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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Business Communication
the transmission of information within the business environment. The information may be transmitted – sent and received – between or among individuals
- Harcourt, Krizan, Merrier
Importance of Business Communication (cont’d)
• Individuals spend most of their time
communicating
• promotions, salary increases, and productivity relate directly to communication competence
Importance of Business Communication
• Businesses depend on communication
• Business communicate:• internally
• externally
Goals of Business Communication
• receiver understanding
• receiver response
• favorable relationship
• organizational goodwill
Patterns of Business CommunicationINTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Upward
Downward
Horizontal
Patterns of Business CommunicationINTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Worker A2
Worker A5Supervisor A
Worker B4 Supervisor B
Network
Patterns of Business Communication
is planned by the organization
flows in all directions
is essential for effective operation of the business
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
FORMAL COMMUNICATION INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
is NOT planned by the organization
flows in all directions
is essential for developing and
maintaining human relationships
The Communication Process
The Communication Process
SENDER’S ROLE
type of message
analysis of the receiver
use of the you-viewpoint incomposing and sending themessage
RECEIVER’S ROLE
listening or reading carefully
openness to different types ofsenders and new ideas
making notes, when necessary
The Communication Process (cont’d)
SENDER’S ROLE
provision for feedback
removal of communicationbarriers
RECEIVER’S ROLE
providing feedback to sender
asking questions forclarifications if necessary
The Communication ProcessTypes of Messages
• written• oral• nonverbal
Business Letters
Business Letters
• formal paper communications between, to or from businesses
• also called snail mail
Business Letters• the overall style of letter will depend on the relationship
between the parties concerned
• includes:
· Letter
· Memo
· Fax
Business Letters• a way for businesses to communicate with other businesses or their
customers/clients
Nissan writes a letter
to their customers
informing them
of a sales promotion
Dove writes to their
delivery company
to inform them that
5 shipments in the
past month have
been late
Types of Letters
• Inquiry
• Special Request
• Sales letters
• Customer relations letters
– follow up
– claim
– adjustment
– collection
Classification of Business Letters
• Positive
– customer relations letters responding favorably to a writer’s complaint or request
– sales letters
Classification of Business Letters (cont’d)
• Negative
– customer relations letters refusing a request, saying no to an adjustment, etc.
Classification of Business Letters (cont’d)
• Neutral
– letters requesting information about a service/product, placing an order, responding to some action or request
Why write Business Letters?
· To persuade
· To inform
· To request
· To express thanks
· To remind
· To recommend
· To apologize
· To congratulate
· To reject a proposal or offer
· To introduce a person or policy
· To invite or welcome
· To follow up
· To formalize decisions
Benefits of Letters
represent company’s public image and competence
more personal than a report, yet more formal than memos or e-mail
more permanent than e-mail
Benefits of Letters (cont’d)
constitute an official legal record of an agreement
follow up on telephone calls and other types of oral communications
Benefits of Letters (cont’d)
provide a wide range of corporate information
can support action
Achieving the YOU Attitude
• Remember that the reader is a REAL person
– avoid writing cold, impersonal letters
• Keep the reader in the forefront
– make sure your reader’s needs control the tone, message, and organization of the letter
• Be courteous and tactful
Planning a Business Letter
• Who am I writing this letter to?
• Why am I writing this letter?
• Are there specific details I need to include?
• Do I require a response?
• How can I organize my points logically?
Writing a Business Letter
• An effective letter in business uses short, simple sentences and straightforward vocabulary.
• The easier a letter is to read, the better.
• You will need to use smooth transitions so that your sentences do not appear too choppy.
Writing Effective Letters
• have a clear sense of your PURPOSE and theirs
• conduct appropriate research
• select the best communication strategy
• draft, revise and edit letter
Parts of a Letter
Date
Spell out the month!
Letter Address
Address that you are mailing to
Salutations
Greeting!
Body
Each paragraph is SS but DS between paragraphs
The body is typically 3 paragraphs in length
Parts of a Letter Complimentary Close
e.g. Sincerely, Cordially (NO COMMAS!)
