique, as a first time achievement, or as a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A USP is an unique feature specific to a particular company, which the competition does not have and which sets you apart. For example, the opening sentence or paragraph could start by saying For the first time in history ., talk about an innovative new technology
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introduced by the company, the companys development in a backward area, or the fact that a new entity has been created ( e.g., Tata Corus). 2. Answers to key questions The press or news release should provide key information that answers questions such as where? ( i.e., location), when? (timing), why? (reason or justification) and how? (strategy). This information should be provided right at the beginning. Example If a new factory is being opened, where is it located? If a new product is being launched, when is it being launched and why is the timing ideal? If the company is planning a new project, how will they raise money to fund the project? 3. Benefits to the community The press release should also explain whether the new development will have a positive or an adverse impact on certain sections of the community. Examples If the company is participating in social development and building hospitals for the elderly, senior citizens are likely to benefit the most from this activity. On the other hand, when Tata acquired land in Singur for their Rs.one lakh car, it had benefits for consumers, but an adverse impact on the farming community, leading to farmers protests against the acquisition of land. 4. Company credentials The press release should emphasize the past credentials, reputation and proven strengths of the company, so that it enhances credibility. For example, the fact that the company has launched similar products, or embarked on similar projects in the past should be highlighted, as evidence of the companys ability in that area. Apart from writing the release in the above format, some specific guidelines for writing a press release should be followed If the matter should be released immediately, write For immediate release on top of the press release. When writing captions, the first letters of all the words in the caption should be all capital letters. The caption should be attention getting and framed in one sentence.
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The first paragraph of the press release should state the name of the city, state, month, day and year. The body of the press release should elaborate on the information contained in the introductory paragraph, answering the questions where, when, why and how. The body should include more than one paragraph and the concluding paragraph should summarize the key points of the release. The release should also be made visually appealing, with proper use of spacing between paragraphs, appropriate font size, type face, etc. The text should be formatted attractively and the length should not exceed two double-spaced pages, or approximately 400 words. It should also be proof read for typos, spelling and punctuation mistakes.
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12.2.2 Sample Press Release spelling and punctuation mistakes. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact : Patricia Wells DY & R Public Relations (080) 2521 2777 Extn. 309 Magic Moments (logo) Mumbai, 560 046 NEWS RELEASE MAGIC MOMENTS GIFT GALLERY COMING TO BANGALORE Mumbai, March 2008. A Mumbai based retail chain that specializes in greeting cards, music, stationery and gift items, plans to enter Karnataka this summer, with at least ten stores, a majority of them being located in Bangalore city. Mr. Stanley Pinto, owner and president of Magic Moments Gift Gallery, announced this week that potential franchisees are looking at three sites in the North Bangalore area. Two other stores are expected to open in Mysore and Mangalore. What we have done is to take four businesses that are traditionally found in separate store settings and to combine them under one roof, says Pinto. He is of the opinion that the stores will attract heavy traffic, since customers find onestop shopping very convenient. Magic Moments specializes in 1) Greeting cards for all occasions and festivals; 2) Music audio cassettes and CDs of all types of music, including Indian and Western classical, rock, pop and jazz; 3) Stationery, including hand-made paper, wrapping paper, note books and note pads; and 4) Gift items such as curios, wall hangings, costume jewelry and scented candles. Mr. Pinto, now 30, opened the first store in Mumbai at the age of 20. He began franchising three years later. Today, Magic Moments has 25 stores and 100 more are under development, through master franchise arrangements. What makes these stores so successful? Their unique range of products, special ambience, high profit margins, low overheads and focus on customer service have all contributed to the growth and popularity of the chain, according to Pinto. While some local stores may have a few similar products, no other national chain can match us for the sheer breadth of merchandise and quality of service, claims Pinto. The gift business is booming and we have carved a niche for ourselves in this area, that will be difficult to challenge, he says.
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The press release shown above includes the following important components Name and telephone number of the person who can answer questions, on the top left corner. Date, venue and summary of the most important information in the opening paragraph. An emphasis on reader benefits, namely shopping under one roof. Important information placed in the beginning of the article. Activity Identify any new development in an organization of your choice and prepare a news/press release on the same, following the guidelines discussed in this unit.
Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. A press release is a paid form of communication. 2. Maintaining good media relations is important for getting a press or news release accepted. 3. The purpose of a press release is to sell a companys products.
12.3 Communication about the Organization through Advertising

