GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES

ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION
(ENL1202)
Mr. Azizul Helmi

2018

FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION ONLY

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

TOPIC 1
INTRODUCTION TO
COMMUNICATION
AND
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
o What is communication?
o What is business communication?
o Written and oral communication in business
o Distinguishing clear communication
o Importance of clear communication
o Good communication skills
o The communication process
o How to Prevent Misunderstandings

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 2

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?

Many theories have been proposed to describe, predict, and understand the behaviours
and phenomena of which communication consists. When it comes to communicating in
business, we are often less interested in theory than in making sure our communications
generate the desired results. But in order to achieve results, it can be valuable to
understand what communication is and how it works.

Defining Communication
• The root of word “communication” in Latin is Communicare, which means to
share, or to make common. Communication is defined as the process of
understanding and sharing meaning.
• Communication is the relationship that involves interaction between participants.
• Communication is a dynamic activity that is hard to describe because it changes.
Imagine you are alone in your kitchen thinking. Someone you know (say, your
mother) enters the kitchen and you talk briefly. What has changed? Now,
imagine your mother is joined by someone else, someone you haven’t met
before – and this stranger listens intently as you speak, almost as if you are
saying. When we interact, all these factors – and many more – influence the
process of communication.

WHAT IS BUSINESS COMUNICATION?

In business, communication is seen as a two-way process of reaching mutual
understanding, in which participants not only exchange (encode and decode)
information, news, ideas, and feelings but also create and share meaning.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Written Communication - Written means of business communication include - agenda,

reports, manuals etc.

ORAL COMMUNICATION

Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally,

business communication is a formal means of communication, like : meetings,
interviews, group discussion, speeches etc.

DISTINGUISHING CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Communication is key to your success – in relationships, in the workplace, as a citizen of

your country, and across your lifetime. Your ability to communicate comes from
experience, and experience can be an effective teacher.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 3

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Whenever you are participating in a discussion with clients or colleagues, craft a clear
message. A clear message:
i) Is short
ii) Uses simple language
iii) Focuses on the needs of the audience

KEEP IT SHORT

Limit your key message to one sentence, preferably fewer than 10 words long. Because
so many complex business documents are written in long, complex sentences, we have
trained ourselves to think in large chunks of information. While that is arguably
necessary in written documents, it is not helpful or effective when conveying messages
orally. Consider breaking the content into smaller sentences to help your listeners.

Consider this!
Everyone’s active participation in the bank’s event is crucial to helping up
develop a conscious and a cohesive firm culture that we can all be proud of
and that will help us attract high-quality associates.

Now, turn your head away from the paper and repeat the statement you just read. Can
you it? The answer is perhaps NO. It is too long, and you have to translate what it
means to you.

Now try the same with the next sentence:

We hope to see you at as many firm functions as possible.

USE SIMPLE LANGUAGE

Sophisticated professionals fall Into two traps. First, we try to show how smart we are.
Second, we fail to recognize our industry jargon.
Big words do not impress anyone. Big ideas do. In a professional setting, you are
not graded on smarts. People assume you are smart. You are graded on having an
impact. That means getting people to take action based on your ideas.
Get to your point. Your goal when communicating is not to be cute or clever.
Your goal is to be clear.

Avoid jargon

We spend most of our time interacting with other people who do what we do. As a result,
we start to think that our internal dialogue, understood intuitively by our colleagues, is
understood by everyone. We forget how much jargon has crept into our vocabulary.
Jargon promotes efficiency when used with our colleagues, but it becomes problematic
when we fail to recognize it as jargon and use it in inappropriate settings.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 4

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Every industry and every discrete function within a company develop its unique
jargon. Accountants, lawyers, IT professionals, and HR generalists all use phrases hat
mean something specific to them and their colleagues. Jargon allows is to be efficient
when speaking with others in our field. However, jargon is misconstrued by, or
completely unintelligible to, the general population.

FOCUS ON THE AUDIENCE

Your message is never about you, and it is rarely about your content. It is always about
how your audience – your listener or reader – needs to use your content. To craft your
audience-focused message, ask yourself: “what does this audience need to learn by
attending this meeting?”
In the first two sentences, focus on the key message of the communication and
not on the content. Try to focus on how your audience needs to use your content. You
will not know how quickly certain members of your audience will form an opinion. Give
your audience the bottom-line information so if they make a snap decision, that decision
is based on the proper content. Your audience will rarely take appropriate time to
consider fundamental issues about their situation. Therefore, for your sake, and for the
sake of your audience, keep your key message short, easy to understand, and focused
on the audience’s needs. You will improve your ability to have an impact.

Building Rapport

Sometimes we communicate in a professional context simply to build rapport. While

many business decisions are based on analytics and credentials, just as many are
based on the personal connections people feel with one another.
Since we work in a competitive marketplace, we have to build relationships.
People have to want to work with us or it is too easy to go work with someone else. How
can we communicate in a way that builds rapport? You may consider the following:
• You may start asking in a casual conversation. Asking simple questions like
“How are you?” does not mean that you want to interfere your audience’s
personal life but rather as a conversation starter.
• Consider cultural etiquette issues. In many cultures, you build rapport and then
build a business. In many cultures, building rapport is the first step in building
relationships, and it is only after there is a genuine relationship that you move on
to building business.
• Always stay positive. If a colleague or client asks about you such as your recent
vacation and you start with “It was awful! We were miserable!” then guess what?
You still are. No one wants to hear that. Share awkward moment, the ridiculous
experience with your closest friends. Build rapport by staying positive and
turning the conversation back to the other person.
• Some of us struggle to make small talk. An easy way is to start with what is
immediately in front of you. If you arrive for a meeting with a customer or client
and the weather is bad, comment on the rain.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 5

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

IMPORTANCE OF CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Clear communication can help a speaker in many ways.

1. Communication influences your thinking about yourself and others
• All of us share a fundamental drive to communicate. Communication can
be defined as the process of understanding and sharing meaning. You
share meaning in what you say and how you say it. If you could not
communicate, what would life be like? A series of never-ending frustration
for not being able to ask for what you need or even to understand the
needs of others?
2. Communication represent you and your employer
• You may want to make a good first impression on your friends and family,
instructors, and employer. They all want you to convey a positive image,
as it reflects on them. In your career, you will represent your business or
company in spoken or written form. Your professionalism and attention to
detail will reflect positively on you and set you up for success.
• In both oral and written situations, you will benefit from having the ability
to communicate clearly. These are skills you will use for the rest of your
life positive improvements in these skills will have a positive impact on
your relationship, your prospects for employment, and your ability to
make a difference in the world.
3. Communication skills are desired by business and industry
• Oral and written communication proficiencies are consistently ranked in
the top ten desirable skills by employer surveys year after year. In fact,
high-powered business executives sometimes hire consultants to coach
them in sharpening their communication skills.

Good Communication Skills

It is important to establish good communication skills. Below are some tips for you to
follow:

• Acknowledge others who are communicating with you verbally and non verbally.
• Rephrase thoughts. It is often good to rephrase and repeat what is being said to
you, back to those who are speaking. This ensures not only that you understood
what they said, but more importantly what they meant.
• Give examples. Using examples or personal experiences is a helpful way to
communicate your ideas.
• Use good diction. Speaking clearly and distinctly is extremely important. People
may miss your point if you are hard to understand.
• Maintain a positive attitude. You can communicate with a positive attitude
whenever you speak. People will be more interested in what you say if you are using
a positive sentence structure too.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 6

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

• Listen actively. Listening is the key in developing any type of relationship.

• Interpret. Read between the lines of what is being said. Some people have a hard
time expressing themselves. You can help them by trying to interpret what they
mean.
• Share. Sharing your ideas is a personal effort to relate to others.
• Build trust. You need to build a bond of trust between you and the others in the
conversation. Make them feel more at ease and they will be more likely to exchange
ideas.
• Make a connection. True communication requires a connection between the parties
to a conversation. Try to build a connection. Find a common ground or common
interest to open the way to a good conversation.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Sender – sender imagines, creates and sends the message. In a public speaking, the
sender is the person giving the speech. He or she conveys the message by sharing new
information to the audience.
Message – the message is the stimulus or meaning produced by the sender to the
receiver or audience. When you plan to give a speech or write a message, your
message may seem to be only the words you choose that will convey your meaning.
Encode – encode is when a sender chooses a code (shared language) and the delivery
methods to deliver/transmit the information. He or she must choose a code that both
parties (sender and receiver) understood. The code can be either verbal or non-verbal
piece of information.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 7

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Medium – medium is the channel in which a message or messages travel between

sender and receiver. The sender will transmit a message using the chosen code via a
medium. For example, think of your television, how many channels do you have on your
television? The same goes to human communication. The medium is the receptor that
receives messages or messages from the sender. It can be through any senses,
including sight, touch as well as hearing. A rich medium is one that can:
i) convey a message using more than one type of clue (visual and verbal and vocal),
ii) facilitate feedback, and
iii) establish personal focus.
Receiver – the receiver receives the message from the sender. He or she receives
messages or messages through his or her own medium.
Decode – when the receiver message or messages, he or she will interpret in ways both
intended and unintended by the sender. To better understand this component, think of a
receiver on a football team. The quarterback throws the football (message) to a receiver,
who must see and interpret where to catch the ball. The quarterback may intend for the
receiver to “catch” his message in one way, but the receiver may see things differently
and miss the football (the intended meaning) altogether.
Noise or barriers to communication process – throughout the communication process,
unintentional interferences occur, distorting or interrupting the process. These
interferences are called noises. Noises can be real noises, auditory stimuli like phones
ringing, people talking, or street workers jack hammering.

The same process will once again repeated as long as the communication does not
stop.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 8

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

How to Avoid Miscommunication in Your Workplace

Communication problems in the workplace can occur simply because people have
different ways of relaying and hearing information. This often results in personal
conflicts, project failures, a plunge in staff morale, and high turnover. The worst-case
scenario? Misunderstandings can lead to costly lawsuits.

In business, you can avoid many problems simply by improving communication in your
office. By clarifying everyone’s expectations and roles, you’ll help build greater trust and
increased productivity among employees. Here are a few tips for doing so.

Practice active listening. The art of active listening includes paying close attention to
what another person is saying, and then paraphrasing what you’ve heard and repeating
it back. Concentrate on the conversation at hand and avoid unwanted interruptions (cell
phone calls, others walking into your office, etc.). Take note of how your own experience
and values may colour your perception.

Discuss expectations. A project is launched, with multiple team members involved.

Everyone understands what’s expected of them, right? Just in case, the project leader
(or you, the owner and/or CEO) can go to each team member and talk about his or her
specific tasks and objectives — and how these fit in with what everyone else is doing.
Assess potential risks and deal with them immediately. This will help you more
effectively address unforeseen issues that may crop up in a later on, too.

Take responsibility. Miscommunication always has at least two participants, the person
talking and the person listening. To avoid misunderstandings, take responsibility for
making sure that the other person clearly grasps what’s being asked of him. If you do
this in a trusting, non-confrontational way, the other person is encouraged to take
responsibility for his part, and ask for clarity if it’s needed.

Pay attention to non-verbal cues. We don’t communicate with words alone. Every
conversation comes with a host of non-verbal cues — facial expressions, body
language, etc. — that may unintentionally contradict what we’re saying. Before
addressing a staff member or leading a project conference, think carefully about your
tone of voice, how you make eye contact, and what your body is “saying.” Be consistent
throughout.

Be clear and to the point. Don’t cloud instructions or requests with irrelevant details,
such as problems with past projects or issues with long-departed personnel. State what
you need and what you expect. Ask, “Does anyone have any questions?” Demonstrate
that you prefer questions up-front as opposed to misinterpretation later on.

[Link]
workplace/

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 9

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

TOPIC 2
THE ART OF READING

o Improving reading skills

o Purpose and Technique
o Improving Speed Reading
o Improving Understanding
o Improving Word Skill

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 10

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Reading skills

You are expected to do much more reading at university than at school or college; it's
not called ‘reading for a degree' for nothing. When you read, do you read each and every
word? Do you skim over the document and try to identify key terms and themes? Do you
focus on numbers and statistics, or ignore the text and go straight to the pictures or
embedded video? Because people read in many diverse ways, you as a writer will want
to consider how your audience may read and analyze your document.

May times, a document will be skimmed rather than read in details. This is true whether
the communication is a one-paragraph e-mail or a twenty-page proposal. If you
anticipate that your document will be skimmed, it is necessary for you to make your
points stand our for the reader.

Here are five tips to help you improve your reading:

1. Reading Techniques
2. Active reading
3. A tip for speeding up your active reading
4. Spotting authors' navigation aids
5. Words and vocabulary

1. READING PURPOSES AND TECHNIQUES

i. Skimming i.e. reading for a general impression

Skimming the text you are about to read should give you an idea of the usefulness of the
text for your purposes and also a general idea of what it is about. This information helps
you to decide how well you should read it.
You read quickly to get the main points, and skip over the detail. It's useful to skim:
• to preview a passage before you read it in detail
• to refresh your understanding of a passage after you've read it in detail.
Use skimming when you're trying to decide if a book in the library or bookshop is right for
you or reading a newspaper or magazine

ii. Scanning i.e. reading for specific details

You may need to find answers to certain questions you have set beforehand (what, who,
when).
This technique is used to look up a name in the phone book: you move your eye quickly
over the page to find particular words or phrases that are relevant to the task you're
doing.
It's useful to scan parts of texts to see if they're going to be useful to you:
• the introduction or preface of a book
• the first or last paragraphs of chapters
• the concluding chapter of a book.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 11

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

iii. Detailed reading: for extracting information

You may look for information about a specific area or answers to certain questions. Your
reading will probably then aim at finding that information only.
In this careful reading, you may find it helpful to skim first, to get a general idea, but then
go back to read in detail. Use a dictionary to make sure you understand all the words
used.
Eg. Reading for an exam or thesis.

A good reader adjusts his/her strategies automatically to suit the purpose.

