2. CONTINUING EDUCATION
the information together. Written business communications*
Visually appealing documents are more
likely to be read, and increase compre- 7. Proofread several times and make final corrections.
hension by focusing the reader on impor-
tant points. These documents use numbered 6. Edit and rewrite the draft vividly, clearly and concisely.
or bulleted lists, intentional white space,
headings, tables, graphs, and art.
5. Write the first draft using powerful and coherent sentences and paragraphs.
The telephone
The telephone offers the advantage of 4. Organize the content of the communication and write an outline.
using tone of voice to express enthusiasm
and the ability to determine the other par-
3. Adapt the message to the audience.
ties’ reaction to messages via vocal cues
such as pauses, interruptions, pitch and
rate of speaking. 2. Analyze the audience to guide the selection, content and sequence of writing style.
While the telephone offers extensive ben-
efits to an organization when used appro- 1. Determine the purpose for communicating and select an appropriate channel.
priately, it can be an annoyance when used
improperly without consideration for other *Adapted from Lehman
people. The following suggestions are help-
ful for using this communication tool most Business meetings ments, types of audiovisual equipment and
effectively. To ensure that meetings achieve their other equipment necessary.
Tips for business calls: intended purpose and are worth the time, Preparing the agenda. The manager
• Provide identification (name and com- effort and expenses they incur, managers should develop an agenda and decide in
pany) when initiating a call and when should plan each meeting carefully. The what order the topics will be covered. Effec-
answering a call. planning process should include: tive managers distribute the agenda to meet-
• Ask if it is a convenient time for the receiver Validating the need for a meeting. ing participants several days before the
to take the call; if not, ask when it would be Ask questions such as: Would a memo or meeting so they can offer their input, such
convenient. an e-mail be more efficient? Are the key as adding additional topics. A carefully
• Use a friendly tone and good manners, individuals available for the meeting? Could planned and well-written agenda contains
and smile when speaking, as this is reflected the matter be handled as well by one per- the following:
in your voice. son rather than many? • Time, place and length of the meeting.
• Keep brief customer profiles handy, with Determining the purpose and goals. • A list of attendees.
business history and details such as hob- If the meeting is essential, the next step is to • Background information, such as the sig-
bies and interests; use these to personalize define the purpose of the meeting and deter- nificance of the meeting.
your calls. mine what goals the meeting is expected to • A list of topics to be discussed, organized
• When completing the call, summarize achieve. The meeting goals need to be result- according to when each topic will be
whatever action will be taken as a result of oriented, specific and realistic. addressed, who will address each topic and
the call. Selecting attendees. Most importantly, the time frame for each topic.
• Express thanks for the receiver’s time. when selecting attendees, managers need • The purpose and goals of the meeting.
Tips for leaving voice mail messages: to consider which individuals are in a posi- • Pre-meeting work that must be accom-
• Organize the message in advance to avoid tion to contribute to the purpose and goals plished in order to prepare for the meeting.
mistakes and hesitation. of the meeting. Next, they should con- In addition, for each topic of the meet-
• State the name of the person for whom sider how individuals differ in status within ing, the agenda should describe the goal of
you are leaving the message if there is another the organization in knowledge about the discussion. For example, the agenda should
person sharing the same voice mailbox. issue, in communication skills and in per- note whether an agenda item is for discus-
• Begin the message with your name and sonal relationships. sion or if a decision needs to be reached.
phone number. Arranging logistics. In order to ensure In some cases, an agenda item may consist
• Keep the message short, state the reason a successful meeting and make attendees of a simple announcement.
for the call, and speak slowly and clearly. as comfortable as possible, the manager will The following process may help meet-
• Repeat the phone number at the end of need to carefully arrange logistics such as ings run smoothly and productively:
the message. time, location, room layout, seating arrange- Opening the meeting. The meeting
www.pharmrep.com Pharmaceutical Representative • June 2004 43
3. Managing Business Communication • part 3 CONTINUING EDUCATION
leader might open the meeting by stating the size of the audience (the larger the audi- entation and appeal to the positive, leaving
the purpose and goals of the meeting and ence, the more formal the presentation), the audience with a sense of anticipation
providing an overview of the agenda. All demographic characteristics and familiarity (looking ahead rather than back).
