Transcript Slide 1

CHAPTER 5: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
YOUR INVISIBLE ADVANTAGE
Effective Communication –
Happens when you transmit
meaning – relevant meaningto your audience.
Noise -
Any interference that causes
the message you send to be
different from the message
your audience understands.
Communication Barriers Obstacles to effective
communication.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
YOUR INVISIBLE ADVANTAGE
Examples of Noise:
• Over the emergency exit in a small hotel: This door is not to be used for
entering or exiting the building
• In a university faculty lounge: At the end of the day, please empty the coffee pot
and stand upside down on the draining board
• At a conference in Las Vegas: For anyone who has children and doesn’t know it,
there is a day care on the first floor
• In the window of a dry cleaner: Anyone leaving garments here for more than 30
days will be disposed of
• On the ladies room in a New York office tower: Restroom out of order. Please
use floor below
• At the information desk of a museum in Paris: Visitors are expected to
complain at the office between the hours of 9am and 11am daily
• Over a church door: This is the gate to heaven. Enter ye all by this door. This
door is kept locked because of the draft. (Please use side door)
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS:
THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT

Physical barriers

Language barriers

Body language barriers

Perceptual barriers

Organizational barriers

Cultural barriers
First Impressions

According to New York University, Graduate School of
Business, people make 11 decisions about us in the first seven
seconds of contact:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
education Level
economic level
perceived creditability and
believability
trustworthiness
level of sophistication
sexual identification
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
level of success
political background
religious background
ethnic background
social and professional
desirability
First Impressions

It takes just a quick glance, maybe three - four seconds, for
someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In
this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you
based on your appearance, your body language, your
demeanor, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed.





Be on Time
Be Yourself, Be at Ease
Present Yourself Appropriately
A Word About Individuality
A Winning Smile!




Be Open and Confident
Small Talk Goes a Long Way
Be Positive
Be Courteous and Attentive
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
As globalization gains speed,
intercultural communication will
become increasingly pivotal to longterm business success
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

 Nike
Toyota
hasmakes
a television
the MR2,
commercial
which in France
for hiking
is pronounced
shoes that was
"merdé"
shot
orinspelled
Kenya 'merdeux',
using Samburu
means
tribesmen.
"crappy".The camera closes in on the
one tribesman who speaks, in native Maa. As he speaks, the
Nike
In Chinese,
sloganthe
"Just
Kentucky
do it" appears
Fried Chicken
on the slogan
screen."finger-lickin'
Lee Cronk, an
good"
anthropologist
came out as
at "eat
the University
your fingers
of Cincinnati,
off.“
says the Kenyan
is really saying, "I don't want these. Give me big shoes."
Says
In Taiwan,
Nike'sthe
Elizabeth
translation
Dolan,
of the
"WePepsi
thought
slogan
nobody
"Come
in America
alive with
thewould
Pepsiknow
Generation"
what he said.“
came out as "Pepsi will bring your
ancestors back from the dead.“
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION


Nike offended Muslims in June, 1997 when the "flaming air"
logo for its Nike Air sneakers looked too similar to the Arabic
form of God's name, "Allah". Nike pulled more than 38,000
pairs of sneakers from the market.
The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling
Free," got translated in the Japanese market into "When
smoking Salem, you feel so refreshed that your mind seems
to be free and empty."
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION: BEYOND
THE WORDS
Reinforce the meaning of your
message.




Eye contact
Tone of voice
Facial expressions
Gestures and posture
In face-to-face communication only 7% of meaning comes from
verbal content while 38% comes from tone of voice and 55%
comes from body language.
ACTIVE LISTENING: THE GREAT DIVIDER
Hourly Employee
Manager
Executive
Top Salesman
30%
60%
75%
75%
“
“Lying is done with
words and also with
silence”
- Adrienne Rich
“
% of time spent listening:
LISTENING

85% of our success in learning from
other people is based upon how well
we listen
 Think
before you speak
 Listen with respect
 Ask yourself, “Is It Worth It?”
LISTENING

Listening Exercise:









