This presentation contains essentials skills required for effective business communication.

1. ESSENTIALS
OF
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
Life Blood & Foundation of any organization
Dr.M.Sasidharan
presents

2. Objective
• Understand Communication & its Process
• Understanding what is Business Communication
• To understand and explore the Importance, Barriers,
Essential of Business Communication

3. Be in the state of 3E’s

4. Find at the least 2 Persons......
• Wearing Brown Shoes
• Having Moustache
• Smiling Ladies / Gentlemen
• Long Hair (Gentlemen only)
• Carrying/Having Leather Bag
• Wearing Blue Dress
• Long Hair (Ladies only)
• The Handsome / Beautiful
• Wearing Red Tie
• Tallest in your Row
Icebreaker

5. LG

6. What is Communication is all about….
Speaking(30%) Listening & Observing(45%)
Reading (16%) Writing (9%)
It is about Connecting….

7. Communication - Meaning
• Communication is a dynamic process…
• through this process we convey a thought or feeling to
someone else.
• how it is received depends… on a set of events, stimuli, that
person is exposed to…
• ex: (Next Slide)

8. It is very hot.
How the reader perceives and interprets the written text?

9. Why Communication is Important? How will it help you?
• Anticipate Problems
• Make Decisions
• Coordinate Workflow
• Supervise others
• Develop Relationships
• Manage Knowledge, Ideas & Creativity
• Create a Clear Vision and Energize employees
• Promote Products & Services

10. Importance of Communication in Business
• At some point you will
encounter people or
customer who are rude or
difficult to communicate
with . In those instances, it
is more important than
ever to demonstrate
professionalism.

11. Check your Communication in the following situation: What & How ?
– In a classroom with known friends
– In a meeting room with unknown people
– At a picnic, with family
– In the chambers of an authoritative personality
– Making a presentation before a group
– With people who are more knowledgeable and smart
than you
– At home…!!

12. What you Say & How is important in Business Communication
• “What about that
Report?”
• “We want more share”
• “You are always late”
• “I will make sure I look
into it”
• What you say
• How you say
• When you say
• When to stop

13. Direction without the Map
Activity

14. Where you Effective in your Communication?
• Effective Communication means the response you get for your
Articulation
• The feedback we receive is a measure of our Effectiveness
• We talk a lot, what we miss out is to Communicate
Debrief Activity

15. Why we don’t Communicate?
• We are Shy.
• We have fear. (Fear of Rejection…fear of getting hurt…fear
of hurting someone…fear of losing someone)
• Ego (Why Should I?)
• Arrogance (I know everything)
• Ignorance (I don’t need that)
• I am elder or senior or bigger or having more experience.
• Presumptions or assumptions
Debrief Activity

16. Learning from the Exercise:
What were the Barriers in your Communication Process
Sender Receiver Other / External
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5

17. Barriers in Communication (from Sender)
• Attitude (ignoring the situation, expectancies and interests
of listener)
– Unwillingness to say things differently
– Unwillingness to relate to others differently
– Unwillingness to learn new approaches
• Lack of Self-Confidence
– Authority / Status / Senior / Environment
• Lack of 3 E’s – Energy, Enthusiasm , Excitement

18. Barriers in Communication (from Sender)
• Disagreement between verbal and non-verbal messages
• Voice quality, tone, gestures
• Past Experience
• Negative Self Image
• Lack of Feedback
• Language and Vocabulary Level
• Lack of Self Awareness
• Lack of Motivation and Training

19. Barriers in Communication (RECEIVER)
• Poor Listening Skills
• Flaws in the Listening Process
– Selective Attention, Perception and Retention
• Misinterpretation of words / gestures
• Lack of Interest in the Topic/Subject discussed

20. Barriers in Communication (RECEIVER)
• Attitude
– Unwillingness to relate to others differently
• Rebuttal Instincts
• Personal Value System
• Past Experience
• Ego

21. External Barriers in Communication
• Physical barriers
– the distance between people
• Environment barriers
– The venue
– The effect of noise
– Temperature in the room

22. External Barriers in Communication
• Process barriers:
– Encoding
– Decoding
– Transmission
• Time, Place and Space
• Cultural, Status, Education
• Audio – Visuals - PAS

23. Perception Barriers in Communication
• Hidden Assumptions
• Beliefs
• Prejudice or Pre-judgments
• Misunderstandings
People don't always do things, see things, or express themselves in the same ways that we do
The results are often negative and at times disastrous for teams trying to work productively together.

