Business Communication

Chanderprabhu Jain College of Higher Studies & School of Law
Plot No. OCF, Sector A-8, Narela, New Delhi – 110040
(Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Approved by Govt of NCT of Delhi & Bar Council of India)
Semester: Second Semester
Name of the Subject:
Business Communication
Unit 1
Fundamental Of Communication

Communication
Two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants not only
exchange (encode-decode) information, news, ideas and feelings but also create and
share meaning. In general, communication is a means of connecting people or
places. In business, it is a key function of management--an organization cannot
operate without communication between levels, departments and employees..

Principles of Effective Business Communication
• Language control
•Simplicity
•Clarity
• Planning
• Accuracy
•Attentiveness
• Relevancy
• Brief
• Confidential

Significance of Business Communication
•To have no conflicts
•To achieve goals
•To manage time
•To reduce risks and competition
•To promote positive workplace culture
• To build relations

Elements of Business Communication
Process
•Sender
•Encoding
•Message
•Media/Channel
•Receiver
•Decoding
•Feedback

Communication Process

Communication is a 2-way process
• Communication skills involve:
• Listening to others (Receiving) message
• Asserting/ Expressing (Sending)
• Barriers to communication can lead to misunderstanding and confusion
sender
receiver
sender
receiver
values and attitudes
“generation gap”
Cultural differences
language
noise
hearing

Seven C’s For Effective Communication
• Clear.
• Concise.
• Concrete.
• Correct.
• Coherent.
• Complete.
• Courteous.
8
Teamglobal©Kautilya Learning Academy of Professionals

The Communication Equation
• What you hear
• Tone of voice
• Vocal clarity
• Verbal expressiveness 40% of the message
• What you see or feel
• Facial expression
• Dress and grooming
• Posture
• Eye contact
• Touch
• Gesture 50% of the message
• WORDS … 10% of the message!

Effective Communication Skills
Effective
Communication skills
Eye contact & visible mouth
Body language
Silence
Checking
for understanding
Smiling face
Summarising
what has been said
Encouragement
to continue
Some questions

Elements to Effective/Active Listening
• Content: Subject being addressed
• Feelings: Emotion displayed when discussing the subject.
• Process: The manner the speaker delivers the subject matter
• Clarification: Questions asked to seek understanding

Active Listening Skills
• Check attitude and atmosphere
• Keep the channel open and avoid short circuits
• Listening requires response from listener
• Keep the door open

Cross Culture Communication
• Cross-cultural communication is a field of
study that looks at how people from countries
with different cultural backgrounds
communicate, in similar and different ways
among themselves, and how they endeavour
to communicate across cultures.

Impact of Globalization on Cross
Culture Communication
• Globalization, especially the increase of global trade, it is
unavoidable that different cultures will meet, conflict, and blend
together. People from different culture find it is difficult to
communicate not only due to language barriers, but also are
affected by culture styles.
• For instance, in individualistic cultures, such as in the United
States, Canada, and Western Europe, an independent figure or
self is dominant. This independent figure is characterized by a
sense of self relatively distinct from others and the environment.
• In interdependent cultures, usually identified as Asian as well as
many Latin American, African, and Southern European cultures, an
interdependent figure of self is dominant.

Culture Communication
• There is a much greater emphasis on the interrelatedness of
the individual to others and the environment; the self is
meaningful only (or primarily) in the context of social
relationships, duties, and roles.
• In some degree, the effect brought by cultural difference
override the language gap. This culture style difference
contributes to one of the biggest challenges for cross-culture
communication.

Culture Communications
• Effective communication with people of different cultures is
especially challenging. Cultures provide people with ways of
thinking—ways of seeing, hearing, and interpreting the
world.
• Thus the same words can mean different things to people
from different cultures, even when they speak the "same"
language. When the languages are different, and translation
has to be used to communicate, the potential for
misunderstandings increases.

Etic & Emic Approach To Culture
Etic Approach
The etic approach realizes that members of a culture
often are too involved in what they are doing..... to
interpret their cultures impartially. When using the
etic approach, it emphasizes what he or she
considers important.

Etic & Emic Approach To Culture
Emic Approach
The emic approach investigates how local people think": How
they perceive and categorize the world, their rules for
behavior, what has meaning for them, and how they imagine
and explain things. "The etic (scientist-oriented) approach
shifts the focus from local observations, categories,
explanations, and interpretations to those of the
anthropologist.

Technology and Communication
• Information and communication technology (ICT) is
another/extensional term for information
technology (IT) which stresses the role of unified
communications and the integration
of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless
signals), computers as well as necessary enterprise
software, middleware, storage, and audio-visual
systems, which enable users to access, store,
transmit, and manipulate information.

Technology and Communication
• The term ICT is also used to refer to
the convergence of audio-visual and telephone
networks with computer networks through a single
cabling or link system. There are large economic
incentives (huge cost savings due to elimination of
the telephone network) to merge the telephone
network with the computer network system using a
single unified system of cabling, signal distribution
and management.

Legal And Ethical Issues In
Communication
• Legal and ethical communication is essential
to companies to ensure truthful, accurate and
morally-correct decision making.
• Companies need to give consideration to how
they communicate and remain lawful in their
day-to-day business activities.

