This document provides an overview of principles of business communication. It discusses two main audiences for business communication: internal and external. It also outlines common reasons managers communicate, such as to convey information, aid decision making, and motivate employees. The document then discusses key aspects of effective business communication like organization, tone, and building goodwill. It provides tips for writing for different audiences and contexts in a clear, positive manner.

1. Principles of
Business Communication
Buni Yani
National Institute of Business Administration
Bogor, May 16, 2017

3. Chapter
11
Business Communication,
Management and Success
Reasons / Audiences / Purposes /
Benefits & Costs / Criteria / Goodwill /
Trends / E-Mail / Analysis / Problem-
Solving / Organization / Appearance /
Style / Edit / Feedback

4. Two Audiences

Internal
 Go to people inside organization
 Memo to subordinates, superiors, peers
 External
 Go to people outside organization
 Letter to customers, suppliers, others

5. Internal Audiences of
Sales Manager – West
Sales
manager
West
Sales
manager
Midwest
President
Sales
manager
Intnl.
VP
Marketing
VP Sales
VP
Production
VP Finance
VP Human
Resources
District 1
manager
District 3
manager
District 2
manager
Sales repSales rep Sales repSales repSales rep
Sales
manager
East
To superiors
To peers
To subordinates

6. Organization’s External
Audiences
Competitors
Trade assns.
Employment
agencies
Distributors
Wholesalers
Franchisees
Retailers
AgentsOrgani-Organi-
zationzation
Customers
Clients
Stockholders
Investors
Lenders
Subsidiaries
Suppliers
Legislators
Gov.
Media
Foreign
governments
and offices
Courts
Special
interest
groups
General public
Potential
employees,
stockholders,
customers
Professional
services
Unions

7. T I c k e t
Admit One
Reasons Managers Communicate
 To convey information
 To aid decision-making
 To create records
 To motivate employees
 To save money
 To send effective messages
Good writer$
earn more
Good communicators
make good managers
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/Irwin

8. Communication Purposes
All business communication has 3
basic purposes
 To inform (explain)
 To request or persuade (urge action)
 To build goodwill (make good image)
Most messages have more than one
purpose

9. Benefits & Costs
 Effective writing
 Saves time
 Increases one’s productivity
 Communicates points more clearly
 Builds goodwill
 Poor writing
 Wastes time
 Wastes effort
 Loses goodwill
Stiff, legal languageSelfish toneBuried main pointVague requestsMisused words

10. Criteria for Effective Messages
 Clear
 Complete
 Correct
 Saves reader’s time
 Builds goodwill

11. Goodwill = Positive Image
A goodwill message--
 Presents positive image of writer
and organization
 Treats reader as a person, not a
number
 Cements good relationship between
writer, reader
432

12. 10 Business Trends
1. Focuses on quality, customers’
needs
2. Entrepreneurship and outsourcing
3. Teamwork
4. Diversity
5. Globalization

13. 10 Business Trends, continued
6. Legal and ethical concerns
7. Balancing work and family
8. Changing jobs, multiple careers
9. Rapid change
10. Pervasive technology

14. Writing E-Mail Messages
 Never send angry messages
 Use ALL CAPS sparingly
 Send people only messages they
need
 In reply, include only main point
of original message

15. E-Mail Guidelines
 Catch reader’s interest in subject
line, first paragraph
 Be discreet; e-mail is not private
 Apply all good-writing rules
 Re-read, proofread before sending

16. Analyze Situations: Ask
Questions
 What’s at stake—to whom?
 Should you send a message?
 What channel should you use?
 What should you say?
 How should you say it?
Memo

17. Solving Business Communication
Problems
Answer 66 analysis questions
Organize information to fit
 Audiences
 Purposes
 Situation
Make document look inviting

18. Solving Business Communication
Problems, continued
 Revise draft for tone
 Friendly
 Businesslike
 Positive
 Edit draft for standard English
 Names  Numbers
 Use replies to plan future messages

19. Answer 66 Analysis Questions
1. Who are audiences for message?
 What are relevant characteristics?
 How do listeners / readers differ?
2. What are your purposes?
 What must message do?
 What must reader know, think, do?