24. Gateway to Business Communication
• Barriers removed is a GATEWAY created.
• Effective Business Communication is about Connecting to
the other person.
• Treat others with respect and dignity.
• Often, your positive communication will take the other
person by surprise and soften their attitude.

25. The Communication Process….
Channel
&
Medium
Receiver
1. Gets the Message
2. Decodes the Message
3. Receiver Sends Feedback
Receivers
1. External Environment
2. Internal Stimuli
3. Experience
4. Skills
5. Attitude
6. Perception
7. Beliefs
Sender
1. Has and Idea
2. Encodes the Idea
3. Transmits Message
Sender
1. External Environment
2. Internal Stimuli
3. Experience
4. Skills
5. Attitude
6. Perception
7. Beliefs
What was said, what it meant, what was heard, how it was interpreted & understood
Speaks
Acts
Writes
Listens
Observes
Reads

26. The Communication Process needs to be Articulated well..
• The Articulation Process
– Articulation Skills
– Major Barrier: Common
Beliefs and Attitudes
Impact on Articulation
– Listening Skills
– Observing Skills
– Giving Feedback

27. How we Articulate, What we Say & How we Say

28. Articulation Skills (Essentials of Business Communication)
1. Content Structuring Skills
2. Message Delivery Skills
3. Skills related to ‘Handling Others’
4. Clarifying Skills
• Please rate yourself in the following areas using the scale.
• 5 – Always, 4 – Frequently, 3 – Occasionally, 2 – Rarely, 1 – Never
• Please focus on ‘what you really do’, and NOT ‘what you
think you should be doing’
Exercise

29. 1. Content Structuring Skills
1. I am able to identify all relevant points
2. I take some time to collect my thoughts before I open my mouth
3. I can diagnose what content is missing
4. I am able to prioritize all topics/data based on time available
5. I am able to structure my sentences around the central theme/idea
6. I am able to accurately estimate the total time required by me
7. I make a sincere effort to keep things as simple and non-technical as
possible while talking to a layman.

30. 2. Message Delivery Skills
1. I always ‘Set the Context’ before I begin. (explain the purpose,
background, etc.)
2. I am consciously aware of the drawbacks of all media (telecon, videocon,
etc.)
3. For important situations, I rehearse the delivery beforehand.
4. I organize all my thoughts in a specific order; I maintain that order during
delivery.
5. I never get carried away, even while explaining something passionately.
6. I pause at regular intervals to let my words ‘sink in’.
7. I can supplement my ‘words’ with the appropriate ‘non-verbal cues’.

31. 3. Skills related to ‘Handling Others’
1. I am aware of my ‘audience’; I know what their expectations are.
2. I encourage others to ask questions while I speak.
3. I request my ‘listeners’ to share their thoughts and feelings periodically.
4. I am able to read ‘verbal cues’ displayed by others.
5. I am able to read ‘non-verbal cues’ displayed by others.
6. I can remain calm and objective, even if I have a huge personal stake in
the issue being discussed
7. I always maintain eye-contact, even with people I dislike.

32. 4. Clarifying Skills
1. When I speak, it is my duty to confirm whether the listener
has understood accurately.
2. When others speak, I usually confirm my understanding of
what I have heard.
3. If I don’t agree with somebody, I tend to ask questions that
clarify rather than challenge.
4. Whenever I have a doubt, I ask (that moment) or I record
my doubt in writing.

33. Common Beliefs and Attitudes
Impact on Articulation
1. I shall always be correct in my usage of language.
2. I shall always be accurate in content.
3. I cannot commit errors.
4. If what I say upsets the other person, it might ruin the relationship.
5. It takes a huge effort to express my thoughts clearly.
6. I will always continue to search for the right words halfway through my sentences.
7. My articulation style should not be different from my group/team.
8. I do my best as the ‘Sender’ of the communication; after that it’s upto the listener to
understand and respond.
9. Other people who are listening, generally think they know what I am going to say.
10. I should be able to answer any question posed to me by anyone, at any time.

