Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PROFIT MOTIVE
COMPETITIVE IN NATURE
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CHAPTER 1 -- INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
PRODUCTION
SALES
MARKETING
Functional RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D)
Areas ADMINISTRATION
CUSTOMER SERVICE
in a Business DISTRIBUTION
Organisation ICT
HUMAN RESOURCE
FINANCE
The
main purpose of structuring a business with well-defined functional areas
is to ensure that all important activities of the organisation are carried
out in a co-ordinated manner and, efficiently. This is an essential
consideration in the creation and running of the business as it is aimed at
achieving the aims and objectives of the organisation fully. Each
functional area undertakes responsibility for supporting and undertaking
specific aims and objectives. And all the component functional areas are
kept in harmonized by efficient communication linkages.
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In the table below are some of the major reasons why departmental links
are essential, and how these links get enabled within the communication
milieu.
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ALL OTHER
F INANCE monitors ALL OTHER
DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENTS over spending and the
FINANC achievement of cash flow targets.
E
H UMAN RESOURCES liaises with
HUMAN F INANCE over salary increases, bonuses
RESOURCES FINANC and deductions.
E
ALL OTHER H UMAN R ESOURCES , in liaison with
HUMAN DEPART- A LL OTHER D EPARTMENTS , handles
RESOURCES MENTS job vacancies, promotion of staff, and
training.
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DATE:
ASSIGNMENT / /
day month year
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REASON:
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We communicate all the time, even when we are not aware of it.
We communicate through gestures, body language, facial
expressions, and tone of voice as well as through the words we
speak (and even the ones we do not!). Add to this mix: language;
cultural and social differences; educational background; physical
proximity; and individual fears, insecurities, strengths, and
weaknesses.
Martin Luther
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ANYWHERE !
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Communication links all the activities of all the various parts of the
organisation. It ensures that everyone is working towards a common goal
and enables feedback on performance. Imagine studying for an exam but
the lecturer has not given you the examination schedule, neither did s/he
give you a course outline. Then you can appreciate how important good
communication is.
By communicating effectively,
Management is able to explain the
objectives of the organisation,
making it possible for the
employees to make an input into
the decisions made.
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MOTIV
ATES
WHAT
GOOD -
CLARIFIES
COORDINA QUALITY ROLES AND
TES COMMUNICATI RESPONSIBILI
ON TIES
CAN YIELD
ENABLE
S
FEEDBA
CK
WORKPLACE CULTURE DEFINES THE FORMALITY AND THE METHOD OF SPREADING
IDEAS AND SHARING FEEDBACK
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CHAPTER 1 -- INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
easily accessible
up to date
cost effective
MOTIVATING EMPLOYEES
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Purpose
Style
Listening
Follow-up
PURPOSE
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a challenging assignment
demonstrating initiative or
WORKPLACE SCENARIO:
Our desired outcome FOR THE MEETING is a hand-over that will ensure the
successful execution of the assignment at hand.
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We can use our checklist above as "success criteria" and actually check off
each item as it is completed. Therefore, our communication with our
employee leaves no doubt about what needs to be done; providing
sufficient detail ensures the person has the skills, talent, experience, and
resources to complete the task, knows where to go for help, will meet
with us for regular updates, and knows WIIFT.
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Clarity in the initial communication benefits both the employee and the
manager, ensuring agreement between them regarding the desired
outcome of the assignment, expectations of the manager, and how to
find help and guidance through tools, resources, and status checks.
STYLE
Style has to do with who we are and how that style affects our
communication. We may engage in dialogue with little knowledge
of the impact of individual differences. Some of us may have a
higher awareness of style differences but still not use it when
communicating. Some of us may raise awareness when we have a
problem and only then examine our communication! Let's stop for
a moment and further define "STYLE."
not a total list. Some of the influences of our early years are
mitigated or enhanced during our growth and development. In all,
we become who we are, and who we are influences our
communication.
LISTENING
The first step is the most difficult: focusing solely on the person
speaking versus thinking of what we want to say next, beginning to
analyze, or even coming up with a solution! We can minimize these
tendencies by making good eye contact with the person speaking so
that our focus is only on that person.
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Listen Listen
for for
CONTEXT INTENT
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FOLLOW UP
Those that follow up can not only get the customers/clients that
other less conscientious sales people have left behind, but beat
What's the best way to follow up? The phone call? The text
message? The email? No - none of these. The best way to follow up
is still the handwritten note.
Now don't take that to mean that you should just dash off one
handwritten note to a client or customer and your follow up is done.
If you are trying to make a sale, chances are good you are going to
follow up anywhere from two to seven times (I remember reading
that 80 percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact.)
The
HANDWRITTEN
NOTE, because of its
apparent personal
nature, has a power
that other follow up
techniques lack.
And that doesn’t mean that you have to write a handwritten note
each time. Phone calls, emails, and even text messages can
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certainly help keep you and your products and/or services in the
forefront of your client or customer's brain.
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representative of the second firm has impressed me; it's his name
that is lodged in my mind.
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To keep your
customers happy and
enjoy a long-term
relationship built on
trust and confidence,
you must address all
of these needs. Happy
and satisfied
customers are your
biggest asset – and
often they are also the
ones that promote
your business in
incredible ways by
referring your
products and services
to others in their
social circle.
Not only do they come back to you for more business, but also
provide useful feedback that you can share with other prospective
customers.
Your customers are the ones who can make or break your
reputation in the market. This is why you need to go out of your
way, if needed, to ensure that their needs are attended to and all
their grievances are duly addressed.
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