20. Answer 66 Analysis Questions, continued
3. What information must you put in?
 List ALL required points
 De-emphasize or emphasize properly
To de-emphasize
 Bury in ¶ and message
 Write / speak concisely
To emphasize
 Place first or last in ¶ and message
 Add descriptive details

21. Answer 66 Analysis Questions, continued
4. How can you support your
position?
 Reasons for your decision
 Logic behind your argument
 Benefits to readers if they do as you
ask
Brainstorm :

22. Answer 66 Analysis Questions, continued
Big
Picture
5. What reader objections do you expect?
 Plan to overcome if possible
 De-emphasize negative information
6. What part of context may affect reader
reaction?
 Time of year
 Morale in organization
 Relationship between reader / writer

23. Organize to Fit Audience,
Purpose, Situation
1. Put good news first
2. Put the main point/question first
3. But to persuade reluctant reader,
delay the main point/question

24. Make Message Look Inviting
 Use subject line to orient reader
 Use headings to group related
ideas
 Use lists for emphasis
 Number items if order matters
 Use short paragraphs—66 lines
max.

25. Create Positive Style
 Emphasize positive information
 Give it more space
 Use indented list to set it off
 Omit negative words if you can
 Focus on possibilitiespossibilities, not
limitations

26. Edit Your Draft
 Double-check these details  
 Reader’s name
 Any numbers
 First and last ¶
 Spelling, grammar, punctuation
 Always proofread before sending

27. Use Response to Plan Next
Message
 Success = results you want, when
you want them
 Evaluate feedback you get
 If message fails, find out why
 If message succeeds, find out why

29. Chapter
22
Building Goodwill
Goodwill / You-attitude / Positive
emphasis / Bias-free / Tone / Power /
Politeness / Sexist vs. Nonsexist / Agist
vs. Nonagist / People-first language

30. Goodwill
 Goodwill – trust between parties
doing business
 Ways to build goodwill
 You-attitude
 Positive emphasis
 Bias-free language
© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.McGraw-Hill/Irwin

31. Build Goodwill with Content
 Be complete
 Anticipate and answer reader’s
questions
 Explain importance of information
not requested by reader
 Show readers how message subject
affects them

32. Build Goodwill with Organization
Put first the information of most
interest to readers
Arrange information to meet
reader’s needs, not yours
Use headings and lists for key
points

33. You-Attitude
 Looks at things from reader’s
viewpoint
 Emphasizes what reader wants to
know
 Respects reader’s intelligence
 Protects reader’s ego

34. 66 Ways to Create You-Attitude
1. Talk about reader, not yourself
2. Refer to reader’s request or order
3. Don’t talk about feelings
4. Use you more often than I
5. Use we when it includes reader
6. In negative situations, avoid you

35. Talk About Reader, Not Yourself
 Do tell how message affects
readers
 Don’t mention writer’s work or
generosity
 Do stress what readers want to
know

36. Talk About Reader: Examples
 Lack you-attitude
 I negotiated an agreement with Apex
Rent-a-Car that gives you a discount.
 We shipped your May 21 order today.
 Have you-attitude
 You now get a 20% discount when you
rent a car from Apex.
 The three Birth Year coin sets you ordered
will ship today and should reach you by
June 6.

37. Refer to Reader’s Request or
Order
Do make specific reference, not
generic
 Do name content of order for person
or small business
 Do cite purchase order number for
business that orders often

38. Refer to Reader’s Request or
Order: Examples
Lacks you-attitude
We shipped your order today.
Have you-attitude
 The 500 red and gray sweatshirts you
ordered were shipped today and will
reach you early next week.
 Your P.O. 7823-N shipped on 11/04 and
will arrive within five business days.

39. I’m
delighted
that you’ll be
our new
sales rep..
Don’t Talk About Feelings
 Do express your feelings to--
 Offer sympathy to reader
 Congratulate reader
 Don’t talk about reader’s feelings
 Don’t predict reader’s response
 Do give reader good news
I am sorryto hearthat yourfather died.

40. Don’t Talk About Feelings:
Examples
 Lack you-attitude
 We are happy to give you a credit line of
$2,000.
 You will be happy to learn that your
reimbursement request has been approved.
 Have you-attitude
 You now have a $2,000 credit line with
VISA.
 Your reimbursement request has been
approved.