Listen
Don’t interrupt
Don’t finish the other person’s sentences
Don’t say “I knew that”
Don’t even agree with the other person
Don’t use the words “no,” “but,” and “however”
Don’t be distracted – don’t let your eyes or attention wander
Maintain your end of the dialogue by asking intelligent questions
Eliminate striving to impress the other person
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CHANNEL: A RICH
ARRAY OF OPTIONS
Consider the audience it’s not about you!
Communication
Channels –
Figuring out the right
way to send a message.
The number of options is
growing…
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS: LEVELS OF
RICHNESS VARY
Memos/Reports
Very Low. No information from tone or
body language.
E-Mail
Very Low. No information beyond
words.
Instant Message
Very Low. Very few words lead to
basic communication.
Voice Mail
Low. The audience gains tone but no
body language.
Telephone Conversation
Moderate. The audience benefits from
changes in your tone.
Videoconferencing
In-Person Presentation
Face-Face Meeting
High. Conveys richness similar to inperson communication.
High. Audience experiences all elements
of message.
Very High. Audience experiences full
message most directly.
REMEMBER
In emotional situations ...
 The
Avoid
impersonal
writing,
such as the
e-mail
and
notes, for
more
emotional
the message,
more
personal
the“heavy”
medium
messages.
 High emotion: In-Person / Face-to-Face Meeting (assess & adapt)
 Deliver “bombs” in person, if possible…
Medium
emotion:
Handwritten
Telephone
Conversation
THE
ASSOCIATED
PRESS
published: letter
August/31,
2006 that
RadioShack has
(careful
choice
of by
words,
paper,
ink)are being laid off. The e-mail
notified
400
workers
e-mail
that they
“The workMemo
force reduction
is currently
in progress.
stated,
Low emotion:
/ Reportnotification
/ E-Mail (careful
choice
of words,
Unfortunately
your position is one that has been eliminated.”
paper, formatting)


STOP and THINK before communicating
ELECTRONIC WRITING

Blessing
 Faster
 Simpler
 Spelling/grammar

checkers
Curse
 Faster
 Simpler
 Spelling/grammar
checkers
SPELLBOUND
I have a spelling checker,
It came with my PC,
It plainly marks four my revue
Mistakes I cannot sea.
I’ve run this poem threw it,
I’m sure your pleased too no,
Its letter-perfect in it’s weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.
ELECTRONIC WRITING

Americans becoming dependent on computers for
literacy


Working vocabulary of average 14-year-old dropped
from 25,000 to 10,000 words over past 50 years
Determine best uses of technology
Software skills
 Attachments to be shared via e-mail
 How far to trust technology

Electronic Communications
Pitfall or Potential

There are over 196.3 billion emails sent and received per day
around the world
Over 6.8 billion cell phones worldwide – over 327 million in the US
(97 cell phones for every100 people worldwide)
September 2013 Twitter had about 1 billion registered users
(500 million Tweets are sent per day)
1.28 billion monthly active users as of March 31, 2014
(81.2% outside the U.S. and Canada)
Reports
TRIVIA QUIZ
What report gets better reaction:
3-page or 10-page?
ANSWER
It depends.
TRIVIA QUIZ
ANSWER
What’s preferred
in
business
writing?
Accuracy
Organization
Maximum meat/Minimum fat
Attention to detail
PICK THE RIGHT WORDS: ANALYZE YOUR
AUDIENCE

Expectations


What kind of language do most people use in the
organization?
Education
What vocabulary should you use?
 How complex should you make the message?


Profession

Are there professional acronyms and jargon that can impact
your message?
BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
Know audiences’ preferences
 Professors/boss
preferences
Be adaptable
 Time
issues
 Stress issues
Use reference materials
Copyright, Citing Sources And The Perils Of Plagiarism
GIVING CREDIT WHERE
CREDIT IS DUE
Additional Resources



