Unit 2 - Nonverbal & Inter, Intracultural Communication

Business Communication
DR. SUPREET WAHEE

Unit Overview
• Concept & Purpose of BC

• Define and understand communication and
the communication process
• Types of communication
• Channels of Communication
• Barriers in a communication process
• Guidelines for Effective Communication
Listening ,Feedback ,Formal & Informal

communication Supreet Juneja Wahee
Communication Skills
Supreet Juneja Wahee

Achieving Success Today
Communication
Communication
Senders Information and Meaning Receivers
Written Spoken Electronic Visual

Communication Benefits
Problem Solving Business Relationships
Decision Making Promotional Messages
Productivity Images and Brands
Work Flow Audience Response

How do we spend our communications time?
• People in organizations typically spend over
75% of their time in inter personal
communication
• Of this communications time, we spend:
Reading Talking
Listening Writing
"Communication is really all anyone ever
gets paid for ultimately......and if you
cannot effectively communicate.
...you will PAY....and not get paid."
Doug Firebaugh Supreet Juneja Wahee
Most Common Ways to
Communicate
Speaking
Writing
Visual Image
Body
Language

Business Communication
• Business communication, also called
workplace communication, refers to
sharing any business-related messages.
• It encompasses all aspects of relaying
information within and about a business.
• “You can have brilliant ideas ,but if you

cant get them across ,you won’t get
anywhere “-Lee Iacocca
Business needs good
communicators
•Needs people with good Communication

Skills
•85% recruiters give priority to effective
communication skills
•Higher and better the position, the more one
needs to improve one’s communicating ability

Effective Communication
Practical
Practical Factual
Factual
Concise
Concise Clear
Clear Persuasive
Persuasive

What Employers Expect
 Organizing ideas and information

 Expressing ideas and information
 Reading and listening effectively
 Communicating with diverse groups
 Using communication technology
What Employers Expect
 Writing and speaking effectively
 Applying business etiquette
 Communicating ethically
 Obeying regulations and guidelines
 Using time productively

The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.
Feedback travels
to sender
1. 2. 3. 4.
Sender has Sender Message Receiver
idea encodes travels decodes
idea in over message
message channel
6.
Possible additional
feedback to receiver

The Communication Process
Expanded Model

THE SOURCE –
PLANNING YOUR MESSAGE

The Source Cont’d
To Plan your communication:

• Understand your objective. Why are you
communicating?
• Understand your audience. With whom are you
communicating? What do they need to know?
• Plan what you want to say, and how you'll send
the message.
• Good communicators use the KISS ("Keep It Simple
and Straightforward") principle. They know that less
is often more, and that good communication should
be efficient as well as effective. Supreet Juneja Wahee
ENCODING

ENCODING
CREATING A CLEAR, WELL-CRAFTED MESSAGE
 The source/sender initiates the process by

encoding a thought.
When you know what you want to say, decide exactly
how you'll say it. You're responsible for sending a
message that's clear and concise.
 The message is the actual physical product of

the sender’s encoding
PRODUCT – Speech; Written words; Gestures

ENCODING
Changing ideas into symbols + organizing into a message
• An effective communicator ensures that his target

recipient understands what is being communicated.
• Words, tone and actions that you choose to encode

your idea represent specific content meaning …
therefore, choose them wisely.
• Keep the target recipient in mind.
•Knowledge of Receivers education level ,experience,

Viewpoints, culture
•Does the recipient understand the words used?
•Does the recipient have the maturity and enough experience
to understand what is being communicated?

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHANNEL
Along with encoding the message, it is important to
choose the best communication channel to send it.
You have to be efficient, and make the most of
your communication opportunity.
In determining the best way to send a message, we
should consider the following:
• The sensitivity and emotional content of the subject.
• How easy it is to communicate detail.
• The receiver's preferences.
• Time constraints.
• The need to ask and answer questions.
CHANNEL
• In communications, a channel is the means of passing information
from a sender to a recipient. Determining the most appropriate
channel, or medium, is critical to the effectiveness of
communication.
• Channels include oral means such as telephone calls and
presentations, and written modes such as reports, memos, and email.
• Communication channels differ along a scale from rich to lean.
• Rich channels are more interactive, provide opportunities for two-
way communication, and allow both the sender and receiver to read
the nonverbal messages.
• The leanest channels, on the other hand, trim the “fat” and present
information without allowing for immediate interaction, and they
often convey “just the facts.”
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
FROM RICHEST TO LEANEST
• Richest channels: face-to-face meeting; in-
person oral presentation
• Rich channels: online meeting; video
conference
• Lean channels: teleconference; phone call;
voice message; video (e.g., Facetime)
• Leanest channels: blog; report; brochure;
newsletter; flier; email; phone text; social
media posts (e.g., Twitter, Facebook)

