Effective Business Communication

Topic:

Submitted to: Ms. Meher

Submitted by: The Intellects

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Class: BBA

Sec: A

Semester: 3rd

Assignment of: Effective Business Communication

Date of submission: 3rd-Oct-2011

Group Members: Rabia Munawar

Summaiya Zafar

Bushra Badar

Mehreen Naveed

Iqra Iqbal

Zaria Tariq

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(Seven Cs of Effective Communication)Sr.No. Topics Pg.No.

1 Completeness ( RABIA MUNAWAR) 4 to 6

2 Conciseness ( SUMMAIYA ZAFAR) 6 to 8

3 Consideration ( BUSHRA BADAR) 8 to 10

4 Concreteness ( MEHREEN NAVEED) 10 to 12

5 Clarity (IQRA IQBAL) 12 to 14

6 Courtesy ( ZARIA TARIQ) 14 to 16

7 Correctness ( THE INTELLECTS) 16 to 18

8 References 19

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The Seven Cs of Effective Communication

1. COMPLETENESS: - (RABIA MUNAWAR)

Completeness offers a variety of benefits. It helps in bringing out the desired results without extra cost other number of messages. It also helps in building goodwill and a sense of concern for other party as both the reader and sender may have different background, culture, point of views, needs and experience.

For example: - If a new member in your society wants to know about the place where the next meeting will be held? So your reply should not only consist of the place where the meeting would be held it should also consist of other information relevant to the meeting like at what time, where, when, objective behind the meeting should be mentioned and an invitation to him in the end will make the reader more eager to attend the meeting.

Completeness comprises of the following points to be kept in mind 

A) PROVIDING ALL NECESSARY INFORMATION: 

It means to provide entire information keeping in mind the readers point of view for their better understanding. It can be done by answering all WH questions i.e. who, what, when, where, why and other essentials like how?

For example:-Suppose you are working with multinational company who is engaging with engineering goods, like A.C. Now let say one of your major customer wants some technical information regarding “thermostat” (because he wants to convey the same to the end users). In this case you have to provide him complete information in a short span of time. If possible, provide him some extra information which he does not know, in this way you can maintain a good business relation with him, otherwise he may switch to another company.

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B) ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS ASKED: - 

A reply or reaction to an incomplete reply is most likely to be unfavorable. Not answering all the questions builds an image of being careless or trying to hide some weak spots, leading to question on our tact’s and honesty.

For Example:-A manager of a hyper star replying to a dealer’s letter, but the manager answered only five out of eight questions, because the original questions were without a number and somewhat covered in six long paragraphs, the respondent apparently overlooked or disregarded four of them. The reply, was incomplete and unfriendly, caused the distributor to lose the business and goodwill of a potential customer.

C) GIVE SOMETHING EXTRA, WHEN DESIRABLE: - It refers to providing some extra information related to the question asked by the opposite party. Giving a satisfactory reply is the main issue which would attract the opposite party for an interaction.

EXAMPLE INCOMPLETE QUESTIONS IN LETTERS: Incomplete letter to a new savings depositor:-

Thank you for the confidence you have shown us by the account you recently opened. All our facilities are at your disposal, and anytime we can be of service, please call on us. Our appreciation is best expressed by our service being of to you.

Revised, complete letter to the new savings depositor:Thank you for the confidence you have shown in us by opening the savings account. Our goal is to make all our services available to you both helpful and pleasant. Your account offers you the following benefits:

• Your passbook deposits earn 7% interest compounded half-yearly• Better-than-checking facility helps you make online transactions and even 24 hour TM (Automatic Teller Machine)

You are most welcome to come in whenever we can assist you. Please consider this association as your financial head-quarters for your savings and borrowing needs. Waiting eagerly to see you in our premises

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In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action.•Does your message include a "call to action", so that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do?•Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations, and soon?

Bad Example:  Hi everyone,  I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow! See you then,Chris

2. CONCISENESS: - (SUMMAIYA ZAFAR)

“Conciseness is saving what you have to say in fewest possible words without sacrificing the other C qualities.”

“A characteristics of speech or prose composition in which a great deal is conveyed in just a few words.”

Concise writing is generally free of repetition and needless details. Contrast with circumlocution and verbosity. Vigorous writing is concise. Sentences should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

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CATEGORIES OF CONCISENESS:

The three categories of conciseness are as follow:

Eliminate wordy expressions. Include only relevant material. Avoid unnecessary repetition.

ELIMINATE WORDY EXPRESSIONS:

The following are some concrete suggestions you can use to reduce wordiness in your communication.

1. Use single word substitutes instead of phrases whenever possible without changing meanings.Wordy: each and everyConcise: each

Wordy: in the event thatConcise: if

2. Omit longer sentences, unnecessary expressions.

Wordy: This is because there are fewer farmers at the present time.

