English for Business

Communication
1a
Communication: A brief Introduction
• Communication: what it is:
• One of the most basic needs...
• It is the process of conveying our thoughts, ideas and feelings
to others using verbal as well as non-verbal signals
• It involves sending and receiving information using a medium
that is understood by both the sender and the receiver so
that there is communication between them. We are
 constantly communicating with others for different purposes
in all spheres of our life- at home, school, workplace etc
• Effective communication results in cooperation
• Weak or faulty communication leads to misunderstanding
and failure to achieve the speaker’s/writer’s objective
• Communication thus forms an important and integral part of
our lives

1b
• Communication is usually discussed in terms of
• -content: what is being communicated
• -source/sender/encoder: (by whom)
• -form: (of what kind: written, spoken, non verbal)
• -channel: (through which medium, e g. air, print)
• -destination/receiver/decoder: ( to whom). and
• -purpose: what the act of communication does for the
sender( e g allows them to state a fact, give advice,
make a request or ask questions, cf letters of all hues)
•
Pathways/types of Communication
• Organizations like individuals depend on
effective com: Several paths through which
info is transmitted
• In a business org information relating to
policies, objectives, and performance flow
along at least 4 channels
• 1.Downward
• 2.Upward
• 3.Horizontal
• 4.Grapevine
 1 DOWNWARD (top-down) (a)
• Flow from top level of an org. to the workers via
senior managers, supervisors and their assistants
• Giving employees specific directives or info about
its goals and decisions on policies and procedures
• A management’s way of exercising control on its
employees
• Eg: notices, circulars, newsletters, annual reports,
announcements on pub address system
 Downward (b): Disadvantages
Downward com can lead to distortion of
facts while being transmitted from the
Chairman through directors, senior
managers, et al till the flow of com. reaches
the workers To prevent such distortion of
information many business org.s have their
top level personnel talk directly to the
workers or through team leaders
Upward and downward are vertical
 Upward 1
Movement of info from lower level through
different tiers ( levels) to the upper level
Upward flow of comn is useful: gives
the management feedback and suggestions
from employees who are in touch with market
and customers
-employees can communicate their problems
&needs (working conditions)
-makes possible improvement in product quality
Channels for upward flow of communication:
 suggestion boxes, phone calls, emails, meetings,
reports from grievance comittees
Upward 2
Factors that disrupt upward comn.: hesitation
on the part of employees at the lower level:
-fear that honest opinions might go against…
-mid-level employees blocking the flow
-threats of being overtaken by junior
employees Solution: creating friendly
 environment for upward flow of comm..
Through frequent
meetings with staff, offer of incentives, &
encouraging anonymous feedback
Upward and downward are vertical
3 Horizontal (Lateral) 1
• Communication among everyone of the same
rank in a hierarchy or level
• Participants in this mode are at the same level;
usually peers from the same or different
 departments or branch office (eg. Resident
doctors, staff nurses( of same rank but in different
work areas)
• Horz. also used with persons outside the org. (eg,
retailers & customers) who are of the same level
Horizontal 2
• Hor. Contributes to successful teamwork
• Equally applicable to complex org.s with
specialized divisions, but in smaller ones too,
coordinating better and encouraging team work
 • Horiz. form takes place through emails,
telephone calls, personal meetings and memos
• Horiz. breaks down> lack of time & opportunities
for people to meet; unhealthy competition, poor
comn skills & personality clashes
4 Grapevine
Informal form; allows comn flow in all directions and
across all levels of an org.(like the grapevine plant)
saqThe grapevine mode of sharing info., opinions and
experiences does not follow the usu. channels and so
is faster.
saq,. Unlike the other 3 it is not written down or
documented in letters, memos etc and therefore,
changes and gets interpreted differently as it
spreads
Therefore, it has elements of rumour as well as truth.
Employees enjoy being part of this network: (1)it
gives them opportunity to express feelings without
restraint and sense of belonging to a supportive group