Writer’s Name and Title
e.g. Jessica Kline,Manager
Signature
Reference Initials
If you typed the letter but did not write it e.g. JST/lei
Enclosure Notation
When sending something with the letter e.g. concert tickets, rough draft of drawing plans, pictures, etc)
Body
Complimentary Close
Signature line
Heading – return address
Inside Address
Greeting
Business Letter Vocabulary• Attachment
Extra document / image that is added to a letter or email.
• Body
The content of the letter; between the salutation and signature.
• Bullets
Small dark dots used to set off items in an unnumbered list.
• Direct mail / Junk mail
Marketing letters addressed to a large audience.
• Snail Mail
A mail delivered by a postal system.
Business Letter Vocabulary• Enclosure
Extra document or image included with a letter.
• Logo
Symbol or image that identifies a specific organization.
• Memorandum
Document sent within a company (internal), presented in short form.
• P.S.
post script, additional remark at the end of a letter
• Tone
The feeling of the language e.g. serious, enthusiastic
Business Letter Formats• Some standards in formatting business letters
– Use A4 paper or letter sheet
– Use 2.5 cm or 1 inch margins on all sides
– Use a simple font such as Times New Roman or Arial
– Use 10- to 12-point font
– Layout the letter so that it fits the paper appropriately
– Single space within paragraphs
Business Letter Formats• Some standards in formatting business letters (cont’d)
– Double space between paragraphs
– Double space between last sentence and closing (Sincerely)
– Leave three to fives spaces for a handwritten signature
– cc: (courtesy copy ) comes after the typed name (if necessary)
– enc: (enclosure) comes next (if necessary)
– Fold in three (horizontally) before placing in the envelope
Letter Styles
Full Block
Letter Styles
Block
Letter Styles
Semi-Block
Sample
Letter Styles
Punctuation StylesOpen Mixed
Design & Spacing Rules
• Letter should be positioned just above the center of your paper.
Letter Writing Steps
• Decide who you are writing to and find the address
• Write the body without formatting until you get the language perfect
• Handwrite the letter
Letter Writing Steps
• Once approved, type the letter
• Fold properly
• Address envelope
Writing Body Details
• You must have a real, sincere, concrete reason for writing the letter.
• The letter must give precise details at every step.
Writing Body Details
• If a compliment, it cannot be just general adulation.
• If a problem, offer a detailed solution.
• If a complaint, extra effort must be taken to give every piece of pertinent information.
1st Paragraph
Introduce your REASON for writing. NOT
yourself.
Please remember the person you are writing to is not your friend, so keep it formal.
Don’t ask him how he is, or tell him that you are pleased to be writing to him.
He does not have time for chit chat.
He is the manager and time is money.
Writing Body Details
2nd and 3rd Paragraphs
Give more details as to what you want
and your reasons for writing.
Writing Body Details
4th Paragraph
What solutions
you will be happy with
to settle this situation
Writing Body Details
Types of Letters
Writing Inquiry letters
• simplest type of business letters
• seek information regarding product manufactured service rendered details of time-payment plannames of dealersretail or wholesale pricespolicies on credit etc.
Writing Inquiry letters
QUALITIES
Brevity
Completeness
Tact and Courtesy
Writing Inquiry letters
• I/ am interested /wish / to learn more about…
• I would be most grateful if you could supply us with the
following information.
• I would like to get a description of..
• Do you supply…?
• Does it include (dinner / equipment / activities.. ) ?
• What is the price of … per / day / week.. ?
• I would appreciate if you could….
• Would you kindly…
Writing Inquiry letters
STANDARD PARTS SubjectJustification for the requestJustification for the answer (optional)Expression of appreciationEnclosures
Response to an Inquiry
QUALITIES
Promptness
Friendliness and courtesy
Completeness
Helpfulness
Writing Complaint letters
• Tone must always be courteous and professional – no anger or insults
• Must, of course, be real and not exaggerated
• Must give story line of exactly when, where product was purchased
Writing Complaint letters (cont’d)
• Must tell exactly what the defect is and how it was discovered or how it occurred
• Must tell all steps taken to remedy problem –did you go back to the store? When? Why didn’t that resolve the problem?
Writing Complaint letters (cont’d)
• Don’t be blatant or greedy or needy.
• Don’t ask for too much or for something big.
• You have to make the reader WANT to reward you by being a sincere, devoted, polite customer or fan.
