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Best practices in business communication
- 1. BEST PRACTICES IN WRITING & COMMUNICATION By Jim Bills For CONTEMORARY BUSINESS WRITING & COMMUNICATION
- 2. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Writing Skills Speaking Abilities Guffey, M. E. & Loewy, D.
- 3. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES E-Mail Cell Phones
- 4. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Keep in Touch
- 5. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Communication & Discussion Skills Listening Phone Skills Meeting Management Collaboration Skills Interpersonal Communication Smart & Featheringham, 2006.
- 6. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Professionalism Encompasses many things that a person must possess to be effective and successful. Speech Habits Internet Texting Cell Phones (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 7. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Professionalism Interaction “sins” to avoid and leave a positive image. Condescending Never Interrupt Tuning Out Coldness Apathy (Tellervision, 2008)
- 8. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Professionalism Good manners convey a positive message about you and your organization. Proper etiquette can give you a competitive advantage during job interviews. It creates a positive environment for collaboration and thinking. Good manners shows respect for others. Puts people at ease and comfortable. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 9. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Barriers to effective communication Working with other cultures can be difficult if you don’t understand each other. Learn the cultural norms for the the culture you will be working with. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 10. EFFECTIVE & ETHICAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication “In a planet where 80% of the people aren’t white, it’s only good business. Dell computers has a diversity officer that reports only to the chief executive officer. (Solis, 2005)
- 11. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Globalization Impacts Borders are no longer a barrier to communication and other markets. The world is becoming more of a global village. More areas around the world are becoming prosperous. More countries are opening their borders to trade. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 12. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Self-Assessment: Helps business professionals assess communication competence. Develop Professionally. Self-Assessment Exercise: https://eds-b-ebscohost-com. csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfview er?vid=2&sid=fdf1ff8f-7af0-4645-aaf3- 16442b712a64%40sessionmgr113&hid=106 (Zaho & Parks, 1995)
- 13. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Writing Tips For a More Professional Style of Communication The 3X3 Writing Process: 1) Prewriting 2) Writing 3) Revising (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 14. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Writing Tips For a More Professional Style of Communication Consider your message. Decide what media to use for delivery. Keep to the basics. Use caution with emoticons and abbreviations.
- 15. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Writing Tips For a More Professional Style of Communication Do not depend on the spell checker. Study how to write better. Make transitions. The principle of three. (Hughes, 2003)
- 16. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Using electronic messages and digital media for communication. Uses for electronic media. Blogs. Wiki. Twitter. Facebook. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 17. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Using electronic messages and digital media for communication. Traditional leadership does not work well in today’s electronic climate. The best leaders are the ones that embrace change, are willing to share information freely and are open to diverse perspectives. (E-Scan, 2013)
- 18. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Using electronic messages and digital media for communication. Abuses at work. Costly when used improperly Possible lawsuits. Internet policies. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 19. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Positive and negative messages. Positive messages. Communicating straightforward requests. Replies. Goodwill. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 20. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Positive and negative messages. Negative messages. Delivering refusals. Bad news. Refusing requests. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 21. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Positive and negative messages. Apply the 3 X 3 writing process. Avoid legal liability delivering bad news. Avoid abusive language. Avoid careless language. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 22. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Business Presentations Reduce your fears. Lay the foundation. Know your purpose. Know your audience. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 23. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Business Presentations Organize. Build audience rapport. Planning visual aids. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 24. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Business Presentations Multimedia presentations. Slides. Power Point. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 25. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Business Reports, Plans & Proposals Business Reports. Plans. Proposals. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 26. Intercultural and Ethical Business Communication Business Reports, Plans & Proposals Proposals: Used for telling how to solve a problem. The procedure to solve the problem. Who will do the work. How long it is expected to take. What the costs will be. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
- 27. Summary Business writing processes. Electronic Media. Ethics. An every changing environment.
- 28. Summary Professionalism. Intercultural aspects. How electronic media can be used. Positive messages. Negative messages.
- 29. Summary Business presentations. Business reports. Business Plans. Business proposals.