2. Active reading
When you're reading for your course, you need to make sure you're actively involved
with the text. It's a waste of your time to just passively read, the way you'd read a thriller
on holiday.
Always make notes to keep up your concentration and understanding.
Here are four tips for active reading.

i. Underlining and highlighting

Pick out what you think are the most important parts of what you are reading. Do this
with your own copy of texts or on photocopies, not with borrowed books.
If you are a visual learner, you'll find it helpful to use different colours to highlight
different aspects of what you're reading.

ii. Note key words

Record the main headings as you read. Use one or two keywords for each point. When
you don't want to mark the text, keep a folder of notes you make while reading.

iii. Questions
Before you start reading something like an article, a chapter or a whole book, prepare for
your reading by noting down questions you want the material to answer. While you're
reading, note down questions which the author raises.

iv. Summary
Pause after you've read a section of text. Then:
1. put what you've read into your own words;
2. skim through the text and check how accurate your summary is and
3. fill in any gaps.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 12

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

3. A tip for speeding up your active reading

You should learn a huge amount from your reading. If you read passively, without
learning, you're wasting your time. So train your mind to learn.
Try the SQ3R technique. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recall and
Review.

i. Survey
Gather the information you need to focus on the work and set goals:
• Read the title to help prepare for the subject
• Read the introduction or summary to see what the author thinks are the key
points
• Notice the boldface headings to see what the structure is
• Notice any maps, graphs or charts. They are there for a purpose
• Notice the reading aids, italics, bold face, questions at the end of the chapter.
They are all there to help you understand and remember.

ii. Question
Help your mind to engage and concentrate. Your mind is engaged in learning when it is
actively looking for answers to questions.
Try turning the boldface headings into questions you think the section should answer.

iii. Read
Read the first section with your questions in mind. Look for the answers, and make up
new questions if necessary.

iv. Recall
After each section, stop and think back to your questions. See if you can answer them
from memory. If not, take a look back at the text. Do this as often as you need to.

v. Review
Once you have finished the whole chapter, go back over all the questions from all the
headings. See you if can still answer them. If not, look back and refresh your memory.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 13

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

4. Spotting authors' navigation aids

i. Learn to recognise sequence signals, for example:

"Three advantages of..." or "A number of methods are available..." leads you to expect
several points to follow.

ii. The first sentence of a paragraph will often indicate a sequence: "One important cause
of..." followed by "Another important factor..." and so on, until "The final cause of..."

iii. General points are often illustrated by particular examples, for example:

General: Birds' beaks are appropriately shaped for feeding.

Particular: Sparrows and other seed-eating birds have short, stubby beaks; wrens and
other insect eaters have thin pointed beaks; herons and other fish hunters have long,
sharp beaks for spearing their prey.
Whatever you are reading, be aware of the author's background. It is important to
recognise the bias given to writing by a writer's political, religious, social background.
Learn which newspapers and journals represent a particular standpoint.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 14

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

5. Words and vocabulary

i. Read

There is not a better way to improve your

vocabulary than by reading. It is a fallacy that you
accomplish your reading by reading newspapers.
Newspapers have usually same set of words, and
they want to make sure that the news they publish
is understood by everyone. You need to read
material that throws at you new words and
phrases. Read books by the best authors where
you can learn from characters communicating with each other.

ii. Be a Good Listener

You might be in a group or having a one-on-one

conversation with someone. Irrespective of whether
the conversation is about you, for you or neither of
these, listen to the speaker. Pick up the new words
they might be using. You will encounter people with
the worst possible vocabulary. Listening to them can
be a learning experience as you can avoid the
mistakes they are committing.

iii. Write Down the New Words You Read or Hear

Now that you have been carefully listening to people

and getting your hands on the best literature
available, it would serve you well if you write down
all the new words you come across. That way, you
won’t have to scratch your head to recall a word you
heard someone using, or scramble between the
pages of your book.

iv. Find Synonyms of Words you Use too Often

You will often find yourself using the same word over
and over again. It would serve you well if you find its
synonym. It may either fit into your sentence
seamlessly, or require you to change your sentence,
which would help you further with the language.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 15

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

v. Start Using the New Words You Have Learned

You must have learned quite a number of words on

your course to improving your vocabulary. Now use
them as much as you can so that they seep in
naturally in your writing and speech.

In today’s world, it is extremely important to possess

impeccable communication skills. Whether it is the
professional sphere or the personal domain, an enriched vocabulary can earn you many
benefits and much success in life. So, keep the doors to learning open!

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 16

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

TOPIC 3

UNDERSTANDING THE SKILLS OF

COMMUNICATION

o Basic Communication
 Telephone
o Presentation Skills and Strategy

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 17

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Customer Service Skills

The overriding key to customer service/presenting well is to simply be present to
your audience. When we are speaking, we tend to think, “How do I keep my
audience’s attention?” Now think about it from your audience’s perspective.
Listeners want to know that they have your attention. Too often while speaking to
an audience, the speaker seems distracted, preoccupied, or self-absorbed.
When the audience senses that lack of commitment on the part of the speaker,
that lack of desire to connect, the audience is less likely to want to follow the
speaker’s ideas. The speaker has less impact.
There are three key elements to conveying a sense of commitment and presence
to your audience: your eye contact, your voice, and your body language.
Remember, people hear what we want them to know through the words we say.
They understand how we want them to feel about it through the way we say it.

1. Eye contact
We all have a natural human instinct to make eye contact with those around us.
It’s how we establish a connection. A baby cannot see clearly at birth. Eyes are
literally the first things we focus on in life, and in most cultures, they remain the
first things we try to focus on when we meet someone.
We all know the importance of looking at your audience when you speak to a
group. Unfortunately, too often that concept as interpreted as “Scan your
audience. Make eye contact with as many people as possible.” That does not
work well. When you scan the audience, your brain takes in too much
information. You notice that one person is doodling, someone else is yawning,
someone’s checking his email on his phone, and someone else is coming in late.
Your brain tries to process all of that information. Your brain is like a computer.
When a computer takes in too much data, it freezes. The same if true for your
brain.
So if you shouldn’t scan, what should you do with your eyes?
Look at one person at a time for a complete sentence. If you stay with someone
for a full thought, five to seven seconds, you’ll experience a number of benefits.
First, you have to stay relaxed. Most of us are not afraid of speaking to one
person. If you only talk to one person, regardless of how many are in the room,
you’ll automatically calm yourself. However, you are not only speaking to one
person. Focus one audience at one time.
Second, if you stay with someone for a full thought, you’ll avoid distraction. If I’m
talking to the man with the beard in the back row, he’s the only person I’m
looking at the and the only one I care about at the moment. When someone
comes in the side door late, I’m not thrown away. I’m still talking to goatee guy.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 18

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Third, and most important, benefit of staying with someone for a full thought is
that you build rapport with your audience. If you are scanning and talking to
someone for a full thought, you look more composed, you sound more confident
and comfortable with yourself, and you establish a connection.

2. VOICE
Your voice is a powerful delivery tool. Most professionals interact far more on
the phone than face-to-face, so leveraging the power of your voice is crucial to
connecting effectively. By varying your speed, volume, tone, and inflection, your
voice helps bolster your impact. The key is variety.
i) Slow down. You move too fast
Most people, when they get nervous, speak too quickly. If you speak too
quickly in front of an audience, you will sound as if you are apologizing for
taking up their time. You will diminish your presence and your appearance of
confidence, the speed of your voice is tied to how you use your eye contact. If
you move your eyes too quickly between people, you will automatically start
speaking faster. If you stay with one person for a full thought, you will
automatically slow down your rate of speech.
There are times when increasing the speed of your voice can help suggest
urgency. In that case, the speed is helpful, as long as you are not going so
fast, people cannot stay with you. Again, it is about variety. Occasionally
speeding up or slowing down can draw people in and make them pay
attention. Two factors can cause an audience to become overwhelmed by a
speaker’s pace: (1) the speed of the speaker’s voice and (2) the absence of
pauses between sentences. Pause between sentences is essential for an
effective delivery. When you pause at the end of a sentence, you are giving
your audience a chance to process what you have just shared. If you keep
talking without pausing, your audience quickly becomes overwhelmed and
cannot take in any further information. At that point, people either stop
listening entirely, out of exhaustion, or they stop listening momentarily, so
they can reflect on what you just said. In either case, they stop listening to
you.
ii) Speak up. I can’t hear you.
Volume is the most basic component of your vocal quality. If you cannot be
heard, you will not have any impact. Most venues are designed to absorb
sound. The carpeting, the ceiling tiles, and the cloth panels on the walls are
all designed to muffle the sound so that you are not heard out in the hall, in
the room next door, or on the other side of the movable wall. If you don’t
project, your voice is lost.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 19

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

In addition, you are competing with all sorts of distractions. The air conditioner
is blowing, the projector is humming, and someone’s laptop or phone is
beeping. Your goal is to be loud enough to be heard. For many people that
means projecting louder than they think is necessary. At the very least,
always speak at the volume needed to reach the person farthest from you,
even when you are looking at the person closest to you. In order to be louder,
you need more air to pass over your vocal cords.
Again, as with your pace, it is the variety in your volume that helps you remain
interesting. Being loud enough to be heard is the absolute minimum. Beyond
that, raising your voice louder will add urgency to a key point. Lowering your
volume will draw people in and convey “This is important.”
iii) Your tone.
Much of our work is done on the phone. Uniformly, teams of people who
spend their days on the phone with customers have in front of them one of
two things: a mirror or a sign that read “Smile.” Your facial expression impacts
your tone of voice. When you smile genuinely, you voice automatically
sounds more positive and has more energy. Your tone will sound more
optimistic. Obviously, the sign reminds people to smile. The mirror sends a
subtler image. It makes people think “Look at the look on your face/ right now,
would you want to talk to you?”
iv) Your inflection
The goal with inflection is variety. It is easy, especially on the phone or when
reading from notes or a prepared text, to allow our voices to go flat. Very few
people are truly monotone. Your voice should punctuate the important ideas
you want to convey. On a conference call, our voices are somewhat muted.
That means that whatever range of inflection we have when speaking face-to-
face with someone is diminished on the phone. Therefore, we have to be that
much more conscious of our inflection and sound that much more emphasis
on the phone in order to sound engaged.

3. BODY LANGUAGE
How we carry ourselves says a lot about how we feel about ourselves. It also
tells our audience, of one or 100, how to perceive us. Here is a simple example.
If someone walks to the front of the room with her arms folded in front of herself,
he/she will automatically be perceived by at least some of the audience as
standoffish, distant, upset, or even angry. That closed-off body language is
considered negative. And yet, just because the speaker folds his/her arms do
not, inherently, mean he/she feels any of those things. In fact, he/she may be
cold.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 20

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Closed body language is not intrinsically negative. It is negative because it

leaves the speaker vulnerable to being misinterpreted. Your goal with your body
language is to minimize the audience’s ability to misperceive you.
Your body language is a huge part of the message you convey. You want people
to focus on your content, not be distracted because they are trying to interpret
your body language. To be an effective communicator means focusing less on
ourselves and more about other people. You focus on the needs of the audience
by eliminating distractions for them. If you have open, neutral body language that
is hard for someone else to misinterpret, you make it easier for your audience to
pay attention to your ideas. Maintaining an open posture or stance and using
open hand gestures and facial expressions allow you to appear more
conversational, which puts your audience at ease and enhances the perception
that your audience is getting the “genuine you” at the meeting.

• Your Seated Posture

In all settings, you must convey that you are comfortable in your own skin. A
confident, genuine self carries a certain sense of being comfortable. Presenting
with confidence would not qualify in the situation, but when done well, it helps
you carry the air of a successful person.
Everything about your presence in the room should convey that your focus in on
your audience, not on yourself. When we are sitting in a meeting, whether across
the desk from one person or at a boardroom table, our energy should be directed
across the table at other people. If you sit all the way back in your chair, you risk
being misperceived. As disengaged, bored, disinterested, or distracted.
If you feel any part of the back of the chair against your lower back, chances are
you are leaning back in the chair or slouching. If you slouch during a meeting,
you will get tired faster.
Try to keep your spine perfectly vertical. If you lean to one side because you are
resting your elbow on the side of the chair, you look less commanding and
professional. Keep in mind that these are not hard-and-fast rules, but rather
overall guidelines. It is not wrong to lean when you are sitting at a meeting; it just
does not look as when you sit up straight.

• Your Hands
Why keep your hands apart? As soon as your hands come together, they are
likely to engage in the fidgety behaviours that make us seem nervous. When we
are at a meeting, we all have a certain amount of energy. That energy will work
its way out of our bodies one way or another.
If you keep your hands apart, you will more inclined to use your hands to make a
demonstrative gesture that helps convey your point. We all gesture to some

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 21

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

extent, clearly some people more than others. Gesturing does not mean flailing
your hands around wildly. It means allowing your hands and your face to help tell
your story. When you are relaxing with your friends and family, you gesture
naturally. Bring that same you to the meeting/presentation and you will look and
sound more genuine and therefore more convincing.

• Your Face
Your face is a powerful tool for conveying how you feel about a topic. The entire
video conference industry exists because we all feel the power of being able to
see each other when we are meeting. Most content can be conveyed just as
effectively through an email. Nut we feel we get a better, more complete version
of someone’s opinion when we meet face-to-face. We can hear the message
coming from her lips, listen to the tone of his/her voice, and can see his/her
expression as he/she shares her ideas or reacts to ours. Yet, many of us can
appear stone-faced at a meeting, whether we are sharing an idea or listening to
someone else’s.
When presenting information face-to-face, one of the keys is to smile. It is
important from the perspective of an overall impression. When you meet with
someone, you should look like you want to meet with him. If the issue or news is
neutral or positive, your face should reflect that. A smile does not mean a big
goofy grin: it means look engaged. If you have to deliver bad news or the topic
you are discussing is awkward or uncomfortable, and smiling would seem
inappropriate, you should still look like you are glad to be present to help the
other person through a difficult time.

• Your Stance
There is an odd feeling about presenting to a large group of people. All eyes are
on you, and yet the presentation is not about you at all. So although your
listeners are looking at you, they care less about you and more about whether
you are going to meet their needs. To meet their needs you have to appear
confident in yourself and your ideas.
When you are standing in the front of a room, giving a presentation, whether you
are using notes or a projected visual such as PowerPoint, your stance conveys a
great deal about how you feel about yourself and your material. As with all body
language issues, your goal with your stance is to minimize the audience’s ability
to misperceive your intent.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 22

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

• Take a solid stance.

To project confidence to an audience, take a solid, but neutral stance. Place your
feet directly under your hips. If they are too close together, you will look tentative
or unsteady. If you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, you will risk being
perceived as too casual or too aggressive.
Keep your weight evenly balanced. Most of us prefer to put more weight on one
leg than the other. Unfortunately, after about 10 seconds, you will need to shift
your weight to the other leg. Soon you will be swaying back and forth in front of
the audience.
When you are standing, keep your hands apart. When you bring your hands
together, whether sitting or standing, you are likely to appear either more fidgety
or more closed off. In either case, you will diminish your presence. Your best bet
is to drop your hands by your side. It is a completely neutral posture that is hard
for your audience to misinterpret as too casual, too aggressive, too nervous, or
otherwise. Also, because it will feel ridiculously awkward to stand with your arms
just hanging by your sides, you will be more inclined to use your hands to gesture
naturally.