Advertisements in the mass media such as magazines, newspapers and television are used by organizations to communicate with prospective customers, both about the organization, as well as its products. Advertising may therefore be categorized into two broad types corporate advertising and product advertising. Corporate advertising may be defined as advertising that sells the organization to its various publics. In this case, the organization is the product. Corporate advertising is more a public relations activity than a form of advertising, since it has no commercial purpose. Its aim is merely to inform and to build a positive image of the organization.
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Product advertising on the other hand, aims to persuade prospective customers to buy the organizations products or services. Its ultimate purpose is to sell the organizations products. We will discuss each of these two types of advertising briefly. 12.3.1 Corporate Advertising While the overall objective of corporate advertising is to project a positive image of the organization as a whole, some of the specific objectives include the following * To create positive attitudes towards the organization Sometimes, consumers may have negative perceptions towards an organization, based on the belief that the organization is not a responsible corporate citizen. For example, they may believe that that the organization is responsible for environmental pollution, or destruction of forests and other natural resources. In such a situation, corporate advertising aims to create a more positive attitude towards the organization, by correcting these beliefs. Example There was a negative perception among consumers that Nike was using child labor in some of its factories, to manufacture sports shoes. Corporate advertising helped to overcome these perceptions. * To project the personality, culture and values of an organization The Tatas and the Birlas have been the oldest and the most frequent users of corporate advertising, to communicate about their entrepreneurial ability, culture and values, as Indias leading industrial groups. Even countries may use this form of advertising to achieve similar objectives. Example Dubai advertises to project an image of itself as a land of investment, sports and investment opportunities. * To safeguard corporate reputation This form of corporate advertising is done when the company is going through a crisis. We discussed crisis communication earlier, in the context of shareholder communication, citing the example of Coke and Pepsi, during the pesticide controversy. Example During the pesticide controversy, Coke released ads featuring Aamir Khan going to the Coke factory and laboratory, along with the Managing Director, declaring that Coke was safe to drink and free of pesticides. This helped to an extent to restore their damaged reputation.
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* To make an organization better understood Sometimes organizations go in for this form of corporate advertising, in order to make themselves more visible and to make consumers aware that they have a presence in several areas. Examples The United Breweries Group ran a corporate advertisement to highlight the fact that UB was not only in breweries, but also had interests in healthcare (hospitals) and education. The ITC Group also advertises to highlight their presence in areas as diverse as cigarettes, hotels, and ready-to-eat foods. * To project the organization as socially responsible This refers to corporate advertising for a social cause, that highlights the companys role in social development. The objective is to communicate the companys corporate social responsibility. Example The UB Group ran an advertisement with the message Drinking and driving dont mix. 12.3.2 Types of Corporate Advertising Corporate advertising not only has different objectives, it has also become wider in scope, going beyond its traditional role of image building. Today, it encompasses many different types of advertising. Some of the most important ones include 1. Corporate Identity Advertising This type of corporate advertising is done purely to communicate the organizations corporate identity, such as its name, logo (e.g. the Nike swoosh), trademark or brand name and slogan. When the organizations identity changes, this is communicated through corporate advertising. Example The American fast food outlet, Kentucky Fried Chicken, changed its name to KFC, to remove the association with fried, greasy chicken. This name change was communicated through corporate identity advertising. 2. Institutional Advertising This type of corporate advertising is aimed at special publics such as the media, suppliers and dealers, to correct communication problems with them.
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3. Public Relations Advertising This is the name given to corporate advertising that aims to change the negative attitudes of the public towards the companys products. Examples - The advertising done by Coke and Pepsi following the Cola controversy and that done by Cadburys, which was found to have worms in its chocolates, are examples of this type of corporate advertising. 4. Issue or Advocacy Advertising This type of corporate advertising projects a companys viewpoint or stand on a controversial issue, such as environmental pollution. Example When the pollution issue started affecting motorcycle companies, which were accused of emitting fumes from their vehicles, Hero Honda ran an advertising campaign, where they highlighted the fact that their vehicles were contributing to a pollution-free environment. 5. Public Service Advertising This refers to corporate advertising to promote a social cause, such as awareness of AIDS, family planning, or prevention of drunken driving. 6. Corporate Umbrella Advertising This type of corporate advertising is aimed at consumers and tries to link a new or weak product to more established brands in the corporate umbrella, or companys range of products. The idea is to generate sales for the weak or new product. Example Richardson Vicks, better known for its Vicks brand and prescription drugs, clubbed its beauty products such as Oil of Olay with its prescription drugs, in a single advertising campaign. This helped to create awareness of the companys entire range of products and generated sales for Oil of Olay. 7. Corporate Sponsorship This is also a form of corporate advertising, since a company pays to get itself linked with some sporting or other event, where it gets to display its logo and corporate message. This creates a lot of visibility for the company. Examples Pepsi sponsors World Cup Cricket and Kingfisher sponsors the Derby, or the horse racing event. Their names are now automatically associated with these sporting events.
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12.3.3 Guidelines for Effective Corporate Advertising As compared to product advertising, corporate advertising still accounts only for a small fraction of the total advertising budget in most organizations. However, the benefits derived for a company from corporate advertising are enormous. Effective corporate advertising creates visibility, promotes better understanding of the company, projects the company as a responsible citizen and improves consumer attitudes towards its products. When consumers and investors have a positive image of the company, their confidence in the company increases. Consumers are more likely to try products from a company that they regard highly, rather than from a faceless or nameless company. Investors are more likely to buy shares from a company of which they have a favorable image. Given the benefits of corporate advertising, it must be prepared carefully and made as attractive as possible. Some points to be kept in mind when developing a corporate advertising campaign are * Adequate budget Corporate advertising is expensive, since it has to be done in a sustained manner. For example, Birla, Indias leading industrial house, has been doing corporate advertising since it first started as a trading company. Corporate advertising is to be looked at as a long-term investment, because of the advantages mentioned above. Therefore, a substantial amount needs to be set aside as the advertising budget. Specific messages The message of a corporate advertisement needs to have a hard focus, clearly highlighting the companys objectives, vision and nature of business. Product advertising on the other hand, may sometimes have a softer focus, through the use of emotional appeals. Creative and memorable ads If corporate advertising is to create a positive image of the company over a long term, a high degree of creativity is needed, so that the advertisements are remembered for a long time to come. Evaluation of effectiveness It is important to establish clear-cut objectives for corporate advertising, such as image change or attitude change. This makes it easier to measure whether these objectives have been achieved or not, after the campaign has been run. Corporate ads
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must be evaluated for their effectiveness from time to time, so that the message can be fine tuned if needed. Self Assessment Question 4. Match the following i) Corporate advertising objective ii) Event sponsorship iii) Corporate social responsibility iv) Advocacy advertising v) Crisis communication a. b. c. d. e. Display logo and message Change of attitude Company viewpoint Protect corporate reputation Public Service Advertising
12.3.4 Product Advertising Product advertising, as defined earlier, has a purely commercial purpose and is a means through which an organization communicates with its consumers, to persuade them to buy its products. In product advertising, the message must be persuasive enough to convince people to buy the product, or at least try it out once. Apart from the message, the medium must also be chosen carefully. Sometimes, the medium itself is the message. This means that the medium by itself can convey certain qualities about the product, without the need for a verbal message. Take the simple example of a perfume that is advertised in a glossy, color magazine for high society women. The message conveyed, even without the use of words, is that it is a premium quality product, meant for the sophisticated and the elite. Like corporate advertising, effective product advertising can also build positive and lasting images over the long run. Example One of the best examples of this is the advertisement for Marlboro cigarettes, which features open spaces, an imaginary country and a rugged cowboy, with the caption Come to Marlboro country. The medium of advertising for this campaign is the billboard or hoarding, as it is known in India. The visual of the cowboy and the open spaces creates a very masculine and rugged image for the cigarette brand. Such was the impact of this visual, that even non smokers took to smoking after seeing the advertisement. This campaign is several decades old, but has been sustained over time, without any changes. It is displayed on billboards across the world and transcends cultural and geographical boundaries.
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Product advertising, if creative enough, has the power to communicate and persuade without words, or with minimum words and visual impact. Consider the following examples An advertisement for Heinekin, a famous brand of beer, features a visual of the product with a single line caption that says When you make a great beer, you dont have to make a great fuss. The message conveyed is that the product speaks for itself and that words are not required to describe its qualities. Another famous advertisement for Chivas Regal, a whisky brand, features a visual of broken pieces of the bottle, with liquid flowing and with the message Have you ever seen a grown-up man cry? 12.3.5 Format for Product Advertising All product advertising contains a persuasive message that follows a particular format, known as the AIDA format. AIDA stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. This means that persuasive messages should achieve the following, in a particular sequence * Capture Attention Since the average consumer is bombarded with several ads at the same time, he or she will only pay attention to those ads which stand out above the others. Therefore, attention-getting devices should be used to make the consumer notice the add Asking a question to arouse curiosity, having a bold headline, making a dramatic statement, or mentioning startling facts, are some examples of attention-getting devices. Example An advertisement for a home burglar alarm mentions some alarming statistics in the form of a dramatic question, right at the beginning Are you aware that over 5% of Indian homes were burgled last year? How can we protect ourselves? * Create Interest Once the reader or viewer has noticed the ad, it is important to create some interest in the product, by stressing the benefits to the consumer. One way of doing this is by selecting and stating a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). This is a unique feature that your product alone has and which offers a specific benefit to the consumer. For example, the USP of Clinic Dandruff Control Shampoo is that it contains an ingredient that moisturizes the scalp and prevents dandruff. Or,
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a car may include a safety device that other cars do not have. A USP creates interest by linking the product features to the consumer benefits. * Induce Desire After creating basic interest in the product, a persuasive ad should try to convince the consumer that the product is just right for him/her. This is achieved by overcoming any objections or problems that the consumer may have, such as high price, difficulty in installation or functioning of the product. Example Taking the above example of the home burglar alarm, the ad might try to convince the consumer as follows Are you worried that a smart burglar might disconnect the electricity? No problem, because our alarm has built-in batteries that ensure that it operates in spite of power failures. *Motivate Action This is the closing, where the consumer must be asked to do something. There are two types of closing hard-sell and soft-sell. A hard-sell closing asks the consumer to act immediately, which is usually in the form of buying the product. Example Buy now, while stocks last or Buy now, before special offer ends. The ad should also encourage easy action, by providing an address or a toll-free number to call and order the product. A soft-sell closing is more of a subtle call for action. Its purpose is to build loyalty to the brand and gently remind the consumer about the brand. Examples Come test drive the Nano, to experience the sheer thrill of driving the car, at any of our dealer outlets. Or, an ad for a famous brand of paint which says Whenever you see color, think of us. The format described above is also known as the Hierarchy of Effects, model, since it takes the consumer through different mental stages in a particular sequence, ranging from unawareness of the product to learning more about it and then liking it enough to try or buy it.
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Self Assessment Question 5. Product advertising can communicate effectively without words, through choice of an appropriate ___________________. 6. Interest in a product can be built by developing a ______________ _______________________ _______________________. 7. Another name for the AIDA format is the ____________________.
12.4 Summary
External business communication also involves communication with consumers, the media and the public at large, through advertising and news releases. A press release or a news release is a story that highlights new developments in an organization and is carried free by the medium in which it appears. It is a form of publicity, which is a part of public relations. Since the medium accepts to carry it, it has a powerful impact on public opinion and is highly credible. Press or news releases must be made interesting, newsworthy, accurate and complete. They should also be written in a specific format, which includes the following components An attention-getting opener, that highlights the development as something unique Answers to key questions, such as where, when, why and how. The impact of the development on the community Company credentials They should also be visually appealing and error free. Unlike press or news releases, advertising is a paid form of communication and is used to communicate both about the organization and its products to consumers. There are two broad categories of advertising corporate advertising and product advertising. While corporate advertising sells the organization to consumers and other publics, product advertising sells the products and has a purely commercial purpose.
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The broad purpose of corporate advertising is to project a favorable image of the organization and to maintain goodwill with various publics. Some of the specific objectives are To change negative attitudes towards the organization To project the culture, personality and values of the organization To safeguard the corporate reputation in times of crisis To make the organization more visible and better understood To project the organization as socially responsible There are different types of corporate advertising, depending on the objective to be achieved. Some of the main types are 1. Corporate identity advertising 2. Institutional advertising 3. Public relations advertising 4. Issue or advocacy advertising 5. Public service advertising 6. Corporate umbrella advertising 7. Corporate sponsorship Corporate advertising should be sustained over a long term, have specific, measurable objectives and evaluated for effectiveness, from time to time. Product advertising has the objective of persuading the consumer to buy, or to try out a companys product. In product advertising, the choice of an appropriate medium is important, since the medium by itself can communicate a message, without the use of words. Product advertising can also be made highly effective and persuasive, through powerful visuals and minimum words. Product advertising generally follows a specific format, known as the AIDA format, or the hierarchy of effects model. This includes the following components Capturing attention through an attention-getting device Creating interest through a unique selling proposition Inducing desire by convincing the consumer that the product is right for him/her Motivating action through a hard-sell or a soft-sell close.
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1. What is the difference between Public Relations and Advertising? What are its relative advantages and disadvantages? 2. Select a recent corporate advertisement from a newspaper or a magazine. What is the specific purpose of the advertisement? What type of corporate advertising is it? 3. Select a recent product advertisement from a newspaper, magazine or television. Analyze the advertisement and explain how it captures attention, creates interest, induces desire and motivates action.
12.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. F T F i) b, ii) a, iii) e, iv) c, v) d Medium/visual Unique selling proposition Hierarchy of effects
Answer to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 12.2, 12.3, 12.3.4 2. Refer 12.3.1, 12.3.2 3. Refer 12.3.4, 12.3.5
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Unit 13 Internal and External Business Communication Writing Business Reports

Structure: 13.1 Introduction Objectives 13.2 What is a Report? 13.3 Types of Business Reports 13.4 Format for Business Reports 13.5 Steps in Report Preparation 13.6 Summary 13.7 Terminal Questions 13.8 Answers
13.1 Introduction
Business reports are used to communicate with both internal and external stakeholders of an organization. Internally, management may need facts such as sales projections, to determine the direction that business should take. Externally, the government may need reports on compliance with various regulations. Reports are therefore varied in nature, purpose and format. They convey important information in an objective manner and either present a solution to a business problem, or help in making major decisions. Since the report is a key to business success, careful attention should be paid to the organization, preparation and writing of the report. This unit will explain the different characteristics, formats and types of business reports and provide step-by-step guidelines for report preparation. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Explain the role of reports in business Categorize and interpret different types of reports Prepare an outline of a report Assess your skills in objective, non-personal writing
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13.2 What is a Report?

A business report may be defined as an orderly and objective presentation of information that helps in decision making and problem solving. It may be in oral or written form. The key words in the above definition are orderly, objective, information, decision making and problem solving. Orderly means that a report flows in a logical sequence, for example, from a definition of the problem, to analysis, to recommendation of solutions. Objective means that a report is written avoiding use of the first person, so as to avoid bias. The passive voice is used rather than the active voice, so as to give less importance to the doer of the action. Example : A survey was conducted with a sample size of 100 respondents. (Passive voice) and not I conducted a survey among a sample size of 100 respondents (active voice). A report presents information or authentic facts and data. Subjective judgments and recommendations should be based on data. Finally, a business report, unlike a scientific or academic report, should aid decision making and problem solving. For example, a report on the market feasibility of a new product should help management to decide whether to launch the new product or not. A business report has certain unique characteristics *A report varies in purpose, length, format and complexity. Purpose The purpose of a business report may be to a) inform b) analyze or c) persuade. A report that seeks to merely inform the reader is simple and states facts with no persuasive intent. An example of a report with this purpose is a report on company policies and procedures. Other examples are sales reports, monthly departmental reports and project reports showing progress on projects. Sometimes a report may have the twin purpose of informing as well as analyzing. Merely providing data may be meaningless, unless the data is analyzed and interpreted. All research reports, such as market research reports based on surveys, come under this category. The information
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gathered from a survey is analyzed and then presented in a meaningful form. A business report may also have the purpose of persuading or recommending a course of action. A research report may also make some suggestions, based on the data and the analysis of the data. A marketing strategy report submitted to top management and proposals to the government seeking funds for building a research facility, or for some other purpose, are other examples of persuasive reports. Length, format and complexity Business reports vary from simple onepage memo formats, to more complex reports such as manuscript reports, running to several pages. Research reports are the most complex and the longest of all reports. The purpose of the report determines the length, format and complexity. The different formats will be discussed in detail in a later section. * Report quality is affected by quality and accuracy of the data A report may be perfectly written but may still be of poor quality, if the data collected is not accurate, or if the process of data collection itself is faulty. For example, a research report may be well written and presented, but the sample selected for the survey may be too small, or not representative enough of the population. Regarding accuracy of data, take the example of a report recommending purchase of an overhead projector for the companys conference room. Suppose you have been asked to study the features of different brands of OHPs and come up with a recommendation. If you recommend a brand of OHP based on its bulb life of 100 hours instead of 300 hours by mistake, your recommendation itself may be incorrect.
13.3 Types of Business Reports