- 30. REFERENCES DIGITAL AGE IS TRANSFORMING LEADERSHIP SKILLS. (cover story). (2013). E- Scan Newsletter, 39(3), 1. Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com. csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=10&sid=fdf1ff8f-7af0-4645- aaf3-16442b712a64%40sessionmgr113&hid=106 Guffey, E. G. & Loewy, D. (2011). Business Communication, Process & Product. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Smart, K. L. & Featheringham R. (2006). Developing effective interpersonal communication and discussion skills. Business Communication Quarterly Volume 69(3) 276-283. Solis, D. (2005). Diversity slowly creeps into corporate America. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx? direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W72918784102&site=ehost-live Master the Communication Skills Needed for Top-Notch Customer Interactions. (cover story). (2008). Teller Vision, (1369), 1-2. Retrieved from https://eds-b- ebscohost-com. csuglobal.idm .oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=1&sid=4e246291- b185-4060-91b5-efa6053234ba%40 sessionmgr112&hid=106 Zhao, J. J., & Parks, C. (1995). The Relationship Between Communication Behavior and Intercultural Business Success. Business Communication Quarterly, 58(1), 25-26. Retrieved from https://eds- a-ebscohost-com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/ pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=3c759f59-fc4b-4605-ae20- b0edca66e241%40sessionmgr4003&hid=4213
- 31. REFERENCES Zhao, J. J., & Parks, C. (1995). Self-Assessment of Communication Behavior: An Experiential Learning Exercise for Intercultural Business Success. Business Communication Quarterly, 58(1), 20-25. Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/ehost/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=fdf1ff8f-7af0-4645- aaf3- 16442b712a64%40sessionmgr113&hid=106 Hughes, L. (2003). enhancing communication skills. Women In Business, 55(5), 21. Retrieved from https://eds-b-ebscohost-com. csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=5&sid=fdf1ff8f-7af0-4645- aaf3- 16442b712a64%40sessionmgr113&hid=106
Editor's Notes
- Writing skills in todays world are more important than ever and becoming increasingly more valuable. Being able to write well can take you to a better position in the workplace while poor skills can cause you to fail and loose your job. A person must be able to compose intelligent, insightful and comprehensive written letters, memos, presentations and formal reports to be a success. In addition your speaking skills must also be clear, understandable and show that you have a grasp of the subject being discoursed. Don’t use superlatives, jargon or misstate facts just to impress a client. If you don’t know something admit you don’t and ask the speaker to explain.
- Everywhere in business these days you are surrounded by technology in many forms from cell phones to email
- Instant messaging, text messaging, laptop computers, Facebook, twitter, videoconferencing are just the tip of ways to connect and the list just keeps growing everyday. To keep on top and stay informed people in business must keep up with these technologies and use the newest and coolest thing that comes out. These technologies are used everywhere and without it you have limited contact with the business world and customers will go to the place that has the abilities technology brings them.
- While technology is important the basic skills are just as necessary in business. When having a conversation always listen and make sure the other person is done speaking and don’t interrupt them. Develop your phone skills by being polite, introducing yourself when you answer and again, listen to the caller. Learn how to manage meetings so that the participants stay engaged and don’t mentally check out. Most importantly improve your interpersonal skills by speaking to people, study how to carry on a conversation and introduce yourself to people you have never met.
- Professionalism is a compilation of many things which when brought together present an image of a person who is highly competent in their area of expertise. This consists of good speech habits. Proper enunciation, speak clearly, don’t use jargon unless the person is familiar with it and do not use profanity. Be cautious of websites that you visit and stay away from sites with controversial topics and never use a work computer for unauthorized use. The same rules apply to texting. Be cautious of abbreviations because many people do not know what they mean and misunderstandings can occur. When speaking on the phone introduce yourself first and when shut the phone off or mute it.
- There are what some consider “sins” to avoid in the business community and in daily activities. These would include, but are not limited to using a condescending tone. Never speaks to anyone in a patronizing tone, don’t use jargon they are unfamiliar with and, unless given permission, never use their first name. Never interrupt someone who is speaking. Don’t interrupt. When you interrupt someone it conveys to them that you are not interested what they have to say. Let them finish their thoughts. Remain focused on the person and continue to listen, hear them out so that you truly know their position. Ask questions to verify you are interpreting the situation properly and do not make conclusions. Nothing will turn a person off more than being being “cold” towards a person. Being impatient or curt with people sends a message that you think the person to whom you are interacting is a nuisance and you are disinterested in their message.
- Using good manners towards others conveys a positive message about you and your organization. Manners shows others that you respect them and will continue to do so in the future. Nobody wants to deal with a person who is rude. Using proper etiquette can also help you land the job you are interviewing for. If you show them that you care for others by your actions, that you respect others opinions and that you are more polished and professional you will move ahead of the people that don not send that message. By treating people with respect the office environment or your dealings with others will be easier and be more successful because there is not tension between people. People respond to a polite person much better when they are comfortable and at ease.
