THE FACE-TO-FACE

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Principles of Face-to-Face
Communication
 Business will not flourish without
communication
 There is an urgent need for face-to-face
communication in offices or work places.
 Good interpersonal communication skills
are a necessity whether in a lower or
higher levels of a company
Here are some tips you should consider to
strive for competence in face-to-face business
situations:
 Getting detailed preparation
 The best way to prepare for a f-t-f
communication is to get all the pertinent details
ahead of the business event.
 You must have everything you need to know
about the subject on which you are to address
the individual, group or mass meeting.
 Gather all relevant details and arrange them in
a coherent organized presentation. Remember
to make notes of any significant points.
 Planning for the actual presentation
 You need to consider important things—certain
courtesies like welcoming the audience and
thanking them for their support and attendance,
if necessary.
 You might need to introduce some of the
people present in a clear, organized way.
 Have presence of mind in considering all the
events to take place in the said business
occasion. A set of note cards might be of help
to keep you on the right track.
 Performing in the actual delivery
 Remember to be brisk and businesslike. Don’t
go slow or hesitating in your presentation;
rather, exude confidence and mastery in
whatever part you’ll undertake.
 Also don’t forget to allow time for clarification in
the form of questions at the end of the talk.
 Remember that people may give false
nonverbal cues.
 Smile genuinely. Don’t fake it as one that is not
sincere will be noticed.
 Improve your nonverbal skills. Pay attention to
your and others’ cues as well.
 Appropriate distance should be maintained.
Use touch only when appropriate.
 Adopt a handshake that matches your
personality and intention.
 Have eye contact that is appropriate to the
situation.
 Use gestures and facial expressions to
emphasize important points.
 Practice to think before you speak.

 Learn to enhance your ability to listen as this is

a vital skill in business.
TIPS IN GIVING INSTRUCTIONS
 Threemajor considerations as suggested by
Whitehead and Whitehead.
 The context or situation where instructions are to be
given.
 The nature of instructions
 The need for practice or recapitulation
 The situation
 Secure the full attention of those being instructed.
 Give them time to gather around you and it’s worth
waiting for reasonable silence because perfect silence
might not be attainable.
 Speak up loud and clear. When you can’t be heard by
the large group you’re addressing, use a loud hailer or
any form of public address system.
  If you’re talking to younger people or new employees,
give instructions in a more simple way. Go over your
instructions more than once.
 The Nature of Instruction
 What kind of instructions are you going to give? You
need to focus on what has to be said and to enumerate
the items or points of your instructions in a clear and
correct sequence.
 Prepare a list of the important points on a black or white
board. The board visual invites attention so that you
and your audience keep to the topic.
 Go through the items one by one and interspersed,
invite questions on each point to clear out doubts and
uncertainties along the way. But don’t delay and ignore
time wasting irrelevant questions. If need be, give
warnings of hazards.