This course is an outstanding platform for students and experts to experience the key elements of communication and to foster their career in business communication.

1. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Mr. Ilyass AINANASS

2. Learning objectives
• What is communication and its process?
• Form and types of communication
• Communication Checklist
• Why is effective communication important within business?
• Which types of communication do businesses use, internally and
externally?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of different forms of
communication in business?
• Which methods of communication are suitable for different business
needs?

3. Business Communication
To communicate means to pass on or share information.
Effective communication is a two-way process, involving:
Think of two examples of communication, identifying the
sender, receiver and feedback in each case.
Are there any forms of communication which are one-way, i.e.
which do not require feedback?

4. The medium

5. The meduim
• How the communication is to be made
• Important to select an appropriate medium for the
message:
• Need to consider the needs of the sender, the nature of
the receiver and the aims of the communication
• Inappropriate medium can be a barrier to effective
communication

6. Value

7. Value
• Vast majority of problems in business are caused
by ineffective communication in one form or
another
• Businesses essentially human focused
organisations
• Value of good communications therefore
inestimable

8. To whom

9. To whom
• Who the communication is aimed at
is an important factor:
• The nature of the medium and the content may depend
on who it is aimed at
• Necessity of being sensitive to the receiver
• Should communication be formal
or informal?
• E.g.

10. To whom
• E-mail communication:
– Does it need to adhere to normal rules
of spelling, punctuation and grammar?
– Is it appropriate to use text speak?
• Is this OK 4U or is txt 1 stp 2fr?
– Are there different rules for different situations?
– How do you know what the receiver expects?
– What damage can be caused by inappropriate e-mail
messages?

11. Type
• Type of message may be an important factor in
determining the medium, content, approach, etc.
• Good news?
• Bad news?
• Information?
• Instruction?
• Each of the above may require a different approach and a
different medium.

12. The message

13. The message
• What is the communication designed to
achieve?
• This needs to be considered carefully to
judge the best method of delivery and to
judge the effectiveness of the feedback as
to whether the message has been
successful.

14. The role of ICT

15. The role of ICT
ICT has brought many advantages but also has its limitations:
It enables speedy communication
It can be cheap and save on costs (e.g. videoconferencing)
It can be expensive in hardware requirements
It can seem impersonal
It can be abused

16. Barriers

17. Barriers
Anything that prevents successful communication from
occurring
Complex and multi-layered
Can be technical or generated
by the medium used, etc. but:
Main problem is human behaviour and psychology, e.g.

18. Emotional Interference
• A significant factor influencing
successful communication
• Emotions - anger, frustration,
happiness, enthusiasm, need to
be defensive, desire to be
assertive, etc.
• Body language – says far more
about communication than we
ever realise!An enduring image – the message this photograph was
meant to send out was vital to Middle East peace. What
does the body language of those in the image suggest is
also being communicated to the world?
Title: The handshake. Copyright Getty Images, available
from Education Image Gallery (http://eig.edina.ac.uk)

19. Communication in business
As businesses carry out their different tasks, they have to communicate
with lots of other people, within and outside of the business.
Effective communication is essential in order for a business to run smoothly.
Why do you think this is?

20. Formal and Informal Communication
Communications in business can be formal or informal, depending on:
• The relationship between the people communicating
• The reason for the communication.
Informal communications tend to be used
between people who know each other well and
communicate regularly.
Formal communications are normally used for
important or serious matters, or when a record
of the communication needs to be kept.

21. Internal and External Communication
Some business communications are internal, i.e. between people within an organization.
Other business communications are external, i.e. with people outside of the organization.
Internal communications in a business include:
• Communication between functional areas
– for example, the Finance department of a company
instructing the Marketing team on
how much to spend on a campaign.
• Communication within a functional area
– for example, two members of a Human
Resources team chatting to each other.
Think of two more examples of communications
within and between functional areas in a business.

22. Internal and External Communication
External communications in a business involve:
• Contact with suppliers, customers or shareholders
• Contact with other businesses or organizations.
A shop assistant advising a customer, a company
receiving an invoice for stock they’ve purchased and
a billboard advertisement for a product are all ways in
which businesses engage in external communications.

23. Methods of Communication

24. Verbal Communication

25. Body Language

26. Written Communication

27. Video communication
Video communications
in business include:
Internet video links
video conferences.
Advances in technology have led to big improvements in the ways businesses
communicate. Video communications allow face-to-face contact over long distances,
reducing the need for, and expense of travelling. For example, two divisions of a
multinational company can hold a meeting using video conferencing technology, or an
employee can work from home and communicate with his or her boss via a video link.
Can you think of any possible disadvantages of video
communications for businesses?

28. Visual communication

29. Communication checklist
• How do you construct an effective
presentation or report?
• Who is your audience?
• What are they interested in?
• What do you want them to remember?

30. Key points
• Introduction and summary for each chapter.
• Direct, simple sentences.
• Short paragraphs.
• White space, bullets and graphics.
• Tables and figures stand on their own.
• Text stands on its own.
• There is nothing too obvious to say.

31. Components of an Effective Presentation
• Purpose
• Format
• Data
• Conclusion
• So What
• Restate
• Tag Ending

32. PURPOSE:
Define task.
"The purpose of this presentation is ... “
Describe what the original problem was
and what you were asked to do.

33. FORMAT:
What is the presentation going to do?
"This presentation recommends
o ...
o ... "
Tell them what you are going to say. This is
the agenda. Effective presentations use this
to outline the critical things that will be
covered, not copy the grading sheets.

34. DATA:
Information and data about the problem.
"You should note the following facts in
support of these recommendations...”
This is background. Spend only the time
here that you absolutely need.

35. CONCLUSION:
What does the data tell you?
"The conclusions to be drawn from
these facts are ..."
This is the setup, not the final conclusion.

36. SO WHAT:
What should the audience do?
"This means that we must ..."
What do these recommendations
mean to the audience? This is the
part of the presentation that your
audience cares most about. Try to
spend most of your time here.

37. RESTATE:
Summarize, preferably in action terms.
"In summary ...”
Wrap up the meeting.
• Repeat your critical points.
• List any action items.
• Indicate what happens next.
• Thank your clients.

38. TAG ENDING:
Verbal hook for your audience.
"In one sentence we say ..."
This is generally not done in formal
written communication. It is very
important in oral presentations.

39. Presentation Keys
• Time the sections. Focus on “So What?”
• Customize the presentation with logos or
names for your audience.
• Use graphics effectively. Graphics stick in
people’s mind, but too much is clutter.
• Use motion sparingly and sound never.
• Rehearse. Try to use the same
equipment and room you will use.