34. Common Beliefs and Attitudes
Impact on Articulation
11. It is not important for me to have an opinion on major social, economic and
political issues.
12. ‘Small talk’ is a waste of time.
13. I hesitate before asking a question or making a comment because I might
appear to be stupid/ignorant.
14. I am not confident about my own opinion; other people seem to be clearer.
15. I need to have a different style while articulating with a senior/superior.
16. If I provide constructive feedback to someone, he/she might feel offended.
17. I mostly communicate on e-mails; so I don’t need to speak that much.
18. My opinions don’t count anyway – so why should I give them.
19. If I vocally admit and accept my mistakes, it is a sign of weakness.
20. I am not paid for my articulation skills

35. ROLE PLAYS – THE POWER OF ARTICULATION
Pawar – Senior Manager, Operations Team, E & Z Corporation
You(Pawar) is currently attending meetings with the Client Representatives
everyday in Manmohan’s cabin. Of the other people involved in the ongoing project,
one is a new joinee. His name is Shylesh – Executive, Finance Team. You have
observed that Shylesh rarely opens his mouth during the meetings. He listens
attentively, takes extensive notes, but does not contribute any ideas/suggestions to
the client. Nor does he express any opinions when the Client raises a
question/doubt. You strongly feel that his presence in the room adds no value to
E&Z’s interaction with Client. You have asked Shylesh to stay away from Client
meetings for the remaining duration of this project.
Manmohan is the CEO of E&Z Corporation and, Shylesh reports to Rahul.

36. Rahul – Senior Manager, Finance Team – E & Z Corporation
Shylesh was recruited by you(Rahul) two months ago as a Executive-Chartered
Accountant. Shylesh had completed his article-ship from small size firm while
completing his CA. He appears to be incredibly bright, intelligent and creative. He
is a fast learner and very hard-working. However, he is a quiet and reserved person
by nature.. During team meetings, he speaks only when a question is posed to him.
Despite having innovative ideas, he feels shy and nervous whenever there are too
many people around. You feel he has tremendous potential – he just needs a little
exposure and fine-tuning. You strongly believe that, given the right opportunities,
Shylesh can evolve into a precious asset for E&Z. However, you have just found out
that Shylesh is visibly upset because Pawar has asked him to stay away from Client
meetings.

37. Task Specific Communication
• Describe Scope & Requirements
• Describe timelines, deadlines, schedules.
• Describe the attributes or characteristics of the project.
• Describe resources that will be available for the task.
• Describe the rationale or reasons for each of the above elements.
– For example, a scope may be defined in a particular manner
because a client has to work within certain software
configurations or hardware requirements (all Mac, all PC, for
example). A deadline may be necessary because a system
conversion will occur.

38. We add a lot of Meaning & Interpretation to
what we see and hear
Also how we Interpretate is our Attitude

39. Exercise – Stand up

40. Listening : A Lost Art
• The most Neglected part of
Communication

41. Listening Exercise
• Partners
– One partner remains
inside the room

42. Exercise: Listening
• Share with your partners
– One the tragic incidence of your life or
– One of the current issue or problem at work or
– One of your personal problem which you are concerned
• Let’ all clap together
• Raise your Palm

43. We Listen and then Validate it
• Drama: “Kacche Kaan”
• Conversation on the
Phone:

44. Listening - Hearing
• Hearing
– Just with ears
– Physiological process
– Reception of sound waves by ears
• Listening
– Listening is Understanding
– Hearing as well as interpreting including other signals.
• Eg: Employee asking for Raise and the Boss says “NO”
– saying “NO” without listening and
– after listening and explaining the situation, saying “NO”

45. Basic reasons we Do Not Listen
• Listening is Hard Work and requires Effort
• Preoccupation or “do Not pay Attention”
• The Rush for Action
– Generalizing
– Evaluating
– Assuming
– Thinking
– Feeling
• Speed differences (120 wpm v/s 360 wpm)
• Lack of Training

46. Flaws in the Listening Process
• Selective Attention
• Selective Perception
• Selective Retention

47. Ex: Selective Listening

48. We listen what we want to…

49. From : Managing Director
To : Vice President
“ Tomorrow morning there will be a total eclipse of the sun at nine
o'clock. This is something which we cannot see everyday. So let
all employees line up outside, in their best clothes to watch it. To
mark the occasion of this rare occurrence, I will personally
explain the phenomenon to them. If it is raining we will not be
able to see it very well and in that case the employees should
assemble in the Canteen.”