Creating Great First Impression Greetings in Customer Service

Great first impression greetings are
critical for service providers because of
a behavioural phenomenon called the
Primacy Effect. First impressions cause
people to interpret subsequent
behaviours in a way that is consistent
with the first impression. In other words,
what we see and hear after the first
impression gets filtered through
our initial impressions. People tend to form a positive, neutral, or negative image
of others during an introduction. The subsequent behaviours of that person is
seen through this first impression filter. If the first impressions are favourable,
people tend to be kinder in their future evaluations of that person.
To make a great first impression, here are 14 Tips for Great Greetings.

1. Smile
First of all, Smile. A smile is the universal language that opens doors,
communicates approachability, and sets the tone for what’s to come. It can also
help disarm the angriest of customers. People can hear a smile on the phone as
it changes the quality of the voice from flat sound, to lyrical, from hostile, to open.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 23

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

2. Eye Contact
Secondly, make good eye contact. It’s said that the eyes are the windows to the
soul. Make a stronger connection by looking at the eyes of the customer, not just
the face. Eye contact communicates that you’re focused, fully present, and ready
to help.

3. Voice
Third, use a warm, crisp tone of voice. Warmth conveys a friendly, helpful
demeanour. A crisp, articulate voice creates the perception of heightened
intelligence, responsibility, and capability.

4. Proper Grammar
It’s also important to use proper grammar. Use real words such as, Yes, instead
of Yeah or Yep; Aren’t instead of Ain’t. No instead of Nope or Nah. Also
eliminate non-words such as Um, Ya know, er, and slang words. Avoid using
double negatives. For instance, These books don’t never ship on time. Two
negatives in the same sentence, such as don’t and never, are unnecessary.
Instead, simply say, These books don’t ship on time.

5. Look Alert
Another tip is to look alert. Bring some energy into the greeting, especially if
you’re on the telephone. The equipment consumes some of your enunciation so
the phone requires an extra dose of energy. As in everything though, don’t
overdo it. Balance is peak performance.

6. Be Responsive
Be responsive to waiting customers. Work to continually reduce your response
time. Acknowledge waiting customers every 30-60 seconds on the telephone
with an estimated wait time, or every several minutes in person.

7. Handshake
Use a handshake if appropriate. Give a handshake— not a finger shake. You
can also make a stronger connection with the palms by spreading your fingers
slightly as you go into the shake. Firm, but not too hard. Don’t forget eye contact
and a smile too. Hi, my name is Paul, and you are? Keep your shoulders and
face square to the person, not at an angle. This communicates being fully
present, and is a subtle hallmark of professional behaviour.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 24

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

8. Hands in the Open

It’s also important to keep your hands in the open. Historically, people greeted
each other with open hands or a handshake to demonstrate that they weren’t
carrying a weapon. The spirit of the gesture is still appropriate today. Avoid
putting hands in pockets. It blocks messages of openness and trust. Also use a
modicum number of appropriate gestures to emphasize points while talking as it
helps create the appearance of enthusiasm and energy.

9. Grooming
Be impeccably groomed. Clean, well-pressed clothing is a must. Choose more
conservative styles. Also, avoid perfumes and aftershaves. Some people are
allergic to scents, or find them altogether offensive.

10. Posture
Another idea is to keep your posture erect. Avoid slouching while sitting or
standing. It communicates fatigue, lack of confidence, and even incompetence.
Also, walk upright with purpose and a bounce in your step. Customers appreciate
energetic, fully present service providers.
11. Name Tag
Identify yourself with a nametag and job title. Nametags communicate
professionalism and more importantly, that you’re not another customer! Make it
easy for customers to identify you. Consider people-greeters at the door if
appropriate. They welcome customers with a warm smile and greeting, hand out
gifts to children, or give out flyers on specials, coupons, or advice on where to
find items. You may also have exit greeters to thank customers for shopping.
Studies show that greeters also help reduce shoplifting.

12. Opening Words 1

Choose your opening words selectively. If you’re on the telephone, your greeting
may sound like this: Hello. This is Tim Meyers in Accounting. How may I help
you? Avoid lengthy openers. The customer wants help fast. State the name of
your organization and your name, or your department and your name. It will
depend on who’s first taking the call. Also, avoid saying Good morning or Good
afternoon unless you can remember to switch gears at noon!

Opening Words II
If you’re in retail, avoid approaching customers with the worn-out, May I help
you? It usually gets a No thanks. Just looking. Instead, greet customers with an
informal, Hello or Hi—welcome to the store! Introduce yourself and then let them
know that you’re there to assist if they need help. I’m here to help if you need it.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 25

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Is there something in particular that you’re looking for? Or, Enjoy the store. If you
have any questions I’ll be right over here. Make yourself available without being
a hound.

13. Balance Professionalism with Personalism

Another tip is to balance professionalism with “personalism.” Use the customer’s
name if you know it. If you don’t and it’s appropriate, feel free to ask for it. Asking
communicates that you’re interested in the customer as a person, not just a
transaction. As a general rule, start by using Mr. or Ms. and the last name. Some
customers resent being called by their first name. Use of first and last names will
depend upon your service environment and where you do business. When in
doubt, to be on the safe side—wait for customers to give you permission to use
their first name. In all transactions, there’s a time for professionalism and a time
to be personal. Let the customer set the pace.

14. Phone Courtesy

Lastly, pick up the phone within three rings. Surveys indicate that calls should be
picked up by the second ring. Waiting until the second ring gives customers a
chance to collect their thoughts. They also get annoyed by the fourth or fifth ring.
It communicates a lack of responsiveness from understaffed service providers.
[Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 26

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Telephone Etiquette

Proper telephone etiquette is very important in that you are representing your
department and company. Remembering to use proper telephone etiquette,
whether answering the phone or making phone calls, leaves callers with a
favourable impression of you, your department, and Lehigh in general. Following
are some helpful hints that will help to make your phone conversations more
effective.
A few key things to remember when it comes to phone etiquette:

• Using phrases such as "thank you" and "please" are essential in

displaying a professional atmosphere.
• Listen actively and listen to others without interrupting.
• Don't make people dread having to answer their phone or call your
department.

Preparing to make a telephone call

• Do not try to guess what the other person will say.

• Think about your objectives from the call any questions you need to ask or
things you need to say.

Answering Calls

• Try to answer the phone within three rings. Answering a phone too fast
can catch the caller off guard and waiting too long can make the caller
angry.
• Answer with a friendly greeting. (Example - "Good Afternoon Global
Institute of Studies, Academic, Lisa speaking, how may I help you?").
• Smile - it shows, even through the phone lines; speak in a pleasant tone of
voice - the caller will appreciate it.
• Ask the caller for their name, even if their name is not necessary for the
call. This shows you have taken an interest in them.
• If the caller has reached a wrong number, be courteous. Sometimes a
caller is transferred all over campus with a simple question and the caller
gets frustrated. If possible, take the time to find out where they should be
calling/to whom they should be speaking.
• Use the hold button when leaving a line so that the caller does not
accidentally overhear conversations being held nearby.
• When you are out of the office or away from your desk for more than a few
minutes, forward your phone to voicemail.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 27

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Making Calls

• When you call someone and they answer the phone, do not say "Who am
I speaking with?" without first identifying yourself: (Example - "This is Lisa
from GIS/Academic. To whom am I speaking?")
• Always know and state the purpose of the communication.
• When you reach a wrong number, don't argue with the person who
answered the call or keep them on the line. Say: "I'm sorry, I must have
the wrong number. Please excuse the interruption." And then hang up.
• If you told a person you would call at a certain time, call them as you
promised. If you need to delay the conversation, call to postpone it, but do
not make the other person wait around for your call.
• If you don't leave a number/message for someone to call you back, don't
become angry if they are not available when you call again.

Handling Rude or Impatient Callers

• Stay calm. Try to remain diplomatic and polite. Getting angry will only
make them angrier.
• Always show willingness to resolve the problem or conflict.
• Try to think like the caller. Remember, their problems and concerns are
important.
• If you are in a non-supervisory position: Offer to have your supervisor talk
to the caller or call him/her back if the caller persists.
• If you are supervisor: Be willing to handle irate callers. Speak slowly and
calmly. Be firm with your answers, but understanding. Sometimes the irate
caller just wants someone in a supervisory capacity to listen to their story
even if you are unable to help them.

Placing Calls on Hold

• When putting a caller on hold, always ask permission. Examples: "Would

you mind holding while I check?" or "Can you hold briefly while I see if Mr.
Ng is available?" When taking a caller off of hold, always thank them for
holding.
• Sometimes you may have other lines ringing too. Remember to write
down the names of callers holding so you avoid asking who the caller is
holding for more than once.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 28

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Transferring Calls

• If the caller needs to speak to another person or department, transfer the

caller directly to the desired person's extension rather than the operator.
This will save the caller having to explain his/her requests another time,
and it will cut the number of times the caller needs to be transferred.
• When transferring a caller, tell them who you are transferring them to, and
announce the caller to the person you are transferring them to.
• If the called party does not wish to take the call, return to the caller
(Example – “He/she is out of the office, may I take a message or would
you like his/her voicemail?")

Taking Messages

• Be prepared with pen and message slip when you answer the phone.
• When taking messages, be sure to ask for:
o Caller's name (asking the caller for correct spelling.)
o Caller's phone number and/or extension (including area code)
o If the caller is a student, ask for the Student ID# (if appropriate) and
ask what the call is in regard to.
• Repeat the message to the caller.
• Be sure to fill in the date, time, and your initials.
• Place the message slip in the called party's inbox or in a conspicuous
place in their office, such as their chair.
• Don't forget that you can transfer them to voice mail instead of taking a
paper message, but don't forget to ask, "Would you like me to transfer you
to his/her voicemail?" Do not assume that the caller would rather go to
voicemail. Always ask first.

Ending Conversations

There are several ways that you can end a long phone call without making up a
story or sounding rude:

• Leave the conversation open.

• Promise to finish your discussion at another time.
• End on an "up" note.
• Tell the person how much you've enjoyed speaking with him/her.
• Before hanging up, be sure that you have answered all the caller's
questions
• Always end with a pleasantry such as : "Have a nice day" or "It was nice
speaking with you"

As long as you are honest and polite with the other person, you shouldn't have
any problems getting off the phone and onto something else.
[Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 29

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Business English: Telephone Phrases and Etiquette

Do you have good telephone etiquette (or manners) at work? Do you know the
right thing to say when answering the phone in English? Do you get nervous
when you have to call a business and speak English?

Speaking on the phone and having proper business telephone etiquette in

English is something that takes practice. It is difficult to do because you can’t see
the person that is speaking. You have to train your ears to listen closely in
English to what the caller is saying or asking for. Below you will find many
common English phrases that are used when calling a business or answering a
business’s phone.

Answering the Phone:

• Good Morning, Thank you for calling ABC Company. How can I help you today?
• Good afternoon, this is Stephanie. How may I direct your call?
• Thank you for calling Peterson’s.
• Marketing Department. Evelyn Speaking. How may I help you this afternoon?

Asking for the Caller’s Name:

• Who’s calling?
• Can I get your name, please?

Introducing Yourself:
• This is Kelly Erickson from West Marketing.
• Hi, this Paloma from Tidy Cleaning Service.
• Hello, my name is Janet. I am one of your customers.

Asking to Speak with Someone:

• Is Paulo Rodriguez available?
• Can I speak to the head of the marketing department?
• Is Mary Smith there?
• I’d like to speak to the person in charge of the upcoming Gala.

Person Caller Wants to Talk to Someone that is Not Available:

• Mr. Berg is not taking calls right now. Can I take a message?
• I’m sorry, Ms. Thorsen is in a meeting until 10. Would you like to call back again
later?
• Jonathan is out today. Can I forward you to his voicemail?
• He’s with a patient right now. Would you like to hold?
• She’s on the phone now. Can I have her call you back later?

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 30

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Transferring/Connecting the Caller to Another Person:

• Please hold, while I connect you to him.
• I’ll put you through to Mr. Shapiro’s phone. If you get disconnected for some
reason his direct extension is 4562.
• I’m connecting you right now.

Problems:
• I’m sorry I can’t hear you. Could you speak a little louder?
• I’m sorry, I didn’t get that. Could you repeat yourself?
• Could you please spell that?
• I’m sorry, you have the wrong number.

Ending a call:
• Thank you for calling North Star Roofing. Have a great day.
• Thanks for calling, Mr. James. Is there anything else I can help you with today?
• Have a nice day.
• Be sure to contact me if you have any more problems.
• Don’t hesitate to call again.

The English phrases above should give you a few more ideas of how to have
proper business phone etiquette in English.

You can listen to these phrases at

[Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 31

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Business Presentations & Public Speaking in English

Introduction and
then clicking on the link at the foot of each page, or you can jump direct to the section
you want from the list of contents on each page.

1. Introduction
2. Preparation
3. Equipment
4. Delivery
5. Language
6. The Presentation
7. Review
8. Test

1. Introduction
All presentations have a common objective. People give presentations because
they want to communicate in order to:
• inform
• persuade
A successful presentation is one of the most effective ways of communicating
your message. And because English is so widely used in international business,
a working knowledge of the vocabulary and techniques used in an English
language presentation is a valuable asset.
We will start by exploring the importance of preparation. After that, we will
consider what equipment to use. Then we will look at how to "deliver" a
presentation. After delivery, we will examine the language of presentations,

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 32

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

before moving on to the presentation itself. Finally, we will conclude with a review
of what we have covered. Afterwards, you will be invited to take a test and ask
questions.

2. Preparation
Can you name the 3 most important things when giving any presentation?
Number 1 is . . . Preparation
Number 2 is . . . Preparation!
Number 3 is . . . Preparation!!
Preparation is everything!
With good preparation and planning you will be totally confident and less
nervous. And your audience will feel your confidence. Your audience, too, will be
confident. They will be confident in you. And this will give you control. Control of
your audience and of your presentation. With control, you will be 'in charge' and
your audience will listen positively to your message.

Objective
Before you start to prepare a presentation, you should ask yourself: "Why am I
making this presentation?" Do you need to inform, to persuade, to train or to sell?
Your objective should be clear in your mind. If it is not clear in your mind, it
cannot possibly be clear to your audience.

Audience
"Who am I making this presentation to?" Sometimes this will be obvious, but not
always. You should try to inform yourself. How many people? Who are they?
Business people? Professional people? Political people? Experts or non-
experts? Will it be a small, intimate group of 4 colleagues or a large gathering of
400 competitors? How much do they know already and what will they expect
from you?