3 Typical Communication
Channels
• Two way ,Face to Face
Informal Conversations, Interviews ,Meetings,
oral, presentations, speeches, Videoconferencing
• Two way ,Not Face to Face
Telephone conversations, Online chats, Text
messaging
• One way ,Not Face to Face
Letters ,memos, reports, electronic
communications such as email, fax ,voice
mail ,webpages
EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AND THEIR
ADVANTAGES
• Web-based communication, such as video conferencing,
allows people in different locations to hold interactive
meetings.
• Other Web-based communication, such as information
presented on a company Web site, is suited for sharing
transaction details (such as order confirmation) or
soliciting contact information (such as customer phone
number and address)
• Emails provide instantaneous written communication;
effective for formal notices and updates, as well as informal
exchanges.
• Letters are a more formal method of written communication
usually reserved for important messages such as proposals,
inquiries, agreements, and recommendations.
• Presentations are usually oral and usually include an
audiovisual component, like copies of reports, or material
prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint or Adobe Flash.
• Telephone meetings/conference calls allow for long-
distance interaction.
• Message boards and Forums allow people to instantly post
information to a centralized location.
• Face-to-face meetings are personal, interactive exchanges
that provide the richest communication and are still the
preferred method of communication in business.

DECODING
RECEIVING AND INTERPRETING A MESSAGE

DECODING
The process of interpreting the message is referred to as decoding
The receivers task is to interpret the senders message ,both verbal

and non-verbal ,with little distortion as possible.
Because words and Non verbal signals have different meaning to

different people ,a number of problems can occur at this point in
the communication process due to :
•Receivers Vocabulary ,Word Usage

•Authority of the sender
•Nonverbal Signals of the sender
•Different culture ,values & beliefs
•Receivers close mind ,unreceptive to new idea
•Receivers preconceived notions
FEEDBACK
IS THE RESPONSE GIVEN TO THE SENDER FROM THE RECEIVER

FEEDBACK
Feedback is response from the receiver. Without it, you
can't be sure that people have understood your message.
Feedback can be verbal or non-verbal, including body
language .
By watching the facial expressions, gestures, and posture
of the person you're communicating with, you can spot:
• Confidence levels.
• Defensiveness.
• Agreement.
• Comprehension (or lack of understanding).
• Level of interest, e.t.cSupreet Juneja Wahee
NOISE
Anything that disrupts the communication

process for example language
It refers to anything that hampers any stage
of the communication process Supreet Juneja Wahee
The Elements of Communication Process
• Sender
• Encode
• Channel
• Decode
• Receiver
• Feedback

Ways to Communicate- Verbal
Speak Listen

Write
TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
 On the basis of organization relationship
 Formal
 Informal
 On the basis of Flow
 Downwards
 Vertical/upward
 Horizontal/Lateral
 On the basis of Expression
Oral
Verbal
 Written
 Gesture Non Verbal
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
• Formal Communication
– communication that follows the official chain of
command or is communication required to do one’s
job
– takes place within prescribed organizational work
arrangements
• Informal Communication
– not defined by the organization’s structural hierarchy
– fulfills two purposes
• permits employees to satisfy their needs for social
interaction
• creates alternative, and frequently faster and more
© Prentice Hall, 2002
efficient, channels of communication Supreet Juneja Wahee
Forms of Communication
Internal /Intra External/Inter
Planned Communication
Planned Communication
With Outsiders
Formal
Among Insiders
( carefully prepared letters,
(Downward ,Upward ,
announcements)
Horizontal ,Diagonal)
Casual Communication
With Outsiders
Casual Communication
Informal
(Meeting potential sales contact at

industry gatherings ,Networking
Among Employees
At Social events)
(Grapevine)
Global Communication
Internal Audiences
Internal Audiences
External Audiences
External Audiences

Communication with External Audiences
General public,
potential employees, Subsidiaries Unions Employment
customers, stockholders agencies
Special
Professional services
interest group
(auditions,legal,etc)
Customers
Suppliers,
clients
vendors
The
Trade association, Corporation Distributors,
Competitors, Wholesalers,
other businesses, Franchisees,
and industries Retailers, agents
Legislators,
The Stock holders Foreign Government
media Investors Governments The courts agencies, regulation
and lenders and offices Offices
Communication Flow in Organizations
Executive Director
Manager
Downward Comm.
Vice President
Upward Comm.
A.G.M.
Supervisor 1 Supervisor 2 Supervisor 3
Manager
Supervisor
Horizontal Comm.
Forman
DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATON
DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION FLOW
– Downward - flows from a manager to subordinates

• used to inform, direct, coordinate, and evaluate
employees
– Upward - flows from subordinates to managers
• keeps managers aware of employees’ feelings
• source for ideas on improving operations
• amount of upward communication affected by the
culture of the organization
– trust and empowerment increase upward flow
– mechanistic and authoritarian environment
decrease upward flow
© Prentice Hall, 2002 Supreet Juneja Wahee 11-42
-Diagonal - cuts across both work areas and
organizational levels
• benefits efficiency and speed
• e-mail facilitates diagonal communication
- Horizontal communication= flows between

departments.
• With those in equal rank
• Oral or written
• Exchange of information about activities
progress made
• Discussion of plans
• Advice in a friendly way
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
NETWORKS
• combination of vertical and horizontal flows
into a variety of patterns
Types of Networks
• chain - communication flows according to the
formal chain of command
• wheel - flows between a clearly identifiable and
strong leader and others in a work group or
team
• all-channel - flows freely among all members
of a work team
• no single network is best for all situations
Three Common Organizations Communication Networks and How They Rate on Effectiveness
Criteria
© Prentice Hall, 2002 Supreet Juneja Wahee