Reports may be classified based on several criteria, including their use (progress reports and financial reports), purpose (informational, analytical and persuasive reports), frequency of preparation (annual, monthly, weekly and hourly reports), length (short and long reports) and whether they are internal to the business, or are used outside the business.
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The most common types of business reports may be divided into the following categories 1. Periodic reports These are reports that are prepared on a regular basis, for both internal and external audiences. Their purpose is solely to inform. Examples of this type of report are a) Routine management reports These are reports such as equipment reports and sales updates and are prepared for internal audiences. b) Compliance reports These are submitted to external stakeholders, such as the government, stating compliance with regulations such as environmental norms. c) Progress reports These reports may be prepared for both internal audiences such as top management and shareholders, as well as for external audiences such as customers. A project report stating progress on a long-term project is an example of this type of report. 2. Proposals Unlike periodic reports, the purpose of a proposal is to persuade. Proposals may be prepared for both internal and external audiences. Examples of proposals include research proposals and marketing strategy proposals to top management, proposals to the government to grant funds for building a research facility and proposals to consumers to buy a companys products. 3. Policies and Procedures The purpose of these reports is solely to inform. They are also prepared only for internal audiences. Examples include reports on company policies and procedures, written by top management and sent to all employees. This is part of downward communication. 4. Situational reports These are one-time, exceptional reports that are prepared when a unique event occurs. For example, if sales of the company has shown a significant decline, a study may be carried out to determine the reasons for declining sales and a report prepared on the findings. Similarly, a market feasibility study may be carried out before launch of a new product and a report prepared, based on the study. The purpose of such reports is usually to inform, analyze and persuade.
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Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. A business report is a subjective presentation of information. 2. There is no single format for a business report. 3. The purpose of a proposal is to inform. 4. A compliance report is a one-time report. 5. The quality of a report is judged by its visual appeal.
13.4 Format for Business Reports

The format for a business report will depend on the length of the report. Length also determines the degree of language formality. The simplest format for a report is the memo format, which is a one-page report. For example, calling attention to a meeting or to a problem, may require only one page or less and could be written in a memo format. Such reports will also be more informal than longer reports. Memos were discussed in detail in an earlier unit. As the complexity of the problem increases, additional pages may be required .The writer of the report will then decide that the report is large enough to be dressed up with a few extra parts. For example, a title page may be added to the report to impress the reader. Or, a letter addressed to the reader may be included, to indicate that the report is complete and is being sent. This is known as a letter of transmittal. Therefore, as the size of the report increases, a number of extra parts may be added, in order to assist the reader in understanding the report. The report will then take on a different format Consider the following two-page persuasive proposal, written in a manuscript format, which includes a caption, subheads and a summary, to help the reader in understanding the report clearly. A one-page memo report would not require any of these items.
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SAMPLE PROPOSAL THE BUSINESS WRITERS HOTLINE A Proposal submitted by Prof. Steve Martin Silicon Valley College of Bangalore, Karnataka, to the Fulbright Foundation April 3, 2008 All business writers have queries about writing style from time to time. The Business Communication faculty at Silicon Valley College of Bangalore often receives calls from business writers, asking questions about the tone, writing style and format of business letters and reports. Although a couple of business writers hotlines exist nationwide, none is available in the city of Bangalore. Thus, the Business Communication Faculty of Silicon Valley College requests that a grant for Rs. 1.5 lakhs be awarded, for the purpose of setting up and operating a Business Writers Hotline for one year. This will benefit business executives in Bangalore city and the students, faculty and staff of Silicon Valley College. Benefits of the Project The project will fund the establishment and functioning of a Business Writers Hotline, in which senior professors of Business Communication of Silicon Valley College will answer telephone queries, on the subject of grammar, writing style and format. This service will be offered at no cost to users and will be available five days a week, from Monday to Friday. This hotline will1. Enhance business productivity, by reducing errors in writing that can cause communication problems, unnecessary delays, or even wrong decisions. 2. Provide a useful service to business writers, including business executives, college students and faculty, who presently have no other way of clarifying their doubts and questions. 3. Project a favorable image of the college, as an asset to the business community in Bangalore.
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Procedures A Business Communication faculty member will be available to answer any telephone enquiries, during working days, between 9 am and 6 pm. Any calls received outside regular working hours will be recorded on an answering machine and a telephone response provided, before the end of the next working day. A dedicated phone line will be installed for this purpose and incoming calls will be forwarded to the faculty members, so that they can work on other matters simultaneously. Faculty members will only provide consultancy services and try to answer any reasonable questions related to grammar, punctuation, spelling, format, etc. They will not undertake any written work, edit anyones writing, or answer any questions that require in-depth research. Two books will serve as the standard references The Oxford English Dictionary and The Economist Style Guide. The hotline will begin operating on the first day of the academic calendar year, after the grant has been awarded and will continue for one year. A small advertisement announcing this service will appear in leading local dailies, such as the Times of India and The Deccan Herald. The extent to which the service is used and the types of questions asked will be recorded. These records will show whether the needs of business writers are being met by this service and whether further training should be given to business executives. Budget The budget recommended for the Business Writers Hotline for the first year of operation is as follows Purchase of five copies each of the two suggested reference books Purchase of one telephone answering machine Rental of one telephone line (12 months @ Rs. 1000 pm) Rs. 12000 Rs. 5000 Rs. 2000
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Long distance charges (12 months - estimated at Rs. 2000 pm). Advertisements (12 months) Miscellaneous Total Note: The faculty members will not charge for their time.
Rs. 24000 Rs. 100000 Rs. 7000 Rs.150000
Faculty Qualifications All the faculty members of Silicon Valley College have doctoral degrees in their field and an average of ten years teaching experience in Business Communication and related areas. Therefore, they are well equipped to answer the questions that are likely to come up. Summary The setting up of a Business Writers Hotline will improve the communication skills and writing quality of business executives in Bangalore. The costs indicated above are small, compared to the benefits that will be derived from the service by business executives, students, faculty of the college and the college itself.
Reports running to several hundreds of pages such as research reports will require a greater number of assisting items. They will also be much more formal in terms of language used and methods of presentation, compared to the memo, which is at the informal end. We will discuss these assisting items in some detail. 1. Preliminary Parts a) Letter of Transmittal This is a letter attached to the report when it is sent to readers. It serves as a greeting and as an introduction to the report. For example, in a research report, the letter of transmittal shown below is addressed to the person in an organization who authorized the study. The first sentence presents the report and reminds the reader that it was requested. It makes a brief mention of the methodology used in the study, the main findings and the recommendations.
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Example Dear Mr. Johnson, Here is the report of the study you requested, on the feasibility of opening a branch office in the city of Bangalore. A study of the social and economic factors of the community, an analysis of savings patterns and of the potential competition, indicates that an additional savings and loan branch office could be accommodated in Bangalore. I hope this report will assist you in making a decision. Please let me know, should you wish to discuss the report in any way. Sincerely, Donald McDonald Research Associate b) Title Page Since the title page creates the first impression on the reader, it should be visually appealing. The title should be clear and as descriptive of the study as possible. This page should also mention the person who requested or authorized the report, the person who prepared the report and the date on which the report was submitted. Example THE FEASIBILITY OF OPENING A BRANCH SAVINGS AND LOAN OFFICE IN BANGALORE Prepared for: Mr. William Johnson Chairman Western Savings and Loan Association Mumbai Prepared by: Donald McDonald Research Associate Indian Market Research Organization Bangalore
April 1st, 2008

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c) The Contents Page The purpose of having a contents page is to help the reader locate information, when a report is several pages long. It indicates how the report is organized. The contents should include the same headings that are used in the body of the report. The headings should be connected with the appropriate page numbers. If the report contains several graphs, tables or figures, they should be listed separately on a separate page, under a heading such as List of Tables and Figures. The contents page should be prepared from the outline, after writing the report. d) The Executive Summary or Synopsis This is included in long reports to let the reader know what the report is all about, without having to read the entire report. The summary is a condensed form, or an overview of the contents in the report. In a research report, the executive summary should include the purpose of the study, a brief statement of the problem, the research methodology, the main findings, conclusions and recommendations. The executive summary may be one to two pages in length. 2. Body of the Report This is the main text and is the heart of the report. It should include sections such as a) Introduction This includes the background and the purpose of the study. b) Problem Statement A clear definition of the problem, or the fundamental issue that needs to be resolved is needed. c) Research Methodology A detailed explanation of the type of research that needs to be carried out, the methods used for collection of data, the sample size, procedure and the questionnaire design, should be included in this section. d) Analysis, Findings and Conclusions The data collected should be analyzed and the findings presented and interpreted in a meaningful manner. Inferences should be made based on the findings. The findings could be presented in tabular, or in graphical form. e) Recommendations A report whose purpose is to persuade should include suggested courses of action, or solutions to the defined problem, based on the findings.
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3. Addenda/Annexes A report may also include a variety of items after the body of the report. Some of the main items in this section include a) Bibliography or References This is a listing of all sources of information books, journals, research papers and websites that were referred to for preparation of the report. The purpose of including this section is to present documented evidence from people who are considered authorities in their field, in support of our own statements. It gives due credit to authors who were consulted, in the absence of which we may be accused of plagiarism, or copying. Including a bibliography also reveals the depth of the study. Examples 1. Mark Ellis, Christine Johnson, Teaching Business English, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1994. 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonverbal_communication b) Appendix This is a section that includes material relevant to the study, but is too technical or complicated to be included in the body of the report. This is because it would hinder the readers ability to grasp the message. Examples of such items include cover letters for questionnaires, the questionnaires themselves, maps, summaries of raw data, computerized models and mathematical or statistical formulas. Each item in the appendix section must be labeled as Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. and given a suitable title. c) Index This is incorporated in order to help the reader to easily locate any topic or concept that is mentioned in the report. It is an alphabetical guide to the terms used in the main text of the report. It is generally not a part of most business reports, although it may be needed in some proposals, prospectuses and annual reports. It will include a list of key terms in alphabetical order, followed by all the page numbers on which the key terms are used. d) Glossary This is an explanation of technical terms or jargon used in the body of the report. This section is needed only when the report is of a highly technical nature and the reader is a layperson, who is not familiar with the technical terms used. If the reader is an expert in that particular
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field, the glossary may be omitted. It may also be omitted if the number of such terms is small, in which case, they may be explained in the form of footnotes. Business reports need not necessarily include all the items listed above. In fact, it would be rare to find all these sections in a single report. They have been mentioned only to illustrate all the possible parts that a business report could include. For example, the preliminary parts and the addenda items only support the body of the report. The purpose, type, length and formality of the report would determine which of the sections to include. Activity Imagine that you are the Librarian of your college and that you have been asked by the Principal to submit a proposal for reorganization of the library. Write a report with your recommendations for making better use of the space available and for computerizing the facilities. Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) Memo format ii) Preliminary part iii) Problem definition iv) Appendix v) Documentation
a. b. c. d. e.
Bibliography Technical specifications Informal Body of report Executive summary
13.5 Steps in Report Preparation