http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/
http://library.duke.edu/research/citing/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/
 Use Microsoft
Word Help
BUSINESS WRITING STYLE
Recommended for Neeley students
Franklin Covey’s
Style Guide
For Business and Technical Communication
REMEMBER
On the written page, being
clear and concise
is more important
than being
impressive, brilliant,
literary, or academic.
PICK THE RIGHT WORDS:
 Be clear and concise
 But include all required information
Do not alienate yourself
by using slang in
written or verbal
communication.
AVOID:
• Gender Bias
• Age Bias
• Race, Ethnicity and Nationality
Bias
WRITING SCHEDULE
 Establish absolute deadlines
 Meet deadlines on schedule
 Work backwards from project due-date to
set working due-dates
THINK IN REVERSE
 Finalized document due on ________
 Proofreading due on ________
 Final draft due on ________
 Editing #2 due on ________
 Revision due on ________
 Editing #1 due on ________
 Rewrite due on ________
 First draft due on ________
WHY IS DRAFTING SO HARD?
 We don’t write the way we speak
 FIRST DRAFT
 Center
on subject and substance
 DON’T worry about editing and proofing—yet
 BUT, don’t neglect editing and proofing or you get the
OOPS factor …
“OOPS!” FACTOR
Fyrst, lern ta spel!
“OOPS!” FACTOR
Suppose attendance will drop?
“OOPS!” FACTOR
So much for the Free Help.
PICTURE LESSONS
Writing should be this clear.
PICTURE LESSONS
 Consider readers’ perspectives
 Plan ahead
 Edit carefully
 Proofread carefully
 Have someone else read it
USE ACTIVE VOICE WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Active Voice –
the subject of your
verb is doing the
action
Passive Voice – the
subject of your
sentence is not
doing the action
described by the
verb
Active: The Midwest sales team met the monthly sales goal.
Passive: The monthly sales goal was met by the Midwest sales team.
Active: The dog bit the man.
Passive : The man was bitten by the dog.
SAME MESSAGE, DIFFERENT APPROACH
If your recipient will feel
positive or neutral:
Begin with your
bottom line
If your recipient will feel
negative about your
message:
Start with the rationale and
follow with your bottom line
WRITE HIGH-IMPACT MESSAGES:
BREAKING THROUGH THE CLUTTER




Strike the right tone
Don’t make grammar goofs
Use block paragraphs
Use headings and bulleted
lists
WRITING: STRIKE THE RIGHT TONE

Use personal pronouns whenever appropriate


Use contractions as often as you would when speaking


Where is this book from? is much better than From where is this book?
It is OK to begin sentences with “And” or “But”


I’ll, don’t, here’s
It is OK to end a sentence with a preposition when doing so sounds
natural


I, you
Most teens enjoy videogames with a moderate level of violence. But a small,
vocal minority strongly advocates a more clean-cut approach
It is OK to split infinitives

Try to effectively film the next scene is a perfectly acceptable sentence
WRITING: NUMBERS
1.
Use numerical figures for numbers expressing time, measurement or money

2.
3.
Write out numbers if they are below 10; if they are 10 or more, use figures

Two technicians; 15 systems

Regardless of size, use figures for units of measure – 5 pounds; 2 yards
Write out numbers that begin a sentence

4.
Approximately 60 applicants; over 3 million orders this quarter
Write out approximations that are obvious exaggerations for effect

6.
Thirty-three patients were…..; Four years ago we…..
Use figures to express approximations

5.
3 a.m. ; $15.00; 45 ft.
That computer isn’t worth two cents; the boss told them a million times
Use a combination of letters and figures for very large round numbers

We have invested over $45 million
WHY IS EDITING SO HARD?
We don’t write the way we speak.
Most business writing is too verbose.
Focus on content and meaning
Facts/analysis/recommendations
Numbers and charts
Structure and organization
Sentence/phrase interpretation
Consistency
EDITING PRACTICE
Short-term planning is foremost in the
prioritization of the planning loop.
Writing Coach’s suggested change:
Short-term planning comes first.
EDITING PRACTICE
It is recommended that a legal action against a
foreign company for the profit under
contention would not be a wise move.
Writing Coach’s suggested change:
Suing a foreign company for this amount of
money is unwise.
PROOFREADING

Focus on format and usage
 Appearance
on page
 Spelling, grammar, typographical errors
 Electronic checks (be careful!)
 Physical check of printed copy
 Usage errors
 Language confusion
 Capitalization and punctuation
WHY IS PROOFING SO HARD?
Read in unison…
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy,
it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod
are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and
lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a
total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit
porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not
raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a
wlohe.
Business Memo
What are business memos?





Memos are official internal notes in an organization
A memo is a short to the point communication
conveying your thoughts, reactions or opinion on
something.
A memo can call people to action or broadcast a
bit of timely news.
With memo writing, shorter is better.
A letter is not a memo, nor is a memo a letter.
 No
salutation
 No closing signature
What should a memo include?

A memo should include:
 TO:
 FROM:
 DATE:
 SUBJECT
(RE):
Left Aligned
For example:
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Patrick Nuss
Joseph Smith
January 25, 2012
Action Plan for New Office
Structure of a Memo


Memos are SHORT, that’s the important thing
Points must be arranged in logical order:
 Memo
A.
B.
-
writing
Keep it short and to the point
Keep it structured
Or you can use a list of numbered points:
-
Memo writing
1.
2.
Keep it short and to the point
Keep it structured.
Business Memos



Use a subject that is intriguing, is something in
response to a question you received, or a point you
want to make.
One page is the rule. Half a page is better.
Make sure you include your contact information in
the memo so your colleagues know how to be back
to you.
E-mail
E-mail

Do not rely on e-mail to address problems.