50. From : Vice President
To : General Manager
“ By order of the Managing Director, there will be a total
eclipse of the sun at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. If it is
raining we will not be able to see it in our best clothes, on
the site. In this case the disappearance of the sun will be
followed through in the canteen. This is something we
cannot see happening everyday.”

51. FROM : General managers
To : Industry Managers
“ By order of the Managing Director, we shall follow the
disappearance of the sun in our best clothes, in the canteen
at nine o' clock tomorrow morning. The Managing Director
will tell us whether it is going to rain. This is something
which we cannot see happen everyday.”

52. From : Industry Managers
To : Location heads
“ If it is raining in the canteen tomorrow morning, which is
something that we cannot see happen everyday, the
Managing Director in his best clothes, will disappear at nine
o'clock.”

53. From : Location heads
To : Marketing Executives
“ Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, the Managing Director
will disappear. It's a pity that we can't see this happen
everyday.”

54. The Three Levels of Listening
TurnedOff TurnedOn TunedIn
Passive Selective Active
Listening Listening Listening

55. What Is The Difference?
• Passive Listening
– Listening, but not responding
• Selective Listening
– Listening to what you want to hear / what interests you
• Active Listening
– Listening and comprehending everything and giving a
feedback

56. Role Play – Active Listening
• Subordinate –
– “Sir, I have a Problem”
• Boss –

57. The Active Listening
Do’s
• Focus on Speaker
• Have Eye Contact
• Being Open Minded & Non
Defensive
• Ask questions
• Let your body give reassuring
messages
• Allow Silence
• Reflect feelings and Empathize
Don’ts
• Don’t be preoccupied
• Avoid advising, diagnosing,
criticizing, judgments & reactions
• Avoid fixing-changing what the
speaker says
• Resists filling every space with
your talk
• Don’t ignore the body language
• Avoid Interruptions

58. Empathetic Listening Skills
• Suspend Judgment
• Seek Clarification
• Paraphrase
• Summarize
• Active Listening Skills

59. The Art of Questioning & Probing
• Closed-ended Questions
• Open-ended Questions
• Follow-Up Questions
• Leading Questions
• ‘Take-a guess’ Questions
• Hypothetical Questions
• Either-or Questions
• Reflective Questions
• ‘Find the Priority’ Question

60. How to answer Query or Questions?
• Listen
– Do not cut people off “I know what you are going to say”.. Or “it’s
such a stupid question” or “stop wasting my time.. Take this answer”
• Stop – Think
– do not react with the answer
• Act
– “Listen, Raj, I think I know what you are getting at, and it is a good
point; something we really need to talk about.

61. Giving Feedback
• Don’t give vague or unsupported feedback
• Don’t say something was done well when you don’t believe it
was
• Don’t guess at motives
• Be specific about :
– What was actually said or done, and
– Why this behavior / action was or would be effective
– When offering feedback for improvement, tell the person
what could have been said or done differently that would
have been better

62. Receiving Feedback
• View feedback as unique learning opportunity
• Listen with full attention
• Ask for specific examples
• Don’t defend your actions
• Don’t resist the feedback
• Don’t talk about other experiences

63. Giving Feedback – ABCR Model
• Describe the Current Performance/Behaviour/ACTION
• Bring out your feelings for this Action.
• Identify/Document and then report specific situations
where these were observed. Describe the
impact/implications/consequences/CLARIFY
• Make a request to reinforce the feedback/behaviour/future
action (Recommendation)

64. Communication that strengthen Relationships
• Give Feedback to people
• Give Honest Sincere Appreciation
• Acknowledge and Thank People

65. Dominant Communication Style
Exercise

66. Assertiveness
Assertive Behaviour is characterized by:
• Maintaining focus on the core need/want/issue
• Not allowing oneself to be manipulated by others
• Focusing on facts, not judgment/assumptions
• Stating arguments that are necessary
• Responding to the statement; not reacting to the person
• Maintaining a calm composure
• The Intent is to convince, not confront/insult/humiliate