Grapevine - an informal network that is active in almost
every organization
• important source of information
• identifies issues that employees consider important
and anxiety producing
• can use the grapevine to disseminate important
information
• grapevine cannot be abolished
– rumors can never be eliminated entirely

Levels of
Communication Definition Goal
Intrapersonal Communication within •Accurate self-perception

Communication oneself •other’s perceptions
•Accomplish tasks
Interpersonal Communication between
•Increase self worth through
Communication two people
interaction
Group Communication between Achieve greater output

Communication more than two people through collaboration
Large groups working Provide adequate structure,

Organizational
together to accomplish flow, channels and media to
Communication
complex, ambitious tasks accomplish tasks
An organization reaching
Public out to its public to achieve Reaching many with the
Communication external communication same message
goals

RESULTS OF COMMUNICATION
FAILURE
• Loss of Business/goodwill
• Waste of money and time
• Lowered productivity
• Poor co-ordination and control
• Frustration and hostility
• Dissatisfaction with others
• Lowered morale and loss of team spirit
• Conflict and arguments
• Low employee turnover
Barriers to Communication
Communication barrier – Anything

that gets in the way of clear
communication.

Barriers to communication
•

• No Provision for Feedback
• Inadequate Feedback.
Responding
Barriers
Barriers to communication
• Noise
• Inappropriate medium
• Assumptions/Misconceptions
• Emotions
• Language differences
• Poor listening skills
• Distractions
• Environment
• Venue
• Temperature in the room
• People – Status, Education
• Time
Barriers in Communication
(that have to do with the COMMUNICATOR)
• Unwillingness to say things differently

• Unwillingness to relate to others differently
• Unwillingness to learn new approaches
• Lack of Self-Confidence
• Lack of Enthusiasm
• Voice quality

(that have to do with the COMMUNICATOR)
• Disagreement between verbal and non-

verbal messages
• Negative Self Image
• Lack of Feedback
• Lack of Motivation and Training
• Language and Vocabulary Level
• Lack of Self Awareness
(that have to do with the RECEIVER)
• Selective Perception
• Unwillingness to Change
• Lack of Interest in the Topic/Subject
• Prejudice & Belief System
• Personal Value System
• Here-and-Now internal & external factors

Barriers
 Loss
Noiseby transmission
 Poor
Lackretention
of planning
 Wrong
Poor listening
/ unclarified assumptions
 Insufficient
Semantic problems
period for
(relating
adjustment
to words’ meaning)
 Goal
Cultural
conflicts
barriers
 Offensive
Socio-psychological
style barriers
 Time
Emotions
& distance
 Abstracting
Selective perception
 Inferring
Filtering (conclude)
 Information overloaded

OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS OF EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
Connecting with
The audience
Summarizing Simple
what has been said Words
Effective Body language

Effective Questions
Communication skills (Smile, Eye contact,
Gestures, tone)
Checking
Seeking Cultural
for understanding
Participation Sensitivity

Overcoming the Barriers to Effective Interpersonal
Communication
– Use Feedback - ask a set of questions about a message to

determine whether it was understood as intended
• ask receivers to restate the message in their own words
– Simplify Language - tailor the language to the audience

for whom the message is intended
• jargon can facilitate understanding when used in appropriate
groups
– Listen Actively - listen for full meaning

© Prentice• Hall,
restrain
premature judgments or interpretations
2002
• enhanced by developing empathy with sender
– Constrain Emotions - emotions severely cloud
and distort the transference of meaning
• refrain from communicating until one regains
her/his composure
– Watch Nonverbal Cues - actions should be

aligned with words
• nonverbal message should reinforce verbal
message

Effective Communication . . .
It is two way.
It involves active listening.
It reflects the accountability of speaker and
listener.
It utilizes feedback. At La
st
It is free of stress.
It is clear.

Reality

1.Completeness
Your business message is "complete" when it contains all
facts the reader or listener needs to react to your desire
outcome.
• Remember that communicators differ in their mental

filters; they are influenced by their backgrounds,
viewpoints, needs, attitudes, status, and emotions.
Completeness is necessary for several reasons:

– Complete messages are more likely to bring the
desired results without the expense of
additional messages.
– Second, they can do a better job of building
goodwill.
– Third, they can help avert costly lawsuits that may
result if important information is missing
As you strive for completeness, keep the
following guidelines in mind Completeness
• Provide all necessary information.

• Answer all questions asked.
• Give something extra, when desirable.
Completeness brings the

Supreet Juneja desired
Wahee response
Bad Example
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the

meeting we're having tomorrow!
See you then,
Chris
This message is not complete, for obvious
reasons. What meeting? When is it? Where?
Chris has left his team without the necessary
information. Supreet Juneja Wahee
Good Example
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's
meeting on the new telecommuting policies.
The meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the
second-level conference room. Please let me
know if you can't attend.
See you then,
Chris
2) Conciseness
• Conciseness means “convey the
message by using fewest words”.
• “Conciseness is the prerequisite to

effective business communication.”
As you know that all businessmen
have very short time
• Hence a concise message save the

time and expenses for both the
parties.
How To achieve the
conciseness ?
For achieving the conciseness
you have to consider the
following.
1.Avoid wordy expression
2.Include only relevant material
3.Avoid unnecessary repetition.
Avoid Wordy Expression
• E.g. Wordy:- at this time.
Instead of “at this time” you can just use

only a concise word:- NOW ,
Always try to use “ To the point Approach”

in business scenario perspective.