Venue
"Where am I making this presentation?" In a small hotel meeting-room or a large
conference hall? What facilities and equipment are available? What are the
seating arrangements?
Time and length

"When am I making this presentation and how long will it be?" Will it be 5 minutes
or 1 hour? Just before lunch, when your audience will be hungry, or just after
lunch, when your audience will be sleepy?

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 33

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Method
How should I make this presentation?" What approach should you use? Formal
or informal? Lots of visual aids or only a few? Will you include some anecdotes
and humour for variety?

Content
"What should I say?" Now you must decide exactly what you want to say. First,
you should brainstorm your ideas. You will no doubt discover many ideas that
you want to include in your presentation. But you must be selective. You should
include only information that is relevant to your audience and your objective. You
should exclude all other ideas. You also need to create a title for your
presentation (if you have not already been given a title). The title will help you to
focus on the subject. And you will prepare your visual aids, if you have decided to
use them. But remember, in general, less is better than more (a little is better
than a lot). You can always give additional information during the questions after
the presentation.

Structure
A well organised presentation with a clear structure is easier for the audience to
follow. It is therefore more effective. You should organise the points you wish to
make in a logical order. Most presentations are organised in three parts, followed
by questions:
Beginning Short introduction • Welcome your audience
• Introduce your subject
• Explain the structure of your
presentation
• Explain rules for questions

Middle Body of • Present the subject itself

presentation

End A short conclusion • Summarise your presentation

• Thank your audience
• Invite questions

Questions and Answers

Notes

When you give your presentation, you should be - or appear to be - as

spontaneous as possible. You should not read your presentation! You should be

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 34

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

so familiar with your subject and with the information that you want to deliver that
you do not need to read a text. Reading a text is boring! Reading a text will make
your audience go to sleep! So if you don't have a text to read, how can you
remember to say everything you need to say? With notes. You can create your
own system of notes. Some people make notes on small, A6 cards. Some people
write down just the title of each section of their talk. Some people write
down keywords to remind them. The notes will give you confidence, but because
you will have prepared your presentation fully, you may not even need them!

Body
The body is the 'real' presentation. If the introduction was well prepared and
delivered, you will now be 'in control'. You will be relaxed and confident.
The body should be well structured, divided up logically, with plenty of carefully
spaced visuals.
Remember these key points while delivering the body of your presentation:
• Do not hurry
• Be enthusiastic
• Give time on visuals
• Maintain eye contact
• Modulate your voice
• Look friendly
• Keep to your structure
• Use your notes
• Signpost throughout
• Remain polite when dealing with difficult questions

Conclusion
Use the conclusion to:
1. Sum up
2. (Give recommendations if appropriate)
3. Thank your audience
4. Invite questions

The following table shows examples of language for each of these functions. You
may need to modify the language as appropriate.
Function Possible language

1 Summing up • To conclude,...
• In conclusion,...

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 35

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

• Now, to sum up...

• So let me summarise/recap what I've said.
• Finally, may I remind you of some of the main
points we've considered.

2 Giving • In conclusion, my recommendations are...

recommendations • I therefore suggest/propose/recommend the
following strategy.

3 Thanking your • Many thanks for your attention.

audience • May I thank you all for being such an attentive
audience.

4 Inviting questions • Now I'll try to answer any questions you may
have.
• Can I answer any questions?
• Are there any questions?
• Do you have any questions?
• Are there any final questions?

Questions

Questions are a good opportunity for you to interact with your audience. It may
be helpful for you to try to predict what questions will be asked so that you can
prepare your response in advance. You may wish to accept questions at any
time during your presentation, or to keep a time for questions after your
presentation. Normally, it's your decision, and you should make it clear during the
introduction. Be polite with all questioners, even if they ask difficult questions.
They are showing interest in what you have to say and they deserve attention.
Sometimes you can reformulate a question. Or answer the question with another
question. Or even ask for comment from the rest of the audience.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 36

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Rehearsal

Rehearsal is a vital part of preparation. You should leave time to practise your
presentation two or three times. This will have the following benefits:
• you will become more familiar with what you want to say
• you will identify weaknesses in your presentation
• you will be able to practise difficult pronunciations
• you will be able to check the time that your presentation takes and make
any necessary modifications
So prepare, prepare, prepare! Prepare everything: words, visual aids, timing,
equipment. Rehearse your presentation several times and time it. Is it the right
length? Are you completely familiar with all your illustrations? Are they in the right
order? Do you know who the audience is? How many people? How will you
answer difficult questions? Do you know the room? Are you confident about the
equipment? When you have answered all these questions, you will be a
confident, enthusiastic presenter ready to communicate the subject of your
presentation to an eager audience.

3. Equipment
Easily your most important piece of equipment
is...YOU! Make sure you're in full working order, and
check your personal presentation carefully - if you don't,
your audience will!

The whiteboard (more rarely blackboard or greenboard)

is a useful device for spontaneous writing - as in
brainstorming, for example. For prepared material,
the OHP might be more suitable.

The duster is used for cleaning the whiteboard. It is essential that

the duster be clean to start with. You may consider carrying your
own duster just in case.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 37

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Markers are used for writing on the whiteboard (delible - you

can remove the ink) or flipchart (indelible - you cannot
remove the ink). They are usually available in blue, red, black
and green. Again, it's a good idea to carry a spare set of
markers in case you are given some used ones which do not write well.
The flipchart consists of several leaves of paper that you 'flip' or
turn over. Some people prefer the flipchart to the whiteboard,
but its use is limited to smaller presentations.

Transparencies are projected by an overhead projector or a slide

projector onto a screen - in this case a folding screen which can
be packed up and transported.

The notebook computer is increasingly being used to

display graphics during presentations. It is often used
in conjunction with an overhead projector, which
actually projects the image from the computer screen
onto the wall screen.

Handouts are any documents or samples that you 'hand

out' or distribute to your audience. Note that it is not usually
a good idea to distribute handouts before your
presentation. The audience will read the handouts instead
of listening to you.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 38

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

4. Delivery
'Delivery' refers to the way in which you actually deliver or perform or give your
presentation. Delivery is a vital aspect of all presentations. Delivery is at least as
important as content, especially in a multi-cultural context.
Nerves
Most speakers are a little nervous at the beginning of a presentation. So it is
normal if you are nervous. The answer is to pay special attention to the beginning
of your presentation. First impressions count. This is the time when you establish
a rapport with your audience. During this time, try to speak slowly and calmly.
You should perhaps learn your introduction by heart. After a few moments, you
will relax and gain confidence.

Audience Rapport
You need to build a warm and friendly relationship with your audience.
Enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic your audience will be
enthusiastic too. And be careful to establish eye contact with each member of
your audience. Each person should feel that you are speaking directly to him or
her. This means that you must look at each person in turn - in as natural a way
as possible. This will also give you the opportunity to detect signs of boredom,
disinterest or even disagreement, allowing you to modify your presentation as
appropriate.
Your objective is to communicate!
Body Language

What you do not say is at least as important as what you do say. Your body is
speaking to your audience even before you open your mouth. Your clothes, your
walk, your glasses, your haircut, your expression - it is from these that your
audience forms its first impression as you enter the room. Generally speaking, it
is better to stand rather than sit when making a presentation. Be aware of and
avoid any repetitive and irritating gestures. Be aware, too, that the movement of
your body is one of your methods of control. When you move to or from the
whiteboard, for example, you can move fast or slowly, raising or reducing the
dynamism within the audience. You can stand very still while talking or you can
stroll from side to side. What effect do you think these two different approaches
would have on an audience?

Cultural Considerations
Because English is so widely used around the world, it is quite possible that
many members of your audience will not be native English-speakers. In other
words, they will not have an Anglo-Saxon culture. Even within the Anglo-Saxon

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 39

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

world, there are many differences in culture. If we hypothetically imagine a

German working for an Israeli company making a presentation in English to a
Japanese audience in Korea, we can see that there are even more possibilities
for cultural misunderstanding. You should try to learn about any particular cultural
matters that may affect your audience. This is one reason why preparation for
your presentation is so important. Cultural differences can also be seen in body
language, which we have just discussed. To a Latin from Southern France or
Italy, a presenter who uses his hands and arms when speaking may seem
dynamic and friendly. To an Englishman, the same presenter may seem unsure
of his words and lacking in self-confidence.

Voice quality
It is, of course, important that your audience be able to hear you clearly
throughout your presentation. Remember that if you turn away from your
audience, for example towards the whiteboard, you need to speak a little more
loudly. In general, you should try to vary your voice. Your voice will then be more
interesting for your audience. You can vary your voice in at least three ways:
• Speed: you can speak at normal speed, you can speak faster, you can
speak more slowly - and you can stop completely! You can pause. This is
a very good technique for gaining your audience's attention.
• Intonation: you can change the pitch of your voice. You can speak in a
high tone. You can speak in a low tone.
• Volume: you can speak at normal volume, you can speak loudly and you
can speak quietly. Lowering your voice and speaking quietly can again
attract your audience's interest.
The important point is not to speak in the same, flat, monotonous voice
throughout your presentation - this is the voice that hypnotists use to put their
patients' into trance!

Visual aids
Of all the information that enters our brains, the vast majority of it enters through
the eyes. 80% of what your audience learn during your presentation is learned
visually (what they see) and only 20% is learned aurally (what they hear). The
significance of this is obvious:
• visual aids are an extremely effective means of communication
• non-native English speakers need not worry so much about spoken
English - they can rely more heavily on visual aids
It is well worth spending time in the creation of good visual aids. But it is equally
important not to overload your audience's brains. Keep the information on each
visual aid to a minimum - and give your audience time to look at and absorb this

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 40

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

information. Remember, your audience has never seen these visual aids before.
They need time to study and to understand them. Without understanding there is
no communication.

Apart from photographs and drawings, some of the most useful visual aids are
charts and graphs, like the 3-dimensional ones shown here:

Audience Reaction
Remain calm and polite if you receive difficult or even hostile questions during
your presentation. If you receive particularly awkward questions, you might
suggest that the questioners ask their questions after your presentation.
Language
Say what you are going to say,

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 41

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Signposting

When you drive on the roads, you know where you are on
those roads. Each road has a name or number. Each town has
a name. And each house has a number. If you are at house
#100, you can go back to #50 or forward to #150. You can look
at the signposts for directions. And you can look at your atlas for the structure of
the roads in detail. In other words, it is easy to navigate the roads. You cannot
get lost. But when you give a presentation, how can your audience know where
they are? How can they know the structure of your presentation? How can they
know what is coming next? They know because you tell them. Because you put
up signposts for them, at the beginning and all along the route. This technique is
called 'signposting' (or 'signalling').

The table below lists useful expressions that you can use to signpost the various
parts of your presentation.

Signposting

Function Language

Introducing the • I'd like to start by...

subject • Let's begin by...
• First of all, I'll...
• Starting with...
• I'll begin by...

Finishing one • Well, I've told you about...

subject... • That's all I have to say about...
• We've looked at...
• So much for...

...and starting • Now we'll move on to...

another • Let me turn now to...
• Next...
• Turning to...
• I'd like now to discuss...
• Let's look now at...

Analysing a point • Where does that lead us?

and giving • Let's consider this in more detail...

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 42

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

recommendations • What does this mean for ABC?

• Translated into real terms...

Giving an • For example,...

example • A good example of this is...
• As an illustration,...
• To give you an example,...
• To illustrate this point...

Dealing with • We'll be examining this point in more detail later on...
questions • I'd like to deal with this question later, if I may...
• I'll come back to this question later in my talk...
• Perhaps you'd like to raise this point at the end...
• I won't comment on this now...

Summarising and • In conclusion,...

concluding • Right, let's sum up, shall we?
• I'd like now to recap...
• Let's summarise briefly what we've looked at...
• Finally, let me remind you of some of the issues
we've covered...
• If I can just sum up the main points...

Ordering • Firstly...secondly...thirdly...lastly...
• First of all...then...next...after that...finally...
• To start with...later...to finish up...

Resources: [Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 43

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

TOPIC 4

BUSINESS LETTERS

o Letters
o Memo
o Report
o Email

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 44

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Written Document

You can take three very specific steps that will allow you to write better. First,
challenge every word you use and get rid of the clutter. Then, when you have
only the words you need, make sure they are the best words you can use to
convey your idea. This means using strong verbs. Finally, look at whether you
have made clear who is accountable for the action in the sentence. You will
accomplish this by putting the actor in the right place in the sentence based on
your objective. After these three steps, there are some miscellaneous points to
address.

REMEMBER: the longer your document, the less likely it is to be read. Keep it
short so that people read your ideas and act on them. That is how you have an
impact.

GET RID OF CLUTTER

What is clutter? Clutter is the stuff that gets in the way. Whether in our living
rooms, our family relationships, or our writing, clutter is what keeps us from
moving smoothly through life. We all have stuff that has been sitting on our
kitchen counter for years that we only touch to move out of the way when we are
cleaning.
The same is true of our writing. The clutter gets in the way of our ability to have
an impact.
When you write in a professional context, you write to get something done. You
want people to either know something or do something based on your writing.
Challenge every word in your document. A word should be in your document only
to convey either content or tone.

Eliminate “Zero” Word

Zero words add no value to a sentence. If you pluck these words out of a
sentence, you do not lose any meaning.
Here is an example. Almost any time someone begins a sentence with,
“Currently,” he/she is going to use zero word.
Currently, we have 40 staff members.
We have 40 staff members
These two sentences convey exactly the same idea. “Currently,” is unnecessary.
If you are using “currently” to distinguish the change in the firm’s size before the
downsizing or the hiring initiative you are about to announce, the word has
relevance. However, most of the time, it is a zero word.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 45

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Cut Wordy Expressions

Sometimes we take five or six words to convey what we could say in one or two
words. Unlike zero words, with wordy expressions, there may not be a particular
word that we can delete from the sentence.

Wordy Better
Due to the fact that … Because …
All men and women should Everyone should …
…
At the conclusion of this After this talk…
talk…

You are not going to shorten your document tremendously by swapping “after”
for “at the conclusion of…” But, if you have zero words and wordy expressions in
every sentence, you can shrink the volume of your writing just by getting rid of
the stuff that does not add any value.
Remember, your goal as a writer is to make it effortless for your reader to
understand your ideas. Effortless means the reader should be able to read
across the line and down the page without stopping. Any time the reader has to
back up and read a sentence or refer back to an earlier point in your paragraph
or document, the reader is working too hard.

