Business Communication

and its Types

Communication
Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person, the information
about that persons needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective
states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, it may involve
conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and
may occur through spoken or other modes. Or in simple words;
Communication is the exchange of ideas, opinions and information through
written or spoken words, symbols or actions. Communication is a dialogue, not a
monologue. In fact, communication is more concerned with a dual listening process.
For communication to be effective, the message must mean the same thing to both the
sender and the receiver.

Business Communication
Business Communication is any communication used to promote a product, service, or
organization with the objective of making sale. In business communication,
message is conveyed through various channels of communication including internet,
print (publications), radio, television, outdoor, and word of mouth.
In business, communication is considered core among business, interpersonal skills
and etiquette.
Historical Background
Thousands years ago, people used to communicate orally. Greeks used a phonetic
alphabet written from left to right. After that, many books appeared on written
communication principles. As a result of this, Greek started her very first library.

When communism was ruling China, communication had become the biggest challenge
not only within the vast government, but also between the government and people of
China. Postal services were then ;launched in China. Rome introduced the postal
service after China. After that paper and printing press was invented in china that made
communication much easier.
Hence, todays principles of communication are founded on a mixture of ancient oral
and written traditions.
Organization
Its an arrangements between individuals and groups in human society that structure
relationships and activities (Business, Political, Religious or social). In other words, an
organization is a group of people identified by shared interests or purpose, for example,
a Bank.
Lifeblood of an Organization
Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. If we could somehow remove
communication flow from an organization, we would not have an organization.
It is needed for:

Exchanging information

Exchanging options

Making plans and proposals

Reaching agreement

Executing decisions

Sending and fulfilling orders

Conducting sales

When communication stops, organized activity ceases to exist. Individual uncoordinated

activity returns in an organization. So, Communication in an organization, is as vital as
blood for life.

Types of Business Communication

There are two types of business communication in an organization:

Internal Communication

External Communication

1.

Internal Communication
Communication within an organization is called Internal Communication. It includes
all communication within an organization. It may be informal, formal function, or
department providing communication in various forms to employees.
Effective internal communication is a vital mean of addressing organizational concerns.
Good communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and
profits and decrease grievances and turnover.
Under Internal Business Communication types, there come:

Upward Communication
Upward communication is the flow of information from subordinates to superiors, or from
employees to management. Without upward communication, management works in a
vacuum, not knowing if the messages have been received properly, or if other problems
exist in the organization. By definition, communication is a two-way affair. Yet for
effective two-way organizational communication to occur, it must begin from the bottom.
Upward Communication is a mean for the staff to:

Exchange information

Offer ideas

Express enthusiasm

Achieve job satisfaction

Provide feedback

Downward Communication
Information flowing from the top of the organizational management hierarchy and telling
people in the organization what is important (mission) and what is valued (policies).
Downward communication generally provides information which allows a subordinate
to do something. For example, instructions on how to complete a task. Downward
communication comes after upward communications have been successfully
established.
This type of communication is needed in an organization to:

Transmit vital information

Give instructions

Encourage 2-way discussion

Announce decisions

Seek cooperation

Provide motivation

Boost morale

Increase efficiency

Obtain feedback
Both Downward & Upward Communications are collectively called Vertical
Communication

Horizontal/Literal communication
Horizontal communication normally involves coordinating information, and allows people
with the same or similar rank in an organization to cooperate or collaborate.
Communication among employees at the same level is crucial for the accomplishment
of the assigned work.
Horizontal Communication is essential for:

Solving problems

Accomplishing tasks

Improving teamwork

Building goodwill

Boosting efficiency

2.

External Communication
Communication with people outside the company is called external communication.
Supervisors communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and
customers.
It leads to better:

Sales volume

Public credibility

Operational efficiency

Company profits
It should improve:

Overall performance

Public goodwill

Corporate image
Ultimately, it helps to achieve:

Organizational goals

Customer satisfaction

Successful Business
Communication: It Starts
At The Beginning
A while back I was able to attend a seminar
by Dr. John Lund on communication where he
gave some amazing advice on how to better
communicate with others. His input was simple
and easy to follow, yet powerful. The best quote
of the entire event was this: Don`t
communicate to be understood; rather,
communicate so as not to be misunderstood.
What a great way to put things in perspective
regarding our efforts on how to improve our
communication. Here are some of the notes I
made from his presentation:
How to successfully begin a conversation
in business:
Dr. Lund shared that men in general and women
in business settings (so men all the time, and
women mostly in a work setting only), want to

know three things beforethey are willing to

enter into a conversation with you:
1. Is what you want to talk about going to be
painful?
2. How long is it going to take?
3. When you are done talking, what do you want
from me?
If they dont know these three things up front,
they will make excuses to avoid your call or to
avoid talking to you on the phone. The same
applies if you come into contact with them in
person. He shared that your manager or boss in
a work setting will always want to know those
three things in advance of agreeing to a
conversation as well. The reason he gave was
that men and executive women always want to
know the exit to the conversation before they feel
safe engaging in it.
So for example, if you are calling a client, the
very first thing you may want to say is: I realize
how busy you are so I will only need one minute
of your time to let you know about
__________. This way the other person
knows it will be quick and painless and that you
just want to give them a few facts on the call that
will only last a minute. Now they can relax and
listen to you as you share the requested
info. Otherwise, without knowing if the call will

be long and painful, they may try to make an

excuse that they cant talk right now, etc.
Same thing goes for a sales team. They call a
prospective client and the first thing out of their
mouth needs to be something to the effect of, I
realize that your time is very valuable so I will
only need two minutes to schedule a time for a
second call where I can do a 10-minute
demonstration of our ___________.
Same advice applies for approaching your
manager or boss to set up a meeting. Let them
know if it will be painful, how long it will take
and the end result you are asking for they will
be much more apt to schedule a time for you.
How to successfully conduct a
conversation in business:
Dr. Lund shared some amazing tips on how to
better understand the way we interpret
communication from others. He also revealed
some very interesting statistics on this topic. He
said that when someone else communicates with
us, the way we interpret their message is based
on the following three things:

55% is based on their facial expressions and their body

language.

37% is based on the tone of their voice.

8% is based on the words they say.

Dr. Lund said that these percentages above are

the averages across both men and women
together, but that if you looked at women alone
they would even give greater weight to the facial
expression and body language and even less on
the words. This tells us that it is critical that we
become very self-aware of how our body
language is speaking to others as well as the tone
we use. One thing I always recommend to people
is to keep a small mirror by your office phone so
that when you are on the phone talking to people
you can look in the mirror because it makes you
more aware of the facial expressions you have,
which makes you smile more, which in turn ends
up coming through in your tone of voice over the
phone. It works wonders on how well you come
off on a phone call, trust me!
Success in business is greatly impacted for better
or worse by the way in which we communicate.
Happiness in our personal lives is also greatly
dependent on this very same skill. If you dont
believe me just ask any married couple!
Becoming a good communicator takes practice
and consistent attention and effort on our part,
and it is a skill that we cannot afford to overlook.
There is no doubt that we can all benefit from
Dr. Lunds tips on how to better approach people
when we begin a conversation, as well as his
advice that we don`t communicate to be
understood; rather, communicate so as not to be
misunderstood.
~~Amy Rees Anderson (@amyreesanderson)

Business communication
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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removed. (January 2008)
Business communication -the sharing of information between people within an organisation that is
performed for the commercial benefit of an organisation; relays information within a business; or
functions as an official statement from a company.
Contents
[hide]

1 Overview

2 Effective business communication

o

2.1 Face-to-face

2.2 Email

2.3 Telephone

3 Choosing Communication Media

4 Organizations

5 References

Overview[edit]
Business communication (or simply "communication", in a business context) encompasses topics
such as marketing, brand management, customer relations, consumer behavior, advertising, public
relations, corporate communication, community engagement, reputation management, interpersonal
communication, employee engagement, and event management. It is closely related to the fields
of professional communication andtechnical communication.
Media channels for business communication include the Internet, print
media, radio, television, ambient media, and word of mouth.
Business communication can also refer to internal communication that takes place within the
organisation.
Business communication is a common topic included in the curricula of Undergraduate and Master
programs of many colleges and universities.

There are several methods of business communication, including:

Web-based communication - for better and improved communication, anytime anywhere ...

video conferencing which allow people in different locations to hold interactive meetings;

Reports - important in documenting the activities of any department;

Presentations - very popular method of communication in all types of organizations, usually

involving audiovisual material, like copies of reports, or material prepared in Microsoft
PowerPoint or Adobe Flash;

telephone meetings, which allow for long distance speech;

forum boards, which allow people to instantly post information at a centralized location; and

face-to-face meetings, which are personal and should be succeeded by a written followup.

suggestion box,it is mainly for upward communication as because some people may hesitate
to communicate to the to management directly so they can give suggestion by drafting
suggestion in suggestion box.