Wordy Concise
Due to the fact Because

that Soon
In due course Now
At this time Few
Few in number Although
In spite of the fact
that
Include only relevant information
• Always try to provide only relevant information to the

receiver of the message.
• Lets say one of your customer requested
 for clients of the company
 in reply you should provide simply list of clients at the panel of
your company.
 No need to provide detailed business information about client
at all.
• Observe the following suggestions to “ Include only
relevant information.”
– Stick to the purpose of message
– Delete irrelevant words
– Avoid long introduction, unnecessary explanation etc.
– Get to the important point concisely.
Avoid un-necessary Repetition
• Some times repetition is necessary for

focusing some special issue.
• But when the same thing is said with out

two or three reasons, the message
become wordy and boring.
• That’s why try to avoid Un-necessary

repetition.
Some ways to eliminate unnecessary
words
• Use shorter name after you have mentioned the
long once. e.g.
• Spectrum communications Private limited use

spectrum.
• Use pronouns or initials E.g.
Instead of world trade organization use WTO or

You can use IT for Information Technology.
( keeping in views that receiver knows about
these terms)
Examples
‘We are pleased to inform you that the corrected bill that you
have sent us looks better than the previous one’
‘We have received your corrected bill ‘
‘please refer to the email sent by John and you are expected
to compile the assignment and send it across by today
evening’
‘with reference to John’s mail dated 20th January 2011 ,please

submit your assignments by 5 this evening Supreet Juneja Wahee
For Conciseness
• Only relevant facts
• No repetitions
• No wordy expressions
• Proper organization of message

Bad Example
Hi Matt,
I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing
campaign we kind of sketched out last Thursday. I really think
that our target market is definitely going to want to see the
company's philanthropic efforts. I think that could make a big
impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a sales
pitch.
For instance, if we talk about the company's efforts to
become sustainable, as well as the charity work we're doing
in local schools, then the people that we want to attract are
going to remember our message longer. The impact will just
be greater.
What do you think?
Jessica Supreet Juneja Wahee
Hi Matt,
Good Example
I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign
that we analyzed last Thursday. Our target market will want
to know about the company's philanthropic efforts,
especially our goals to become sustainable and help local
schools.
This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in
their minds longer than a traditional sales pitch.
What do you think?
Jessica

CLARITY

3.Clarity
Clarity means getting your message across so the
receiver will understand what you are trying to convey
The communicator should be clear about 3 points
• What is the objective of the communication
• What is to be communicated
• Which medium will prove to be most suitable for this

purpose
For clarity of expressions
Clarity of thought comes from a careful consideration of objective,
content and medium of communication
• Use Simple words
Demonstrate -
Show
Visualize-
See
• Use single words for long phrases
All the times-
Always
Despite of the fact
Although Supreet Juneja Wahee
• Avoid Double entry
11 am in the morning
11 am
Previous experience-
experience
• Use concrete expressions
Goods are soon being dispatched-
Goods will be dispatched on 2nd July
This piece of jewelery is expensive
These beautiful earrings cost only Rs 950

• Avoid Ambiguity
Rajiv told Ramesh that he was not being considered for promotion
“Please send me urgently two copies of Business English and
Indian Economy”
• Use short sentences
• Avoid Jargon

Familiar Next familiar words
1-after subsequent
2-home domicile
3-for example e.g.
4-pay remuneration
5-invoice statement for payments

• Choose precise, concrete and familiar
words.
• Construct effective sentences and

paragraphs
Clarity makes comprehension clear

Example
Hi John,
I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel, who's
working in your department. He's a great asset, and I'd
like to talk to you more about him when you have time.
Best,
Skip
What is this email about? Well, we're not sure.

First, if there are multiple Daniels in John's department, John won't know who
Skip is talking about.
Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically, that's so great? We don't know that
either. It's so vague that John will definitely have to write back for more
information.
Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle
chat about Daniel, or
Good Example
Hi John,
I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kedar, who's
working in your department. In recent weeks, he's helped
the IT department through several pressing deadlines on
his own time.
We've got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next
three months, and his knowledge and skills would prove
invaluable. Could we please have his help with this work?
I'd appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to
call you to discuss this further?
Best wishes,
Skip
CONSIDERATION

Consideration
• Consideration means – To consider the

receiver’s Interest/Intention.
• It is very important in effective

communication while writing a
message you should always keep in
mind your target group
consideration is very important “C”

among all the seven C’s. Supreet Juneja Wahee
Consideration requires
Focus on ‘You’ instead of ‘I’ or ‘We’.
• We pay eight percent interest on---

Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver.
• You may be glad to know that we have a walk-up window open 7-Pam and 2-8 pm everyday
• You can take care of your banking needs at our new walk-up window .It is open with a
capable teller to serve you 7-p am and 3-8 pm Monday through Friday
Avoid Gender Bias

• The chairmen handled the situation tactfully
Emphasize positive, pleasant facts.
• It is impossible to open an account for you today.

