McGraw-Hill/Irwin McGraw-Hill/Irwin

2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights Reserved Copyright 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, All Rights Reserved.

Chapter 1
Business Communication, Management & Success
Types Reasons/Purposes Audiences Benefits & Costs Criteria Goodwill Trends Conventions Analysis Problem Solving
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Types of Communication
Verbal
Face-to-face Phone conversations Informal meetings Presentations E-mail messages Letters

Nonverbal
Computer graphics Company logos Smiles Size of an office Location of people at meetings

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Reasons Managers Communicate

To convey information To aid decision-making To create records To motivate employees To save money To send effective messages

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Communication Purposes
All business communication has three basic purposes
To inform (explain) To request or persuade (urge action) To build goodwill (make good image)

Most messages have more than one purpose

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Audiences
Internal
Go to people inside organization Memo to subordinates, superiors, peers

External
Go to people outside organization Letter to customers, suppliers, others

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Internal Audiences of Sales Manager West

To superiors
VP Production VP Marketing President VP Human Resources
Sales manager Intl. District 3 manager

VP Sales

VP Finance Sales manager West District 2 manager

To peers

Sales manager East

Sales manager Midwest District 1 manager

To subordinates
Sales rep

Sales rep

Sales rep

Sales rep

Sales rep
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Organizations External Audiences

Subsidiaries Customers Clients Stockholders Investors Lenders

Unions

Professional services Suppliers Distributors Wholesalers Franchisees Retailers Agents

Employment agencies
General public Potential employees, stockholders, customers Special interest groups

Organization

Legislators Gov. Courts

Competitors Trade assns. Media Foreign governments and offices
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Benefits & Costs

Effective writing
Saves time Increases ones productivity Communicates points more clearly Builds goodwill

Poor writing
Wastes time Wastes effort Loses goodwill
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Criteria for Effective Messages

Clear Complete Correct Saves receivers time Builds goodwill

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Goodwill = Positive Image

A goodwill message
Presents positive image of communicator and their organization Treats audience as a person, not a number Cements good relationship between audience and communicator

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10 Business Trends
1. Technology 2. Focus on quality, customers needs 3. Entrepreneurship 4. Teamwork 5. Diversity

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10 Business Trends, continued

6. Globalization and outsourcing 7. Legal and ethical concerns 8. Balancing work and family 9. Job Flexibility 10. Rapid rate of change

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Conventions
Conventionswidely accepted practices you routinely encounter Vary by organizational setting Help people recognize, produce, and interpret communications Need to fit rhetorical situation: audience, context, and purpose

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Analyze Situations: Ask Questions

Whats at staketo whom? Should you send a message? What channel should you use? What should you say? How should you say it?

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Solving Business Communication Problems

Gather knowledge Answer six analysis questions Brainstorm solutions Organize information to fit
Audiences Purposes Situation

Make document look inviting

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Solving Business Communication Problems, continued

Revise draft for tone
Friendly Businesslike Positive

Edit draft for standard English

Names Numbers

Use replies to plan future messages

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Six Analysis Questions

1. Who are your audiences?
What are relevant characteristics? How do listeners / readers differ? What must the message do? What must audience know, think, or do?

2. What are your purposes?

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Six Analysis Questions, continued

3. What information must you include?
List all required points De-emphasize or emphasize properly
To de-emphasize
Bury in and message Write / speak concisely

To emphasize
Place first or last in and message Add descriptive details

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Six Analysis Questions, continued

4. How can you support your position?
Reasons for your decision Logic behind your argument Benefits adapted to the audience

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Six Analysis Questions, continued

5. What audience objections do you expect?
Plan to overcome if possible De-emphasize negative information

6. What part of context may affect audience reaction?

Time of year Morale in organization Relationship between audience and communicator
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Organize to Fit Audience, Purpose, Situation

1. Put good news first 2. Put the main point/question first 3. Persuade a reluctant audience by delaying the main point/question

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Make Message Look Inviting

Use subject line to orient reader Use headings to group related ideas Use lists for emphasis Number items if order matters Use short paragraphssix lines max.

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Create Positive Style

Emphasize positive information
Give it more space Use indented list to set it off

Omit negative words, if you can Focus on possibilities, not limitations

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Edit Your Draft

Double-check these details
Readers name Any numbers First and last

Spelling, grammar, punctuation Always proofread before sending

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Use Response to Plan Next Message

Evaluate feedback you get
If message fails, find out why If message succeeds, find out why

Success = results you want, when you want them

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