- When working with other cultures it is important to remember that we all have our differences within our various cultures. Cultures shape the way we think, behave, react and is part of what molds us and makes us who we are. It is important to understand everyone has different ways to accomplish the same task. If you fail to recognize this it could mean failure for the undertaking you are striving for. It is important to learn as much as you can for the area you will be visiting or the people you will be dealing with.
- This information is from 2005 so it may be dated, but the statement is still true today. Diversity in business isn’t only the right thing to do it’s the smart thing to do. The more diversity a company is the more chance it has at growing their market. A diverse workforce can bring new ideas to the table so they can be explored for ways to promote a product or ideas. Some companies are taking diversity to a higher level to ensure the company stays competitive. Dell has taken the step of having a diversity officer who reports to the chief executive officer. This helps ensure that there is no outside influence from anyone else in the company.
- One of the global impacts of change over time is that more countries are opening their borders so many of the previous barriers are coming down and creating a vast market for companies to sell their products. Products such as cola, clothing and cars are being shipped around the world to burgeoning markets. The world is becoming smaller due to trade barriers going away. As a result more areas of the world are opening up to products that we in America take for granted such as good clothing, food and computers. Many areas of the world who did not have an economy that could afford many of the more expensive products are thriving and consumers are making more money. This is helping business because people are starting to have more available cash for products they could not afford in the past.
- Taking a closer look at how you communicate with others is a great way to take a closer look at your patterns of communication. It helps determine if work needs to be done so you can develop and grow as a communicator. Aside from having a complete psychological makeup nothing help more occasionally doing a self-assessment to review your skills. These can help to shore up areas where you need work and help in developing you into more of a professional business person.
- The 3X3 writing process is a simple to follow path to better writing. The first step is to prewrite. Decide what the purpose of your writing is. Do you want the reader to be influenced into a point of view or is it to teach? Know the audience you are writing for so that you can direct your intentions towards them and they will understand your ideas. If needed, adapt to your audience instead of having them adapt to your writing style. The second step is to write the paper. Always complete your research so you have the facts to back up your work and ensure that your ideas are organized in a logical sequence. The third step is for revising and checking your work. Edit for grammar, proper information and will the paper make sense to the audience? If the paper doesn’t clarify the details the reader will not receive the entire message.
- If you are delivering bad news or dealing with a problem in the company use a formal approach to your message. It is much more professional and better fits the situation. To decide what media to use think about who you are sending the message to, why you are sending the message and what is the content of the message. Again something serious may need to go in a formal letter and not an email. Long emails tend to make readers impatient so get to the point quickly when using email. Keep to the basics and to the core of your message. Keep your paragraphs short and leave a line space between them. Use extreme caution when using emoticons and abbreviations. You don’t want to out a smiley face on a message containing bad news. When using abbreviations make sure that the reader knows what they will mean. If they don’t understand you message you’re the reason for the message is lost.
- Spell check isn’t infallible just like everything else it misses some things. Do not expect all of the spelling to be correct because spell check misses some things. If there are two words with different spelling that have different meanings or a word is misplaced, but is spelled correctly spell check will miss it. No matter how well you may write there are still things that anyone can learn. Research the internet, bookstores or the library for books and articles to become an even more proficient writer. Always make a transition from one paragraph to the next. This helps the flow of the writing easier for the reader to digest and helps maintain a logical flow of information. Use the principle of three when writing as it helps keep your message concise. People seem to respond better to things when they are organized in threes. So when writing have three points to help drive your message home.
- There are many uses for electronic media ranging from sending a simple email to having one’s own web page. In between there are many versions and forms of electronic media that business needs to utilize. Companies use blogs, Facebook and other media for many things. They can promote their products, promote the company’s use of green technologies, show upcoming products or place recipes online for customers to share. Facebook is a common mass media outlet for many companies because a huge number of the world’s population are also Facebooking.
- Traditional leadership practices do not work well with the electronic era that we are traversing now. A 2012 study found that the best leaders are the ones that embrace technology. Leaders can not shut themselves in their offices and keep all of the important information to themselves any longer. The world is different and business leaders will fail if they do not adjust to the changes. To adjust they need to embrace the new technologies, be open to sharing information and listen to the many and diverse perspectives that are available. The best and the brightest leaders realize the value and potential in technology and encourage their employees to use it.
- While the internet and all of it’s benefits can help raise profits for companies it can also be very costly if misused. Companies must have effective internet policies in place so that all employees know what the proper uses for it are. They also need to know what happens when they misuse the web on company equipment. Misuse can cost a company millions of dollars and an employee their career. Another unseen costs occurs when employees play games, download pornography or transmit sexually explicit jokes or statements. Wasting work time while surfing the internet must be curtailed because once an employee sees another misusing the web the problem can grow until it is serious.