• When you travel on company expense ,you will not receive approval for first class
• When you travel on company expense, your approved fare is for tourist class
• Cheap –Economical
• Complaint Department-Customer service department
Consideration means understanding of human nature. Supreet Juneja Wahee

Always write a message in such a way how
audience should be benefited from it. e.g.
We attitude
I am delighted to announce that we will extend
to make shopping more.
You attitude
“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.
• Use words free from gender bais
The chairperson handled the situation tactfully
• Use a slash to include both the alternatives
Dear Sir/Madam,
• Use plural forms inclusive of both the genders
The members expressed their opinion freely .
It is often possible to use ;the ‘ for ‘his/her’
The manger talked to the customers
The manger talked to his customers
• Emphasize positive pleasant facts
We regret to inform you that we will not be able to execute
your order until …..
Thank you for your order .The goods will be sent to you as
soon as ……. Supreet Juneja Wahee
• Following expressions which will are likely to make
your letter pleasant & courteous
 You will be glad to know…

 Many thanks for…
 Thank you very much for…
 We sincerely appreciate..
 It is with regret that we express our inability…
 We are glad to know…
 It is very thoughtful of you to have

correctness

Correctness
 Use the right level of language
Formal (Doctoral Thesis ,scholarly articles, legal documents , top-level government

agreements )
The style is usually impersonal and often contains long and involved sentences
Informal (is more characteristics of business writing ,here you use word that are short ,well
known)
Participate-Join Utilize –Use
Procure –get Interrogate-question
Substandard(Incorrect words, Incorrect grammar ,faulty pronunciation)
Ain’t- isn’t,aren’t Can’t hardly-can hardly
Aim to proving- aim to prove Stoled-stolen

Correctness
 Correct use of grammar, spelling and punctuation
GO.SLOW WORK IN PROGRESS

SLOW. WORK IN PROGRESS
Spell correctly the confusing words

Accept-(receive)-except (to omit ,or leave out )
Anxious ( worry)–eager (keen desire)
Between( involves 2 people or 2 groups ) –among( three or more)
Effect(result) –affect (to influence )
 Accuracy in stating facts and figures and words
Correctness in message helps in building confidence.

Correctness implies
• Give correct facts
• Send your message at correct time
• Send your message in correct style

Example
Hi Daniel,
Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our
conservation, and I'm looking forward to moving ahead on our
project. I'm sure that the two-weak deadline won't be an issue.
Thanks again, and I'll speak to you soon!
Best,
Jack Miller
If you read that example fast, then you might not have caught any
errors. But on closer inspection, you'll find two. Can you see them?
The first error is that the writer accidentally typed conservation
instead of conversation. This common error can happen when
you're typing too fast. The other error is using weak instead of
week.
Again, spell checkers won't catch word errors like this, which is
why it's so important to proofread everything!
COURTESY

Courtesy
• Knowing your audience allows you to use statements of
courtesy; be aware of your message receiver.
True courtesy involves being aware not only of the
perspective of others, but also their feelings. courtesy
stems from a sincere you-attitude.
• it is not merely politeness with mechanical insertions of
“please” and “Thank you” .
• Although Appling socially accepted manners is a form
of courtesy .rather, it is politeness that grows out
respect and concern for others.
Courteous communication generate a special tone in

their writing and speaking.
• Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and
appreciative.
• Use expressions that show respect.
• Your letter is not clear at all.
• Choose nondiscriminatory expressions.

• Businessman, Salesman
Courtesy strengthen relations.

How to generate a Courteous
Tone ?
Be sincerely Tactful, Thoughtful and Appreciative
• Though few people are intentionally abrupt or blunt,
these negative traits are common cause of discourtesy.
• avoid expression like those in the left hand column
below; rephrase them as shown in the right-hand
column
• You are probably ignorant/unaware

• You neglected/overlooked

Tactless, Blunt/More Tactful
The report is useless

This report needs clarity
Your laziness towards work has created all this mishap

A little more focus on work would have been more productive
Your behavior was irresponsible

You will need to behave more professionally
Thoughtfulness and Appreciation

Writers who send cordial, courteous messages of deserved
congratulations and appreciation (to a person inside & outside)
help to build goodwill. The value of goodwill or public esteem for
the firm may be worth thousands of dollars. Supreet Juneja Wahee
Bad Example
Jeff,
I wanted to let you know that I don't appreciate how your team
always monopolizes the discussion at our weekly meetings.
I have a lot of projects, and I really need time to get my
team's progress discussed as well. So far, thanks to your
department, I haven't been able to do that. Can you make
sure they make time for me and my team next week?
Thanks,
Phil
Well, that's hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start office
wide fights. And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, and
lower productivity and morale. A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult
situations, can go a long way.
Good example
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favor. During
our weekly meetings, your team does an excellent job
of highlighting their progress. But this uses some of
the time available for my team to highlight theirs. I'd
really appreciate it if you could give my team a little
extra time each week to fully cover their progress
reports.
Thanks so much, and please let me know if there's
anything I can do for you!
Best,
Phil
What a difference! This email is courteous and friendly, and it has
little chance of spreading bad feelings around the office. Supreet Juneja Wahee
CONCRETENESS

Concreteness
It means that message should be specific instead of general.
Misunderstanding of words creates problems for both parties (sender
and receiver).
When you talk to your client always use facts and figures instead of
generic or irrelevant information.
Being definite, vivid and specific rather than vague, obscure and general
leads to concreteness of the message.
Concreteness reinforces confidence.