Concise: This is because there are fewer farmers now.

3. Replace wordy conventional statements with concise versions.

Wordy: Smith College, which was founded in 1871, is the premier all-women's college in the United States.

Concise: Founded in 1871, Smith College is the premier all-women's college in the United States.

4. Avoid over using empty phrase.

Wordy: Citizens who knew what was going on voted him out of office.

Concise: Knowledgeable citizens voted him out of office.

5. Omit “which” and “that” clause whenever possible.Wordy: she bought dress that is of pink colorConcise: she bought pink dress

6. Eliminate unnecessary prepositional phrases.Wordy: In most cases the date of the policy is indicated in the upper right corner.Concise: the policy date is in the upper right corner.

INCLUDE ONLY RELEVANT MATERIAL: The effective concise message should omit not only unnecessarily wordy expressions but also irrelevant statements. To be sure you include only relevant facts observe the following suggestions.

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Stick to the purpose of the message. Delete irrelevant words and repeating sentences. Avoid long introduction, unnecessary explanation. Get to the important point tactfully and concisely.

Wordy: There are twenty-five students who have already expressed a desire to attend the program next summer. It is they and their parents who stand to gain the most by the government grant.

Concise: Twenty-five students have already expressed a desire to attend the program next summer. They and their parents stand to gain the most by the government grant.

AVOID UNNECESSARY REPETITION:

Avoid saying the same thing twice. Redundant phrases are bad habits just waiting to take control of your writing.

Use a shorter name after you have mentioned the long one once. Use pronouns rather than repeat long names. Cut out all needless repetition of phrases and sentences.

Wordy: Many uneducated citizens who have never attended school continue to vote for better schools.

Concise: Many uneducated citizens who have never attended school continue to vote for better schools.

Or

Concise: Many uneducated citizens continue to vote for better schools.

3. CONSIDERATION: - (BUSHRA BADAR)

Means preparing every message keeping the message receiver in mind; Being considerate means you don’t lose your temper, you do not accuse or charge them without facts, in other sense consideration covers other six C’s of effective communication

Consideration is required to create a valid contract. It is what’s exchanged for performance /goods between two parties, an exchange of promises. There must be consideration for both parties. Such as: I will pay you 15 dollars if you give me that hat. Consideration must have some sort of legal value. You cannot tell your son that if he drives at speed limit for a year he will

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receive 20 dollars, because he is not giving up for anything of legal value. He is already required by law to adhere to the speed limit.

BASIC EXAMPLE OF CONSIDERATION

If A signs a contract to buy a car from B for $5,000, A's consideration is the $5,000, and B's

consideration is the car.

Additionally, if A signs a contract with B such that A will paint B's house for $500, A's

consideration is the service of painting B's house, and B's consideration is $500 paid to A.

Further, if A signs a contract with B such that A will not repaint his own house in any other color

than white, and B will pay A $500 per year to keep this deal up, there is also consideration.

Although A did not promise to affirmatively do anything, A did promise not to do something that

he was allowed to do, and so A did pass consideration. A's consideration to B is the

forbearance in painting his own house in a color other than white, and B's consideration to A is

$500 per year.

Conversely, if A signs a contract to buy a car from B for $0, B's consideration is still the car, but

A is giving no consideration, and so there is no valid contract. However, if B still gives the title

to the car to A, then B cannot take the car back, since, while it may not be a valid contract, it  is a

valid gift.

Consideration comprises of the following points to be kept in mind: 

A. FOCUSING ON “YOU” INSTEAD OF “I” AND “WE” 

The message should focus on how message receivers will be benefited, what they would receive and what they need to know should be emphasized. Many people have ideas of individual gain for better standard of living.

Examples: 

We-attitude: I am delighted to announce you that we will be extending our hours to make shopping more convenient.

You-attitude: You will be able to shop in evenings with the extended hours.

B. SHOWING AUDIENCE BENEFITS OR INTEREST IN THE RECEIVER :

If possible you must show how your receivers will benefit from whatever the message asks or announces. Receiver will be more likely to react favorably and do what do you suggest if you show that benefits are worth the effort and cost you are asking them.

You Attitude

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“You will be able to shop in the evening with the extended hours.”

Readers may react positively when benefit are shown to them.

Always try to address his/her need and want

Even in conveying unfavorable message to your reader, you can plan it in a way the reader finds some benefit in it.WIIFM“What's In It for Me?”A spriteA burger

C. EMPHASIZE POSITIVE, PLEASANT FACTS:A third way to show consideration for your receivers is to accent the positive. This means stressing what can be done instead of what cannot be done, and focusing onwards your recipient can consider favorably.

Examples: Situation 1:

Unpleasant: We don’t refund if the returned item is soiled or unsalable. Pleasant: We refund when the returned item is clean and resalable.