Balance work-related e-mail with telephone calls.


Pick up the phone and have a conversation with that person as well.
Intentional or not, e-mail can sometimes come across as rude.


If there is a sticky situation that needs to be dealt with at work, do it
face-to-face. It will earn you respect in the long run.
It is easy to misread between the lines so at work, try to be extra
polite.
If your Internet access is through a corporate account, check
with your employer about their policy regarding private email.
Emoticons

Send mature messages at work.

Emoticons such as this smiley :-) in business e-mail, may be interpreted
as too casual.
Mr. Nuss,
Since we discussed emoticons in class today, I thought that you might find this funny.
Last year, when my daughter was in the second grade, she received an e-mail from
one of her classmates. It made her mad because he sent an emoticon with a smile
and a heart. She sent him the following reply:
Jeremiah that was not cool to put a smile and a heart. That means I love
you.
g-r-o-s-s spelles GROSS!!!!!!!!!! ew!!!!!!!!!!!!you are gross do not put this
again ew ew ew ew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT !!!!!!!!!!!! put this
insted do not put this ether or this
Top 12 Email Mistakes
#1 = Omitting the Subject Line
Do This Instead
Provide a detailed subject line – No subject
line is inviting a DELETE from the recipient
#2 = Not Making Subject Line Meaningful
Do This Instead
Be specific – avoid “Hey” or “Hi” – readers
need to prioritize what they will read so give
them a reason to read it.
#3 = Failing to Change the Header to
Correspond with the Subject
Do This Instead
Avoid hitting reply all the time. Start a new
thread when appropriate.
#4 = Not Personalizing the Message
Do This Instead
Provide a greeting and we don’t mean “Hey LaTanya”, how
about “Dear LaTanya” or “Hello LaTanya”
#5 = Not Accounting for Tone
Do This Instead
Read your message and make sure it can not
be misperceived. :-) or j/k or lol can only
cover up so much.
ALL CAPS MEANS WHAT? Yes, shouting so
don’t do it unless you’re really upset j/k.
#6 = Forgetin Too Chek For Speling and Grammer
Do This Instead
Have Outlook do auto check before you send.
Also, reread your email before sending. Yes,
it’s that important.
#7 = Writing the Great American Novel
Do This Instead
Call the person or write a novel, but keep the
email brief. Brevity is the soul of wisdom!
#8 = Forwarding Email Without Permission
Do This Instead
If it was sent to only you, it was probably for a
reason. As far as funny emails go –
forwarding those is risky due to viruses and
they clog networks. Corporate America is
getting wiser – be cautious.
#9 = Thinking No One Else Will See Your Email
Do This Instead
Assume everybody will see it - Professor,
boss, girlfriend/boyfriend and ask yourself,
would this bother them?
#10 = Leaving Off Your Signature
Do This Instead
Always close with your name and contact
information, that’s just plain courteous.
Create a professional signature block.
#11 = Expecting an Instant Response
Do This Instead
Chill out. Provide a reply date if it is urgent,
that way you can follow up without being
annoying.
#12 = Completing the “To” line First
Do This Instead
Never, ever, ever, never fill in the recipients
addresses until you are sure your email is
well crafted and complete.
TIPS FOR EXCELLENT EMAIL

Consider both your primary and secondary readers.
Keep it short.
Don’t forget to proofread.
Use standard writing.
Avoid attachments.
Don’t assume privacy.
Avoid anything nearing “off-color”
E-mail belongs to your employer!
Respond promptly to e-mails.
Assume the best.
Create a compelling subject line.

Think before you write, and think again before you send!










Voicemail & Cell Phones
Countries by number of mobile phones
in use
Rank
Country or region
Number of mobile
phones
Population
# of phones as %
of population
-
World
Over 6.8 billion
7,012,000,000
97.00
01
China
1,227,360,000
1,349,585,838]
89.20
02
India
904,510,000
1,220,800,359]
74.09
03
United States
327,577,529
318,874,628
103.10
04
Brazil
265,741,000
192,379,287]
134.20
05
Russia
256,117,000
142,905,200]
155.50
06
Indonesia
236,800,000
237,556,363
109.28
07
Pakistan
125,012,860]
178,854,781]
69.90
08
Japan
121,246,700
127,628,095
95.01
09
Germany
107,000,000
81,882,342
130.10
10
Philippines
106,987,098
94,013,200
113.80
Your Voicemail Message
Expect Important People to Call
Your Voicemail Message


If an employer called and heard these voicemails what
perception do you think they would have?