41. Use You More Often Than I:
Examples
 Do use you in positive situations
 Do avoid I in printed text
 Example lacks you-attitude
We provide the latest exercise equipment
to all full-time employees.
 Example has you-attitude
You have access to the latest exercise
equipment as a full-time employee of
Adluh.

42. We =
Managers
Use We When It Includes Reader
 Avoid we if it excludes reader
 Example lacks you-attitude
We here at BB&T want all employees
to enjoy the fitness center.
 Example has you-attitude
We will schedule the due date after
we meet.

43. Avoid You in Negative Situations
 Protect reader’s ego
 Avoid placing blame
 Use passive verbs
 Use impersonal style
 Do talk about things
 Don’t talk about people

44. impersonal
passive
Avoid You in Negative Situations:
Examples
 Lack you-attitude
 You failed to sign your flexible spending
account form.
 You made no allowance for inflation in your
estimate.
 Have you-attitude
 Your flexible spending account form was
not signed.
 The estimate makes no allowance for
inflation.

45. Positive Emphasis
 Way of looking at situations
 Writing style focusing on positive
 Words and information
 Organization and layout
Half empty or half full?

46. 55 Ways to Create Positive
Emphasis
1. Use positive or least negative
words
2. Focus on what reader can do, not
limitations
3. Justify negative information
 Give reasons for it
 Link it to a reader benefit

47. 55 Ways to Create Positive
Emphasis, continued
4. Omit unimportant negatives
5. De-emphasize negatives
 Place in middle
 Write it concisely

48. Use Positive OR Least Negative
Words: Examples
 Negative
 Never fail to return library books on time.
 Always return library books on time.
 Positive
 Because you failed to pay your bill, your
account is delinquent.
 Your account is past due.

49.  Negative
You will not get your refund check until
you submit your official grade report at
the end of the semester.
 Positive
To receive your refund check, submit your
official grade report at the end of the
semester.
Focus on What Reader Can Do:
Examples

50.  Negative
You cannot take vacation days without
prior approval from your supervisor.
 Positive
To ensure that everyone’s duties will be
covered, submit your first and second
choices of vacation time to your
supervisor by May 30.
Justify Negative Information:
Examples

51. Omit Unimportant Negatives
 When reader does not need the
information to act
 When reader has the information
in your previous message
 When information is trivial

52. De-Emphasize Negatives
 Do put in middle of message and
paragraph
 Don’t put at bottom of page 1
 Don’t list vertically
 Do make it short as you can
 Do give it only once

53. Tone, Power & Politeness
 Tone – implied attitude of writer
toward reader
 Good tone
 Businesslike, not stiff
 Friendly, not phony
 Confident, not arrogant
 Polite, not groveling

54. Levels of Politeness: Examples
 High: Would you be able to complete your
report by Friday?
 Progress reports should be turned in by
Friday.
 Please turn in your progress report by
Friday.
 Low: Turn in your progress report by
Friday.

55. Reducing Bias
 Bias-free language – words that
do not discriminate on basis of
 Sex
 Age
 Race
 Physical condition

56. Make Language Nonsexist
 Do treat both sexes neutrally
 Businessman = Business person
 Woman doctor = Doctor
 Manning = Staffing
 Don’t assume everyone is
heterosexual or married

57. Make Language Nonsexist, continued
Do use neutral job titles
 Actress  Repairman
 Chairman  Salesman
 Foreman  Waitress

58. Make Language Nonsexist, continued
 Use Ms. as courtesy title for
women
 Use professional title instead (if
any)
 Use Miss or Mrs. if reader prefers it
 Determine proper courtesy title for
letter address and salutation
 Omit sexist generic pronouns

59. Make Language Nonracist
& Nonagist
 Give age or race ONLY if relevant
 Refer to a group by term it prefers
 Don’t suggest competence is rare:
 She is an asset to her race.
 He is an active 83-year-old.

60. Use People-First Language
Do name person first; add
disability or disease if relevant
Don’t imply that disability or
disease defines person
Don’t use negative terms, unless
audience prefers them (deaf vs.
hard of hearing)