Grapevine 2
Saq.Two reasons why this form is not restricted (1)
Mangements are aware and see it as an expression of
people’s anxieties and their curiosity to know what
happens around; difficult unfair to suppress (2): the
 grapevine form indirectly helps form close teams and
improve efficiency at work
Saq. Until there is clear danger ahead to
individuals/company(where it will stand controlled),
the grapevine (a natural and normal activity) is
harmless. Conversely, it is useful for senior employees
to pay attention to the grapevine because it could give
them useful feedback or an early warning of trouble
Essay: Kinds of presentations in
business: Introduction
• Essay: Presentations come in a lot of different
forms and have a variety of purposes. In the
business world there are six main types of
 presentations. Once you have identified your
purpose, choose the right type before you begin
to prepare and practice your presentation. You
can always modify your presentation to meet
your specific purpose.
• Everyone from those who present in front of
large audiences on a stage to managers who need
to pitch their ideas to co-workers can improve
their delivery and impact of their message.
Kinds of presentations 2
• 1) Providing Information. This format encompasses
anything from a team meeting that gives updates on a
 project or upcoming event to a demonstration that
shows product functions.
• 2) Teaching a Skill. Your company has just installed a
new system or implemented a new process that
requires people to learn how to use the new tool and
apply the process.
• 3) Reporting Progress. As you integrate the new
system into your daily routine, your boss wants to
know how it’s working. You might schedule a
divisional meeting or group off-site ( a short trip for all
the employees of a particular department of a
company) to share the progress.
 Kinds of presentations 3
4) Selling a Product or Service. A briefing like this
might include a recap of the product or service,
next steps and action items, or a discussion of
needs and improvements before the product is
ready to sell.
• 5) Making a Decision. It’s time for the annual holiday
party and ideas are being tossed around the office.
When giving your input on the location, make sure to
share the must-haves and nice-to-haves for the
event. When it’s time for the final decision, you can
see how your idea stacks up(stand together) to the
other options.
 Kinds of presentations in business 4
.
• 6) Solving a Problem. This could be in a panel setting or
other meeting where the problem is identified, the facts of
the problem are presented and a list of causes is
generated. From here, you lay out the ideal outcome,
present solutions and discuss your recommendation.
• With any presentation, know your objectives. If your
purpose is to inform or update, you will most likely use
one of the first three types of presentations. On the other
hand, if you’re on a mission to persuade someone, use one
of the last three presentation types. Not every
presentation has to mould itself into a traditional
presentation; it can be an interview, status report,
program, or a demonstration, for example.
• ——————

Guided Sales 1
• Paragraph question: Guided Sales
• Guided selling is a seller-centric process, typically
implemented as software. It is designed to guide
sellers through the entire sales cycle enabling reps to
consistently close deals faster and with fewer
missteps.
•

• While you might think of guided selling as a type of

product or feature, it’s really more of a system for
using data to enhance sales productivity. Guided
 selling is less about specific tools or underlying
technologies and more about helping sellers become
more effective.
•

Guided Sales 2
• :Guided selling is part of a broader enablement strategy that
uses technology to equip sellers with specific information
during the sales process that enables them to work faster,
effectively engage buyers and make better decisions.
• It’s worth noting that there’s often some confusion about the
definition of guided selling, as the concept has evolved and
expanded over time. Initially, the term was used to describe
a category of e-commerce solutions designed to guide
 consumers through the buying process without any sales rep
involvement.
• Saq: Today, guided selling generally refers to B2B (Business
to Business) solutions that help sales reps sell to buyers,
recommending the best content, actions, and
communication tactics for any given sales situation.

Presentation strategies & Structure

• A presentation is a talk giving information
about a product, a subject or an idea
• Used to present reports, proposals, policy
statements, and feasibility studies
• Has become an important form of oral
communication in the spheres of education
and work and is closely linked to career and
personal growth. Students, teachers,
managers, sales and marketing executives and
administrators-all need this skill in the course
of their work.
• Of the many kinds of presentations, the
Power Point is one of the most effective and
widely used tools today
•
 Planning Your Presentation
• The first step is to decide on the subject. Where it
is not given, choose a topic that suits the occasion
and the audience
• Begin preparing the content of your presentation
by putting down its objective or purpose: is it
meant to inform, to persuade or to report?
• Think of who your audience is going to be; the level
of your content, formality and style will depend on
this.
 Presentation
• Next, list the maim points you want to make in
your presentation in the order in which you think
of them. Read the points again. You may want to
omit some, add more, combine points or split
them . It is important not to pack too much
content into a presentation because this will
diffuse its effect. For example a presentation of
about 20 minutes should not have more than 5
main points. Once you have a final list of points,
arrange them in a logical sequence.
 Presentation
• Think of sub points that could come under
your main points. It is best to put only the
main points and sub points on slides(or flip
chart or transparencies) and speak briefly on
each of these. Prepare graphs, tables or pie
charts thst you want to put on slides. Write
down what you want to say on each point
and practice, saying it over and over again,
 Presentation
until you are confident that you will be able
to speak without looking at the written
script.
• To make you feel surer of yourself, you can
prepare cue cards, which are numbered cards
with key words and phrases related to what you
want to say on each point in your presentation.
These cues should be so chosen that they are
sure to remind you of what you have to say.
 Presentation
Remember to mark on your cards the visual aids
that go with them so that the right OHP or slide
is shown at the right time. Cue cards can include
short quotations you want to include in your
presentation. Practice with cue cards to make
sure that the cues work.
 Structuring Content
• All presentations, like other forms of oral and written
communication, should be complete in themselves,
with a beginning, a body and an end. The first part will
consist of greeting, a brief clear statement of the
subject and the purpose of the presentation and an
outline
• The second part will have the main content of the
presentation and this will have its own internal
structure. The last part should have a brief recap or a
summary of the most important points, followed by
remarks made to conclude the presentation and to
 thank the audience, and a brief session for questions
and clarifications