meetings should begin on time despite the with the topic. An effective delivery requires attention
absence of some participants, unless it is Timing. In most cases, early or mid- to how the presenter looks and sounds, and
necessary to wait for a high-level member morning presentations are preferred over what words are used. Speakers should learn
or someone whose input is critical to the later times when people may be tired and to accept that they may be anxious in deliv-
issue at hand. anxious to leave. ering a presentation. To control anxiety:
Meeting rules. Rules must be in place Delivery method. Speaking from notes • Rehearse the presentation several times
to permit the orderly transaction of busi- or an outline is the most common and effec- aloud (in front of an audience if possible)
ness at meetings. In order to avoid disrup- tive approach for business presentations to become more familiar with the content.
tions and chaos, everyone must be made (note: be sure to number cards or pages in • Avoid stimulants, including caffeine, for
aware of the rules and be required to fol- case they are dropped). Reading from a a few hours before speaking.
low them. prepared speech is not usually recom- • Take several deep breaths while waiting
Closing the meeting. To conclude the mended, since the same effect can be made for the presentation to begin.
meeting, the manager should summarize by duplicating the speech and distributing • Visualize success.
what the group accomplished at the meet- it to the audience. In summary, speakers whose presenta-
ing, discuss the next steps or future actions, The simplest way to begin organizing the tions include five key elements — a strong
acknowledge the group’s contributions, and presentation is to separate the points and start, one theme, good examples, conver-
give credit to individuals who have made notes into three categories: the opening, the sational language and a strong ending — will
special contributions. body and the closing. accomplish their goals. PR
Follow-up. If an official record of what The opening. The opening must be
occurred at the meeting (minutes of the strong to capture the attention of the audi- The next series will focus on nutrition.
meeting) is prepared, it may be sent to key ence, give them a reason to listen and estab-
individuals who did not attend the meet- lish credibility. The opening should also set
ing but have an interest in the outcome, as the tone for the topic, introduce the thesis ARTICLE SUMMARY
well as to those who attended the meeting. and preview the presentation. Effective pre-
The manager should follow up with atten-
dees to see if they are fulfilling the respon-
sentations might open with a personal story
that makes a business point. The speaker
• Effective business writing requires
careful planning.
- Steps for preparing a written message include:
sibilities they were assigned at the meeting. might want to begin with a question, proj- defining the purpose, focusing on the needs of
ect into the future, use a quotation, relate the audience, organizing, outlining, writing the
Business presentations an amusing anecdote or give a startling fact. message, revising and proofreading.
Effective presentations made by managers The body. The body should contain - Effective writing techniques will make the
message more effective.
increase sales opportunities, communi- the key points and subpoints, organized
cate vital information and assist in train-
ing initiatives.
in a logical sequence that allows the audi-
ence to know where the presentation is
• The telephone offers the advantage of using
tone of voice and vocal cues.
When planning a presentation, it is impor-
tant to focus on the following areas:
going. All of the key points should directly
relate to and develop the thesis. A pres-
• The process of planning a business meeting
includes validating the need for a meeting,
Purpose. A well-thought-out purpose entation should contain no more than three determining its purpose and goals, selecting
attendees, arranging logistics, and preparing
helps the speaker know what to include and major points. an agenda.
which points to emphasize during the pres- When organizing and writing, the pre-
entation. Possible purposes include:
• Motivating the audience to do something
senter should include transitions, which are
words or sentences that connect the seg-
• The process of conducting a business meeting
includes opening the meeting, adhering to
rules, closing the meeting, and following up
at a specific time. ments of the presentation. Transitions tell afterward.
• Updating the audience on a project or the audience how these parts are related
event. and what to expect to hear next. Transi- • Planning for a business presentation
includes determining its purpose, analyzing
• Explaining how to use a new piece of tions should occur between the introduc- the audience, choosing optimal timing and
equipment or system. tion and the body, between the major points deciding on a delivery method.
• Convincing the audience to purchase within the body, and between the body - The simplest way to begin organizing the
something or accept an idea. and the conclusion. presentation is to separate the points and notes
into the opening, the body and the closing.
Audience. Effective speakers consider The closing. A strong ending is essen-
- An effective delivery requires attention to how
the effect the message will have on the audi- tial, as it is the last opportunity to achieve the presenter looks and sounds, and what words
ence and anticipate their questions and reac- the objective. The closing should provide are used.
tions. An audience analysis should include: a summary of the key points of the pres-
www.pharmrep.com Pharmaceutical Representative • June 2004 45