Effective business communication[edit]

A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily
understood by the receiving party. Effective communication by business managers facilitates
information sharing between company employees and can substantially contribute to its commercial
success.[1]

Face-to-face[edit]
Face-to-face communication helps to establish a personal connection and will help sell the product
or service to the customer.[2] These interactions can portray a whole different message than written
communication as tone, pitch, and body language is observed.[3] Information is easier to access and
delivered immediately with interactions rather than waiting for an email or phone call. Conflicts are
also easily resolved this way, as verbal and non-verbal cues are observed and acted upon.
Communicating professionally is very important as one is representing the company. Speak clearly
and ask questions to understand the needs and wants, let the recipient respond as one resolves the
issue. Decisions are made more confidently during a face-to-face interaction as the recipient asks
questions to understand and move forward with their decision.

Email[edit]
When using email to communicate in the business world, it is important to be careful with the choice
of words. Miscommunication is very frequent as the reader doesnt know what non-verbal cues one
is giving off, such as the pitch, tone, or expressions. Before beginning an email, make sure the email
address one is using is appropriate and professional as well as the message one is going to send.
Again, make sure the information is clear and to the point so the recipient isnt confused. Make sure
one includes their signature, title, and other contact information at the end. [citation needed]

Telephone[edit]
When making a business call, make it clear who is on the line and where one is from as well as
one's message when on the phone. Smile and have a positive attitude as the recipient will be able to
read the caller and that will affect how they react. When leaving a message, make sure one is clear
and brief. One should state their name and who they are and the purpose for contacting them. If
replying to a voicemail, try to respond as soon as possible and take into consideration the time of
day. Don't call too early or too late, as it is important to respect other's time. Also be mindful of where
one is and the noise level as well as the people one is around when trying to reach someone by
phone.[4]
When making a sales call, hope for the person one are trying to connect to does not answer the
phone. Leave up to five enticing messages and one's target audience will be ready to speak when
one either gets a call back or one calls and reaches the person. The enticing message prepares the
person to speak to the representative. It may be that the person is not interested based on what one
had said in each voice message. Always be polite and accept that one may have many more to call.
If the individual is reached, one might ask if there might be someone better suited for the advertised
program.
If one is calling and leaving voice messages, include time of availability for callbacks. There is
nothing worse than a callback coming to one when one is not available. Use the telephone as a
great communication tool. Be polite and always put oneself in the other person's position. For more
tips on making business calls and leaving enticing messages see Harlan J Brown's book on
Telephone Participation.

Choosing Communication Media[edit]

When choosing a media of communication, it is important to consider who are the respective
audience and the objective of the message itself. Rich media are more interactive than lean media
and provide the opportunity for two-way communication: the receiver can ask questions and express
opinions easily in person. [5] To help such decision, one may roughly refer to the continuum shown
below.
From Richer to Leaner[6]
1.Face-to-Face Meeting 2.In-Person Oral Presentation 3.Online Meeting 4.Videoconferencing
5.Teleconferencing 6.Phone Call 7.Voice Message 8.Video 9.Blog 10.Report 11.Brochure
12.Newsletter 13.Flier 14.Email
Subliminal method of communication
Subliminal perception refers to the individual ability to perceive and respond to stimuli that are below
the threshold or level of consciousness, which proved to influence thoughts, feelings or actions
altogether or separately. There are four distinct methods of communicating subliminally. These are
visual stimuli in movies, accelerated speech, embedded images in a print advertisement, and
suggestiveness which is not normally seen at first glance.Focussing on Subliminal Communication
through visual stimuli, Marketing people have adopted this method even incorporating it films and
television shows.Subliminal method of communication first made its debut in a 1957 advertisement,
during which a brief message flashed, telling viewers to eat popcorn and drink Coca-Cola. Since that
time, subliminal communication has occupied a controversial role in the advertising landscape, with
some people claiming it's omnipresent, while others emphasize it's not real. As of publication, there
is still an ongoing scientific debate about whether subliminal advertising works. Subliminal
messaging is a form of advertising in which a subtle message is inserted into a standard ad. This
subtle message affects the consumer's behavior, but the consumer does not know she's seen the
message. For example, a marketer might incorporate a single frame telling consumers to drink tea in
a movie. In print media, advertisers might put hidden images or coded messages into ad text.