Since reports are a key to the success of any business, they should be carefully planned, organized, written and presented. A lot of groundwork should precede the actual writing of the report. We shall briefly discuss the five main steps in report preparation 1. Planning the report The first question to be asked before gathering information and writing the report, is regarding the type of report that is required. We classified reports into four main types, based on the purpose, the audience to whom they are addressed and the frequency of the report.
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Secondly, it must be remembered that most reports are required by management to solve a problem, or to make a decision. Therefore, the basis, or starting point for a report is a problem. Reports are written after a problem is analyzed and a solution to the problem is found. The problem may be of a day-to-day nature, such as determining which brand of overhead projector to recommend for purchase. Or, the problem may be a negative one, such as sales of the company showing a decline. In any case, the problem is the single fundamental issue to be addressed in the report and should be clearly determined, right at the outset. Once the problem has been defined, it must be broken up into sub issues or sub problems, by asking the questions what, why, when, where and who?. Example Suppose the purpose of a study is to survey clerical salaries in public sector banks in Bangalore city, in order to determine whether salaries in your bank are competitive and consistent. The problem may be broken up as follows What? A study of clerical salaries Why? To determine whether salaries in our firm are competitive and consistent When? Current Where? Bangalore city Who? Clerical employees in public sector banks Asking the above questions determines the exact scope of the study and reduces the problem to a workable size. The next step in planning the report is to do an audience analysis. We have seen that reports may be addressed to internal or external audiences of an organization. Some of the questions to be asked about the audience, or the reader of the report are Is the audience internal or external to the organization? Who is the specific audience or reader? - for example, top management, customers or the government? Reports written for the government and for top management should be more formal than for other audiences. Is the audience known to you?
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What is the level of knowledge of the audience? Is the topic familiar to the reader? If the report is of a technical nature and the reader is a layperson, the technical terms may need detailed explanation. What is the level of interest of the reader? If the report has been solicited or authorized, the readers level of interest will be high. On the other hand, if the report is voluntary or unsolicited, it may have to sustain reader interest. The tone, length, complexity and degree of formality of the report will depend largely on the readers characteristics. For example, reports addressed to peers would adopt a more conversational tone, while reports on company policies and procedures addressed to subordinates would adopt an emphatic tone.
2. Selecting a Method to Solve the Problem After defining the problem and doing an audience analysis, a method has to be selected to collect the necessary information to solve the problem. Broadly, information may be gathered using secondary research methods, such as books, magazines, newspapers, internet and other available sources, or through primary research methods, such as surveys that provide first hand information. 3. Gathering and Organizing Data Once the method of gathering information has been selected, the actual process of gathering the information begins. Since this is time consuming and expensive, only information that is relevant to the report and the study must be gathered. The raw data should be evaluated for its usefulness and organized in a form that is meaningful to understand. Tables, charts, graphs and summaries should be used to do this. 4. Arriving at a Conclusion Once the information has been checked for its validity and reliability, it must be interpreted and conclusions drawn. Correct interpretation of the data is needed for the success of the report. Sound conclusions cannot be made if the interpretation of the data is faulty. A common mistake made in the interpretation of data is the tendency of the researcher to use subjective judgments, instead of objective reasoning based on facts. 5. Writing the Report The actual process of writing the report should begin only after a satisfactory solution to the problem has been found. As
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pointed out earlier, a well written report that contains a bad answer is worse than a badly written report that contains a good answer. Once you are ready to begin writing, certain procedures for writing should be followed Set a date for completion of the report and get started early Begin by first preparing an outline and writing an initial draft, which can be refined later. Starting late is bound to affect the quality of the report. Start with an easy section It is best to start writing those sections of the report which you feel are easier than others. This will help you to get into the rhythm of writing, which will be carried over to the more difficult sections. Write quickly, with the intention of rewriting It is better to put down your thoughts on paper in the form of a rough draft and to get this done quickly. Once this difficult part is over, it becomes easier to improve. Set aside uninterrupted writing time A long block of uninterrupted writing time, such as three to four hours a day, should be set aside for writing the report. Interruptions can make you lose your train of thought. Review and rewrite where necessary Ideally, the report should be reviewed a couple of times, to see if any improvement is needed. The first review should be to see if any improvement in content is needed, while the second review should check for any errors in writing style, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Reports should also be written in a convincing manner, so that the reader accepts them as valid and reliable. Some suggested techniques of conviction include the following State facts in an objective manner Avoid using superlatives and emotional terms that introduce bias in the research, or that suggest that you are passing judgment. For example, avoid saying There was an incredible increase in sales, compared to the last year. Instead, simply state the amount or percentage of increase. This will be more acceptable to the reader.
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Provide expert opinions Although facts are more convincing than the opinions of others, they may not always be available. In this case, the opinions of a specialist in the field may be presented, highlighting the background and experience of the expert. This can enhance the credibility of the report. Example This is the opinion of an eminent lawyer, who has over three decades of experience in dealing with similar cases.
Use documentation Footnotes are citations that are placed numerically at the bottom of the page in the body of the report, along with the direct references. This is one way of mentioning the sources of information presented in the report. A bibliography, or list of references, explained earlier, is another way of providing documentation. This helps to convince the reader that the information is based on reliable sources.
Business reports should be carefully worded, adopting certain techniques of writing style Use concrete nouns Business reports should use concrete nouns, rather than abstract nouns as the subject of sentences, since they are easier to visualize. Example Mr. Johnson authorized the study. Here, Mr. Johnson is a concrete noun and is easy to visualize. Compare this with the sentence Authorization for the study was received by Mr. Johnson. Here an abstract noun, authorization, is the subject of the sentence and is harder to visualize. . Avoid pronouns referring to the writer or reader The first person pronoun I and the second person pronoun you should be avoided in business reports, as far as possible. The use of I risks placing more emphasis on the writer of the report, rather than on the ideas.
Example I conducted face-to-face interviews with fifty respondents. This draws more attention to the report writer and should be avoided. It is better to emphasize the idea that Face-to-face interviews were conducted among fifty respondents.
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Use tenses correctly If you are writing a research report and reporting or summarizing some of the findings, the past tense is preferable. Example Almost 80% of the respondents were not aware of the new product. Of the remaining 20%, five respondents were satisfied with the products features. However, once the findings have been presented and you are drawing conclusions, the present tense should be used. Example The above figures clearly indicate the need for more advertising to create awareness. Use transition sentences - The report should be written so as to flow in a logical sequence. A transition sentence summarizes one section of the report and leads the reader smoothly into the next section.
Example While the costs of this new initiative are more than what were anticipated, the benefits outweigh the costs, as listed below. This sentence leads the reader from a discussion on costs to a section on benefits, as a result of a cost-benefit analysis. * Define key terms carefully Important terms and words should be defined properly, explaining what the word means, rather than what the word is about. Example A dictionary is a book containing an alphabetical list of all words in a particular language is a more complete definition than A dictionary has to do with words in a language. Self Assessment Question Fill in the Blanks 7. Audience analysis helps to determine the ______________ and the __________________ of the report. 8. The survey method is used to gather _________________ data for a report.
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9.
_______________ __________________ and __________________ are two ways of making a report more convincing.
10. The use of __________________ ______________________ is a recommended technique of writing style in business reports. 11. It is better to emphasize the _________________ in a report rather than the ________________.
13.6 Summary
Business reports are used to communicate with both internal and external audiences. They are written in an orderly and objective manner and provide information that assists in problem solving and decision making. Reports vary in purpose, format, length and complexity. The quality of a report is determined largely by the quality and accuracy of the data contained in the report. Reports may be categorized based on criteria such as the type of audience, the frequency with which they are prepared, their purpose, use and length. The most common types of reports fall under four broad categories 1. Periodic reports 2. Proposals 3. Policies and Procedures 4. Situational reports The format for a report is a function of the length of the report. Short, onepage reports follow the memo format, while longer reports follow a manuscript format. The longer the report, the more the number of additional parts it will need, in order to assist the reader in understanding it without any difficulty. The extra parts, or assisting items that a report may possibly contain, include the following 1. Preliminary parts Letter of transmittal, title page, executive summary and contents page. 2. Body of the report Introduction, problem definition, methodology, analysis, findings, conclusions and recommendations. 3. Addenda or Annexes Bibliography or references, appendix, index and glossary of terms.
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The steps in report preparation include Planning the report, which includes determining the type of report, defining the problem and doing an audience analysis? Selecting a method for collecting data Gathering and organizing data Arriving at an answer to the problem Writing the report Regarding writing the report, certain procedures should be followed to make sure that the report is of high quality - starting early, starting with easy sections, setting aside uninterrupted time for writing, reviewing and rewriting the report. Some techniques for making the report more convincing to the reader include Providing opinions of experts Stating facts in an objective and unbiased manner Providing documentation in the form of references The techniques of writing style to be followed when writing a report, include the following Use of concrete vs. abstract nouns Avoidance of personal pronouns that emphasize the writer or reader of the report Correct use of tenses Use of transition sentences Careful definition of key terms

1. What are the characteristics of business reports that distinguish them from business letters? 2. Imagine that your factory is doing well and that you wish to participate in the development of the local community, in the town where the factory is located. You are willing to contribute part of the cost of building a modern football stadium there and wish to request the government to contribute the remaining cost.
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Answer the following questions a) What type of report will you prepare? b) What is the purpose? c) What report format will you use? d) Who is the audience and what is the level of interest? e) Is the report voluntary or authorized? 3. In your opinion, which is the most important step in report preparation? Justify your answer.
13.8 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. F T F F F i) c , ii) e, iii)d, iv) b, v) a Tone/length; formality/complexity Primary Expert opinions; documentation/references/bibliography Transition sentences/concrete nouns/correct tenses Ideas; writer/reader
Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 13.2 2. Refer 13.3, 13.4, and 13.5. 3. Refer 13.5
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Unit 14
Employment Communication Resumes and Cover Letters
Structure: 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 14.7 Introduction Objectives Writing a Resume Writing Job Application Letters Other Letters about Employment Summary Terminal Questions Answers
14.1 Introduction
The job application process begins with writing resumes and application letters. While a well drafted resume and application letter alone cannot get you a job, they can certainly increase your chances of being included in the short list of candidates to be considered. The way your resume and application letter are worded and presented can create a favorable first impression among prospective employers. They can provide an insight into the type of person that you are. Needless to say, a lot of time and attention should be given to preparing resumes and application letters, ensuring that they are written in an appropriate format and reflect your strengths and skills. This unit offers some useful guidelines for writing effective resumes, application letters and other types of employment letters. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Describe the job application process Prepare an effective personal resume Explain how application letters should be tailored to the needs of prospective employers Create an overall favorable image of yourself to prospective employers
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14.2 Writing a Resume