Yo, this is Pat, you know what to do and when to do it. Later….(beep)

This is Joe, I’m busy at the present moment. If this is Anthony, I’ll be
hangin’ until midnight having some brews with the guys. …(beep)
Let’s not forget ring tones…….keep them conservative, no
techno, hip-hop, mission impossible craziness – cackles, crying
etc….
Telephone and Voice Mail

If you return a phone call and you're forwarded to that
person's voice mail, let them know when and where you can
be reached:



"I'll be at my desk at 4:30 this afternoon if you want to call me then."
Return your calls in a timely manner. Ideally no more than
twenty-four hours should go by.
When leaving a voice-mail message, give your number at
both the beginning and end of the message.

If the recipient didn't write it down it at the beginning, they can either
catch it at the end or replay the message and catch it at the top.
Cell Phone


When on your cell phone, practice netiquette and avoid
screaming into your cell phone. The speaker on your cell
phone is very sensitive and can transmit your slightest
whisper.
Be sensitive to those around you, because believe it or not,
they don't want to hear your conversation.
Top 10 Cell Phone Etiquette Rules
People Still Break
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Talking too loudly.
Holding inappropriate conversations in public.
Rudely interrupting conversations.
Checking your phone at the movies.
Texting while driving.
Texting while talking.
Texting small talk.
Loud and annoying ringtones.
Disturbing live performances.
Location, location, location
Texting A&M student caused fatal
wreck
Jury decides that texting A&M student caused fatal wreck, orders him to pay $22 million
FRANKLIN -- A jury that decided that a Texas A&M University student was texting while driving
and caused a deadly wreck ordered him to pay $22 million in damages.
The victim, Megan Small of Houston, was a senior at Baylor University and was driving to Waco
when the November 2007 accident happened near Calvert.
The investigation indicated that a vehicle driven by Reed Vestal crossed the center line and
struck Small's vehicle head-on. Phone records indicated that Vestal sent and received 15 texts
and made seven calls in the 45 minutes before the wreck.
The damages will be shared with Small's friend Laura Gleffe, who was driving another car that
rolled during the crash.
Hunter Craft, attorney for the Small family, said Vestal declared bankruptcy before the civil
trial in Franklin.
An attorney for Vestal did not immediately comment.
Posted Friday, Mar. 19, 2010
Facebook
Facebook Statistics
Facebook - Company Figures
98

802 million daily active users on average in March 2014

609 million mobile daily active users on average in March 2014

1.28 billion monthly active users as of March 31, 2014

1.01 billion mobile monthly active users as of March 31, 2014

Approximately 81.2% of our daily active users are outside the U.S.
and Canada
Facebook Issues




At several Kentucky universities, administrators have used
incriminating Facebook photographs to discipline students for
drinking in campus dorms.
After two students at Fisher College in Boston (one of them the Student
Council president) mocked and threatened a police officer on a
Facebook forum, they were immediately expelled.
Penn State police used Facebook to identify and discipline students
who rushed the field after the Ohio State football game last
October.
The University of California, Santa Barbara, has promised harsh
consequences for students posting pictures displaying “illegal
activity” on the virtual network.
Mild mannered Ray Clark
during the day
Same guy – is now expelled
from his private Christian
Academy
Stacy Snyder could be drinking
Kool-Aid for all we know
Unfortunately Stacy made her
caption “DRUNKEN PIRATE” and
was denied her teaching degree.
Employers Background Checking
Process



If you’ve got a profile on a social networking site such as
MySpace or Facebook, be prepared for potential employers to
view it. National Association of Colleges and Employers
In a 2012 CareerBuilder survey 37% of all employers look up
potential employees’ social media profiles
Profile information may have at least some effect on an
employer’s hiring decisions:

More than 60 percent of employers who review social networking sites said
the information gleaned there has at least some influence on their hiring
decisions.
Five Reasons Potential Employers Look
At Social Media Profiles
Source: Career Builder Survey March 2012
Five Reasons For Not Hiring Candidate
Source: Career Builder Survey March 2012
Five Reasons For Hiring Candidate
Source: Career Builder Survey March 2012