This document discusses best practices for business communication. It emphasizes that good communication is important in today's global, knowledge-based world. Effective communication requires identifying your purpose and audience, and selecting the appropriate communication channel. Business communication should be professional, concise, and consider cultural differences. Both positive and negative messages require careful planning. Overall, communication skills are vital for all employees and businesses.

1. BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
B E S T P RACT ICE S
Domitilla Sandusky
ORG536-1 – Contemporary Business Writing and
Communication
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Dr. Robert Olszewski
September 28, 2014

2. WHY IS COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT?
• We live in an information and knowledge based
world
• The world’s economy is increasingly global
• Good communication is necessary to:
• Stay connected (socially and professionally)
• Collaborate on projects
• Share ideas or feedback
• Concisely express a perspective or need
• Promote products or proposals
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

3. WHO NEEDS COMMUNICATION?
• Everyone!
• Companies want to hire people that communicate
well
• Workgroups are often widespread now
• Geographically dispersed groups cannot communicate
face-to-face
• It’s important to communicate well through oral and written
channels
• Communication skills are verbal and non-verbal

4. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Identify your purpose
• Why are you sending this message?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• Know your audience
• What is your audience like?
• How will they react to the message?
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

5. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Select the best communication channel based on:
• Importance of the message
• Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required
• Necessity of a permanent record
• Cost of the channel
• Degree of formality desired
• Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

6. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
• Effective communicators are also effective leaders.
• Effective leaders use these communication practices:
• Mind the say-do gap – build follower’s trust by aligning your
actions and words
• Make the complex simple – say what you mean concisely
• Find your own voice – be genuine
• Be visible – interact with your team (even if it’s by phone)
• Listen with your eyes as well as your ears – pay attention to your
audience
(Tardanico, 2012)

7. ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
• Scandals have raised awareness of unethical
business practices
• Enron and WorldCom were examples in the 2000s (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011)
• Corinthian Colleges is an example in 2014 (Halperin, 2014)
• The goals of improving ethical communication are:
• Abiding the law and telling the truth
• Separating opinion from fact and being objective
• Communicating clearly with inclusive language
• Giving credit where due (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

8. ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
• Choose to do the right thing
• Use these tools to examine if your decision is right:
• Is the action you are considering legal?
• How would you see the problem if you were on the
opposite side?
• What are alternate solutions?
• Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advise
you trust?
• How would you feel if your family, friends, employer, or
coworkers learned of your action?
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011, p. 29)

9. PROFESSIONALISM
• Professionalism is important in the workplace
• In your attire
• In your attitude
• In your communications
• Be aware of how you come across in your
communications
• Professionalism is reflected in word choice, sincerity,
respect, and consideration of other’s opinions
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

10. INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
• In an increasingly global economy, be aware of
how your culture is different
• Know the difference between high- and low-context
communication styles
• Low-context communication – messages are
communicated directly; words are taken literally
• Used in American and German cultures
• High-context communication – more emphasis is on the
context of the situation rather than the words used
• Used in Asian cultures
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

11. INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
This figure compares communication in high- and low-context
cultures
Figure 1: Retrieved from Business communication: Process and product by M.E. Guffey & D. Loewy, 2011,
p. 85.

12. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
• Business writing is to educate, persuade, or motivate
people
• When writing, it is important to remember:
• The audience wants relevant information
• Clarity is more important than creative word choice
• Time is important – the audience wants to get information
quickly and easily
(Shanan, 2013)

13. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
• Writing skills are even more important in a
technologically based business world
• Some basic tips will help you become more
effective as a communicator:
• Clearly define what message you are trying to deliver
• Know your audience
• Select the appropriate communication channel for your
purpose
• Be genuine and professional in your delivery
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011; Tardanico, 2012)

14. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
• Remember, the tone of your delivery is as important
as the message
• Being concise does not mean being bossy or rude
• Even when the message is urgent, word choice is
important
(Nordquist, n.d.)

15. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL
• Email is the most common form of written
communication in the business world (Nordquist,
n.d.)
• It is useful for communicating to large numbers of
people (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
• It is best for relaying short messages (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011)
• Email is not appropriate for sharing lengthy or
confidential information (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

16. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL
• Nordquist (n.d.) shared 10 tips for writing effective
emails:
• Put a meaningful topic in the subject line
• Keep your main point in the first sentence
• Be specific about your subject (don’t use “this” – like “this
needs to be done today)
• Use appropriate capitalization (don’t use all capitals or
lower case letters)
• Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms

17. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL
• Nordquist’s (n.d.) email tips (continued):
• Be brief and polite
• If the message is longer than two or three short paragraphs:
• Reduce the message, or
• Provide an attachment
• Genuinely use “please” and “thank you”
• Keep appropriate information in the signature
• Edit and proofread message before sending
• Reply promptly to serious messages, even if it’s to explain a
delay in response

18. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: TEXTING
• Texting can be a fast, effective way to
communicate
• Keep texts short and professional
• Some professional ways to text would be:
• Share information in a meeting or schedule a meeting
• Share news with coworkers or send a quick reminder
• Track delivery of packages
• Interact with customers or clients
• Advertise new products or share product alerts
(Inc., 2010)

19. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
• 73% of Millennials and 55% of consumers ages 14-75
regularly socialize online (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
• Social media is a huge opportunity for businesses to
connect with their customers
• Customer reviews and recommendations, and
company visibility on social media sites increases
consumer trust (Hajli, 2014)
• Trust is positively linked with consumers patronizing a
business (Hajli, 2014)

20. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
• Companies that successfully use social media
engage consumers
• Walmart is a company that uses social media daily
• Walmart has many Twitter handles to post news stories and
accomplishments of their employees; this channel quickly
reaches large numbers of consumers (Pollitt, 2014)
• Walmart engages consumers on their Facebook page by
posting fun videos or taking short surveys of products (Moth,
2013)
• Consumers can leave feedback or suggestions on their local
Walmart’s Facebook page (Walmart, 2014

21. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA
• Social media is an informal channel of
communication, but messages should still be
professional
• Some companies encourage employee and
consumer professionalism through social media
guidelines
• Companies can control social media messages by
limiting the team in charge of using the channels
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

22. POSITIVE MESSAGES
• Positive messages are straightforward
communications (like emails, letters, etc.)
• They communicate everyday business requests
• They express friendliness or recognition
• Appropriate channels must still be evaluated and
used to communicate the message most effectively
• Marketing and use of social media is another way
for businesses to share positive messages
• They can control how the message is presented
• They can control what information is shared
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

23. NEGATIVE MESSAGES
• Bad or disappointing things happen in business
• Negative messages must be carefully planned
before delivery to lessen the impact
• Individuals receiving bad news may be more
receptive if they:
• Know the reason behind a decision or error
• Feel the message was shared in a sensitive manner
• Believe the concern was seriously reviewed and dealt with
fairly
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

24. NEGATIVE MESSAGES
• Companies may also deal with negative publicity or
poor customer reviews
• Companies should not fear customer complaints in
public settings (like on social media sites)
• Poor reviews can be leveraged to positive customer
interactions (Lloyd, n.d.)
• Companies can make a public effort to address customer
concerns, thereby building trust
• Customers are more satisfied with companies that
quickly acknowledge problems and take
responsibility (Gurău, 2012)

25. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
• When preparing a presentation, only add things
that will enhance your message
• Effective presentations:
• Have clear, concise text
• Use consistent fonts, backgrounds, and relevant special
effects
• Use appropriate images and graphics to enhance message
• Engage the audience through interaction or additional
content
• Can be accessed later (via the Internet or company
intranet)
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

26. BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
• Before presenting
• Prepare and rehearse
• Time yourself
• During the presentation
• Be aware of your audience’s reactions
• Stay on topic and use presentation aids effectively
• Summarize your main points
• After the presentation
• Distribute handouts
• Encourage questions
• Summarize your main points (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

27. BUSINESS REPORTS, PLANS AND
PROPOSALS
• First-hand data and research is valuable for business
executives (CSU-Global, 2014)
• Executives use reports to make informed decisions
(CSU-Global, 2014)
• Reports are typically formal or informal
• Formal reports or proposals are typically lengthy
• Are serious in tone
• Tend to be very structured in organization (Guffey & Loewy,
2011)

28. BUSINESS REPORTS, PLANS AND
PROPOSALS
• There are two basic categories of informal reports:
• Informational reports, such as:
• Summaries
• Periodic activity
• Trip, convention and conference reports
• Progress and interim reports
• Investigative reports
• Analytical reports – have three sections:
• Introduction
• Findings
• Conclusions/Recommendations
(CSU-Global, 2014)

29. BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
• Writing skills are an important tool of every
employee
• Businesses have many tools to communicate
• Effective communication depends on:
• Understanding your message
• Choosing the right channel
• Knowing your audience
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

30. REFERENCES
Colorado State University – Global Campus. (2014). Module 7: Informal and formal business reports, plans , and proposals
[Blackboard ecourse]. In ORG536-1 – Contemporary Business Writing and Communication. Greenwood Village, CO:
Author.
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and product (7th ed.). Independence, KY: Cengage
Learning.
Gurău, C. (2012). Solving customer complaints: A study of multiple commercial settings. Annals Of The University Of Oradea,
Economic Science Series, 21(2), 827-833. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org
Hajli, M. (2014). A study of the impact of social media on consumers. International Journal Of Market Research, 56(3), 387-
404. doi:10.2501/IJMR-2014-025
Halperin, D. (2014, June 20). For-profit Corinthian Colleges on the brink: Who’s responsible? Huffington Post. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidhalperin/for-profit-corinthian-col_b_5516063.html
Inc. (2010). Ten ways to use texting for business. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/ss/ten-ways-use-texting-business
Lloyd, J. (n.d.). Complaints offer opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.joanlloyd.com/Your-Career/Complaints-offer-opportunities.
aspx
Moth, D. (2013). How Walmart uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Retrieved from
https://econsultancy.com/blog/61827-how-walmart-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.14ocqor72eeqyp
Nordquist, R. (n.d.). 10 Tips on how to write a professional email. Retrieved from
http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/profemails.htm
Pollitt, C. (2014). An inside view of Walmart’s digital communications strategy. Retrieved from
http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/inside-view-walmarts-digital-communications-strategy
Shanan. (2013, June 7). The three biggest mistakes in business writing [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.theprocrastiwriter.com/the-three-biggest-mistakes-in-business-writing/
Tardanico, S. (2012, November 29). 5 Habits of highly effective communicators. Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/11/29/5-habits-of-highly-effective-communicators/
Walmart. (2014). Walmart’s social media guidelines. Retrieved from http://corporate.walmart.com/social-media-guidelines