PERSONAL PRONOUNS
Your documents should sound like they are written by one human being to
another, not generated by a computer to a nameless audience. For lawyers
writing contracts, referring to the parties as “Buyer” and “Seller” is necessary and
efficient. But in a cover letter to a client, referring to yourself as “Smiths & Jones
Partners” is unnecessarily formal. Some people believe using personal pronouns
in business writing is somehow less dignified or official.
Because your writing should be focused less on yourself and more on the other
person, there should be far more “you” than “I” in your writing. If you review your
document and find a lot of sentences beginning with “I”. Chances are you are
making the document more about yourself than about the audience.

WRITE SHORT SENTENCES

Aim for a maximum of 17 words per sentence. Once a sentence exceeds that
length, it becomes hard for our brains to process the information. Your reader will
likely need to read the sentence at least twice to understand the content.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 46

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Many reports and emails include a short clause followed by a colon and then a
list of bullet points, often clauses themselves. Technically, the clause and list
together are all one sentence. However, the punctuation and spacing isolate the
ideas for our brain, and therefore accomplish the same effect as writing shorter
sentences. Using lists of bullet points has the same effect as writing shorter
sentences and is helpful to your reader.
With regard to bullet points, remember the concept of “parallel construction.” All
of the bullets should have the same structure. If the reader reads the introductory
clause and then any one bullet in the list, in many cases, she will be reading a
complete, grammatically correct sentence.

In order to complete the project on time, we must:

• Order copies of files on Monday.
• Review the files by the end of next week.
• Discuss the issue with the client.
• Create a reasonable timeline.
Each bullet point starts with a verb. Each bullet is written to encourage action and
accountability. You can read the introductory clause, then drop down to any one
bullet and you have a complete sentence.

VARY YOUR SENTENCE LENGTH

In your writing, variety in the length of your sentences has the same effect. You
will need to write some long sentences. Sometimes we have to share complex
thoughts. In that case, write a long sentence, but two or three long sentences in a
row become burdensome for the reader. If it takes you 20 words to convey your
thought, so be it. Just make sure the next sentence is less than 10 words.

DO NOT OVERWHELM THE READER

Keep the paragraph to a quarter of the page at most; anything longer is visually
intimidating. Think about when you are reading a document. When you turn the
page and see a long, dense paragraph, how do you react?

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 47

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

E-mail

STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

Think about how your audience thinks about the information you are about to
share.

1. Effective Subject Line

You work at Alpha. You just got off the phone with your client, Beta, about a
need, it has in its compliance division. You respond the next day attaching
your proposal. Which of the following headings in the subject line of the email
best helps the people tat Beta know what they are about to read?
Thanks for your time
Follow-up to yesterday’s call
Alpha Proposal
Alpha Proposal for Compliance Division
The fourth option provides the most context and is framed from the reader’s
perspective. All of the communication with them is about Beta, so you do not
need to put Beta in the title of your email. You can name the proposal itself
Alpha Proposal for Beta Compliance Division. This will help you find it on
your own network too.
2. Body of the email
You have to start somewhere. Using someone’s name is a completely
appropriate way to start an email. How formal or casual you should be will
depend on the context and on how well you know the person.
What if you are writing to more than one person? The general rule of the
thumb is to name everyone if you are writing to one, two, or three people.
After that, you may use more general, “Hello all,” or name the team to whom
you are writing to.

Writing Effective Emails

Getting People to Read and Act on Your Messages

Email is a widely used tool for business communications, but a 2013 survey by
Sendmail, Inc., found that it has caused tension, confusion, or other negative
consequences for 64 percent of working professionals.
So, how can you avoid your emails doing this? And how can you write emails
that get the results you want? This article looks at strategies you can use to
ensure that your use of email is clear, effective, and successful.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 48

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Writing Effective Emails

The average office worker receives around 80 emails each day. With that
volume of mail, individual messages can easily get overlooked. Follow these
simple rules to get your emails noticed and acted upon.
1. Don't overcommunicate by email.
2. Make good use of subject lines.
3. Keep messages clear and brief.
4. Be polite.
5. Check your tone.
6. Proofread.

1. Don't Overcommunicate by Email

One of the biggest sources of stress at work is the sheer volume of emails that
people receive. So, before you begin writing an email, ask yourself: "Is this really
necessary?"
As part of this, you should use the phone or IM to deal with questions that are
likely to need some back-and-forth discussion.

Also, email is not as secure as you might want it to be, particularly as people may
forward emails without thinking to delete the conversation history. So avoid
sharing sensitive or personal information in an email, and don't write about
anything that you, or the subject of your email, wouldn't like to see plastered on a
billboard by your office.
Whenever possible, deliver bad news in person. This helps you to
communicate with empathy, compassion, and understanding, and to make
amends if your message has been taken the wrong way.

2. Make Good Use of Subject Lines

A newspaper headline has two functions: it grabs your attention, and it
summarizes the article, so that you can decide whether to read it or not. The
subject line of your email message should do the same thing.
A blank subject line is more likely to be overlooked or rejected as "spam," so
always use a few well-chosen words to tell the recipient what the email is about.
You may want to include the date in the subject line if your message is one of a
regular series of emails, such as a weekly project report. For a message that

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 49

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

needs a response, you might also want to include a call to action, such as
"Please reply by November 7."
A well-written subject line like the one below delivers the most important
information, without the recipient even having to open the email. This serves as a
prompt that reminds recipients about your meeting every time they glance at their
inbox.

Bad Example Good Example

Subject: Meeting Subject: PASS Process Meeting - 10

a.m. February 25, 2014

If you have a very short message to convey, and you can fit the whole thing into
the subject line, use "EOM" (End of Message) to let recipients know that they
don't need to open the email to get all the information that they need.

Example

Subject: Could you please send the February sales report? Thanks! EOM

(Of course, this is only useful if recipients know what "EOM" means.)

3. Keep Messages Clear and Brief

Emails, like traditional business letters, need to be clear and concise. Keep your
sentences short and to the point. The body of the email should be direct and
informative, and it should contain all pertinent information.
Unlike traditional letters, however, it costs no more to send several emails than it
does to send just one. So, if you need to communicate with someone about a
number of different topics, consider writing a separate email for each one. This
makes your message clearer, and it allows your correspondent to reply to one
topic at a time.

Bad Example Good Example

Subject: Revisions For Sales Report Subject: Revisions For Sales Report
Hi Jackie, Hi Jackie,
Thanks for sending that report last Thanks for sending that report last
week. I read it yesterday, and I feel week. I read it yesterday, and I feel
that Chapter 2 needs more specific that Chapter 2 needs more specific

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 50

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Bad Example Good Example

information about our sales figures. I information about our sales figures.
also felt that the tone could be more
formal. I also felt that the tone could be
more formal.
Also, I wanted to let you know that
I've scheduled a meeting with the Could you amend it with these
PR department for this Friday comments in mind?
regarding the new ad campaign. It's Thanks for your hard work on this!
at 11:00 a.m. and will be in the small
conference room. Monica
Please let me know if you can make (Monica then follows this up with a
that time. separate email about the PR
department meeting.)
Thanks!
Monica

It's important to find a580 balance here. You don't want to bombard someone
with emails, and it makes sense to combine several, related, points into one
email. When this happens, keep things simple with numbered paragraphs or
bullet points, and consider "chunking" information into small, well-organized
units to make it easier to digest.
Notice, too, that in the good example above, Monica specified what she wanted
Jackie to do (in this case, amend the report). If you make it easy for people to
see what you want, there's a better chance that they will give you this.

4. Be Polite
People often think that emails can be less formal than traditional letters. But the
messages you send are a reflection of your own professionalism , values, and
attention to detail, so a certain level of formality is needed.
Unless you're on good terms with someone, avoid informal language,
slang, jargon, and inappropriate abbreviations. Emoticons can be useful for
clarifying your intent, but it's best to use them only with people you know well.
Close your message with "Regards," "Yours sincerely," or "All the best,"
depending on the situation.
Recipients may decide to print emails and share them with others, so always be
polite.

5. Check the Tone

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 51

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

When we meet people face-to-face, we use the other person's body language ,
vocal tone, and facial expressions to assess how they feel. Email robs us of
this information, and this means that we can't tell when people have
misunderstood our messages.
Your choice of words, sentence length, punctuation, and capitalization can easily
be misinterpreted without visual and auditory cues. In the first example below,
Emma might think that Harry is frustrated or angry, but, in reality, he feels fine.

Bad Example Good Example

Emma, Hi Emma,
I need your report by 5 p.m. today or Thanks for all your hard work on that
I'll miss my deadline. report. Could you please get your
version over to me by 5 p.m., so I
Harry don't miss my deadline?
Thanks so much!
Harry

Think about how your email "feels" emotionally. If your intentions or emotions
could be misunderstood, find a less ambiguous way to phrase your words.

6. Proofreading
Finally, before you hit "send," take a moment to review your email for spelling,
grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Your email messages are as much a part of
your professional image as the clothes you wear, so it looks bad to send out a
message that contains typos.
As you proofread, pay careful attention to the length of your email. People are
more likely to read short, concise emails than long, rambling ones, so make sure
that your emails are as short as possible, without excluding necessary
information.

Key Points

Most of us spend a significant portion of our day reading and composing emails.
But the messages we send can be confusing to others.

To write effective emails, first ask yourself if you should be using email at all.
Sometimes, it might be better to pick up the phone.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 52

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Make your emails concise and to the point. Send them ONLY to the people who
really need to see them, and be clear about what you would like the recipient to
do next.

Remember that your emails are a reflection of your professionalism, values, and
attention to detail. Try to imagine how others might interpret the tone of your
message. Be polite, and always proofread what you have written before you click
"send."

[Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 53

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

The Business Memo

The memorandum, usually called a memo, is a common form of internal communication
in business and academia. Memos have many purposes, including informing employees,
giving directions, outlining procedures, requesting data, supplying responses, and
confirming decisions. But essentially there are three basic reasons to write a memo:
• To persuade to action (we should do this)
• To issue a directive (do this)
• To provide a report (here’s what was done, or here’s what we found out)

Every good memo includes:

• A clear statement of purpose, stated upfront: I am writing because . . .
• Information about what the reader needs to know: The facts are . . .
• Statement of any action requested, ordered, or undertaken: I will, or I propose
that you . . .

General points to remember

1. Audience: Write for your audience and give them what they need: What is their
education, background, company status? What do they need to know to
understand and act upon your memo?
2. Informative subject line: Be upfront as to what the memo is about.
3. Length: A memo is usually no more than one page long.
4. Coherent: Keep the memo structure simple and logical. The memo should focus
on communicating about one problem or issue, and each paragraph in the memo
should focus on one idea.
5. Concise: Check for needless words. Keep the memo to one page or less, and
use attachments or separate summaries for additional information.
6. Common language: Use accessible language, favouring clear, direct, simple
words over the showy and fancy. Be specific, not general; concrete, not abstract.
7. Factual Tone: Use a neutral or positive tone where applicable; avoid emotionally-
charged words. Strive for a professional, ‘business-like’ voice.
8. Formatting: Follow standard guidelines for hard-copy memos.
• Use an easy-to-read 12-point font.
• Margins should be 1 inch all around (some memos use 1.25 inch
margins), left justified.
• Leave a 1.5 inch margin at the top (unless using letterhead), and type the
word MEMORANDUM, bolded and centred on the first line. Double-space
to begin the memo.
• Paragraphs are block-style (first line not indented) and single spaced.
• Don't use an opening salutation or a complementary close.
• Don't sign a memo at the bottom. Add your initials beside your name in
the heading. This indicates that you have read and approved the memo.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 54

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Standard Memo Format: Heading, Opening, Body, and Closing

HEADING: The heading follows this general format (double-spaced):

To: (readers’ names and job titles)

From: (your name and job title, and your hand-written initials next to your name)
Date: (complete, current date)
Subject: (what the memo is about, the main idea of the memo summarized)

The subject line serves a similar function as a title to an essay: it should tell your reader
what you’re writing about in clear terms and in few words. For example, "Clothes" could
mean anything from ties and jackets are required in the workplace to the institution of
causal Friday. If the subject line reads, “Office Party Dress Code,” the subject is clear.

OPENING: The opening segment of the memo makes the purpose of the memo clear.
The first sentence or two functions much like the thesis statement of an essay, stating
the main point and purpose of the memo, and what you want the readers to know or act
upon. The opening should be brief, the length of a short paragraph. Use language and
key words that alert reader to your subject and purpose. For example, “In response to
your request for suggestions about X, I propose….” Or,
“After investigating X, I suggest that the company do Z….”.

BODY: The body of the memo, like the body of an essay, develops the main point stated
in the opening. It includes information about the event, circumstance, or problem being
addressed. It also provides justification for actions or policies undertaken, requested, or
recommended.

Organize material in the body logically, usually in two to four short paragraphs. You
might present your information in order of importance (most to least important) or by
enumerating items (first, second, third). Also consider using graphic devices such as
bulleted lists, headings, columns, bolded text, white space and other methods that make
the information easy to scan and comprehend. Putting important points or details into
lists rather than paragraphs draws the readers' attention to the section and helps the
audience remember the information better.

Each paragraph within the body of the memo should be short, no more than eight or so
printed lines, and it should focus on a single idea expressed in a main sentence. This
sentence functions as a topic sentence expressing the primary idea of the paragraph. It
usually appears at or near the beginning of the paragraph, to state the main idea upfront;
but it may appear in the middle of the paragraph, as a pivot point; or at the end, as the
conclusion toward which every idea in the paragraph leads. Indeed, every sentence in
the paragraph must support the main idea sentence. These supporting sentences will
present supporting information that illustrates, explains or otherwise strengthens the
main idea.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 55

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

When you include supporting information from a source, use language cues that tell your
reader you are referring to source information: e.g. “According to my investigations,” or
“Market research completed by the Orion firm has found that. . . ”. This is called using a
signal phrase to introduce your supporting evidence and attribute it to its source.

SUMMARY (OPTIONAL SEGMENT): If your memo is longer than one page, you may
include a summary that recaps your key points and recommendations. Short memos do
not require a summary, just a Closing (see below).

CLOSING: The closing segment should be a brief, courteous ending to your memo. It
usually presents information about actions taken or requested, relevant dates and
deadlines. If no action is requested, it may offer instead a simple closing thought.
Examples: “I would be glad to meet with you about this on . . . .” ; “Thank you for your
attention to this matter.” ; “Please review this information and respond to me by . . . .”.

ATTACHMENTS: If you attach any documents, lists, graphs, tables, etc. to your memo,
add a notation at the end of the memo about what is attached, placed below the closing.
Any attached materials should also be referred to in the body of the memo.