Arguments for Effectiveness

A 2009 study at the University College of London found that people were especially likely to be
affected by negative subliminal communication . For example, a cosmetic advertisement conveying
to a consumer that she is ugly might be more effective. Subliminal ads "prime" the brain to seek out
stimuli that match the message in the advertisement, according to a 1992 study published in
"Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin." This can affect behavior, particularly when a message
addresses an individual's insecurities or behavioral tendencies and when a consumer is in a context
that allows her to act on the ad's message.

Communication
Organizational Communication
Improving Communications
The Significance of Communication
Control: The Linking Function

Productivity and Total Quality Management

Management in a Global Environment

Related Topics:
Accounting Principles I
Accounting Principles II
Economics
86

The Communication Process

The goal of communication is to convey informationand the understanding of that
informationfrom one person or group to another person or group. This communication
process is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through
a channel to the receiver. (Figure shows a more elaborate model.) The sender first
develops an idea, which is composed into a message and then transmitted to the other
party, who interprets the message and receives meaning. Information theorists have
added somewhat more complicated language. Developing a message is known
as encoding. Interpreting the message is referred to as decoding.

The other important feature is the feedback cycle. When two people interact,
communication is rarely oneway only. When a person receives a message, she
responds to it by giving a reply. The feedback cycle is the same as the senderreceiver
feedback noted in Figure . Otherwise, the sender can't know whether the other parties
properly interpreted the message or how they reacted to it. Feedback is especially
significant in management because a supervisor has to know how subordinates respond
to directives and plans. The manager also needs to know how work is progressing and
how employees feel about the general work situation.
The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common
understanding. Understanding exists when all parties involved have a mutual
agreement as to not only the information, but also the meaning of the information.
Effective communication, therefore, occurs when the intended message of the sender
and the interpreted message of the receiver are one and the same. Although this
should be the goal in any communication, it is not always achieved.
The most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of resources
expended. Time, in particular, is an important resource in the communication process.
For example, it would be virtually impossible for an instructor to take the time to
communicate individually with each student in a class about every specific topic
covered. Even if it were possible, it would be costly. This is why managers often leave
voice mail messages and interact by email rather than visit their subordinates
personally.

However, efficient timesaving communications are not always effective. A lowcost

approach such as an email note to a distribution list may save time, but it does not
always result in everyone getting the same meaning from the message. Without
opportunities to ask questions and clarify the message, erroneous interpretations are
possible. In addition to a poor choice of communication method, other barriers to
effective communication include noise and other physical distractions, language
problems, and failure to recognize nonverbal signals.
Sometimes communication is effective, but not efficient. A work team leader visiting
each team member individually to explain a new change in procedures may guarantee
that everyone truly understands the change, but this method may be very costly on the
leader's time. A team meeting would be more efficient. In these and other ways,
potential tradeoffs between effectiveness and efficiency occur.

The Communication Process

The goal of communication is to convey informationand the understanding of that
informationfrom one person or group to another person or group. This communication
process is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through
a channel to the receiver. (Figure shows a more elaborate model.) The sender first
develops an idea, which is composed into a message and then transmitted to the other
party, who interprets the message and receives meaning. Information theorists have
added somewhat more complicated language. Developing a message is known
as encoding. Interpreting the message is referred to as decoding.