A resume is a document that summarizes your background, educational qualifications, experience and interests. It may be sent not only to current employers, but also to potential employers, who may hire you for a job that has not been announced. From a prospective employers point of view, it serves as a screening device, helping to select the most worthy candidates for a particular position and to eliminate the others. From a job seekers point of view, the resume conveys how you present your ideas, whether you are organized and what your strengths are, apart from listing your qualifications. Although resumes and job application letters go together and the letter is seen first, the resume should be written before the letter. The resume helps to decide which ideas are to be highlighted in the application letter. Resumes, like application letters, should focus on the needs of employers. For example, a person seeking a job as a visualizer in an advertising agency, should emphasize his creative skills over other skills. 14.2.1 Types of Resumes There are two approaches to writing a resume. Which of these you choose will depend on your experience and accomplishments. 1. Chronological Resume This type of resume consists in listing your education and experience in reverse order, mentioning your most recent job or qualification first. This is the most commonly used approach and is generally used when your education and work experience are clearly related to the job that you are applying for. It is also appropriate for recent college graduates, with little or no work experience.
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An example of a chronological resume is shown below Susan Thomas 207, Summer Block The Residences 57, Benson Cross Rd., Bangalore 560 046 Phone (080) - 23537133 Mobile 98450 31352 Email susanthomas@yahoo.com OBJECTIVE A middle to senior level position in the area of Client Servicing, in an Advertising Agency. EDUCATION M.S., Advertising & Marketing, the University of Texas at Austin, Texas, USA, September 2005. B.A., Mass Communication, Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, May 2001. EXPERIENCE Account Supervisor, Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore, October 2005 present. Independently handle the advertising campaigns of prestigious FMCG Clients, such as Hindustan Unilever. Supervise a team of client service executives. Client Service Executive, Sista Saatchi & Saatchi, Bangalore, June 2002 - June 2003. Assisted account supervisor in pre-launch advertising activities for number of new product launches. a
Management Trainee, Hindustan Thompson Associates, Bangalore, June 2001 2002. Went through all-round training in the different departments of an advertising agency, with emphasis on client servicing. ACTIVITIES Member, Advertising Club, Bangalore, 2007 present & INTERESTS Member, Bangalore Management Association, Bangalore, 2006 present Consulting Editor, Advertising & Marketing magazine, Bangalore, 2005 present REFERENCES Available on request
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2. Functional Resume This type of resume is appropriate when you have held a number of jobs in different functional areas, or when you are changing your career completely. Example Moving from a Marketing job to a Human Resources related job, or changing your career focus from an industry job to an academic job. In this case, the resume will be prepared in such a way that all jobs in a particular area will be grouped together. A functional resume would be written as follows Career Objective A position in Marketing Communication that would leverage both my industry and academic experience. Experience Summary of Industry Experience (1994 2002) Worked for over eight years in the advertising industry. Started my career as a management trainee with a mid sized agency and was exposed to all agency departments. Joined an in-house agency of a reputed organization and worked with them for two years as account executive on a consumer durable account. Moved on next to Indias third largest advertising agency, where I independently handled the advertising campaigns of a leading fast moving consumer goods client. After three years with them, I took up an offer as Branch Manager of a smaller agency catering to IT clients, and worked with them for a couple of years. Summary of Academic Experience (2003 present) I shifted my career focus to academics in 2003 and was a visiting faculty in Marketing at leading business schools in Bangalore. Worked as Editor for an institute offering distance education programs in Marketing and Advertising for a couple of years, before joining a business school that offers an American MBA in India. As Marketing Director, I was responsible for teaching Marketing related subjects, placement co-ordination and marketing the program to prospective students. After a long five-year stint with them, I recently joined Sikkim Manipal University, where I look after the management programs offered through distance education.
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A chronological work history would follow the experience section, listing all jobs held in reverse chronological order, starting from the most recent job. The education section would come next, listing institutions, degrees and dates. 14.2.2 Components of Resumes Irrespective of the type of resume, all resumes will have the same basic information or standard components 1. Basic Data This includes the name, address, telephone number and email id. The information provided should allow a prospective employer to reach you easily. If you are still in college, it is better to provide both a home and a college address. If you are already employed, list either a business phone number, or a mobile number where you can be reached during work hours. 2. Career Objective An objective should be very specific, stating clearly the position you are seeking and the area in which you want to work. The objective statement should consist of two parts 1) Your general goal, mentioning some skills that you feel will qualify you for the job and 2) One or more specific areas in which you wish to work. Example An entry-level position in public relations, with an opportunity to use my skills in writing and researching. Special interests in publicity, radio and television programming. 3. Education Employers are interested in knowing about your academic qualifications after high school. Educational qualifications should be listed in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent qualification first. The degree earned, the name of the institution, and the date of receiving the degree should be mentioned. Example Master of Business Administration in Retail Operations, Sikkim Manipal University, August 2008. In addition, any theses written, special courses taken, ranks, awards and scholarships earned may also be mentioned, if relevant. 4. Experience Like educational qualifications, work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order. If your experience is limited, you may also list part-time jobs, internships and voluntary work, under the title work
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experience. More than job designations, employees are interested in knowing what you can do. Therefore, a brief description of each job and the duties performed by you should be included. Short phrases may be used, instead of complete sentences. Technical terminology may also be used to describe the work done by you. Example Production Supervisor, Western University Media Productions, 1996-97 Assisted in videotape productions, digital and online videotape editing, using studio and portable cameras. 5. Skills/Other Knowledge In this section, capabilities such as languages known, computer skills and special writing skills may be listed. 6. Organizations and Activities Membership of student and professional associations, clubs and committees, offices held, as well as extra-curricular activities such as sports, music and photography, should be listed.in this section. This information gives prospective employers an idea of your aptitudes, attitudes and personality. 7. References References could be obtained from anyone who is familiar with either your academic or professional work, such as your professors, or immediate supervisor. Prior permission should always be sought before listing anyone as a reference. Generally, it is sufficient to include the statement References available on request in your resume and to furnish the names only if you are asked to. Employers ask for references only if they wish to do a background check on you. When listing references, the name of the person, designation, institution and contact details should be provided. 14.2.3 Language and Other Guidelines for Resumes The general appearance of a resume is extremely important. It should project a professional image of yourself to the organization. A badly presented resume with errors in spelling and grammar could cost you the job. That is why many job seekers prefer to hire the services of a professional firm to prepare their resumes. The following points should be kept in mind, regarding the appearance of a resume Print your resume on good quality paper Leave a lot of white space, so that the resume does not look cluttered
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Use a high quality printer or copy machine, for good reproduction Avoid using special types of paper and fancy typefaces for special effects Limit your resume to a maximum of two pages, since employers do not have the time to go through lengthy resumes
Regarding the language and writing style, avoid being wordy or verbose and use simple, brief statements. Your resume should also come across as dynamic and highlight your accomplishments. A list of action words that should be used in writing resumes, is given belowAchieved Planned Acted Prepared Adapted Presented Advised Produced Allocated Recommended Analyzed Reorganized Applied Resolved Appointed Revised Approved Reviewed Arranged Scheduled Assessed Selected Assigned Started Assisted Studied
Defined Delegated Demonstrated Described Designated Determined Developed Directed Distributed Drafted Edited Encouraged Established
Helped Identified Informed Inspected Instructed Integrated Initiated Introduced Investigated Involved Launched Located Managed
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Classified Suggested Collected Supervised Communicated Supported Compared Surveyed Compiled Taught Completed Tested Coordinated Trained Conducted Translated Created Updated
Evaluated Examined Facilitated Forecasted Formulated Gathered Generated Guided Handled
Marketed Modified Monitored Motivated Negotiated Observed Organized Participated Performed
Activity Imagine that you are applying for admission to a Business School and that you are required to submit a write up along with your application, describing your objective in wanting to pursue an MBA. Write an objective statement in about 300 words. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. Resumes should be tailored to the needs of different employers. 2. In a chronological resume, only the most recent job is listed. 3. A functional resume is more applicable for experienced candidates. 4. The components included in a resume will depend on the type of resume. 5. There is no prescribed length for a resume.
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14.3 Writing Job Application Letters