- Positive messages can be used for communicating straight forward request, replies and goodwill. To compose a positive message you start the same way you would start any writing process and that is by using the writing process. Before starting ask yourself some questions such as do I really need to write this? Maybe a quick phone call will clear up something much quicker that an electronic message. Sometimes a phone call conveys the message much better than an email.
- Negative messages are used for delivery of bad news that can come in many forms. Bad news can be declining a proposal, ending a business relationship, to apologize for a mistake and many other forms of negative information. Bad news comes in many ways and can cover be a variety of topics. When delivering bad news always explain the news clearly and completely so that there is no confusion what the problem is. Always maintain a professional image even when the other person is is angry or making outrageous claims. Simply be calm and control your responses and emotions. Always use compassion and deliver the message with sensitivity that you would expect if you were in their place. Be fair and impartial always which will hopefully help the person accept the message more easily. If they fell that you are being fair it is less likely that they will lash out in hostility. And last always try to maintain a friendly relation with the receiver of the message.
- For both positive and negative messages you will also use the 3x3 writing process. While writing these messages or even delivering the message in person always avoid any legal liability by not going into to much detail or sharing information of a sensitive nature. Always refrain from using any sort of profanity or abusive language even if the other person is trying to provoke you. It is never worth sacrificing your job, integrity or placing yourself in a negative light because someone else is reacting in a negative way.
- To prepare for a business presentation the first thing you must do to be successful is reduce your fears. If you are not confidant that you are ready your presentation will not go as well as it should. To reduce your fears lay a foundation by focusing on five areas: preparation, organization, audience rapport, visual aids and delivery. Know your purpose because you have to know the direction the presentation needs to travel. Is it to persuade or inform and what do you want the audience to take with them at the end? Know your audience dynamics such as age, gender, experience and any other dynamic that will be relevant.
- When building a presentation for business you must be organized so that the information can have a logical flow. Tell them what you are going to discuss, then say it and then repeat the information by telling them again. By doing this they hear the information more than once which will help them retain it. Building rapport is one of the most important aspect of a any presentation. Never exaggerate or present false information because you will immediately lose your credibility. Use analogies, comparisons or metaphors when appropriate, but ensure they are appropriate and make sense. Personal anecdotes are often used and they are often misused so make sure they are relevant and sensible. Always use visual aids as they receive the most attention and are great tools to convey your messages.
- Multimedia presentation are terrific tools to conveys important messages and keep an audiences attention. Remember to always use appropriate text, backgrounds and fonts along with pictures and graphs if needed. These presentations can be entertaining and still get the message across. Slides work well also for delivery of information and can also be used in conjunction with Power Point by simply inserting the slide into the presentation. This way all of the information is combined and can be worked into a logical sequence.
- Business reports are reports used to represent the end product of thorough investigation and analysis. They are used to present ordered information to the company decision makers so they can make an informed decision. These reports will consist of a cover, title page, letter or memo of transmittal, a table of contents, a list of illustrations and an executive summary. The main section of the reports is the body where the information within will be discussed, analyzed, interpreted and evaluated. The report will also include conclusions and recommendations. Effective business plans include many of the same components of any other report, however business plans are used to develop a plan for starting a business. Thee plans are given to banks and are used to secure financial help in starting a new venture. To help with these plans there is software to help new and experienced business owners get started and complete these plans. Proposals are a written statement to offer help solving a problem, to provide needed services or sell a product. Proposals have an introduction, background of the problem, the proposal to help, staffing and budget of the proposed costs.
- Proposals are used to tell a prospective client how to solve a problem, the procedure to be used, who will do the actual work, how long it will take and what the project will cost. These can also include a copy of the request for proposal, a letter of transmittal, an executive summary, title page, table of contents, list of illustrations and an appendix. These type of proposals can be very detailed depending on the service or product to be delivered.
- This presentation has discussed many aspects of the writing processes for business and other communication resources such as electronic media. We have also discussed the ethics involved in these processes and how these various medias are in a state of constant change as never and updated versions are revealed and new technologies evolve.
- The need for professionalism in all forms of communication so that a positive image of the person and the company is maintained to include various legal aspects. Intercultural aspects were explored and how the diversity brought with it can help a business. The use of electronic media was explored and the different uses for blogs, Facebook and other sites. And finally how to present positive and negative messages in the written form were discussed.
- The last section covered was the use of business presentations, business reports, business plans and finally business proposals. Hopefully the information covered will be of use and this presentation was of help. Thanks you for your time.