Sources and resources:

[Link]
Guffey, Mary Ellen, Business Communication: Process and Product 6th ed.
The OWL at Purdue: Memo Writing:
Love to Know: Business and Finance

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 56

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN EMPORIUM

MEMORANDUM
TO: All Staff
FROM: Management T.C.
DATE: November 9th, 2015
SUBJECT: STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY

It's that time of year again. As you all know, Christmas is our busiest
season of the year. Every year it is a struggle for management and
supervisors to find the time and energy to organize a staff Christmas
party. This year, we have decided to postpone the Christmas party until
after our busy season.
Party Details
• Date: Second or third Saturday in January (T.B.A)
• Theme: Beach
• Food: Caribbean
• Special events: Karaoke and belly dancing
We apologize that the celebration will have to wait until the new year, but
we guarantee that it will be worth the wait. Anyone interested in
volunteering to help out with the event is encouraged to call Lucy, our
events coordinator. Lucy's cell phone number is 222-3098. Please
contact Lucy outside of business hours regarding this matter.
Thank you.
T.C.

Some useful vocabulary: struggle, postpone, T.B.A., apologize, guarantee,

encouraged, coordinator, regarding

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 57

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Business Letters in English

Who writes Business Letters?

Most people who have an occupation have to write business letters. Some write
many letters each day and others only write a few letters over the course of a
career. Business people also read letters on a daily basis. Letters are
written from a person/group, known as the sender to a person/group, known in
business as the recipient. Here are some examples of senders and recipients:
• business «» business
• business «» consumer
• job applicant «» company
• citizen «» government official
• employer «» employee
• staff member «» staff member

Why write Business Letters?

There are many reasons why you may need to write business letters or other
correspondence:
• 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

Writing a Business Letter

The term "business letter" makes people nervous. Many people with English as a
second language worry that their writing is not advanced enough for business
writing. This is not the case. 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.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 58

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Salutation
First and foremost, make sure that you spell the recipient's name correctly. You
should also confirm the gender and proper title. Use Ms. for women and Mr. for
men. Use Mrs. if you are 100% sure that a woman is married. Under less formal
circumstances or after a long period of correspondence it may be acceptable to
address a person by his or her first name. When you don't know the name of a
person and cannot find this information out you may write, "To Whom It May
Concern". It is standard to use a comma (colon in North America) after the
salutation. It is also possible to use no punctuation mark at all. Here are some
common ways to address the recipient:
• Dear Mr Powell,
• Dear Ms Mackenzie,
• Dear Frederick Hanson:
• Dear Editor-in-Chief:
• Dear Valued Customer
• Dear Sir or Madam:
• Dear Madam
• Dear Sir,
• Dear Sirs
• Gentlemen:

First paragraph
In most types of business letter it is common to use a friendly greeting in the first
sentence of the letter. Here are some examples:
• I hope you are enjoying a fine summer.
• Thank you for your kind letter of January 5th.
• I came across an ad for your company in The Star today.
• It was a pleasure meeting you at the conference this month.
• I appreciate your patience in waiting for a response.
After your short opening, state the main point of your letter in one or two
sentences:
• I'm writing to enquire about...
• I'm interested in the job opening posted on your company website.
• We'd like to invite you to a members only luncheon on April 5th.

Second and third paragraphs

Use a few short paragraphs to go into greater detail about your main point. If one
paragraph is all you need, don't write an extra paragraph just to make your letter
look longer. If you are including sensitive material, such as rejecting an offer or
informing an employee of a layoff period, embed this sentence in the second

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 59

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

paragraph rather than opening with it. Here are some common ways to express
unpleasant facts:
• We regret to inform you...
• It is with great sadness that we...
• After careful consideration we have decided...

Final paragraph
Your last paragraph should include requests, reminders, and notes on
enclosures. If necessary, your contact information should also be in this
paragraph. Here are some common phrases used when closing a business
letter:
• I look forward to...
• Please respond at your earliest convenience.
• I should also remind you that the next board meeting is on February 5th.
• For further details...
• If you require more information...
• Thank you for taking this into consideration.
• I appreciate any feedback you may have.
• Enclosed you will find...
• Feel free to contact me by phone or email.

Closing
Here are some common ways to close a letter. Use a comma between the
closing and your handwritten name (or typed in an email). If you do not use a
comma or colon in your salutation, leave out the comma after the closing phrase:
• Yours truly,
• Yours sincerely,
• Sincerely,
• Sincerely yours
• Thank you,
• Best wishes
• All the best,
• Best of luck
• Warm regards,

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 60

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Sample Business Letters

Here is a selection of sample business letters and other correspondence that you
can copy and modify as you wish.

Letter Requesting Information

How to ask somebody to send you information.

Dreamtime Movies Universal Ltd

54 Oxford Road, Skagnes SK3 4RG
Tel: 0223 123 4567 Fax: 0223 765 4321
Email: info@[Link]

Date

Lingua Services Galactic Ltd

69 Milk Street
LONDON SW7 6AW

Dear Sirs
Translation Brochure
I should be grateful if you would send us your brochure and price list about your
translation services.

We are currently developing our sales literature and web sites and are interested
in translating these into five languages apart from English.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully
Andrea Philips
Andrea Philips
Marketing Manager

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 61

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Letter Sending Information

What to say when you send information.

Lingua Services Galactic Ltd

69 Milk Street, LONDON SW7 6AW, UK
Tel: +44 20 123 4567 Fax: +44 20 765 4321
Email: info@[Link]

Date

Ms Andrea Philips
Dreamtime Movies Universal Ltd
54 Oxford Road
Skagnes
SK3 4RG

Dear Ms Philips
Translation Services & Fees
Thank you for your letter of 22 January enquiring about our translation services.
Lingua Services Galactic offer a full range of translation services to help you in
the development of sales literature and web sites. I have pleasure in enclosing
our latest brochures and price list from which you can see that our prices are
highly competitive.

I look forward to calling you in a few days.

Yours sincerely
James Brown
James T Brown
Sales Manager
Enc: 3

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 62

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Letter Changing Information

When a person or company changes important information, such as an address,
price, or date, it is necessary to send valued customers a letter with the new
information.

Symphony of Sound
12 Main Street, Arrington, Tennessee, 37014
Tel: (615) 395-8765

November 21st, 20--

Alicia Hathoway
14 Sparks Rd
Arrington, Tennessee, 37014

Dear Ms. Hathoway:

Forthcoming Price Change
Season tickets for this year's symphony are going on sale next month and we
wanted you to be among the first to know.

Due to our increase in rent at the Arrington Forum, we are finding it necessary to
raise the price of our season tickets from $228 to $275. Single viewing tickets will
also be subject to a price increase.

We hope that you will consider purchasing season tickets for next year despite
this change. Without your support the Arrington Symphony could be forced into
retirement before its 25th anniversary.

To purchase tickets for the 20-- season, please visit our website at
[Link], or call the ticket agent representative at (615) 395-
8750.

We look forward to having you in our audience again next year.

Yours truly,
Colin Fairchild
Colin Fairchild
Promotional Director

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 63

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Resume or CV
A resume (AmE) or CV (BrE) is usually requested by a prospective employer as
a record of your qualifications and professional experience. CV stands for the
Latin words "curriculum vitae", meaning "the course of one's life".

Resume/CV
Thomas Crown

17 King's Terrace, Richmond, Surrey, UK

Tel: +44 181 123 456 Email: tc@[Link]
Objective Seeking an International Sales Management position in Information
Technology where my extensive sales experience will be used to the full
Experience 2003-present Intelel Inc. London, UK
Senior Sales Representative
• Increased sales by 300% annually.
• Closed deals with 100 major new accounts.
• Won over 25 competitor clients - adding £50 million to revenue.
1996-99 ESS Holdings Cambridge, UK
Sales Representative
• Increased sales by 300% annually.
• Awarded company's top sales award each year.
• Developed 'Winning Presentations' training course.
Education 1992-96 London University London, UK
• BA, Business Administration & Information Systems
• Captain of University Rugby Club
1988-92 St Andrew's School Plymouth, UK
• 4 GCE 'A' Levels
• President of school's Drama Society
Achievements Champion of Varsity President’s Cup Debates
Head of Entrepreneurs Club
Skills Language Written Spoken
English Excellent Excellent
Malay Fair Fair

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 64

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Letter of Reference
Companies and other organizations often ask for a letter of reference. This is a
character reference written by someone such as an ex-employer who knows the
subject personally.

A.N.Y. Company Ltd

69 Any Street, Anyville, Anystate
Tel: 0123456789

Date

To Whom It May Concern:

Reference for Mr James Blond
James Blond joined the A.N.Y. Company in July 1998. Since then he has
proved to be a most reliable and effective member of the sales team.

James is professional and efficient in his approach to work and very well-liked
by his colleagues and executive clients. He is well-presented and able to work
both independently and as part of a team.

His contribution to all areas of company activity in which he has been involved
have been much appreciated.

I believe that James will make a valuable addition to any organization that he
may join. We deeply regret his decision to move on and I recommend him
without hesitation.

I would gladly answer any request for further information.

Sincerely,
Penny Farthing
Penny Farthing
Managing Director
[Link]@[Link]

Some useful vocabulary: approach, attitude, conscientious, contribution, dependable, effective,

efficient, hard-working, highly-skilled, initiative, professional, punctual, reliable, respected,
supportive, versatile, well-liked

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 65

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Letter of Resignation
Though it is not necessary to give a reason, it is standard business procedure to
send written notice informing your employer that you are planning to quit your
job.
Lay-off Notice
Companies and other organizations are usually required by law to present a
written notice to employees informing them of a lay-off. This letter usually cites
reasons for the lay-off, and acts as a formal apology. Employee rights may be
included.
Letter of Invitation
It is often necessary in business to send an invitation to a person or group
requesting their attendance at a special event.
Letter of Request for Payment
Sometimes it is necessary to remind customers that they owe you money!
Internal Memo or Memorandum
Memos are sometimes used internally to inform an entire company or
department of something. This is an example of a memo referring to a staff
Christmas party.
Welcome Email
It is a common business practice to welcome new staff members to a company.
This is usually an informal note expressing best wishes and may contain contact
information. Companies may also send welcome letters to other companies that
move into a shared office building, or to visiting guest speakers and business
travelers.

[Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 66

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

TOPIC 5

INTERVIEW SKILLS

o Interview Techniques
o Cover Letter
o Resume/CV
o Grooming

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 67

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

A job interview is a process in which a potential employee is evaluated by an

employer for prospective employment in their company, organization, or firm.
During this process, the employer hopes to determine whether or not the
applicant is suitable for the job.

Preparing for Interviews

1. Research the company
2. Share examples of achievements
3. Describe the Situation, the Task, the Action you took and the Results of your
action.
4. Assemble relevant information beforehand
5. Re-read your resume and the job ad as a refresher.
6. Check yourself in a full-length mirror before the interview

Rehearsing for your Interview

1. Rehearse your answers out loud before the interview to test how well
prepared you are
2. Identify any gaps in your delivery and answering techniques
3. Rehearse with a real person. Your rehearsal partner can provide you with
feedback and constructive criticism which is vital to improving your chances
for success
4. Rehearsing will help you build your confidence and delivery technique
5. Rehearse multiple times until you feel your answers are flowing.

Researching the Company

1. Research the company and speak about what you know about the company
during interview
2. Use the internet, catalogues, and other sources of information to find out as
much as possible
3. Speak to people that works in the company to find more about out the culture
and working environment
4. Research the company (using published materials and contacts) so that you
are able to ask "intelligent questions".
5. Reflect the image of someone working within the company

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 68

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Dressing for the Interview

 Whether you're going for a blue collar job or a white collar job, a creative
role or a business role, there is one general rule when it comes to what to wear:
dress up.
 The general consensus amongst the recruiters is that dressing to impress
for that first job interview not only tells the interviewer you are serious about the
job but also that you're serious about yourself.
 Even in cases where the company culture allows casual dress every day
or where the role requires you to wear work denims, it's still a good idea to dress
in formal office gear for the initial job interview.
 For a white collar role, a crisp business suit and tie with formal shoes for
men and business suit with either skirt or pants for women is recommended.
Navy blue is always a good choice as it is business like and conservative.
 For a blue collar role in a less formal office environment, a crisp, clean
shirt/top and jacket with either trousers or pants for a woman or shirt and tie and
jacket for a guy with dress shoes and business socks is fine.
 As a general rule, take extra care with your appearance for a job interview.
Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed.
 Wear clothes that are comfortable so you are concentrating on what is
being asked of you
 Both women and men should go light on the fragrance and aftershave.
 If in doubt, do a full dress rehearsal before the interview and get a second
opinion from a friend or family member.

Arriving on Time
 Be on time! This means not only don't be late, but don't be too early, and
don't arrive with "baggage". 10 minutes early is good.
 Smile. Make eye contact and give a firm handshake.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 69

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Types of interviews
1. Behavioural Interview
2. Stress Interview
3. Phone Interview
4. Technical Interview
5. Group interviews
6. Panel Interview
7. Role Plays

Behavioural Interview
A common type of job interview in the modern workplace is the behavioural
interview or behavioural event interview, also called a competency-based
interview. This type of interview is based on the notion that a job candidate's
previous behaviours are the best indicators of future performance. In behavioural
interviews, the interviewer asks candidates to recall specific instances where
they were faced with a set of circumstances, and how they reacted.

Behavioural Interview Questions

• Tell me about a project you worked on where the requirements changed
midstream. What did you do?"
• "Tell me about a time when you took the lead on a project. What did you
do?"
• "Describe the worst project you worked on."
• "Describe a time you had to work with someone you didn't like."
• "Tell me about a time when you had to stick by a decision you had made,
even though it made you very unpopular."
• "Give us an example of something particularly innovative that you have
done that made a difference in the workplace."
• "What happened the last time you were late with a project?"
• "Have you ever witnessed a person doing something that you felt was
against company policy. What did you do and why?"
• Tell me about yourself

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 70

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Phone Interviews
Telephone Interviews take place if a recruiter wishes to dwindle down the
number of prospective candidates before deciding on a shortlist for face-to-face
interviews. They also take place if a job applicant is a significant distance away
from the premises of the hiring company such as abroad or in another state.

Stress Interview
Stress interviews are still in common use. One type of stress interview is where
the employer uses a succession of interviewers (one at a time or en masse)
whose mission is to intimidate the candidate and keep him/her off-balance. The
ostensible purpose of this interview: to find out how the candidate handles stress.
Stress interviews might involve testing an applicant's behaviour in a busy
environment. Questions about handling work overload, dealing with multiple
projects, and handling conflict are typical.