Concreteness
• Concrete communication implies being
particular and clear rather than fuzzy and
general. Concreteness strengthens the
confidence. Concrete message has following
features:
• It is supported with specific facts and figures.
• It makes use of words that are clear and that
build the reputation.
• Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.
EXAMPLE:
• Do not say the following because they are
vague.
1. I am slightly unwell. (You can be unwell
or not. How can any sickness be slight ?).
2. Interest rates have been marginally
reduced, (say precisely the quantum of
reduction). What is marginal to the finance
minister may be huge to a person
depending on interests.
Concreteness
Use specific facts and figures.
• Student GMAT scores are higher
• In 1996 the GMAT scores averaged 600; by 1997 they had risen to 610
• “The Principal Has decided” is more specific then “A decision has been made”.
• “You will note” is both personal and specific than “It will be noted”.
• Avoid words like –slightly , small , soon, early, high, several

•
Choose vivid, image building words.

• The camera has a system that gives good pictures.

Use active voice ,Facts & Figures as much you
can in your sentences
You should say “our team won the match”, rather than
“The match was won by our team”.
• Do not say “We expect daily reports” but say “You
should send daily reports”.
• General: She’s a brain.
• Concrete: Her percentage have increased from 84% in
S.S.C to 88% in H.S.C
• General: Eastern Europe is making progress in
obtaining investments.
• Concrete: In 1990, investments in Eastern Europe
were about US $30 million; today that figure has
increased by 12%. Supreet Juneja Wahee
Bad Example
Consider this advertising copy:
The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.
A statement like this probably won't sell many of these products.

There's no passion, no vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion,
and nothing that tells people in the audience why they should
care. This message isn't concrete enough to make a difference.

Good Example
How much time do you spend every day packing your kids'
lunches? No more! Just take a complete Lunchbox Wizard from
your refrigerator each day to give your kids a healthy lunch AND
have more time to play or read with them!
This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience
can picture spending quality time with their kids – and what
parent could argue with that? And mentioning that the product is
stored in the refrigerator explains how the idea is practical. The
message has come alive through these details

Seven Communication Principles
To compose effective message you need to apply certain specific communication
principles.
They tie closely with the basic concepts of the communication process and are
important for both written and oral communications called the
“Seven C”.
Courtesy
Conciseness
Clarity
Consideration
Correctness
Concretenes
s
Completeness

Oral communication
Oral communication is the process of
communication in which messages or
information is exchanged or
communicated within sender and receiver
through the word of mouth.
3main aspects of Oral Communication
• Listening
• Speaking /Conversing
• Body Language
Objective of Oral
Communication
• To Inform
• To Educate
• To Convince
• To Persuade
• To Lead to Action
Merits of oral communication
• Saves time
• More forceful
• Shades of meaning are conveyed
• Immediate feedback
• Immediate clarification
• Promotes informal communication
• More effective with groups
• Better for conveying feelings & emotions
• Economical its saves stationery of the organization

Limitations of oral communication
• Distance a hurdle (in absence of
mechanical device)
• Unsuitable for lengthy messages
• Message cannot be retained for long
• Word once uttered cannot be taken back
• Hard to control voice pitch & tone
• Demands thinking coherently as one
speaks
• May lead to misunderstandings
Principles of successful oral
communication
• Clear pronunciation
• Clarity of Expression
• Precision
• Conviction
• Logical sequence
• Appropriate word choice
• Natural voice
• Avoid communication overload

Ways to Improve Oral
Communication
1) READ
2) WRITE
3) SPEAK

Types of oral communication
• Face To Face . Lectures
• Video Conferencing . Social Gatherings
• Telephone
• Negotiations
• Interviews
• Group Discussion
• Presentations
• Grapevine
• Speech.
• Conference & meetings
WHAT IS LISTENING?
Listening is the absorption of the meanings of
words and sentences by the brain. Listening
leads to the understanding of facts and ideas.
The primary reason for

listening is to acquire oral
messages from others.

Importance of Listening
Many important aspects of your life are

influenced by your listening skills – or
lack thereof. Areas in life directly
affected by your effectiveness as a
listener include:
–school
–relationships
–social groups
–the workplace
–organizations
–public dialogue
VARIOUS STAGES OF LISTENING

The Listening 4 step Process
Listening is more than hearing sounds
or understanding language. Listening
involves four active steps that build
upon one another:
– Acquiring
– Attending
– Understanding
– Responding
Acquiring
Acquiring is the act of picking up

some type of stimulus through
the senses, such as hearing.
Attending
Attending is the act of
choosing, consciously
or subconsciously, to
focus your attention
on verbal or
nonverbal stimuli.
Understanding
Understanding is a
complex mental
process that
involves decoding
the symbolic
message received
from others and
then interpreting
and assigning
personal meaning to
that message.
Responding
Responding is important to clarify and convey to the speaker
that you are listening. Responding can take several forms.
• Reflect the speaker’s words (paraphrase).
“What I heard you say was…”
• Ask questions to clarify.
“When you said________, did you mean_______?”
• Summarize the speaker’s points.
What kind of listener are you?
• Active listener – The listener participates fully in the
communication process. You listen attentively, provide
feedback, and strive to understand and remember messages.
• Passive listener – The listener does not actively participate in

interactions. They think they can absorb information even
when they do not contribute to the interaction. They place the
responsibility for successful communication on the speaker.
• Impatient listener – Short bursts of active listening are

interrupted by noise and other distractions. They intend to pay
attention, but allow their minds to wander.