A job application letter is also known as a cover letter, since it introduces or covers the major points mentioned in the resume. It is prepared after the resume. A resume by itself is incomplete, unless it is accompanied by a cover letter. The cover letter, like the resume, should be well written and presented, since it creates a first impression and can get you an interview. Cover letters should be written much like sales letters, using all the techniques of persuasion. You have to sell yourself to a prospective employer, in the same way that you sell a product to a prospective customer. Cover letters can also be used to personalize your qualifications for a specific job. Every job application or cover letter should include the following standard components 1. Address and salutation The letter should be addressed to a specific individual and not to the organization. The individual should be addressed formally, by his/her last name. Example Dear Mr. Johnson/Ms. Johnson If the name of the individual is not known, he/she should be addressed by his/her designation. Example Dear HR Manager/ Sales Manager. 2. Opening The opening statement or paragraph straightforward and brief, mentioning the purpose of the letter. should be
3. Body Highlight your strongest qualifications in a couple of paragraphs, explaining how they will benefit the employer, using words that are different from those in the resume. 4. Closing Ask for the opportunity of a personal interview, showing flexibility in time and location. While the standard parts of the letter will remain the same, the format may vary, depending on the type of letter. We will discuss the types of cover letters briefly.
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14.3.1 Types of Job Application Letters Job application letters may be classified into two broad categories 1) Solicited application letters and 2) Unsolicited application letters. 1. A solicited application letter may be defined as a letter written to a prospective employer, in response to an advertised job. Sometimes job application letters may also be sent to prospective employers who have not advertised for an immediate position. A candidate may have a list of preferred employers and send job applications to them, in the hope of being contacted, as and when a position becomes available. These are known as unsolicited application or cover letters. A solicited application letter is easier to write and is more direct and straightforward than an unsolicited application letter. It is written following the direct organizational plan or format, which we discussed in detail, in an earlier unit on business letter writing. The direct organizational plan, to recap what we discussed earlier, consists in presenting the main idea first, followed by reasons and an explanation and then a friendly closing. A solicited letter would be written in the following pattern Include a subject line, stating the purpose of the letter.
Example Application for the position of Management Trainee. Mention right in the beginning that you are applying for a specific position that is available, stating how you learned about the opening example, through an advertisement, through friends, or through headhunters. State the reasons for applying for this particular position, i.e., why your qualifications and experience make you suited for the job. Close in a cordial manner and ask for a personal interview at the convenience of the employer.
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An example of a solicited cover letter, written in the direct organizational format, is shown below The HR Manager East West Infotainment Bidadi Industrial Area Bangalore 560 035 April 8, 2008 Dear HR Manager, Sub : Application for the position of Management Trainee I am writing this with respect to your advertisement in the Times of India Ascent, dated April 5th, 2008, for the position of Management Trainee with specialization in Human Resources. I believe that my qualifications and experience will match the needs of the above position. I have recently completed my MBA from Sikkim Manipal University via distance education, with specialization in Human Resources. My final MBA project was on HR Recruiting Policies in Ampersand Information Systems, Bangalore. In addition, I have also worked on a part-time basis with an IT recruitment firm in Bangalore, for around six months. I am enclosing my resume, along with an executive summary of my project report, for your review. I request you to give me the opportunity of an interview with you at your earliest convenience. Thanking you, Sincerely, Enclosures (2) A solicited cover letter, such as the one shown above, should be accompanied by a solicited resume, where the career objective is tailored to the advertised position and the relevant experience if any, is highlighted and follows the career objective.
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2. The unsolicited job application letter has certain advantages from the applicants point of view By sending out a number of unsolicited letters to potential employers, the job seeker increases the number of job opportunities available to him/her. There is less competition for the job seeker than there would be in the case of solicited job application letters, which are sent in response to an advertisement. If the letter is persuasive enough and meets a potential employers requirements, it could even be successful in creating a job. It suggests initiative on the part of the job seeker.
The unsolicited job application letter also offers some advantages to potential employers It saves advertising costs for the organization. It saves time, since having a ready file of resumes helps the HR department to shortlist and contact applicants immediately, instead of advertising and waiting for responses. An advertisement may also fetch hundreds of responses, all of which may take time to screen and shortlist. It increases the likelihood of getting candidates with initiative and foresight.
The unsolicited job application letter is not as direct as a solicited letter. This is because it has to be much more persuasive and convince the prospective employer to select you for a job that is not currently available. It is essentially a sales letter and follows the fundamental steps of selling, or the Attention, Interest, Desire, Action format, that was discussed in an earlier unit. The AIDA format is one type of indirect organizational plan. Let us discuss this format with regard to unsolicited letters. 1. Getting Attention Similar to a sales letter, an unsolicited cover letter must get the attention of the prospective employer. There are different ways of doing this. One way is to show familiarity with the company.
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Example I have researched IT companies and identified yours as one of the leaders in the field of microprocessor design, using advanced technology. Another attention-getting technique is to highlight some of your outstanding qualifications. Example If you need an executive assistant who can type at a speed of 100 words per minute, contact me. Referring to the source of job information could also serve as an attention getter, especially if the source is highly regarded by the employer. Example When youre Vice President, Marketing visited our campus to give a guest lecture last semester; he mentioned that you hired a few management trainees with marketing specialization, every year. References to magazine and newspaper articles can also be used as attention-getting devices. Example I read in the latest issue of the Advertising and Marketing magazine that your agency has won a prestigious new account and understand that you may want to hire some client service executives to service the account. 2. Creating Interest This can be done by highlighting your strongest qualifications and relating them to the needs of a specific position. Prospective employers are most interested in your qualifications and experience that are related to the job and expect you to point out that relationship This will assure them that you understand what the job involves. In order to create interest, the cover letter should avoid repeating facts from the resume. Instead, it should interpret the facts. Example From the business courses taken during my MBA program and from three years experience as a collection agent, I have learnt how to tackle a number of customer related problems such as legal, psychological and sales promotional. These problems are similar to what a claims adjuster would have to face acting within the limits of the law and a code of ethics, choosing the words that are most likely to influence a particular client and constantly promoting the companys products.
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The above paragraph creates interest, by relating the qualifications and experience to the needs of a specific position, namely, a claims adjuster. Note that it does not repeat factual details which can be found in the resume, such as the name of the college where the applicant did his/her MBA, the name of the courses taken, or the firm where he/she worked as a collection agent. It conveys to the prospective employer that the applicant knows what the job of a claims adjuster would involve. 3. Inducing Desire Similar to convincing a consumer that a product is relevant to his/her needs, the prospective employer must be convinced that the applicant is the right person for the job at hand. This can be done by providing concrete evidence and by stressing the benefits to the prospective employer. The technique for selling a product is to emphasize the prominent features of a product, along with supporting evidence. Similarly, the job applicant must choose his/her major strengths (such as a particular qualification or a part of his/her job experience) and provide enough details about them to sound convincing. Example My MBA final project work was with a leading international bank. I have also completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Bank Management, offered via distance education by a reputed institute. I am currently pursuing a part-time course in the programming of the XXX computer the same model that your bank is now in the process of installing. 4. Asking for Action The last paragraph of the letter should ask for action on the part of the prospective employer. In a solicited letter, the desired action is usually a request for a personal interview. However, in an unsolicited letter, it consists in getting the prospective employer to indicate whether there might be an opening for a specific position in the near future. This is as per the indirect organizational plan, where the main idea (asking for a suitable opening) is stated last. The following points should be remembered when asking for action Ask for the specific action politely, without making demands. Express gratitude, because you are seeking a favor. Emphasize your strengths again in the last paragraph.
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Example Please contact the references in my enclosed resume, for their comments on my knowledge of accounting and my interpersonal skills. I would be grateful if you could indicate whether there would be an opening for an auditor in your esteemed organization, in the near future. Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) Solicited application letter ii) Less competition for applicant iii) Attention-getting opening iv) Creating interest a. Providing evidence and benefits b. Relating qualifications with job c. Subject line d. Unsolicited application letter
v) Convincing prospective employer e. Showing familiarity with employer
14.4 Other Letters regarding Employment

Apart from job application letters, business executives often have to write other letters related to employment or to a job application. Some of these will be discussed briefly. 1. Recommendation Letters These are letters written to prospective employers about an applicants suitability for a particular job. They may be worded positively or negatively. If the letter recommends the applicant with enthusiasm, it is generally written following the direct organizational plan or format, stating the main idea first. In other words, the applicant is endorsed right in the beginning of the letter. On the other hand, if the recommendation is negative, the indirect organizational plan is followed, giving the reasons first and then stating that the applicant is not suitable for the job. The following points must be considered, when writing recommendation letters Fairness to applicants and prospective employers must be shown. Helping an applicant to get a job for which he is not suitable, is being unfair to a prospective employer. Similarly, giving a negative recommendation to a worthy applicant because of personal bias, is not being fair to the applicant.
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Relevant information must be provided in the letter. This includes the length of the applicants current employment, the nature of the job, performance, his/her strengths and weaknesses and any other information that would help to evaluate the applicant. Legal safeguards must also be included in the letter. For example, a statement should be included that the information provided is confidential, or used only for professional purposes. Failure to state this could lead to a lawsuit being filed against the writer.
Some employers use forms for getting information about job applicants, instead of asking for recommendation letters. This helps them to get the needed information faster, since filling out forms is easier than writing a letter. 2. Job Acceptance Letters These are similar to letters that convey good news and should be written following the direct organizational plan. They should begin by accepting the job right away, followed by any necessary details, such as documents to be submitted and then a friendly closing, indicating that you are looking forward to working with the employer. 3. Job Refusal Letters Prospective employers like to know as soon as possible, whether a job offer has been accepted or not. When a job offer is rejected, they would like to know the reasons why it has been declined. Therefore, a job refusal letter should state the reasons first, although it should be tactfully worded, so as to retain the goodwill of the employer for future purposes. The bad news, or the news that the job is being rejected, should be stated towards the end, following the indirect organizational plan.
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Example
Dear Mr. Harrison, Yours was one of the most challenging job interviews that I attended in my search for a tax accounting related job. I found your ideas on the percentagedepletion problem particularly interesting. As you yourself mentioned during our meeting, opportunities in your organization are good for those who are interested in costs. However, my special area of interest and expertise is tax accounting. Therefore, I have recently accepted a job with the 2M company, where my responsibilities will lie solely in the area of tax accounting. I thank you for your time and the opportunity given to me to explore career prospects in your organization. Sincerely,
4. Thank You Letters These letters are appropriate after the applicant has attended a job interview. As a matter of courtesy, they should be sent out, even if the applicant does not stand a chance of getting the job. This retains the prospective employers goodwill and increases the chances of being considered for future jobs. If the applicant is being considered for the present job, a thank you letter may be the deciding factor in his/her favor. Thank you letters are relatively shorter than other employment letters. Writing in too much detail de-emphasizes the appreciation and gratitude that they are meant to convey. Self Assessment Question Fill in the blanks 7. Letters of recommendation should contain ____________ ___________ And _________________ __________________. 8. The indirect organizational plan is used to write ________ letters and _________ _______________ letters. 9. A ___________ __________________ letter conveys good news. _____
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14.5 Summary
This unit dealt with two important aspects of employment communication resumes and job application letters, or cover letters. The resume is basically a summary of ones qualifications, experience, interests and aptitudes. However, from a job applicants point of view, it also projects an overall image and provides an insight into his/her personality. It is used by prospective employers to screen and shortlist job applicants for an interview. The resume is written before the job application letter and determines the ideas to be highlighted in the job application letter. It may also be tailored to the needs of a specific position. Resumes are of two types 1) Chronological resumes and 2) Functional resumes. Chronological resumes are appropriate when qualifications and experience are directly related to the job for which one is applying. It lists the qualifications and experience in reverse chronological order, i.e., starting with the most recent job or qualification. Functional resumes are appropriate when a person has had varied experience in different functional areas, or has switched careers. In this case, all the related work experience is grouped together. All resumes should include the following standard components Basic data A specific career objective Education Work experience Skills/Other knowledge Organizations and Activities References
The appearance and language used in a resume is as important as the content of a resume. Job application or cover letters are similar to sales letters, since their purpose is to sell oneself to a prospective employer. Like resumes, they may be tailored to the needs of a specific position. They should include the
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following standard components Date and address Salutation Opening Body Closing
Cover letters are of two types 1) Solicited letters and 2) Unsolicited letters. Solicited cover letters are written in response to a position that is currently available. It is written in a straightforward manner, following the direct organizational plan. Unsolicited cover letters are written to potential employers who do not currently have a specific job opening, but may consider the applicant at a later date. They have to be highly persuasive and are written following the AIDA format, or the indirect organizational plan. Apart from job application letters, other letters regarding employment include letters of recommendation, job acceptance and refusal letters and thank you letters.

1. Prepare a resume in chronological format, summarizing your education, experience and interests. Include all the standard resume parts. 2. Go through the appointment pages of a local daily newspaper and select an advertisement for a position that you would like to apply for. Write a solicited application letter, in response to this ad 3. Select an organization of your choice and write an unsolicited letter addressed to the HR Manager, enquiring about a possible opening in your area of interest or expertise.
14.7 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Questions 1. T 2. F 3. T
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4. F 5. F 6. i) c, ii) d, iii) e, iv) b, v) a 7. Relevant information; legal safeguards 8. Job refusal; negative recommendation 9. Job acceptance Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer14.2, 14.2.1, 14.2.2, 14.2.3 2. Refer 14.3, 14.3.1 3. Refer 14.3, 14.3.1
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Unit 15
Employment Communication Group Discussions and Interviews
Structure: 15.1 Introduction Objectives 15.2 What is a Group Discussion? 15.3 Attending Job Interviews 15.4 Summary 15.5 Terminal Questions 15.6 Answers
15.1 Introduction
While resumes and cover letters are used by prospective employers to screen and shortlist candidates, the actual process of evaluation and selection is done through group discussions and personal interviews. The new model of business is based on the group, rather than the individual. Therefore group discussions are useful in assessing the applicants ability to communicate effectively in a group situation, rather than in isolation. Personal interviews assess the applicants knowledge, skills and aptitudes, in a face-to-face, one-on-one situation. GDs and interviews require a separate set of skills, as well as extensive preparation. This unit will focus on these exclusive skills and offer some guidelines for the preparation of GDs and job interviews. Objectives After studying this unit, you will be able to Explain the meaning and purpose of group discussions Demonstrate good group discussion skills Rate your overall team skills Assess your conduct and performance in job interviews Discuss how to turn interviews into job offers
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15.2 What is a Group Discussion? (GD)