Technical Interview
This kind of interview focuses on problem solving and creativity. The questions
aim at your problem-solving skills and likely show your ability and creativity.
Sometimes these interviews will be on a computer module with multiple-choice
questions.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 71

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Body Language
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, consisting of body pose,
gestures, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals
subconsciously.

Some research has stated that human communication consists of 93% body
language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of
words themselves - however, other research assert that between 60 and 70
percent of all meaning is derived from nonverbal behaviour.

Body language may provide cues as to the attitude or state of mind of a person.
For example, it may indicate aggression, attentiveness, boredom, relaxed state,
pleasure, amusement, besides many other cues.
• Good Eye Contact
• Smile
• Open Body Language
• Don’t slouch
• Don’t be too erect
• Make sure your eyes sparkle
• Be engaged
• Breathe deeply
• Accept an offer for a glass of water
• Practice your handshake

Communication
• Matching your communication style to that of the interviewer.
• Listen carefully to the interviewers questions
• Avoid interrupting the interviewer
• Try not to use jargon in your answers or questions.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 72

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Interview Communication Skills

• A good handshake
• Pronounce the interviewer's name PROPERLY.
• Get the interviewer to do a lot of the talking.
• Maintain Good eye contact with your interviewer.
• Smile. Look as if you are enjoying the conversation.
• Have a Confident posture.
• Mirror your interviewer's body language.
• Keep all your answers positive.
• Show ENTHUSIASM.
• LISTEN carefully to the interviewer's question.
• Ask the interviewer questions when the opportunity arises.

Interview Communication skills

Dealing with Nerves
Being nervous is normal and most experienced interviewers understand this. And
it rarely harms your chances if you acknowledge your nervousness. However,
EXCESSIVE nervousness can work against you – especially if you continually
APOLOGIZE FOR IT. It makes other applicants, who are more relaxed and
confident, seem more attractive. Also, many people tend to be overly talkative
when nervous. If you fall into this category, try not to go off on tangents. Stick to
the question being asked and answer it concisely. You will control your
nervousness more effectively if you have taken the time to practice answering
questions before the interview.

Closing the Interview

The purpose of the interview is to help you (as well as the company) determine if
the position will be right for you.
Prepare questions and ask the interviewer these when asked to do so.
Ask (if you haven't been told) what the process will be after the interview has
been completed, or when they would be prepared to make a decision.
Leave the interviewer with a good impression — smile and a firm handshake.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 73

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Common Interview Questions

• Tell me about yourself
• Why did you leave your last job?
• What experience do you have in this field?
• Do you consider yourself successful?
• What do co-workers say about you?
• What do you know about this organization?
• What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last
year?
• Are you applying for other jobs?
• Why do you want to work for this organization?
• Do you know anyone who works for us?

Interview Caveats
• Being too friendly.
• Not listening to questions carefully.
• Saying "we" instead of referring to your own achievements.
• Making very general statements which lack substance.
• Being over enthusiastic.
• Being poorly prepared.
• Slouching, mumbling, and speaking slowly.
• Knowing nothing about the company to whom you are talking.
• Making derogatory remarks about your previous employers

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 74

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Interviewing Techniques and Tips

Putting Your Best Self Forward and Getting the Job

Interviewing for a job can be nerve-wracking. You may feel uncomfortable

“selling” yourself or fielding unexpected questions. Or the prospect of having to
meet and impress new people may be enough to trigger anxiety. However,
interviewing is a skill you can learn. With the right tips and techniques, you can
become a master at sharing your value with potential employers, presenting
yourself effectively at interviews, and getting the job you want.

Interviewing techniques tip 1: Interview for as much as you can

Let’s assume you have focused your search on certain types of jobs and types of
employers. You have developed a preferred list of both. You have scanned the
horizon, conducted research, compiled your questions, and engaged your
network for assistance. Your resume is in order.

Then job openings start to pop up through your web searches and referrals from
your network. Some seem close but others don’t quite fit. You quickly skip over
those jobs that are "beneath" you, have titles that appear to be foreign, or are in
fields or industries you’re unfamiliar with. You have decided to be focused and
only apply for positions that exactly match your search criteria.

But limiting your job search limits the possibilities. Once you create too many
filters and requirements, you can easily overlook opportunities. In this type of
market you have to get out there and actively uncover opportunities. Don't
dismiss opportunities to interview based upon superficial and narrow criteria. You
never know when an interview for a “not-quite-right” job will result in a surprising
match, a referral to another opening, or an entirely new position tailored to fit
your unique experience and abilities.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 75

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Why you should interview as much as possible:

• You need the practice. Some of you have not interviewed for a while.
You need to refine your story and improve your communication
skills, which require practice. That means interviewing as much as you
can.
• Interviewing will refine your job search. By getting out there and
interviewing, you’ll learn about new trends, positions, and opportunities,
your perspective will shift, and you’ll see new paths that you were
previously unaware of.
• Interviewing will make your network stronger. As you engage your
network for interview referrals and recommendations, you will not only
strengthen existing connections, but you’ll meet new people who are
connected to your network.
• Interviewing may lead to unexpected opportunities. If you have the
skills and impress in the interview, that carries weight in the organization.
Employers want to place good people and may even refer you to
opportunities outside of the firm.

Interviewing techniques tip 2: Develop a compelling story

We tend to conclude that our lives are pretty much the same as other people's,
that they’re average and boring. As a result, many people don’t tell their own
story well. But your story is so much better than you think. The way your life has
evolved; the things you’ve learned; your achievements, failings, and dreams—
these things are unique to you and much more interesting than you realize.
Sharing your well thought-out story is a powerful interviewing technique.

Your story is what helps people understand who you are and where you are
going. So learn to tell your story and tell it well, especially for interviewing and
networking purposes. Putting together your story takes a lot of work and practice.
However, the benefits to you and to your career are enormous. Your stories:

• Give you confidence

• Increase your self-awareness
• Bring humanity to your resume
• Make you memorable and set you apart

Developing your story for job interviews

• Take a comprehensive inventory of the chapters of your life. Think

about major events, memories, and turning points that shaped who you
are. Make notes about your feelings, expectations, and frustrations, or

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 76

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

what you learned, accomplished, and experienced. Organize your

chapters by time periods or jobs.
• Focus on memorable “aha” moments. These stories need to have vivid
dimensions so people will experience that moment with you. It may have
been a moment with your mom on the porch, or a trip you took to a
faraway place, or what a boss or mentor told you. The stories don’t have
to be dramatic, just meaningful to you.
• Uncover the themes in your story. What emerges as your passion?
Mentoring others, doing research, helping a specific type of client,
advancing knowledge in your field? What gives you joy? Are you a
teacher, a leader, an entrepreneur, a risk taker?
• Reflect on your career path. How have you arrived where you are
today? Why did you make certain choices? Who helped you along the
way? What motivated you then and now? Have your career goals
remained the same or have they changed? Are you someone who likes
new projects? Or executes the details of someone else's vision?

Practice makes perfect

Once you’ve developed your story, the next step is to practice telling it—saying it
out loud, ideally to others. Don’t wait until the interview to tell it for the first time.
Try reciting it into a tape recorder or sharing it with a confidante for feedback. Get
over your feelings of story inadequacy or thinking that a job well done speaks for
itself.

As you become more comfortable in how to tell your story, you will see that your
life has not just been a string of random events. Your story has a past and it has
a future and the road ahead becomes clearer when you understand where you
have been. The ultimate test will be the next time someone says, "Tell me about
yourself."

Interviewing techniques tip 3: Tailor your story

to the job

Applying your story to a specific employer or job is

the next step. Lining up the stories that apply to the
opportunity at hand is critical. Put yourself in the
interviewer’s shoes and pose the questions you
would ask. Which stories are relevant to this job
interview? Think about personal stories that show
how you handled change, made choices under
pressure, or learned lessons from mistakes and failures. You should also think
about stories you can tell in the interview that reveal your skill set.

Learning and appreciating your story is a prerequisite to any interview process.

Don’t rely on your ability to think on your feet. Anticipate the questions and have
© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 77
 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

answers at the ready. In the end, this is about making a great and memorable
impression that demonstrates competency and ability.

You may want to start by developing your stories around these areas:

• State times where you either made money or saved money for your
current or previous company.
• Focus on a crisis or two in your life or job and how you responded or
recovered from it.
• A time where you functioned as a part of a team and what that contribution
was.
• A time in your career or job where you had to deal with stress.
• A time in your job where you provided successful leadership or a sense of
direction.
• The failures you faced in your job and how you overcame them.
• The seminal events that happened during your career that caused you to
change direction and how that worked out for you.

If you’re having trouble developing a good interviewing story, ask your friends or
family members for their own success stories. Notice the elements that make
them work, such as specific details and a smooth flow. Notice elements that don’t
work, such as vagueness or rambling. Then think about your own experience and
try to uncover the moments when you really excelled or when you rose to meet a
challenge. After you identify several, practice them until they flow easy and work
on adapting them to different types of questions.

Interviewing techniques tip 4: Manage stress

Interviewing for a job can make anyone stressed. In small doses, that stress can
actually be beneficial, helping you perform under pressure. However, if stress
becomes constant and overwhelming, it can impair the way you communicate
during an interview by disrupting your capacity to think clearly and creatively.
When you’re stressed, you’re more likely to misread an interviewer or send
confusing or off-putting nonverbal signals.

If you can’t quickly relieve stress in the moment and return to a calm state, you’ll
almost certainly be unable to take advantage of the other interviewing techniques
and tips. All our best intentions go out of the window when we’re overwhelmed by
stress. It’s only when you’re in a calm, relaxed state that you can think on your
feet, recall the stories you’ve practiced, and provide clear answers to an
interviewer’s questions. Therefore, it’s vital that you learn quick stress relief
techniques ahead of time.

Quick stress relief in an interview

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 78

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

When stress strikes before or during an interview, you obviously can't diffuse it by
taking time out to meditate or go for a run. By learning to quickly reduce stress in
the moment, though, you can maintain a relaxed, energized state of
awareness—even when faced with challenging questions—and remain focused
and engaged.

Interviewing techniques tip 5: Be prepared

Interviews range from conversations lasting a few minutes to several formal

meetings, sometimes with more than one interviewer. Interviews allow you to
demonstrate that you are the right candidate for the job, but you are not alone if
interviews make you nervous. The better prepared you are, the more relaxed and
comfortable you will be when the questions start coming your way.

Job interview preparation tips:

• Do your research. Gather information about the company and the

position available. Try to specifically relate your experience to the duties
the job opportunity entails.
• Practice interviewing. Enlist a friend (better yet, a group of friends and
colleagues) to ask you sample questions. Practice making eye contact.
• Record your practice sessions. Pay attention to body language and
verbal presentation. Eliminate verbal fillers, like “uh,” and “um.” Practice
using positive body language to signal confidence, even when you’re not
feeling it. Instead of tentatively entering an interview with your head down
and eyes averted, for example, try standing tall with your shoulders back,
smiling and maintaining eye contact, and delivering a firm handshake. It
will make you feel more self-confident and help to put the other person at
ease.
• Handle logistics early. Have your clothes, resume, and directions to the
interview site ready ahead of time, to avoid any extra stress.

Don’t forget about your references

Don’t let your references be the last to know about your job search, or even
worse, get an unexpected call from a potential employer. Many offers are
withdrawn over bad references. Why take that chance? Get in touch with your
references right away to seek help and to avoid surprises on either side.

• Are your references relevant to your current job search? Who should you
add or subtract?
• Are there any reference gaps? Gaps that an employer will question? What
is your story about those gaps?
• Can a colleague, vendor, customer, or board member be added to replace
or enhance the list?
• What is the current status of your relationship with your references?

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 79

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Interviewing techniques tip 6: Anticipate likely questions

To get to the motivations and working style of a potential employee, employers

often turn to behavioural interviewing, an interviewing style which consists of a
series of probing, incisive questions.

Sample behavioural interview questions include:

• Describe a situation in which you didn’t meet your stated goal, how did
you handle it?
• Tell us about a situation in which you encountered resistance from key
people, how did you convince the person or people to do what you
wanted?
• Describe a situation in which you took the initiative to change a process or
system and make it better, how did you identify the problem? How did you
go about instituting change?

Preparing good interview answers

Interviewers will follow up your preliminary answers with further questions about
your actions. To prepare for these types of interview questions, the following tips
might help:

• Review your research about the company and the position.

• Make a list of key attributes for your desired job.
• Write sample interview questions that are likely to uncover the
attributes you identified as important.
• Create answers to the sample interview questions based on a template
such as “Situation – Action – Result” with specific details from your work
experience.
• Practice answering the interview questions and follow-up questions so
that you are very familiar with several detailed examples/stories. Rehearse
key points.

Interviewing techniques tip 7: Ask questions during the interview

Being prepared and asking great questions about the position and the employer
shows your interest during the interview. You can't just be an effective responder.
You need to assert yourself, too. By the time you reach the interviewing stage,
you should be clear about what you want and what you offer to the company.

Try to be thoughtful and self-reflective in both your interview questions and your
answers. Show the interviewee you know yourself—your strengths and your
weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about which areas would present challenges
and how you would address them. Admitting true areas of weakness is much

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 80

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

more convincing than claiming: "I have what you need and I can do anything I put
my mind to."

Questions to ask potential employers in job interviews

• The people who do well at your company: what skills and attributes do
they usually have?
• What do you like best about working at _____?
• What results are expected?
• What specific problems are you hoping to solve during the first six
months?
• Who are the key internal customers? Any special issues with them?
• What happened to the person who had this job before?
• What communication style do you prefer?
• What is your philosophy regarding on-the-job growth and development?
• What are your goals for the department?

Source: Circle of Experts

Interviewing techniques tip 8: Boost your EQ

As we know, it’s not always the smartest person or the one with the most
relevant skills that gets the job. Rather, the successful candidate is often the one
who has the best “people skills”, who can relate easily to others. In other words,
it’s the person with a high emotional intelligence (EQ). Emotional intelligence is
the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to
communicate effectively and empathize with others. If you have a high emotional
intelligence you are able to:

• Recognize your own emotional state and the emotional states of others.
• Engage with people in a way that draws them to you.
• Pick up on emotional cues, communicate effectively, and develop strong
relationships.

Along with the ability to quickly manage stress, emotional awareness is a primary
skill of emotional intelligence that can be learned. Being able to connect to your
emotions—having a moment-to-moment awareness of your emotions and how
they influence your thoughts and actions—is the key to understanding yourself
and others.

Find commonalities

One way to apply emotional awareness in an interview situation is to find

common human connections with the interviewer. If you set out with the intention
to discover how you and the person interviewing you are connected and what

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 81

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

you share, you will discover commonalities much faster. And the interviewing
process will be much less intimidating because of it.