Listening for fun. Used when listening to
lectures in class.
Ap Cr
Used in social situations like concerts, pr it ica
plays or sporting events. ec Used when listening to
ia l announcements or getting directions.
tiv
Goal is enjoyment and helps a person e Used when you need to remember
to relax.
something important.
Listening to enjoy or appreciate a Listening to comprehend ideas and information in order to

speaker’s message or performance. achieve a specific purpose or goal.
Kinds of Listening
Listening to understand, participate
Listening to understand, analyze, and
and enhance a relationship.
evaluate messages.
Usually used in interactions between
Used when receiving and evaluating
E
two people or a small group.
Goal is to develop understanding and appreciation of m De persuasive messages.
pa
the meanings & feelings of sender.
t hi lib
c er Use when you must make decisions.
at
You try to put yourself in another
person’s place, but not necessarily
iv e
agree with them. It should make you think.

Listening to Understanding
 Rules for Good Listening:
 Stop Talking
 Put the person at ease
 Show the person you want to listen
 Remove distractions
 Empathize
 Be Patient
 Hold your temper
 Go easy on argument and criticism
 Ask questions
Characteristics of effective &
Ineffective Listener
Effective Ineffective
Do not interrupt Take a ‘yes button …’approach
Remain Patient Do not give their full attention to
speaker
Make eye contact Look away from speaker
Show interest Display impatience to talk
Look attentive Are very critical
concentrate Have poor concentration
Ask open questions Are over talkative

Factors that Affect
The Listening Process
• Noise: anything that interferes with a
message.
• Barriers: any obstacle that blocks
communication.
• Memory: the process of retaining or
recalling information.
Speaking/Presenting..
“ A wise man reflects

before he speaks;
a fool speaks, and then
reflects on what he has uttered”.
- French Proverb

Speaking Skills

Problems faced during speaking

While Speaking…
• Take initiative
• Be polite
• Be pleasant (smile, jokes)
• Be clear and concise(tone, accent, emphasis,
pronunciation)
• Cite negative opinions honestly,
but in a positive manner.
• Seek feedback.
Written communication
Written communication is the process of
communication in which messages or
information is exchanged or communicated
within sender and receiver through written
form. It can be divided into two ways
– Writing
– Reading.

Why Written Communication?
• Creates a permanent record
• Allows you to store information for future
reference
• Easily distributed
• All recipients receive the same information
• Necessary for legal and binding
documentation
Slides by Ms.Supreet Wahee

Objectives of Written Communication
• Systematic filing is most important aspect
• Filing along with indexing is necessary
1. Future reference
2. Record of evidence
3. Measurement of progress
4. Precedents
5. Avoiding mistakes
6. Effective decision-making
7. Organizational efficiency
8. Legal requirements
Why clear writing
unica
Comm eans
ti is important
m
on by
ten
of writ
TEN sy m b o ls
I T (eith e r
WR MUNI
d,
printe r
o
typed itten)
COM ION
d w r
han
CAT
• Our writing is one
our key
activities and outputs
•We are more productive if we write efficiently
•When our writing focuses on our reader’s needs,
we strengthen our brand and reputation
•Clear writing reflects on you personally

Principles of Effective Writing
– Mutual and complete understanding of
correspondents
– Business writing should evoke prompt action.
– Writing should encourage correspondence to think
afresh for new ideas.
– Writing should be based on facts not on
impressions and opinions that are vague.
– Brevity and precision essential
– Effective use of technology

Disadvantages of Written
Communication
• Written communication is more expensive for transmitting
short messages.
• It also takes time to convey the message.
• Written communication is generally formal in nature, it does
not involve personal touch between the parties.
• Once a written message has been dispatched, there is little
scope left for making amendments for the inaccuracy that
might have crept into it.
• If the written communication is poorly drafted, it may create
misunderstanding and confusion in the mind of the receiver.

