CSU-Global assignment. Best practices in Business Communications.

1. BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
B E S T P RACT ICE S
Domitilla Sandusky
ORG536-1 – Contemporary Business Writing and
Communication
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Dr. Robert Olszewski
September 28, 2014

2. WHY IS COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT?
• We live in an information and knowledge based
world
• The world’s economy is increasingly global
• Good communication is necessary to:
• Stay connected (socially and professionally)
• Collaborate on projects
• Share ideas or feedback
• Concisely express a perspective or need
• Promote products or proposals
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

3. WHO NEEDS COMMUNICATION?
• Everyone!
• Companies want to hire people that communicate
well
• Workgroups are often widespread now
• Geographically dispersed groups cannot communicate
face-to-face
• It’s important to communicate well through oral and written
channels
• Communication skills are verbal and non-verbal

4. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Identify your purpose
• Why are you sending this message?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• Know your audience
• What is your audience like?
• How will they react to the message?
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

5. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Select the best communication channel based on:
• Importance of the message
• Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required
• Necessity of a permanent record
• Cost of the channel
• Degree of formality desired
• Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

6. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Effective communicators are also effective leaders.
• Effective leaders use these communication practices:
• Mind the say-do gap – build follower’s trust by aligning your
actions and words
• Make the complex simple – say what you mean concisely
• Find your own voice – be genuine
• Be visible – interact with your team (even if it’s by phone)
• Listen with your eyes as well as your ears – pay attention to your
audience
(Tardanico, 2012)

7. ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
• Scandals have raised awareness of unethical
business practices
• Enron and WorldCom were examples in the 2000s (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011)
• Corinthian Colleges is an example in 2014 (Halperin, 2014)
• The goals of improving ethical communication are:
• Abiding the law and telling the truth
• Separating opinion from fact and being objective
• Communicating clearly with inclusive language
• Giving credit where due (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

8. ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
• Choose to do the right thing
• Use these tools to examine if your decision is right:
• Is the action you are considering legal?
• How would you see the problem if you were on the
opposite side?
• What are alternate solutions?
• Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advise
you trust?
• How would you feel if your family, friends, employer, or
coworkers learned of your action?
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011, p. 29)

9. PROFESSIONALISM
• Professionalism is important in the workplace
• In your attire
• In your attitude
• In your communications
• Be aware of how you come across in your
communications
• Professionalism is reflected in word choice, sincerity,
respect, and consideration of other’s opinions
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

10. INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
• In an increasingly global economy, be aware of
how your culture is different
• Know the difference between high- and low-context
communication styles
• Low-context communication – messages are
communicated directly; words are taken literally
• Used in American and German cultures
• High-context communication – more emphasis is on the
context of the situation rather than the words used
• Used in Asian cultures
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

11. INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
This figure compares communication in high- and low-context
cultures
Figure 1: Retrieved from Business communication: Process and product by M.E. Guffey & D. Loewy, 2011,
p. 85.

12. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
• Business writing is to educate, persuade, or motivate
people
• When writing, it is important to remember:
• The audience wants relevant information
• Clarity is more important than creative word choice
• Time is important – the audience wants to get information
quickly and easily
(Shanan, 2013)

13. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
• Writing skills are even more important in a
technologically based business world
• Some basic tips will help you become more
effective as a communicator:
• Clearly define what message you are trying to deliver
• Know your audience
• Select the appropriate communication channel for your
purpose
• Be genuine and professional in your delivery
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011; Tardanico, 2012)

14. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
• Remember, the tone of your delivery is as important
as the message
• Being concise does not mean being bossy or rude
• Even when the message is urgent, word choice is
important
(Nordquist, n.d.)

15. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL
• Email is the most common form of written
communication in the business world (Nordquist,
n.d.)
• It is useful for communicating to large numbers of
people (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
• It is best for relaying short messages (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011)
• Email is not appropriate for sharing lengthy or
confidential information (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

16. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL
• Nordquist (n.d.) shared 10 tips for writing effective
emails:
• Put a meaningful topic in the subject line
• Keep your main point in the first sentence
• Be specific about your subject (don’t use “this” – like “this
needs to be done today)
• Use appropriate capitalization (don’t use all capitals or
lower case letters)
• Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms

17. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL
• Nordquist’s (n.d.) email tips (continued):
• Be brief and polite
• If the message is longer than two or three short paragraphs:
• Reduce the message, or
• Provide an attachment
• Genuinely use “please” and “thank you”
• Keep appropriate information in the signature
• Edit and proofread message before sending
• Reply promptly to serious messages, even if it’s to explain a
delay in response

18. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: TEXTING
• Texting can be a fast, effective way to
communicate
• Keep texts short and professional
• Some professional ways to text would be:
• Share information in a meeting or schedule a meeting
• Share news with coworkers or send a quick reminder
• Track delivery of packages
• Interact with customers or clients
• Advertise new products or share product alerts
(Inc., 2010)

19. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
• 73% of Millennials and 55% of consumers ages 14-75
regularly socialize online (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
• Social media is a huge opportunity for businesses to
connect with their customers
• Customer reviews and recommendations, and
company visibility on social media sites increases
consumer trust (Hajli, 2014)
• Trust is positively linked with consumers patronizing a
business (Hajli, 2014)

20. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
• Companies that successfully use social media
engage consumers
• Walmart is a company that uses social media daily
• Walmart has many Twitter handles to post news stories and
accomplishments of their employees; this channel quickly
reaches large numbers of consumers (Pollitt, 2014)
• Walmart engages consumers on their Facebook page by
posting fun videos or taking short surveys of products (Moth,
2013)
• Consumers can leave feedback or suggestions on their local
Walmart’s Facebook page (Walmart, 2014

21. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
• Social media is an informal channel of
communication, but messages should still be
professional
• Some companies encourage employee and
consumer professionalism through social media
guidelines
• Companies can control social media messages by
limiting the team in charge of using the channels
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

22. POSITIVE MESSAGES
• Positive messages are straightforward
communications (like emails, letters, etc.)
• They communicate everyday business requests
• They express friendliness or recognition
• Appropriate channels must still be evaluated and
used to communicate the message most effectively
• Marketing and use of social media is another way
for businesses to share positive messages
• They can control how the message is presented
• They can control what information is shared
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

23. NEGATIVE MESSAGES
• Bad or disappointing things happen in business
• Negative messages must be carefully planned
before delivery to lessen the impact
• Individuals receiving bad news may be more
receptive if they:
• Know the reason behind a decision or error
• Feel the message was shared in a sensitive manner
• Believe the concern was seriously reviewed and dealt with
fairly
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

24. NEGATIVE MESSAGES
• Companies may also deal with negative publicity or
poor customer reviews
• Companies should not fear customer complaints in
public settings (like on social media sites)
• Poor reviews can be leveraged to positive customer
interactions (Lloyd, n.d.)
• Companies can make a public effort to address customer
concerns, thereby building trust
• Customers are more satisfied with companies that
quickly acknowledge problems and take
responsibility (Gurău, 2012)

25. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
• When preparing a presentation, only add things
that will enhance your message
• Effective presentations:
• Have clear, concise text
• Use consistent fonts, backgrounds, and relevant special
effects
• Use appropriate images and graphics to enhance message
• Engage the audience through interaction or additional
content
• Can be accessed later (via the Internet or company
intranet)
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

26. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
• Before presenting
• Prepare and rehearse
• Time yourself
• During the presentation
• Be aware of your audience’s reactions
• Stay on topic and use presentation aids effectively
• Summarize your main points
• After the presentation
• Distribute handouts
• Encourage questions
• Summarize your main points (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

27. BUSINESS REPORTS, PLANS AND
PROPOSALS
• First-hand data and research is valuable for business
executives (CSU-Global, 2014)
• Executives use reports to make informed decisions
(CSU-Global, 2014)
• Reports are typically formal or informal
• Formal reports or proposals are typically lengthy
• Are serious in tone
• Tend to be very structured in organization (Guffey & Loewy,
2011)

28. BUSINESS REPORTS, PLANS AND
PROPOSALS
• There are two basic categories of informal reports:
• Informational reports, such as:
• Summaries
• Periodic activity
• Trip, convention and conference reports
• Progress and interim reports
• Investigative reports
• Analytical reports – have three sections:
• Introduction
• Findings
• Conclusions/Recommendations
(CSU-Global, 2014)

29. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
• Writing skills are an important tool of every
employee
• Businesses have many tools to communicate
• Effective communication depends on:
• Understanding your message
• Choosing the right channel
• Knowing your audience
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

30. REFERENCES
Colorado State University – Global Campus. (2014). Module 7: Informal and formal business reports, plans , and proposals
[Blackboard ecourse]. In ORG536-1 – Contemporary Business Writing and Communication. Greenwood Village, CO:
Author.
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and product (7th ed.). Independence, KY: Cengage
Learning.
Gurău, C. (2012). Solving customer complaints: A study of multiple commercial settings. Annals Of The University Of Oradea,
Economic Science Series, 21(2), 827-833. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org
Hajli, M. (2014). A study of the impact of social media on consumers. International Journal Of Market Research, 56(3), 387-
404. doi:10.2501/IJMR-2014-025
Halperin, D. (2014, June 20). For-profit Corinthian Colleges on the brink: Who’s responsible? Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidhalperin/for-profit-corinthian-col_b_5516063.html
Inc. (2010). Ten ways to use texting for business. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/ss/ten-ways-use-texting-business
Lloyd, J. (n.d.). Complaints offer opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.joanlloyd.com/Your-Career/Complaints-offer-opportunities.
aspx
Moth, D. (2013). How Walmart uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Retrieved from
https://econsultancy.com/blog/61827-how-walmart-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.14ocqor72eeqyp
Nordquist, R. (n.d.). 10 Tips on how to write a professional email. Retrieved from
http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/profemails.htm
Pollitt, C. (2014). An inside view of Walmart’s digital communications strategy. Retrieved from
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/inside-view-walmarts-digital-communications-strategy
Shanan. (2013, June 7). The three biggest mistakes in business writing [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.theprocrastiwriter.com/the-three-biggest-mistakes-in-business-writing/
Tardanico, S. (2012, November 29). 5 Habits of highly effective communicators. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/11/29/5-habits-of-highly-effective-communicators/
Walmart. (2014). Walmart’s social media guidelines. Retrieved from http://corporate.walmart.com/social-media-guidelines