A group discussion is a forum where people discuss a topic, with the common objective of finding a solution to a problem. The members are expected to arrive at a common consensus. During the discussion, it is important that the intention of the members is to facilitate the exchange of views. All the members of the group are required to participate and to listen to the views of the other members. As a speaker, you should modify what you say, based on the points that the other members of the group make, while the discussion is in progress. The purpose of group discussions is to measure certain traits of the participants, which are otherwise difficult to identify and take time to assess. It is common for people who can communicate their ideas well and discuss effectively with others, in a one-to-one situation, to become silent in a group situation. They will not be able to present or discuss their ideas with the other members of the group. A group discussion helps to identify people who have such group skills and people who do not. Today, it is very essential for job applicants to have group communication skills. When you enter the real world, you do not work in isolation. Decision making takes place after discussing relevant issues with others be it superiors, peers or subordinates. Very often, you will need to interact with more than one person at the same time, which is very similar to a GD type of situation. A group discussion is coordinated by a person known as the moderator. Sometimes, there may be more than one moderator. The moderator is a neutral person, either from the organization conducting the GD, or a professional. He is normally an experienced person who has the ability to judge the performance of every member of the group, even if it is a large one. His primary role is to evaluate the performance of every participant. He is the one who announces the topic and keeps track of the time and the way in which the GD progresses. Generally, he does not interfere during the GD. However, he may intervene in two situations i) When the group discusses points that are not relevant to the given topic. ii) When the discussion does not take place in an orderly manner.
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In the first case, the moderator may interfere to bring the discussion back on track. In the second case, he may stop the GD temporarily, till order settles in. The moderator also has the right to ask a participant to stop talking, when he dominates the GD. In other words, the moderator is only a facilitator or an observer, who is present to help the smooth functioning of the GD and to evaluate the participants during the process. The GD is highly structured. The seating arrangement for a GD is decided by the moderator. Generally, the participants are made to sit in a circular/ semi-circular fashion, a u shape, or in a rectangular boardroom seating arrangement. In most cases, the group size ranges from 8 to 15 participants per group. However, it may also be larger, depending on the organization which is conducting the GD. The participants are allotted specific seats in the GD. The time that is normally allotted to a group for discussing the topic is 15 20 minutes. However, it is up to the moderator to terminate the discussion much earlier, or to extend it by a few more minutes. 15.2.1 Skills required for a Group Discussion There are certain specific parameters on which the participants of a GD are evaluated by the moderator. They are: 1. Content 2. Communication 3. Group Behavior 4. Leadership skills 1. Content: You will be tested for what you have to say about the topic. The moderator will test how well-versed you are with the selected topic, the extent of your knowledge and your general awareness. So content becomes an important aspect of the evaluation process. It is very important for you to clearly display your understanding of all the issues related to the topic. In a GD, the group should gain from its interaction with you, because of what you have to contribute. You should take every opportunity to exhibit your knowledge of the topic in a GD. However, you should limit your ideas to the topic under discussion and not go overboard, just to show that you are well read.
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2. Communication: This refers to how you say something, which is as important as what you say. There are three aspects to communication i) Convey what you want to say correctly Very often, the listener interprets the message differently from what we intended to convey. This suggests that we have not put across our ideas properly and correctly. One of the skills required in a GD is to ensure that there are no such gaps during communication and to convey the message clearly, so that it is understood in the way in which it is intended. ii) Listen This is as important in a GD as speaking. A GD does not mean that you have to master the skills of speaking alone. It is as much about listening to others ideas, as about telling them your ideas. You have to make sure that you focus your attention on what other group members are saying, instead of concentrating only on speaking. iii) Pay attention to language Correct use of language is another important aspect of communication. This does not mean using flowery language just to impress. It means using words in the right context. A GD should not be a forum to show off your language or vocabulary skills. Simple English should be used, avoiding complex words and long winded sentences. 3. Group Behavior: This is the third parameter on which you are evaluated in a Group Discussion. How each participant interacts with the other members of the group is very important. Even in a real life situation in an organization, all interaction is between superiors, peers and subordinates. You should listen to and understand the views expressed by the other group members, integrate them with your ideas and help arrive at a consensus in the discussion. There is also a certain etiquette, or code of conduct to be observed during a GD. Shouting or interrupting to gain attention, or making rude remarks about others contributions are to be avoided and will only disqualify your chances of success. 4. Leadership Skills: Participants with leadership skills will be easily noticed. Leadership means showing direction to the group. It means displaying your knowledge, communicating effectively and behaving
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maturely with your group members. What is required of you is an objective and balanced approach. You have to keep in mind that you are not participating in the GD to make any policy decisions, or to convince all your fellow group members that your point of view is the only one that they should follow. 15.2.2 Types of Group Discussions Based on the topics that are given for GDs, they may be divided into two broad categories: 1. Topic-based GDs 2. Case-based GDs 1. Topic-based GDs In this type of GD, the moderator gives a topic to the candidates, or they may be allowed a few minutes to select their own topic for discussion. By the end of the discussion, the group should attempt to arrive at a conclusion on the issue that is covered by the topic. The topics that are chosen for a GD are generally of two types i) Knowledge based topics and ii) Abstract topics. i) Knowledge-based topics These topics require extensive knowledge to be able to contribute to the GD. Take for example, the topic The USA is more interested in the petroleum of the Middle East, rather than in real peace there. Unless you know about the troops sent by the US during the Gulf War, the outcome of the war and the views about other neighboring countries, including India, you will not be able to speak effectively on the topic. Knowledge-based topics cover current economic issues, as well as non-economic issues. Although past issues are also given as GD topics, the focus is usually on topics of current relevance. Some of the important categories of knowledge-based topics are Economic related topics: These may be related to domestic or international issues and account for the majority of topics given for GDs. They require good content knowledge and familiarity with facts and figures about the national and international economy. For example, familiarity with critical economic indicators such as Gross Domestic Product, the plan outlay, sectoral allocations from the budget, trade and fiscal balances, export and import items and values, banking concepts and interest rates, stock indices, etc., is needed.
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Social Topics: Examples of such topics include, Prostitution should be legalized, or Religion is the opium of masses. While social topics generally have a greater national content base, some amount of content may be region-specific. Therefore, when you are discussing social topics, you should be clear about both the general nature of the topic, as well as the specific manifestations of the social issue. Political Topics: Such topics should be discussed in an objective manner. You should not restrict your discussion to the problem that is mentioned in the topic, but should also include connected topics. For example, What if the communists came to power?, or Plans to attract foreign investments are interdependent aspects that will have to be studied and noted down, so that they come in handy in a GD. Sports/Film related topics: These are also common in a number of GDs, since they are an integral part of Indian society. A general awareness about sports and films is needed to be able to participate effectively. Sports topics are usually selected from recently concluded tournaments, such as World Cups and Olympics. They may be general in nature, such as Should companies announce holidays during International Games?, or specific to a particular game or sportsperson, such as Sachin Tendulkars cricket days are over The same is true of film based topics. A number of films are now being used as case studies in business schools. IT based: IT being a prominent sector, topics based on information technology often feature among the list of topics for discussion. While IT indicates technology, a discussion on IT based topics does not mean that you need to have a thorough knowledge of programming or computer hardware. However, a general awareness of topics such as egovernance or networking would be needed. ii) Abstract topics These are topics which require common sense, more than content knowledge. Topics such as Black is black and white is white and A thing of beauty is a joy for ever are examples of abstract topics. By nature, they lend themselves to varied and widespread discussion. They can be best discussed using appropriate examples.
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2. Case-based GD This type of GD is more structured and the direction of the discussion is almost pre-determined by the identified problem. Unlike topic-based GDs, these GDs essentially move towards a solution. They require less regulation of the discussion by the moderator, since there is less scope for deviating from the topic, compared to the topic-based GDs. While discussing the case-based GDs, you will be required to assume the role of the person in the case who needs to take a decision. In a topicbased GD, you present your own views and opinions, without assuming the role of anybody else. A case usually has a problem, which requires a solution or decision to be taken. Your approach to taking the decision and your interaction with the other members of the group in the process of taking the decision, will be evaluated by the moderator. Sometimes, the moderator might ask you to write a summary of the case discussion at the end. Self Assessment Question Are the following statements true or false? 1. A GD is a free-wheeling discussion, with full freedom given to participants to select topics of their choice. 2. A GD evaluates participants based on the solution offered to a problem 3. What you say in a GD is as important as how you say it. 4. Group communication skills include listening skills. 5. A case-based GD requires greater analytical skills than a topic-based GD.
15.3 Job Interviews