Structure
• Also, structure your main content in a logical way
so that it would be easy for the audience to
follow the presentation. For instance, you could
begin by talking about a problem, go on to offer
solutions, then discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of each of them and finally
recommend one of them to be the best option.
Make sure that you make your content
 interesting and easy to understand with
examples and visuals. Keep a few minutes at the
end of the second part to answer questions from
the audience.
The Language of Presentations
• Presentations are a form of oral
communication and so you should use
spoken, not written language when making
one.
 Making Presentation 1
• Time management: Stick to the original plan; do
not take up other matters
• Use your voice cleverly, according to the size of
the room and the audience
• Speak at a natural, even pace, neither too fast
nor too slow
• Avoid pacing up and down; it is less distracting if
you stay in one place; move only when you have
 Making Presentation 2
to go to the whiteboard or operate the
equipment, or pass handouts around
• Your appearance, facial expressions, eye contact with the
audience, and body language are important factors that
contribute to the success of the presentation
• Before you show a slide or a transparency, tell the
audience a line a line or two about it
• Do not read out the matter on the screen or from a
prepared script.
 Making Presentation 3
• Do not block the screen or stand facing it so that your back
is turned to the audience. Remember you are talking to the
audience, and the matter being displayed is for them to
read.
It is useful to give the audience handouts at the end of your
presentation
• Learn to prepare good visual aids, such as slides and
transparencies and use them effectively.
• All the visuals must be related to your talk.
 Making Presentation 4
• Do not put in too much information on one visual
• Edit the text on your slides carefully to avoid errors
• Visuals should be designed with care so that they are
simple, clear and appealing
• Use a minimum 20 point Times Roman or any other
friendly typeface that can be read from the back of a
room
Communication: Additional material
 We communicate to
• Get information
• Motivate
• Cheat
• Praise
• Make arrangements
• Give advice
• Sell
• Greet
• Abuse etc
Verbal, vocal, visual
• Verbal: the message that we deliver
• Vocal: the voice that we convey
• Visual: our body language

• Studies tell that 70% of mistakes in the

workplace are the direct result of poor
communication
 Causes of communication difficulties
• Not understanding others’ needs; AWARENESS
• Not thinking clearly, jumping to conclusions
• Bad mood
• Failure to explore alternatives
• Failure to maintain calm of mind
Communication failures can
cause..
• Loss of business
• Mistakes, inefficiencies
• Lowered productivity
• Poor coordination and cooperation
• Damaged personal or company image
• Frustration, hostility
 Soft Skills 1
• Soft skills are a group of skills and personal
qualities that present day employers look for and
value in their employees
• Soft skills relate to excellent communication
skills, both spoken and written, positive
personality traits, personal attitudes and social
skills
• (Temperaments: Choleric, Melancholic, Sanguine,
Phlegmatic)
• Soft skills complement hard skills which have to
do with the technical requirements of a job
• Success, working in an org… conditioned by
• How you work as part of a team
• How you get along with both your senior and
junior colleagues
In other words, soft skills are all about how you
deal with people
 Soft Skills 2
• Communication skills
• Listening skills
• Computer skills
• Creativity
• Integrity and reliability
• Showing respect and consideration for
others: courtesy; good manners, q v at the
table etc
Capability for team work
• Leadership qualities
• Negotiation skills
• Self confidence
• Self discipline
• Assertiveness
• Right work ethics
• Conformity
• Adaptability
Positive attitude
Being self motivated
:Negotiation skills 1
• Paragraph question:
• While interacting with colleagues as well as clients and
outsiders in an organization, it becomes necessary to make
people agree with your suggestions.
• Doing this calls for the soft skills of discussing different
alternatives as well as persuading and influencing others.
• This can best be done by learning to use the language used
to perform the functions of expressing disagreements
politely, persuading and steering people towards decisions
that you want them to take.
• The use of appropriate body language and tone is also part
of the skill of negotiating