Situation 2:

Unpleasant: When you travel on company expense, you will not receive approval for first class fare.

Pleasant: When you travel on company expense, your approved fare is for tourist class

4. CONCRETENESS: - (MEHREEN NAVEED)

Concreteness is an aspect of communication that means being specific, definite, and vivid rather than vague and general. A concrete communication uses specific facts and figures.

For example:

The term female may appear in a personnel folder as a part of a job description, yet widely connotations may occur when using terms wife, mother, spinster, widow, maiden, matron etc.

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The following categories compose concrete, convincing messages.

• USE SPECIFIC FACTS AND FIGURES:-

Vague, General, Indefinite Concrete, Precise

Examples:

1. Eastern Europe is making progress in obtaining investment.

=In 1990 investments in Eastern Europe were about US 30 million today that figure has increased by 12%.

2. She’s a brain.

=Her grade-point average in 1996 was 3.9 on a four point scale.

3. Student GMAT scores are higher.

=In 1996 the GMAT scores Higher.

Averaged 600; by 1117 they had risen to 610.

4. Vague: Please send us the following items by the end of this month.

Clear: The following items should reach us on or before 21 August.

Vague: She is a brain. Clear: She secured 95% marks.

• PUT ACTION IN YOUR VERBS.

Examples:

Action Hiding in a "Quiet" Noun

1 The function of this office is the collection of payments and the compilation of statements.

2 Professor H. will give consideration to the report.

3 Students met in the office.

Action in the Verb:

1 This office collects payments and compiles statements.

2 Professor H- will consider the report.

3 Student's held the meeting in the office.

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• CHOOSE VIVID, IMAGE-BUILDING WORDS:

Bland Image:

1. Proposals submitted this quarter were Uninteresting.

2. This is a long letter.

More Vivid Image:

=Too many simple sentences, too many simplistic ideas gave the impression of the writing of a first-year student.

=This letter is three times as long as you said it would be.

MORE EXAMPLES:-

Business writing uses less figurative language than does the world of fiction.

Sensory Appeal: It can appeal to one or more of the five senses…e.g.: Bland: Secretary was tired after working before computer whole the day. Vivid: The secretary’s face was wrinkled after working before computer the entire day. Comparison: It can make an unclear idea clear…e.g.: Bland: This is a long report. Vivid: This letter is three times as long as you said it would be. Bland: Student MCS scores are higher. Vivid: In 1996 the MCS scores averaged 600; by 1997 they had risen to 610. Figurative: It can make an idea vivid…e.g.: Bland: Her work in group was exemplary. Vivid: She was sparking plug of the group.

5. CLARITY: - (IQRA IQBAL)

Getting the meaning from your head to the reader’s head accurately is the purpose of clarity. Of course, you know it is not simple. We all carry around our own unique interpretations, ideas, thinking, experiences associated with the words.

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Clarity comprises of the following points:

A. SELECTION OF PRECISE, CONCRETE AND CLEAR WORDS:-

Clarity is achieved in part through a balance between precise words and familiar words. Defining the above sentence, example, although it is appropriate to use technical terms and business jargon's in professional institutions but they need to be avoided when communicating with a person who is not acquainted with the terminology.

Examples:

Possibly unfamiliar: Assessed valuation; Familiar to the layperson: Property value for tax purposes.

Possibly unfamiliar: Charge to your principal (banking); Familiar to the layperson: Increase the balance of your loan.

Possibly unfamiliar: Buyouts; Familiar to the layperson: Purchase by other company. Possibly unfamiliar: People plying on skywalk; Familiar to the layperson: People

moving on over bridge

B.CONSTRUCT EFFECTIVE SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS:

In this important characteristics to consider are length unity and coherence.

a. Length:

Generally short sentences are preferred, the suggested average sentence length should be about 17-20 words, because longer sentence may cause lack of concentration in sentence.

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b. Unity:

In a sentence whether it is simple, compound or complex the link i.e. the unity matters which means to have one main idea traveling through the entire conversation. Every sentence or word must be closely related to each other.

c. Coherence 

Coherence in sentences means the words should be correctly placed or arranged so that ideas clearly reflect the intended meaning.Emphasis• Little Emphasis: The order was received and the manager started preparing for it.• Better Emphasis: As the letter was received, the manager started preparing for it.• Little Emphasis: It’s better for you to do it.• Better Emphasis: Your must do it.

Examples:

UNCLEAR: she is absent, today is her birthday.

CLEAR: she is absent because today is her birthday.

UNCLEAR: the manager is calling you, you are late.

CLEAR: manager is calling you because you are late today.

 UNCLEAR: Being the chief executive, we can expect help from you. CLEAR: Being the chief executive, you can surely help us.

6. COURTESY: - (ZARIA TARIQ)

Courtesy is more important and advantageous in business writing than it is in face to face communication or conversation.