The other important feature is the feedback cycle. When two people interact,
communication is rarely oneway only. When a person receives a message, she
responds to it by giving a reply. The feedback cycle is the same as the senderreceiver
feedback noted in Figure . Otherwise, the sender can't know whether the other parties
properly interpreted the message or how they reacted to it. Feedback is especially
significant in management because a supervisor has to know how subordinates respond
to directives and plans. The manager also needs to know how work is progressing and
how employees feel about the general work situation.
The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common
understanding. Understanding exists when all parties involved have a mutual
agreement as to not only the information, but also the meaning of the information.
Effective communication, therefore, occurs when the intended message of the sender
and the interpreted message of the receiver are one and the same. Although this
should be the goal in any communication, it is not always achieved.
The most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of resources
expended. Time, in particular, is an important resource in the communication process.
For example, it would be virtually impossible for an instructor to take the time to
communicate individually with each student in a class about every specific topic
covered. Even if it were possible, it would be costly. This is why managers often leave
voice mail messages and interact by email rather than visit their subordinates
personally.
However, efficient timesaving communications are not always effective. A lowcost
approach such as an email note to a distribution list may save time, but it does not
always result in everyone getting the same meaning from the message. Without
opportunities to ask questions and clarify the message, erroneous interpretations are
possible. In addition to a poor choice of communication method, other barriers to
effective communication include noise and other physical distractions, language
problems, and failure to recognize nonverbal signals.
Sometimes communication is effective, but not efficient. A work team leader visiting
each team member individually to explain a new change in procedures may guarantee
that everyone truly understands the change, but this method may be very costly on the
leader's time. A team meeting would be more efficient. In these and other ways,
potential tradeoffs between effectiveness and efficiency occur.
Communication is a process, and if the process breaks down, communication will fail. In this
lesson, you'll learn about the communication process. We'll also discuss how the concept of
noise can disrupt this process.

Communication Defined
Lindsey is the supervisor of a team of employees in a research and development
department for a small tech company that focuses its research on new apps. Her boss
wants Lindsey to work on a new project. But Lindsey can't successfully manage her team in
order to complete the project unless she is able to effectively communicate with
them. Communication is the process of conveying information between two or more
people. The communication process is the steps we take in order to achieve a successful
communication.

Communication
The communication process consists of several components. Let's take a look.
A sender is the party that sends a message. Lindsey, of course, will be the sender. She'll
also need themessage, which is the information to be conveyed. Lindsey will also need
to encode her message, which is transforming her thoughts of the information to be
conveyed into a form that can be sent, such as words.
A channel of communication must also be selected, which is the manner in which the
message is sent. Channels of communication include speaking, writing, video transmission,
audio transmission, electronic transmission through emails, text messages and faxes and
even nonverbal communication, such as body language. Lindsey also needs to know the
target of her communication. This party is called the receiver.
The receiver must be able to decode the message, which means mentally processing the
message into understanding. If you can't decode, the message fails. For example, sending
a message in a foreign language that is not understood by the receiver probably will result
in decoding failure.
Sometimes, a receiver will give the sender feedback, which is a message sent by the
receiver back to the sender. For example, a member of Lindsey's team may provide
feedback in the form a question to clarify some information received in Lindsey's message.
Let's put all these components together to build a model of the communication process:
1.

A sender encodes information

2.

The sender selects a channel of communication by which to send the message

3.

The receiver receives the message

4.

The receiver decodes the message

5.

The receiver may provide feedback to the sender

Noise
As we all know, noise can make it hard to understand what is being said. In communication
theory, noiseis anything that interferes with the transmission and decoding of a message
from its sender to its receiver.

The main goal of business communication is to influence, to control our

audience's responses in the way we had intended, so that we can fulfill
certain aims for ourselves and our organizations. Effective business
communication, of course, results in our eliciting the response we
desire both in the short term, such as having our audience obey an
order, and in the long term, such as having our audience continue to
follow the spirit of the policy. Secondary goals such as self-expression,
social relationships, and career advancement also involve producing
change in knowledge, attitude, or action. With all these complicated
variables going on in the communication process, no
wonder communication is imperfect.
As a business example of this imagine everyone in a company
receiving a copy of the annual report. An accountant may concentrate
only on one footnote in the financial statement; a sales person may
look at nothing but the marketing charts; and a public relations officer
may respond only to the quality of the brochure itself. Each reader
received the same data; each reader perceived them differently.
So communications tend to influence different due to different
perception of people working in the same organization.

Different people may have different ideas about what the goals of business communication
are. Here is one way of looking at it that envisions four goals of business communication.
They are:

1.

That the recipient will understand the message. In other words, the
communication must convey the message that it is meant to convey. It must not be
unclear or give the wrong idea to the one who receives it.

2.

Getting a response. The communication should be worded in a way that makes it

easy to respond to.

3.

Establishes or improves a relationship with the recipient. Communications are

meant in part to make the recipient feel positively about the sender. This will help them
work together in the future.

4.

Making the recipient feel good about the sender's organization. This matters in
particular when the recipient is a customer. The communication in that case is meant to
help make the recipient like the firm that sends it and want to do business with them.