Negotiation skills 2
• Negotiation is defined as a discussion among
individuals, each one trying to present his best
idea to come to a conclusion benefiting all.
• One individual gains nothing out of conflict and
misunderstanding; instead it leads to stress
and anxiety. It is always advisable to
compromise to the best extent possible and
try to find out an alternative which satisfies all.
• An individual needs to adopt certain skills for a
successful negotiation
Negotiation skills 3
• React sensibly - A good negotiator must react sensibly. He should
never lose his temper or over react.
• Patience - One needs to be patient enough for a good negotiation.
It is not always that the other person will accept your suggestions
in the first attempt itself. You need to convince him and it needs
patience. Never be in a hurry to close the deal.
• Confident - One needs to be confident enough for an effective
negotiation. Don’t ever show displeasure or impatience. Be
confident of a positive outcome
• Be dignified - One should maintain decorum. Remember it is just
a discussion, not a battle . Avoid shouting against anyone. If you
are not satisfied with the deal, its better to quit rather than fight
and use abusive language, and be a loser
•

4
• Be very clear in your communication - Don’t play with words or
try to confuse others. One needs to be straightforward from the
very beginning.
• Be a good listener - Don’t jump to conclusions; instead listen to
what the other party offers. Understand his situation well. It’s
okay to think about your personal interests but don’t be mad after
it.
• Be reasonable -. Don’t ask for anything you yourself know is not
possible. It will just be waste of time and no one would benefit out
of it.
• No body is born with good negotiation skills; you need time to
acquire them. Be tactful and patient. Understand the second party
well - his needs, expectations and find out a solution beneficial to
both the parties.
Essay/paragraph
The seven Cs of Effective
Communication
7 Cs of Effective Communication
• Global Institute and International Data Corporation
reveals that employees spend close to 30% of their
time on emails. Beyond that, meetings, conference
calls, presentations, report writing and several other
activities at the workplace involve communicating
with peers, superiors and other colleagues. To ensure
that you communicate in the most efficient and
 engaging manner possible and thereby enhance your
productivity at work, you need to follow the SEVEN Cs
of effective communication: 1. Completeness,
2. Conciseness, 3. Consideration 4. Concreteness
5. Clarity 6. Courtesy 7. Correctness

1. Completeness
• Answer all questions that are asked
• Give something extra when desirable
• Check for five Ws & one H
• Who What When Where Why and How
2. Conciseness
• Eliminate wordy expressions
• Include only relevant statements: be focused,
prune and avoid long explanations, avoid
gushing politeness
• Avoid unnecessary repetitions: use short
forms the second time…
 3. Consideration
• Focus on You instead of I & We
• Show reader benefit and interest
• Emphasize the positive and pleasant
• Apply integrity and ethics
4. Concreteness
• Use specific facts and figures
• Put action into words
• Choose vivid image building words by
comparison/ figurative language
• Use more adjectives and adverbs
5. Clarity
• Choose short, familiar and conversational
words
• Construct effective sentences and
paragraphs:
unified ideas and sequencing; unity of
impression; principles of construction
• Achieve appropriate readability by using
formal and informal language
• Include examples, illustrations and visual aids
 6. Courtesy
• Be sincere, tactful, thoughtful and
appreciative
• Omit expressions that hurt, irritate or insult
• Make apologies graciously

• Ways of apologizing:
 7. Correctness
• Use the right level of language
• Check accuracy of facts, figures and words
• Maintain acceptable writing mechanics
• Choose nondiscriminatory language: religion,
race, other personal features
 Soft Skills
• A group of skills and personal qualities employers
look for and value in their employees
• Excellent communication skills, spoken and
written
• Soft skills complement hard skills-technical
requirements of a job; you can be successful at
the work place only if you know 1. how to work
as part of a team 2. how to get along with both
 your senior and junior colleagues; soft skills are
all about how you deal with people
• S skills are imp in the present day professional
context that requires interaction and
communication
• At the interview with two equally impressive C Vs
the decision goes in favour of the one who seems
relaxed, , open, friendly and well adjusted +neat
and well dressed.
• S S acquired early in life and the right
environment; they can also be consciously learnt.
• Communication skills
• Listening skills
• Computer skills
• Creativity
• Integrity and reliability
• Courtesy and good interpersonal skills
• Capability for teamwork
• Leadership qualities
• Negotiation skills
• Self confidence
• Self discipline
• Assertiveness
• Right work ethic
• Conformity
• Adaptability
• Managing situations
• Positive attitude
• Being self motivated
• Desire for constant learning and self
improvement
• Ability to multitask
• Time management
• Handling stress
• Responding to feedback positively