The word interview is derived from Latin and French words meaning to see between or see each other. Interviews are conducted by organizations for various reasons for hiring employees, in the exit process when an employee is retiring, resigning or being fired, for employee performance appraisals and so on. A job interview is the logical outcome of an effective resume and cover letter, as well as good performance in a GD. It has the specific purpose of determining how well the applicant will meet the job requirements and
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perform on the job. It is structured, since the time, venue, duration, number of participants and matter to be discussed are all determined in advance. It is generally conducted in a formal manner, with the interviewer following a pre-determined agenda, such as a list of questions to be asked. The success of the job interview depends on the communication skills of the participants, namely the interviewer(s) and the interviewee. Both the interviewer and the interviewee should follow a step-by-step process, to make the interview a success Preparation Meeting face to face Evaluating the interview Taking action We will discuss these steps in detail, from the point of view of both the interviewee and the interviewer. 15.3.1 The Interviewees Perspective Before the Job Interview As a job applicant, you will have to do some groundwork before the interview, prepare to do well during the interview, assess your performance and do some follow up after the interview. Pre-interview planning is similar to preparing for a sales presentation. You will have to sell yourself to the prospective employer, by highlighting your unique strengths and by convincing the employer that you are the right person for the job. It also involves doing a thorough study of the organization for which you are interviewing. Employers expect applicants to gather information about the organization in advance and do not want to waste precious interview time providing such information. Several sources are available for researching an organization, including business publications, financial newspapers, annual reports, company websites and interviews with company employees. The information that a job applicant needs to gather about a company includes the following Name of the company Its status in the industry, in terms of market share, ranking, sales, assets and number of employees Recent developments in the company Scope of the company whether it is local, national or international
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Names of the top management Products and services offered Plans for future growth, such as expansion and diversification
In addition, you will need to gather job related information, such as the following Job title Required qualifications, knowledge and skills Job content The reporting structure to whom would you report and who would report to you? Opportunities for training and development, for acquiring new skills Opportunities for career advancement Preparation before the interview also involves doing a self-analysis, to assess your own abilities, strengths, weaknesses, interests and preferences. For example, are you a team player, or do you work better alone? Would you prefer a traveling job or a desk job? Do you enjoy interacting with people? You should list out the company and job requirements in one column and your own qualifications and needs in another column, to see if there is a good fit. This will help you to prepare better for the interview. Part of pre-interview preparation is to anticipate the kinds of questions that might be asked by the interviewer and to prepare answers to these questions. A list of commonly asked questions is provided in a later section, under the Interviewers Perspective. Last, but most important, is planning your personal appearance and attire. You need to find out if the company has a dress code and try to look and dress as if you already work for that company. Activity Imagine that you are conducting an interview with an employee of a company where you would like to work in future. Prepare a list of questions that you need to ask, in order to get a complete idea of the organization.
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15.3.2 During the Job Interview Once you have gone through the preparation stage, you are ready to face the actual interview. This is the most important stage of the job application process, during which attention should be paid to the following aspects Opening formalities Since it is important to create a good first impression, the way you greet and introduce yourself is important. Using the name of the interviewer correctly, giving a firm handshake, waiting till you are asked to be seated and sitting with an erect posture, are common courtesies that should be observed to project a good image. Non-verbal communication This was discussed in detail in an earlier unit. It was emphasized that in face-to-face communication, non-verbal cues can enhance communication and convey a positive message. Apart from a firm handshake and erect posture, your non-verbal behavior should indicate that you are confident and attentive to what the interviewer is saying. Direct eye contact, facial gestures and nodding to show that you are listening, are all important aspects of non-verbal communication that should be observed during the interview. Group interviews A group interview is one where a panel of interviewers interview a single applicant. The group may comprise people from different functional areas in the organization, such as HR, Marketing and Finance. When asked a question by one of the group members, it is common courtesy to make eye contact with and to address your responses to all the interviewers. Two-way interview Although the applicants task is primarily to listen and the interviewers job is primarily to ask questions, it is in the hands of the applicant to make the communication a two-way process. Apart from answering questions, the interviewee should show interest in the job and the company, by asking relevant questions, wherever possible. Honesty and humility It is important to be honest and to avoid bluffing or beating around the bush, if you do not know the answer to a particular question. Employers appreciate honesty, rather than over smart answers. Humility is equally important. For example, when asked about your weaknesses, do not state that you have no weaknesses. Another point to remember is to avoid exaggeration. For example, if you
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are being interviewed by a top executive of the company, do not suggest that you can turn the company around! Positive answers Do not speak ill of your previous employers. If asked about your previous experiences, you may give honest feedback, but you should do so tactfully. Your answers should always end on a positive note. Salary discussion Any discussion on salary should be initiated by the interviewer and not by the interviewee, especially during the initial interview. When asked about your salary expectations, you should indicate a range, rather than a specific figure. Therefore, you should have found out the general salary range for candidates with your qualifications and experience, before the interview. Only then can you give a reasonable response to the question. You also need to assess your own experience, qualifications and whether you have other job offers, before responding to a question on salary expectations. Closing the interview How you close the interview is as important as how you open it. Normally, the interviewer gives a signal when the interview is over, either through body language, or by making a comment on the next step for action. At this point, you must thank the interviewer, give another firm handshake and say that you look forward to hearing from the company soon. Sometimes, the interviewer may conclude by inviting you to ask questions. In this case, you should only ask questions that are relevant to the job or the organization and avoid asking questions related to your performance in the interview. It would be a good idea to prepare a list of questions to ask and to reserve some of these questions for the end of the interview.
15.3.3 After the Job Interview This stage involves the third and fourth steps in the interviewing process evaluating the interview and taking appropriate action. From the applicants point of view, it is important to do a self assessment of performance during the interview. Even if the applicant is not expecting a favorable outcome, it is important to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer immediately, expressing gratitude for having been given the
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opportunity of a face-to-face meeting. This will retain the goodwill of the employer and increase any chances of being considered for future openings. If the applicant has been given an indication of a favorable outcome, the follow-up action should be even more prompt. Any documents or certificates to be submitted should be sent without delay. If a second interview has to be attended, it is important to start the preparation and groundwork for this immediately. 15.3.4 The Interviewers Perspective Just like the interviewee, the interviewer is equally responsible for the success of the interview and needs to follow the four steps in the interviewing process. 1. Preparation This stage includes deciding the purpose of the interview (for example, a preliminary interview or a final interview), the style of the interview (formal or informal, structured or unstructured) and the physical set up (e.g., seating arrangements). If the interview is to be a structured one for example, the interviewer should make sure that all the questions are arranged in a proper sequence and are adequate to get sufficient information from the applicant. The interviewer also needs to assess and understand his own communication and listening skills, personal prejudices, perceptions and other barriers that may come in the way of effective communication. Similarly, he should study the background, aspirations and values of the interviewee in advance. 2. Meeting face-to-face The interviewer should show flexibility and try to make the applicant feel at ease during the interview. He should establish good rapport with the applicant and ensure that that the communication is a two-way process. Most job interviews are structured and the interviewer goes through a list of questions that have been pre-determined. Some commonly asked interview questions are shown in the table below
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COMMONLY ASKED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. What are your long-term and short-term career goals? How are you preparing to achieve them? 2. What do you see yourself doing five years from now? 3. What do you consider to be your main strengths and weaknesses? 4. What motivates you to put forth your best effort? 5. Why do you think you are suitable for this position? 6. In what ways do you think you can contribute to our company? 7. What are the qualities of a successful manager? 8. What is your leadership style? 9. What accomplishment has given you the greatest satisfaction? Why? 10. Describe your most rewarding college experience. 11. Describe any major problem that you faced and how you dealt with the problem. 12. How do you cope with pressure? 13. What do you know about our company? 14. What two or three things are most important to you in your job? 15. How would you describe the ideal job? 16. What academic subjects did you like best and least? 17. What have you learnt from participation in extra-curricular activities? 18. How would you describe yourself? 3. Evaluation This stage arises at the end of the interview. The interviewer should assess the interview, as well as the applicants performance, based on certain parameters. The specific parameters and the method of assessment should have been decided in advance. 4. Action Based on the evaluation of performance, the interviewer should decide whether to ask the applicant to attend further interviews, or to make a decision based on a single interview. The interviewer should also decide how to communicate further with the interviewee for example, by sending him an offer letter, a letter of rejection, or by calling him for another interview.
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The interviewer would do well to follow certain overall guidelines, to make the interview effective Take brief notes during the interview, so that important points can be referred to later, if required. Use body language appropriately, to put the applicant at ease for example, a friendly tone, direct eye contact to indicate interest, a relaxed body posture and nodding of the head to indicate acknowledgement, can make the interview less stressful for the applicant. Organize questions in the right sequence avoid asking the difficult questions first, since they may make the applicant tense. Ask questions that allow the applicant to speak freely and to open up a discussion. Questions that may be answered with a yes or no do not contribute much, whereas questions that ask how, what or why (such as those mentioned in the above table) will elicit elaborate answers from the applicant. Self Assessment Question 6. Match the following i) Pre-interview preparation ii) During the interview iii) Commonly asked interview question iv) Action stage v) Job related information a. Body language b. Thank you letter c. Opportunity for career advancement d. Strengths and weaknesses e. Structuring the interview
15.4 Summary
Employment communication also includes participating in and conducting group discussions and attending and conducting job interviews. Group discussions and job interviews are used to evaluate and select job applicants who have been screened and short listed, based on their resumes and cover letters. A group discussion is a discussion on a specific topic among a group of participants, with the objective of arriving at a solution to a problem, or at a common consensus. The purpose of a group discussion is to evaluate the group communication skills of a job applicant, as opposed to his/her
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individual communication skills. A group discussion simulates the real-world situation, since working in an organization and taking decisions require interaction with others, rather than acting in isolation. The group discussion is coordinated by a moderator, who is a neutral person from the organization conducting the interview. The moderators role is one of an observer and a facilitator, who ensures the smooth conduct of a GD. He/she may intervene at any point, if the discussion is not focused on the topic.The moderator must also evaluate the performance of all participants in the group. Participants of a GD are generally evaluated based on the following criteria1. Content 2. Communication 3. Group Behavior 4. Leadership Skills GDs are of two different types 1) Topic based GDs and 2) Case based GDs. Topic based GDs in turn may be a) knowledge based, such as economic, political, social, sports/film based, or IT based topics, or b) abstract topics. Case based GDs are more difficult, since they require analytical, decisionmaking and problem-solving skills. A job interview is generally structured and requires both the interviewer and the interviewee to follow four steps preparation, meeting face to face, evaluation and action. The success of the interview depends on both the interviewer and the interviewee. Before the interview, the interviewee has to do some groundwork, including the following Gather company and job related information Do a self analysis Anticipate the questions that might be asked and prepare answers Plan his/her personal appearance
During the interview, the interviewee must pay attention to the following aspects Opening and closing formalities Using body language correctly
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Making the interview a two-way process Addressing all interviewers in a group interview Handling salary discussion tactfully Showing honesty and humility Giving positive answers
After the interview, the interviewee must assess his/her performance and take appropriate action, such as sending thank you letters. The interviewer on his part, must also prepare for the interview, by determining the purpose, style, physical set up and the number and type of questions to be asked. During the interview, he/she must follow certain guidelines such as note taking, positive body language and proper organization of questions, so as to put the applicant at ease.

1. Prepare a code of conduct for a GD, listing out the dos and the donts for participants. 2. Select a position that you would like to apply for, in a company of your choice. Describe how you would go about preparing for an interview for this specific position. 3. Imagine that you are the HR Manager of the above company, conducting this interview. Describe how you would prepare for the interview in terms of purpose, style, physical set up and organization of questions.
15.6 Answers
Answers to Self Assessment Question 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. F F T T T i) e, ii) a, iii) d, iv) b, v) c
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Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 15.2, 15.2.1, 15.2.2 2. Refer 15.3.1 3. Refer 15.3.4
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Bibliography 1. Adler, Ronald B. and Elmhorst, Jeanne Marquardt, Communicating at Work : Principles and Practices for the Business and the Professions, McGraw-Hill College, 1999. 2. Himstreet, W.C. and Baty, W.M., Business Communications: Principles and Methods, Poor Mans Books, 1987. 3. Lesikar, Raymond V. and Flatley, Marie E., Communication, Tata McGraw Hill Publishing, 2002 4. Ober, Scot, Contemporary Business Publishers and Distributors, 2000 Basic Business All India
Communication,
5. Rai, Urmila and Rai, S.M., Business Communication, Third Edition, Himalaya Publishing House, 2002 6. The Economist Style Guide, 9th Edition, The Economist, London, 2005. 7. Milne, John Morrison, Business Language Practice, Language Teaching Publication, Hove, 1994. 8. http://www.microsoft.com 9. http://www.infotoday.com
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Basic Principles of Communication

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1.2 Understanding Communication

1.3 The Communication Process

SENDER/ ENCODER Channel(s)

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1.4 Barriers to Communication

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The Executive Departments

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1.5 The Importance of Communication in the Workplace

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1.7 Terminal Questions

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Answers to Terminal Questions 1. Refer 1.3 2. Refer 1.4 3. Refer 1.5

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Types and Channels of Communication

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2.2 Types of Communication

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2.3 Classification of Communication Channels

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2.5 Terminal Questions

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The Nature of Business Communication

3.2 Types of Business Communication

The Wheel of Business Communication

Intermediaries Customers Suppliers Unions

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Written Communication Meetings Advertisements Brochures

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3.3 Communication Network in Organizations

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Multi-layer Organizational Pyramid

Compressed Organizational Pyramid

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3.5 Terminal Questions

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The Importance of Listening in the Workplace

4.2 What is listening?

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4.3 Barriers to Listening

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4.4 Strategies for Effective Listening

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4.5 Listening in a Business Context