Legal And Ethical Issues In
Communication
Legal communications are concerned with employees having
the understanding to not violate ethics, standards and laws
pertaining to business communications.
The five areas of legal communication that to be concerned
are:-
• Disclaimers
• Disclosures
• Marketing Communications
• Reporting
• Internal Communications.

How to overcome Cross Cultural
Communication Problems
• By studying other cultures
• Assume differences until similarity is
proved
• Take responsibility at your own
• Show respect to other cultures
• Be flexible

• Tolerate the ambiguity (avoid frustration)
• Look beyond the superficial
• Emphasize on common ground
• Be patient and persistent
• Recognize your own cultural biases

• Send clear messages
• Deal with the individual (you are
interacting with)
• Learn when to be direct & when to be
indirect
• Treat your interpretation as a work in
hypothesis (not as result)

Business Letters
• A business letter is usually a letter from one company to
another, or between such organizations and their customers,
clients and other external parties. The overall style of letter
depends on the relationship between the parties concerned.
• Business letters can have many types of contents, for example
to request direct information or action from another party, to
order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by the
letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize
for a wrong, or to convey goodwill.

Need For Business Letters
1. A business letter acts as a representative of
the organization.
2. It is an inexpensive substitute for a personal
visit.
3. It seeks to provide information on subjects
connected with business.
4. A business letter provides valuable evidence
for a transaction and thus serves a legal
purpose.

Need For Business Letters
5. A business letter becomes a reference material to
future transactions between organizations and
individuals.
6. A business letter promotes and sustains goodwill.
7. A business letter motivates all the people involved in
a business to a higher and better level of
performance.
8. A business letter enlarges and enhances the
business. We can elaborate each of the functions
thus.

Business Letters Layout
• Sender’s Address: Name, designation, name of the company
and complete address.
• Date: Month (spelled out), day (followed by a comma), year.
• Inside Address: The inside address belongs two lines after the
date (this is the same address that appears on the envelope).
It includes the recipient’s name preceded by “Mr.,” “Ms.,”
“Dr.,” etc.; the title of office (“President”) then the full
address: street, city, state (official abbreviation only), ZIP code

• Salutation: “Dear” followed by title, last name, colon. Avoid
“Gentlemen” and “Dear Sir”; they’re gender-specific.
• Body of letter: The body of the letter begins two lines below
the salutation and uses short, single-spaced paragraphs. State
the purpose for and any connection with the recipient in the
first paragraph. Describe what’s wanted in the middle of the
letter’s body, and request specific action at the end of the
body.
• Close: Insert the close two lines below the last line of the
letter. Capitalize the first word; conclude with a comma.

• Signature: Leave three lines of space after the close for the
signature. The signature should be signed in ink with the signatory’s
name typed one line below and the title typed one line below that.
• Typist’s initials: If the letter is typed by someone other than the
writer, then the typist’s initials should be inserted below the typed
name of the signatory; capitalize the writer’s initials, and use lower
case for the typist’s.
• Enclosures: “Enclosures” (or “Encl.”) indicates that additional
material should be included.
• Copies: List other recipients alphabetically (or by rank).

Types Of Business Letters
• Sales Letters.
• Order Letters.
• Complaint Letters.
• Adjustment Letters.
• Inquiry Letters.
• Follow-Up Letters.
• Letters of Recommendation.
• Acknowledgment Letters.

Employment Related Letters
• Application Letters
• Interview Letters
• Offer Letters
• Promotion Letters
• Resignation Letters

Styles Of Business Letters
• Blocked Style
• Modified Style
• Semi-Blocked Style

Barriers To Communication
A communication barrier is anything that
prevents you from receiving and
understanding the messages others use to
convey their information, ideas and thoughts.
These barriers may be related to the message,
internal barriers related to thoughts and
feelings, or external barriers.

Types Of Communication
Barriers
• Semantic Barriers
• Organizational Barriers
• Psychological Barriers
• Personal Barriers

News Letter
A newsletter is a printed report containing news
(information) of the activities of a business (legal
name; subscription business model) or
an organization (institutions, societies, associations)
that is sent by mail regularly to all its members,
customers, employees or people, who are interested
in. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of
interest to its recipients. A newsletter may be
considered grey literature. E-newsletters (Email
marketing) are delivered electronically via e-mail and
can be viewed as spamming if sent unsolicited

Circulars
Circulars are a highly effective way to communicate
with employees or customers. Many companies use
circulars to enforce dress codes and policies or invite
employees to meetings or luncheons. Circulars can
also be used as an advertising tool. There are a
number of benefits to using circulars, but a circular
must include certain features to be most effective.
Additionally, distribution is important for circulars in
business communication.

Notice
A notice is a written or an oral statement that
contains the particulars of holding a meeting.
When a circular is served among the members
of the meeting to attend the meeting, it is
called a notice. The notice should be sent by
the proper authority in due time so that the
members can attend the meeting in time.