Writing Reminders
• If you enclose something else in the envelope, then below your signature line you type:
• Enclosure: (1) receipt
• If you send your letter to two people, then below your signature line you type:
cc. (Other Name)
A quick and easy way to communicate within a company- most are done electronically.
Formatting Business Memos
• Memos are short internal business letters, sent to other staffwithin the same company.
• A memo (or memorandum) may also be posted somewhere inside a company for all to see.
Formatting Business Memos
• In contrast to letters, memos do not usually contain salutations or closings, and may be typed or hand-written.
• The text portion of the memo is generally in block format.
• Memos should include "From", "To", "Date", "Subject" and the message itself
Formatting Business Memos
Company Logo
MEMORANDUM
From: ( Name or Initials )
To: ( Name or Initials )
Date
Subject: ( Short Description )
Message:
Memo Template
TO: The person, persons, or department the memo is sent to.e.g. Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Elizabeth Swann
Captain Hector Barbossa, Planning Department
FROM: The person sending the memo.
CC: Courtesy Copy- an additional copy of the memo will be sent out. (Delete completely if notation is not used!)
DATE: The day the memo is sent.
RE: Regards/Regarding. It is a short description about the memo.
Parts of a Memo
Letters and Memos
Heading or Letterhead
Date
Inside address
Salutation
Subject line
Body
Closing and Signature
Enclosures or ‘CC’
All business letters should include
Letters and Memos
• Letters and memos are the basic vehicles of business communication
• They should be brief and make a single point(no more than 2 pages)
• Letters are for external communications
• Memos are for internal communications
Have you hit your target?
In written communication most confusion & frustration are caused by failing to be specific
Have you hit your target?
Make it clear, brief and concise
“The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it
has been accomplished.”- George Bernard Shaw
E-Mails
• fast, convenient and easy
• the dominant method of communicating in business
• convenient for communicating with people in different places and different time zones
E-Mails
• easier to communicate with people who understand written English, but don’t speak it well
• excellent mechanism for follow-up or action items after a meeting
• messages can be saved and retrieved easily
E-Mails
E-Mails (Challenges)
USE WITH CARE….
Email is not always confidential -- emails can
sometime be obtained from central network even if deleted from personal
computers
Watch Out!
E-Mails (Challenges)
• Email is often sent out without re-reading, proof-reading and other standards applied to written communications. We press the send button too soon!
E-Mails (Challenges)
• Emails can be forwarded and sent to others without your approval or knowledge
E-Mails
• Many users do not realize the potential outcome of what is being sent through e-mails
• Business e-mails should be concise and to the point
• The language used in business e-mails should not be overly informal
E-Mail Manners
• Always include a subject or e-mail title
• Avoid the “ready, aim, fire” approach
• Avoid flaming
• Don’t be too casual
E-Mail Manners
• Consider if e-mail is the appropriate tool
• Make one point per e-mail
• Make the font user-friendly
• Don’t use all capital or lower-case letters
Common Errors & Tips
• Company name usage
• Shortened words (thru, condn, mgmt, ref, lib)
• Repetition of wordsExample: file the file in the file folder.
• Use of ampersand (&)
• Use of bold
• UPPER CASE
Common Errors & Tips
Punctuation
• Use commas to separate elements in a series, and to separate ideas or clauses.
• Use correct punctuation in abbreviations; e.g., for example i.e., that is, etc., et cetera
• Do not use multiple punctuation marks, for example:!!! ... ???, etc.
• Punctuation of lists and tables
Common Errors & Tips
• Hyphen and dash usage
• Confusion between its and it's
• Use of apostrophe
• Abbreviations and acronyms
• Use active voice
• Do not switch tenses very often
• Proofread for accuracy
10 Commandments
1. Know what you want to say before you say it.2. Keep it simple.3. Use bullet points.4. WIIFM (What's in It For Me?)5. Don't get bogged down6. Call to action7. Edit8. Spell check9. Take 5 before hitting send10. Follow up
REFERENCES
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 3rd Ed. by Harcourt, Krizan, Merrier
BUSINESS ENGLISH TODAY by Masangya and Lozada WRITING AND COMMUNICATING TODAY by H. JanisENGLISH FOR BUSINESS by Parkhurst http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/business.html http://esl.fis.edu/learners/advice/mistakes.htm http://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/workshop-old/editing.html http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/2/ http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/business.html http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000149.htm