67. Assertiveness is………….
• Stating preference clearly and confidently without belittling
others
• A Positive way of behaving that doesn’t involve violating the
rights of other people
• Coping with justified criticism, giving it too
• Having the ability to say directly what it is you want, you
need or you feel
• Being able to negotiate and reach workable compromises
• Exercising your right to say ‘NO’, when you feel exploited

68. Assertiveness is not……
• Influencing others by hook-or-crook
• Escaping accountability by calmly refusing to work
• Manipulating others to get your own way
• Feeling intimidated by the other’s position & power
• Saying ‘yes’ just to please others all the time

69. Remember :
• there are some people out there, who will always pretend
they are offended/insulted/humiliated. If your intention
was not to offend, but to disagree respectfully, then you do
not owe them an
• apology – regardless of the consequences involved ! Be
true to yourself, true to others, and be fearless. No one
owns you !

70. Benefits of Assertive Communication
• Your needs, wants & feelings are clearly explained
• No conflict or argument initiated by you
• Higher probability of meeting your expectations
• Confidence & Self-Esteem are enhanced
• Control of your life remains in your hands
• Both parties feel respected & heard
• Encourages empathy on both sides
• Your Temper & Blood Pressure remain stable !

71. The Assertive Person
• Uses good eye-contact
• Has control over volume, tone, rate & quality of voice
• Has gestures & facial expressions which match what is being said
• Is aware of positive attitude & assertive stance
• Has a style of dressing & grooming which adds to his/her confidence
• Carries himself/herself with dignity
• Can maintain objectivity
• Does not jump to conclusions
• Is solution-oriented & optimistic
• Is courteous but firm

72. “When the going gets tough, the tough get Assertive”
– Triad Role Play
• Observer’s Feedback Form :
• Choice of Words
• Tonality of Voice [too polite / harsh]
• Non-Verbal Cues [nodding, eye contact, facial exp, etc]
• Excuses/Unnecessary Justifications & Apologies
• Accusations/Allegations and Blame Game/Finger-pointing
• Focus on facts/data or assumptions/perceptions
• Quality of Responses = Proactive / Reactive

73. E-mail Etiquette
• Write a meaningful subject line
• Message Body – Content & Layout
• Addressing
• Paragraph Structuring
• Tone
• Closing and Signature
• Attachments
• Proofread
• Timeliness

74. Transition Words
• Addition: also, again, as well as, besides, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover,
similarly………
• Consequence: accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose,
hence, subsequently, therefore, thus….
• Generalizing: as a rule, as usual, for the most part, generally, generally speaking, ordinarily,
usually…………
• Similarity: comparatively, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover…………..
• Contrast and Comparison: in contrast, instead, likewise, on the contrary, similarly, yet, but,
however, still, nevertheless, ………….
• Sequence: to begin with, in the first place, at the same time, before now, for the time
being, the next step, in time, in turn, meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime, later,
while, earlier, simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion……..
• Summarizing: all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in brief, in conclusion,
on the whole, in short, in summary, to sum up, to summarize, finally……….

75. Telephonic Conversations – Elements of
Professionalism
• Prompt Responses
• Building Rapport
• Hold – Mute – Transfer
• Guidelines for Handling Complaints
• What goes wrong ?
• A few pointers

76. Teleconferencing with the Client – Elements of
Professionalism
• Planning and Preparation – Before the teleconference
• During the Teleconference
• Effective Conference Calls – Key Precautions

77. PRESENTATION SKILLS – VISUAL ASPECTS [Body
Language]
• Posture
• Gesture
• Eye Contact
• Facial Expressions
• Usage of Space

78. PRESENTATION SKILLS – VOCAL ASPECTS [Delivery &
Conviction]
• Volume – Audibility & Variation
• Pitch – Inflexion Patterns
• Tone – Mood & Emotion in Voice
• Pacing & Pausing – Breath Control
• Pronunciation & Diction [Clarity]
• Conviction & Enthusiasm

79. PRESENTATION SKILLS – VERBAL ASPECTS [Matter &
Structure]
• Content (Depth / Treatment of Subject)
• Supporting Matter (Examples / Illustrations / References /
Statistics)
• Flow & Structure (Seamless transition / Organized thought
process / 4T structure)
• Language Proficiency (Fluency / Sentence Construction)
• Delivery Style (Conversational / Interactive / Q&A /
Humour)

80. Assignment
• Make a list of pointers you remember
• Share what you have learned with atleast one person
• Share an experience from your past that would be different
today if you applied the Communication Principles we have
learned during the day.