Tips for discovering commonalities with your interviewer:

• Do your research. Google every person you know you are going to meet
or think you might meet in the interview, especially senior executives.
Learn what might be common areas of interest in advance.
• Listen and pay attention. If you listen during the interview and look for
commonalities, they will seem omnipresent. When your interviewer
mentions his or her alma mater, weekend plans, kids, or favorite
restaurant, you have the chance to ask questions and find common
ground. You can also take a look around the office. Do you see a book
you’ve read, a product you want or just bought, or a photo you like? If so,
you have a means to discuss commonalities.
• Lead with your interests and passions. How you introduce yourself and
talk about yourself in the interview matters. If you integrate facts and
interests into your spiel about yourself, then you create opportunities to
connect. After the "What do you do?" or "Tell me about yourself" query, tell
your story.
• Find common ground in the context. Where you are meeting, your
surroundings, and the purpose of your connection are all reference points.
There is a reason why both of you find yourself at this unique place and
time. Why are you both in this business? Do you know the any of the
same people?

While searching for commonalities, avoid pummeling your interviewer with a

series of set questions. Let the interview happen naturally, but keep an eye out
for hints of commonalities. Once you do, the world will feel like a smaller,
friendlier place and your anxiety over interviewing will shrink.

Helpguide thanks John E. Kobara, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer of the California Community Foundation. This article is adapted from his
blog, Adopting the Mentoring and Networking Lifestyle.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 82

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Grooming
Importance of Personal Grooming Relation between personal appearance and
image projection

It is the process of making yourself look neat and attractive. The things which you
do to make yourself and your appearance tidy and pleasant.

Appearance
 Appearance Clothes and manners do not make the man; but, when he is
made, they greatly improve his appearance
 Whether this is real or imaginary the most important fact is that your
appearance influences the opinions of everyone around you
 Your Professionalism, intelligence and the trust people form in you is
mainly due to your appearance

Perceptions people form

Some of the perceptions people can form solely from your appearance are:
 Your professionalism.
 Your level of sophistication.
 Your intelligence.
 Your credibility.

Personal Grooming habits

Grooming involves all the aspects of your body:
 Overall Cleanliness Hair.
 Nails.
 Teeth.
 Uniform/attire
 Make-up

Hair
 Hair It is your crowning glory.
 Keep it at a length and style at which you can maintain it.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 83

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

 Wash your hair at least once a week.

Hair styles - Males

 Not fall over the ears, eyebrows or even touch the back of the collar
 Will always present a neat appearance.
 Facial hair should be neat.
 Trimmed moustache, sideburns Beards are not recommended

 Hairstyles - Females
 Tie your hair in a neat hairstyle with hair pulled back from face.
 Hair if longer than jaw line should be tied into a bun.
 Should be well groomed with a neat appearance at all times
 Hair holding devices should be plain and of natural colours

Nails
 Clip nails short, along their shape.
 A healthy body ensures healthy nails.
 Brittle or discolored nails show up deficiencies or disease conditions.

Teeth
 Brush teeth twice a day and rinse well after every meal.
 Remember to rinse your mouth after every meal
 For those who smoke it is important you rinse your mouth after every
smoke and use a mouth freshener

Uniform
 Your uniform talks a lot about your organization.
 First impressions are made within the first 5 minutes of meeting someone
 A neat clean and well ironed uniform is acceptable and appreciated by
one and all at all times.
 Your Id-Tags are also an important part of your uniform

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 84

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Make-up : Women
 Makeup should be natural looking.
 Nail polish and lip color should not be too trendy or bright.
 Mild fragrance.
 Women: stay away from extremely dark, bright reds and fluorescent
colors.
 Make-up : Women
 Hair color should not be more than one or two shades darker or lighter
than your natural hair color.
 Unnatural colors (burgundy, green, etc.) must be avoided.

Accessories : Women
 Jewelry, when tastefully worn, is always an asset to your outfit.
 A beautiful pin or a favorite bracelet can add to your outfit and can help
you feel comfortable.
 Be cautious of wearing dangling earrings unless they are small. Also, do
not wear multiple earrings.
 Leave the nose rings, eyebrow rings, lip rings and other piercing at home.
 Jewelry should be keep minimal and conservative
 Remove all facial piercing except earrings
 One ring of a simple design may be worn in each hand.
 The 5 Piece Rule:
 Earrings count as 2
 watch counts as 3
 Additional accessories 2
 Plain silver or gold chain may be worn.
 Only earring studs of a conservative shape and style in silver, gold, pearl
or semi precious stone may be worn.
 Dangling earrings or loop style earrings may not be worn.

Accessories: Males
 Men should limit accessories/jewelry to 3 pieces
 Accessories include watch, ring, handkerchief

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 85

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

 A dress watch should be worn, avoid athletic styles.

 The wristwatch worn should be of a conservative design with a plain and a
simple face and fitted band.
 Avoid bracelets, necklaces, and visible piercing

Other Accessories
 The spectacles must be simple in design and not ornate. The frame
should fit the face of the wearer and should be neither oversized nor
undersized.

Shoes: Males
 Lace up conservative shoes are the most appropriate.
 Choose black, brown or burgundy shoes. Shoe color should match your
trousers or be of a darker color.
 Shoes should be in good condition and polished.
 Socks should match the color of your suit and cover your calves. (Should
be washed daily)
 Belts should be in good condition and match the color of your shoes.

Shoes: Females
 Shoes should be pumps or sling backs.
 Shoes should be of good quality leather.
 Heels should be 1-2 inches; higher heels should be saved for after hours.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 86

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 87

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Nonverbal Communication
Improving Your Nonverbal Skills and Reading Body Language

It's well known that good communication is the

foundation of any successful relationship, be it
personal or professional. It's important to
recognize, though, that it's our nonverbal
communication—our facial expressions,
gestures, eye contact, posture, and tone of
voice—that speak the loudest. The ability to
understand and use nonverbal communication,
or body language, is a powerful tool that can
help you connect with others, express what you really mean, and build better
relationships.
What is nonverbal communication and body language?

When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals.
All of our nonverbal behaviours—the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast
or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send
strong messages. These messages don't stop when you stop speaking either.
Even when you're silent, you're still communicating nonverbally.

Oftentimes, what comes out of our mouths and what we communicate through
our body language are two totally different things. When faced with these mixed
signals, the listener has to choose whether to believe your verbal or nonverbal
message, and, in most cases, they're going to choose the nonverbal because it's
a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts our true feelings and intentions
in any given moment.

Why nonverbal communication matters

The way you listen, look, move, and react tells the other person whether or not
you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well you’re listening. When your
nonverbal signals match up with the words you’re saying, they increase trust,
clarity, and rapport. When they don’t, they generate tension, mistrust, and
confusion.

If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more

sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to
your own.

Nonverbal communication cues can play five roles:

• Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 88

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

• Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to

convey.
• Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a
person's eyes can often convey a far more vivid message than words do.
• Complementing: they may add to or complement a verbal message. A
boss who pats a person on the back in addition to giving praise can
increase the impact of the message.
• Accenting: they may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the
table, for example, can underline a message.

Source: The Importance of Effective Communication, Edward G. Wertheim,

Ph.D.

Types of nonverbal communication and body language

There are many different types of nonverbal communication. Together, the

following nonverbal signals and cues communicate your interest and investment
in others.

Facial expressions

The human face is extremely expressive, able to express countless emotions

without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication,
facial expressions are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness,
anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are the same across cultures.

Body movements and posture

Consider how your perceptions of people are affected by the way they sit, walk,
stand up, or hold their head. The way you move and carry yourself
communicates a wealth of information to the world. This type of nonverbal
communication includes your posture, bearing, stance, and subtle movements.

Gestures

Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We wave, point, beckon,
and use our hands when we’re arguing or speaking animatedly—expressing
ourselves with gestures often without thinking. However, the meaning of gestures
can be very different across cultures and regions, so it’s important to be careful
to avoid misinterpretation.

Eye contact

Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially
important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can
communicate many things, including interest, affection, hostility, or attraction.
© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 89
 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of conversation and for
gauging the other person’s response.

Touch

We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the messages given by
the following: a weak handshake, a timid tap on the shoulder, a warm bear hug, a
reassuring slap on the back, a patronizing pat on the head, or a controlling grip
on your arm.

Space

Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other
person was standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for
physical space, although that need differs depending on the culture, the situation,
and the closeness of the relationship. You can use physical space to
communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of intimacy
and affection, aggression or dominance.

Voice

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When we speak, other people
“read” our voices in addition to listening to our words. Things they pay attention
to include your timing and pace, how loud you speak, your tone and inflection,
and sounds that convey understanding, such as “ahh” and “uh-huh.” Think about
how someone's tone of voice, for example, can indicate sarcasm, anger,
affection, or confidence.

Nonverbal communication can’t be faked

You may be familiar with advice on how to sit a certain way, steeple your fingers,
or shake hands just so in order to appear confident or assert dominance. But the
truth is that such tricks aren’t likely to work (unless you truly feel confident and in
charge). That’s because you can’t control all of the signals you’re constantly
sending off about what you’re really thinking and feeling. And the harder you try,
the more unnatural your signals are likely to come across.

How nonverbal communication can go wrong

What you communicate through your body language and nonverbal signals
affects how others see you, how well they like and respect you, and whether or
not they trust you.

Unfortunately, many people send confusing or negative nonverbal signals without

even knowing it. When this happens, both connection and trust are damaged.

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 90

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

Nonverbal communication and body language in relationships

Ted, Arlene, and Jack are all articulate speakers who say one thing while
communicating something else nonverbally, with disastrous results in their
relationships:

Jack believes he gets along great with his colleagues at work, but if you were to
ask any of them, they would say that Jack is "intimidating" and "very intense."
Rather than just look at you, he seems to devour you with his eyes. And if he
takes your hand, he lunges to get it and then squeezes so hard it hurts. Jack is a
caring guy who secretly wishes he had more friends, but his nonverbal
awkwardness keeps people at a distance and limits his ability to advance at
work.
Arlene is attractive and has no problem meeting eligible men, but she has a
difficult time maintaining a relationship longer than a few months. Arlene is funny
and interesting, but even though she constantly laughs and smiles, she radiates
tension. Her shoulders and eyebrows are noticeably raised, her voice is shrill,
and her body is stiff. Being around Arlene makes many people feel
uncomfortable. Arlene has a lot going for her that is undercut by the discomfort
she evokes in others.
Ted thought he had found the perfect match when he met Sharon, but Sharon
wasn't so sure. Ted is good looking, hardworking, and a smooth talker, but Ted
seemed to care more about his thoughts than Sharon's. When Sharon had
something to say, Ted was always ready with wild eyes and a rebuttal before she
could finish her thought. This made Sharon feel ignored, and soon she started
dating other men. Ted loses out at work for the same reason. His inability to
listen to others makes him unpopular with many of the people he most admires.
These smart, well-intentioned people struggle in their attempt to connect with
others. The sad thing is that they are unaware of the nonverbal messages they
communicate.

If you want to communicate effectively, avoid misunderstandings, and enjoy

solid, trusting relationships both socially and professionally, it’s important to
understand how to use and interpret nonverbal signals.

Setting the stage for effective nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication is a rapidly flowing back-and-forth process requiring

your full concentration and attention. If you are planning what you’re going to say
next, daydreaming, or thinking about something else, you are almost certain to

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 91

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

miss nonverbal cues and other subtleties in the conversation. You need to stay
focused on the moment-to-moment experience in order to fully understand what’s
going on.

To improve nonverbal communication, learn to manage stress

Learning how to manage stress in the heat of the moment is one of the most
important things you can do to improve your nonverbal communication. Stress
compromises your ability to communicate. When you’re stressed out, you’re
more likely to misread other people, send confusing or off-putting nonverbal
signals, and lapse into unhealthy knee-jerk patterns of behavior. Furthermore,
emotions are contagious. You being upset is very likely to trigger others to be
upset, making a bad situation worse.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, it’s best to take a time out. Take a
moment to calm down before you jump back into the conversation. Once you’ve
regained your emotional equilibrium, you’ll be better equipped to deal with the
situation in a positive way.

How emotional awareness strengthens nonverbal communication

In order to send accurate nonverbal cues, you need to be aware of your

emotions and how they influence you. You also need to be able to recognize the
emotions of others and the true feelings behind the cues they are sending. This
is where emotional awareness comes in.

Emotional awareness enables you to:

• Accurately read other people, including the emotions they’re feeling and
the unspoken messages they’re sending.
• Create trust in relationships by sending nonverbal signals that match up
with your words.
• Respond in ways that show others that you understand, notice, and care.
• Know if the relationship is meeting your emotional needs, giving you the
option to either repair the relationship or move on.

Tips for reading body language and nonverbal communication

Once you’ve developed your abilities to manage stress and recognize emotions,
you’ll naturally become better at reading the nonverbal signals sent by others.

• Pay attention to inconsistencies. Nonverbal communication should

reinforce what is being said. Is the person is saying one thing, and their
body language something else? For example, are they telling you “yes”
while shaking their head no?

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 92

 GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES 2018
ENGLISH FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION (ENL 1202)

• Look at nonverbal communication signals as a group. Don’t read too

much into a single gesture or nonverbal cue. Consider all of the nonverbal
signals you are receiving, from eye contact to tone of voice and body
language. Taken together, are their nonverbal cues consistent—or
inconsistent—with what their words are saying?
• Trust your instincts. Don’t dismiss your gut feelings. If you get the sense
that someone isn’t being honest or that something isn’t adding up, you
may be picking up on a mismatch between verbal and nonverbal cues.

Evaluating nonverbal signals

Eye contact Is eye contact being made? If so, is it overly intense or just right?

Facial What is their face showing? Is it masklike and unexpressive, or

expression emotionally present and filled with interest?

Tone of voice Does their voice project warmth, confidence, and interest, or is it
strained and blocked?

Posture and Are their bodies relaxed or stiff and immobile? Are shoulders tense
gesture and raised, or slightly sloped?

Touch Is there any physical contact? Is it appropriate to the situation? Does

it make you feel uncomfortable?

Intensity Do they seem flat, cool, and disinterested, or over-the-top and

melodramatic?

Timing and Is there an easy flow of information back and forth? Do nonverbal
pace responses come too quickly or too slowly?

Sounds Do you hear sounds that indicate caring or concern?

As you continue to pay attention to the nonverbal cues and signals you send and
receive, your ability to communicate will improve.

For more information check out this site:

[Link]

© GLOBAL INSTITUTE OF STUDIES (MR AZIZUL HELMI) 93