In business, almost everything starts and ends in courtesy. Courtesy means not only thinking about receiver but also valuing his feelings. Much can be achieved by using polite words and gestures, being appreciative, thoughtful, tactful, and showing respect to the receiver. Courtesy builds goodwill and strengthen relations.

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In business, no one can afford to be impolite or discourteous. Discourteous people will elbow out of business. We often confuse “business like” as though it means a curt approach. A business-like person is an efficient person. Efficiency involves genuine and sincere courtesy. A business letter should have tact, sincerity and politeness. It is not the mechanical use of “Thank you” “Please” etc. that show courtesy. It should reflect an inner feeling tactfully without embarrassing the recipient. A business letter should have the proper salutation. Do not hesitate to compliment or congratulate the receiver if he deserves it.

Courtesy comprises of the following points

BE SINCERELY TACTFUL, THOUGHTFUL, AND APPRECIATIVE

Sometimes you have to deal with unpleasant messages. Always remember that by using tact and being thoughtful you can convey anything, however unpleasant it may be, to your readers.

–        Blunt: We have believed that the extent of your current obligations makes you a bad credit risk.

–        Tactful: Our credit department believes that, because of your current obligations additional credit might be difficult for you to handle at this time.

–         Blunt: I rewrote letter three times then point was clear.–        Tactful: I am sorry the point was not clear; here is another version.

USE EXPRESSIONS THAT SHOW RESPECT

Expressions like, ‘irresponsible’ or ‘I do not agree with’ etc., are annoying. Use expressions that show respect for your reader and help him think positively about your message.

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CHOOSE NONDISCRIMINATORY EXPRESSIONS

Courtesy also requires use of nondiscriminatory expressions that refer to any particular, gender, and race, ethnic origin etc. For Example:     Chairman               Chairperson     Manpower              Worker     Salesman                Sales Agent

I have compared the two sentences in each pair and see how the second sentence is more courteous than the first one.

1. We are amazed at your inability to assess the market trends. .

We request you to reassess the market trends.

2. You failed to pay your due

We have not received the subscription.

Courtesy also means avoiding gender bias in writing. “Man” for a long time meant men as well as Women. Women resent the gender bias in words like man-power, man-made, best-man for the job. There is an increasing use of the word chairperson for chairman. Instead of saying “Each customer is expected to pay his bill”, say ‘all customers should pay their bills’.

7. CORRECTNESS: - (THE I N T E L L E C T S )

The state or quality of being correct; as, the correctness of opinions or of manners, correctness of taste, correctness in writing or speaking, the correctness of a text or copy.

At the core of correctness is proper

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Grammar Punctuation Spelling the term correctness applied to business messages also means the following

characteristics. Use the right level of language Check accuracy of figures, facts and words Maintain acceptable writing mechanics the term correctness applied to business messages

also means the following characteristics. Use the right level of language Check accuracy of figures, facts and words Maintain acceptable writing mechanics Formal Writing Formal writing is often

associated with scholarly writing. Examples doctoral dissertations, scholarly articles, top-level government agreements etc the style unconventional, usually impersonal, and contains long and involved sentences. Informal writing this style of writing is more characteristic in business writing. An example is the communications via E-mail, memos etc.

Correctness comprises of the following points:

A. USING RIGHT LEVEL OF LANGUAGE:-

There are different levels of languages which may be formal, informal, and substandard. Formal writings are usually associated with the scholarly writing, legal documents, and other documents where formality is the style in demand.

Examples: 

Formal and Informal Approach

More Formal: Participate. Less Formal: Join More Formal: Interrogate. Less Formal: Question

More Acceptable and Substandard

Substandard: Can’t hardly, More Acceptable: Can hardly Substandard: I regardless, More Acceptable: regardless

B. CHECKING ACCURACY OF FIGURES, FACTS, AND WORDSMany times it is impossible to convey the message directly from the sender’s head to the receivers head. So this can be done to an extent by including figures and facts like as follows:

1. Verifying your statistical data2. Double-checking your totals

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3. Avoid guessing of laws that have an impact on sender or receiver4. Determine whether a fact have changed over a time.

Other factor is the inclusion of words that don’t confuse for example the following will help in clearing this topic.Example 1: Accept-Except: Here accept means to receive and except means to omit.Example 2: Biannually-Biennially: Biannually means 2 times a year and biennially mean every 2 years.

C. MAINTAINING ACCEPTABLE WRITING MECHANICS: -

This topic relates to the proper use of words and spellings. But in today’s world writing have been easier, since, spell-checkers and various kinds of word formatting are available

EXAMPLES:-

At the core of correctness is proper–        • Grammar–        • Punctuation–        • Spelling

Use word processors, Like MS Word.

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Course book (effective business communication)

Google

Wikipedia

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