Office Memorandums
A memo or memorandum is a communication note that
records events or observations on a topic. Memos are
typically used within a business environment as an
interoffice tool and can serve many purposes. Today,
emails can be considered a common type of memo. For
example, they call attention to issues that may need to
be resolved, they update clients and other colleagues on
the status of active projects, and finally, they give
solutions to colleagues on issues that are related to the
project being worked on. They are good tools to provide
a concise method of delivery. Remember to keep it
simple.

Minutes Of Meetings
Minutes, also known as minutes of
meeting (abbreviation MoM), protocols or,
informally, notes, are the instant written
record of a meeting or hearing. They typically
describe the events of the meeting and may
include a list of attendees, a statement of the
issues considered by the participants, and
related responses or decisions for the issues.

Report Writing
A report is a short, sharp, concise document
which is written for a particular purpose and
audience. It generally sets outs and analyses a
situation or problem, often making
recommendations for future action. It is a
factual paper, and needs to be clear and well-
structured.

Features of a Report
•Statement containing some information.
•Orderly presentation of facts.
•An objective and unbiased presentation of facts.
•Written for a specific audience.
•Contains conclusions drawn by the writer together with
the procedure followed for collection & interpretation of
data.

•It often includes recommendations.
•Written for some specific purpose.
•Submitted by a lower authority to a higher authority.
•Serves the following purposes:
a. Presents factual information to management.
b. Contains results of investigation & analysis for future
reference.
c. Provides useful information to shareholders, creditors,
general public & other stakeholders.
d. It offers recommendations for future course of action.

Distinction Between Project And Report
Basic of
distinction
Project Report
1. Nature It is not
official communication
It is an official
communication
2. Time
orientation
Concerns the future Concerns the past
3. Investment Involves investment of
money
May not involve
investment of
money

ImBasis of distinction Project Report
4. Sequence It involves a time
bound sequence of
activities- a
beginning and an
end
May not involve a
time bound
sequence of
activities
5. Purpose To complete a major
risk
To present findings
&
recommendations.

Types of Reports: on the basis of communication media
ORAL REPORTS:
•Face- to- face communication of an impression or observation.
•It is comparatively informal & time saving.
•It is simple & easy to present. But receiver has to listen to every
word.
•No record for future reference.
WRITTEN REPORTS:
•Relatively more accurate & precise.
•Tends to be more formal & can be referred to again & again.
•Permanent record & cannot be denied at any time.
•Can change hands without any danger of distortion.

Types of Reports: on the basis of format & procedures
adopted
Informal Reports:
•Usually in the form of person-to-person communication.
•May range from a few lines to several pages of detailed
information.
•Often written in the form of a letter or a memorandum
•Prepared according to need & convenience of the org.
•Do not have a uniform structure.
•These are short & use simple style.

adopted
Formal Reports:
•Presented in a prescribed form.
•Prepared in accordance with an established law or
procedure & is submitted to a prescribed authority.
•Eg: report submitted by board of Directors to its
shareholders
Main features:
a) Written by an individual or a committee which was
assigned a specific object.
b) Written to assist higher authorities in taking an
important decision.
.

adopted
c. Contains specific information, findings &
recommendations
d. Well planned & properly organized
e. Generally submitted along with a transmittal letter
which introduces the report.
f. Not presented in letter or memo form.

Types Of Formal Reports
Statutory reports Non statutory reports
Reports prepared and Presented
according to the form & procedure laid
down by law
Formal reports which are not required
under any law but which are prepared to
help the management in formulating
policies and in taking important
decisions.
Eg: Reports submitted at the statutory
meeting of Shareholders, Auditor’s
Report
For Eg: Every branch of a company
may be asked to submit a monthly
report on sales.
These are prepared as per the
requirements of the Companies Act
1956

Characteristics Of A Good Report
• Simplicity
• Clarity
• Accuracy
• Precision
• Completeness
• Relevance & reliability
• Distinctive Appearance
• Cross reference
• Objectivity
• Brevity
• Reader Oriented
• Consistency
• Right Form
• Timeliness
• Properly addressed.

•A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various
speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or
briefing a team.
•A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other
‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a
point across in a video conference.
•To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of
presenting the information should be carefully considered.
•A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and
will often contain a 'persuasive' element. It may, for example, be a talk
about the positive work of your organisation, what you could offer an
employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.
Presentation

Guidelines for Preparing Effective Presentations
WHAT
WHY
WHOWHERE
WHEN

How To Speak
•Speak slowly and clearly.
•Take a breath before you move to next slide.
•Take a deep breath (unobtrusively) before you start.
•Try not to say so, ummm or other time fillers too much.
•We all do it, it takes practice.
•Try standing squarely on both feet and keep hands someone still.

What not to do
•Stand on one leg.
•Hit yourself or a table
•Tab your pen
•Turn your back on the audience
•Wave your hands like your talking Italian
•Put your thumbs in your pockets
•Cross your arms and take a football pose
•Try to smile at the audience if you are not too nervous.

Presentation Tools
1. Create your presentation keeping audience first
2. Share your presentation for greatest success
3. Include Links in the presentation for effective
communication
4. Engage your audience with an spectacular design
5. Create your presentation with multimedia

Business Communication

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