81. This is a most unusual paragraph. How quickly can you find out
what is so unusual about it? It looks so ordinary you'd think
nothing is wrong with it - and in fact, nothing is wrong with it.
It is unusual though. Why? Study it, think about it, and you
may find out. Try to do it without coaching. If you work at it
for a bit it will dawn on you. So jump to it and try your skill at
figuring it out. Good luck - don't blow your cool!

82. Written Communication
• A husband wrote a message to his wife on his official trip
and forgot to add 'e' at the end of a word...
• "I'm having such a wonderful time! I
wished you were her....!
Refer to Written Communication

83. QUICK LEARNING TIPS

84. Successful Communication
• Ask questions that reflect your interest in what the speaker
is saying
• Repeat information back to speaker when appropriate, to
reinforce the validity of what has been said
• Use an engaging, interested tone of voice
• Turn body towards the speaker & give your full attention
• Maintain an open, inviting stance by maintaining Eye
contact, and showing interest
• Smile, nod, show that you are engaged in the conversation

85. Quick Tips for Speaking
• Focus on the C’s of Communication
• The 3 E’s & the 3 V’s
• Know what you want to say
• Feel Confident & shed your fear
• Stop, Think and then talk
• Believe in your message
• Repeat Major Points
• Find Out what your Listener wants

86. Quick Tips for Speaking (continued)
• Define Acronyms
• Reduce Jargon
• Level Objections
• Use Humor
• Anecdotes and Stories
• Ask for feedback
• Increase your vocabulary

87. Quick Tips for Speaking (continued)
• Eliminate Audible Pauses
• Enunciate Clearly
• Practice Pronouncing Words Properly
• Exercise Tongue, Jaws and Lips
• Make use of Smile & Eye Contact
• Gesture
• Use the Pause at the right time
• Vary Your Volume, Watch your voice & tone

88. Quick Tips for Listening
• Prepare to Listen
• Focus on the Speaker
• Screen Out Distractions
• Concentrate on the Message
• Listen to Tapes while you commute
• Eliminate Prejudice and Belief

89. Quick Tips for Writing
• Write a Purpose Statement
• Outline
• Transfer Negative Emotions to Paper
• Get to the Point
• Explain Abstract words
• Use Absolutes and Generalities Sparingly
• Use an Effective Subject Line to draw attention

90. Quick Tips for Writing (Continued)
• Ask for what you want
• Use active verbs
• Use gender neutral language
• Cite Source of Statistical Data
• Illustrate with personal examples
• Express Emotion
• Keep it simple (KISS) Method

91. Quick Tips for Writing (Continued)
• Paint verbal Pictures
• Be Concise
• Support Statements with Details
• Watch Semantics
• Quote Authorities
• Consult Experts
• Suppress emotion

92. Quick Tips for Writing (Continued)
• Keep a Journal
• Take notes
• Write personal Notes
• Write Effective business letters
• Use Short Sentences

93. Quick Tips for Body Language
• Smile
• Eye Contact
• Hand & Facial Gestures
• Posture
• Attire
• Hand Shake
• Walk & Talk
• Poise

94. Quick Tips on Attitude you Communicate
• Ready to Learn New Ideas
• Respect for Other People and their Views
• Intend to Improve
• Flexible and Likable
• Be Modest, Honest & Truthful
• Respect and Value for your and others time
• Responsible & Ownership
• Eliminate Negative Feelings
• Recognize the Impact of Stress on Communication

95. General Tips for Communication
• Laugh it out
• Practice Etiquette & Manners
• Recognize Manipulative Behavior
• Recognize Condescending Manners
• Avoid Words that Hurt
• Change Abrasive Behavior
• Handle Disagreements with Tact
• Resolve Conflicts Collaboratively

96. Perfection is the enemy of excellence.
Strive to be an excellent communicator
rather than "perfect“.
You will make mistakes.
Correct them and continue to improve without
being LG.