Nonverbal communication
• Nonverbal communication is the expression or
exchanged of information or messages through without
using any spoken or written word. Some of the forms of
non-verbal communications are as follows:
• Facial expression
• Gestures
• Body language
• Proximity
• Touch
• Appearance
• Silence
• Paralinguistic
• Eye Gaze or eye contact etc.
Effective Communication and
Feedback Skills
Feedback
What:
• Comments in the form of opinions about or reactions to
something
Why:
• To initiate and improve communication
• To evaluate or modify a process or product
• To enable improvements to be made
• To provide useful information for future decisions and
development
• Feedback is vital aspect in communication

What is Feedback
• Process in which the effect or output of an action is

'returned‘ (fed-back) to modify the next action.
• It is a dialogue between people which reflects back how
another person sees someone else's behavior or
performance.
• It is essential to the working and survival of all
regulatory mechanisms found throughout in our
Surroundings systems such as education system and
economy
• Feedback occurs when an environment reacts to an
action or behavior.
Why is Feedback so Important
1.People want Feedback so they feel more secure in their jobs.
2. Basically tells you what your strengths and weaknesses are.
3. A low-feedback may be harmful to the health of a business.
4. Employees are able to check their assumptions.
5. Failing to give feedback sends a non-verbal communication in

itself and can lead to mixed messages and false assessment
6. If the feedback process is handled properly, it can be

rewarding for everyone involved.
Someone said “How can your people know they’re doing the
right thing unless you tell them?”
Giving & receiving Feedback
• Giving and receiving feedback is both a science & an art.
• Intentions, communication style, right time and right place are
some significant attributes behind an effective and efficient
feedback.
• Feedback is important in both personal and professional life.
• Giving and receiving feedback in personal life includes parents,
children, friends, relatives, and spouse (husband or wife).
• Performance appraisal feedback, interview feedback, peer
feedback, coaching, training and presentation feedback
Principles of giving effective Feedback
• Give feedback only when asked to do so or
when your offer is accepted.
• Give feedback as soon as possible.
• Focus on the positive.
• Needs to be given privately wherever
possible.
• Focus on behaviors that can be changed,
Not personality traits
• Describe what you observed and be specific.
• State facts, not opinions, interpretations, or
judgments
• Don’t be judgmental or use labels
• Avoid words like “lazy,” “careless,” or forgetful”
• Don’t exaggerate or generalize
• Address what a person did...
 “You skipped several sections of the counseling
script.” …not your interpretation of his or her
motivation or reason for it.
 “I know you want to finish quickly because it’s almost
lunchtime, but you skipped several sections…”
• Avoid terms such as, “you always,” or “you never”
• When making suggestions for improvement, use
statements like:
 “You may want to consider…”
 “Another option is to…
• Use ‘I’ and give your experience of the behavior (‘When you
said…, I thought that you were…’).
• Use the first person: “I think,” “I saw,” “I noticed.”
• When giving negative feedback, suggest alternative

behaviors.
• Be clear about what you are giving feedback on.
• Do not overload – identify two or three key messages that you

summarize at the end
Feedback: Basic Principles
• Give feedback in a “feedback sandwich”

Receiving Effective Feedback
1.Listen to it carefully
2. Ask for it to be repeated if you did not hear it clearly.
3. Assume it is constructive until proven otherwise; then consider and use those
elements that are constructive.
4. Pause and think before responding.
5. Ask for clarification and examples
6. Accept it positively (for consideration) rather than dismissively (for self-

protection).
7. Ask for suggestions of ways you might modify or change your behavior.
8. Respect and thank the person giving feedback.

Types of Feedback
Types of Feedback
• Constructive Feedback
• Destructive Feedback
Characteristics of Constructive
Feedback
Approaches to Effective
communication
• Clarity of message
• Use simple language
• Word selection
• Creation of impression creation of response or feedback
• Massage should be complete
• Frame message keeping in mind the perspective of the receiver
• Time your message carefully
• Control emotionally
• Avoid unintentional communication
• Build credibility
• Have consistency in your approach
• Focus on message not messenger
• Listen first ,evaluate later
• Communicate according to your level
Any Queries ?

Unit 2 - Nonverbal & Inter, Intracultural Communication

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Business Communication

DR. SUPREET WAHEE

• Concept & Purpose of BC

Listening ,Feedback ,Formal & Informal

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Senders Information and Meaning Receivers

Written Spoken Electronic Visual

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Problem Solving Business Relationships

Decision Making Promotional Messages

Productivity Images and Brands

Work Flow Audience Response

Supreet Juneja Wahee

• “You can have brilliant ideas ,but if you

•Needs people with good Communication

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

 Organizing ideas and information

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

To Plan your communication:

Supreet Juneja Wahee

 The source/sender initiates the process by

 The message is the actual physical product of

PRODUCT – Speech; Written words; Gestures

Changing ideas into symbols + organizing into a message

• An effective communicator ensures that his target

• Words, tone and actions that you choose to encode

• Keep the target recipient in mind.

•Knowledge of Receivers education level ,experience,

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

The process of interpreting the message is referred to as decoding

The receivers task is to interpret the senders message ,both verbal

Because words and Non verbal signals have different meaning to

•Receivers Vocabulary ,Word Usage

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Anything that disrupts the communication

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

(Meeting potential sales contact at

Supreet Juneja Wahee

– Downward - flows from a manager to subordinates

- Horizontal communication= flows between

© Prentice Hall, 2002 Supreet Juneja Wahee

© Prentice Hall, 2002 Supreet Juneja Wahee

Intrapersonal Communication within •Accurate self-perception

Group Communication between Achieve greater output

Large groups working Provide adequate structure,

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Communication barrier – Anything

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

• Unwillingness to say things differently

Supreet Juneja Wahee

• Disagreement between verbal and non-

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Supreet Juneja Wahee

Effective Body language