INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE (I.T.S.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
(KMBN-107)

GROUP COMMUNICATION
ASTHA SHUKLA
UNIT-5 Asst. Prof
ITS , Ghaziabad
  Group communication is the act of sending and receiving
messages to multiple members of a group.

Group  In a business environment, groups use this type of

communication to exchange ideas, determine goals and
Communication motivate other members.
 The size of groups can vary, but they typically comprise at least
three members and up to 20 members.
  Providing a way for group members to generate ideas and
solutions to achieve their common goal.
 Encouraging members to make decisions as a group.
Benefits of
 Creating a way for the team to build rapport with one another.
group
 Establishing mutual respect and understanding among group
communication members.
 To ensure clarity and transparency about goals and
expectations.
  In-person meetings
 Conference calls
Group  Digital messages
communication  Seminars
channels  Workshop
 Conferences
 Memos etc.
  A business meeting is a gathering of people to discuss goals,
plans and objectives that relate to their work.

Business Meetings
 It is a formal event that usually involves a set agenda, and can
be used for a variety of purposes, such as decision-making,
problem-solving, brainstorming, or project planning.
  A business meeting is an opportunity for people to come together
to share ideas, make decisions, and collaborate on projects. It is an
important tool for communication and can help to build
relationships and foster teamwork. – Dale Carnegie

Definition  A business meeting is an occasion where people come together to

discuss a particular topic or set of topics related to their work. It is
a formal gathering where attendees are expected to be prepared
and engaged, and where decisions may be made and actions
agreed upon. – The International Association of Business
Communicators (IABC)
  To make decisions
 To share information
 To announce changes
 To negotiate
Need of  To resolve conflicts
Meetings  To solve problems
 To evaluate and communicate progress
 To celebrate success
 To build relationships
 A meeting is a significant communication tool in the workplace.
Without meetings, business operations cannot be conducted
Importance of smoothly. The meetings are important for:

Meetings 1. Better collaboration

2. Better persuasion
3. Team building
4. Brainstorming
 When an e-mail is sent to a person, there is a chance that the e-
mail may be misinterpreted or misunderstood. If the e-mail is quite
long, then it might even confuse a person or complicate the
meaning.
1. Better A prominent disadvantage of e-mail communication is that an
collaboration individual cannot see the other party’s body language, which
comprises 55% of our communication. Our facial expressions, body
posture and gestures play an important role in communication.

Therefore, a business meeting is needed to communicate in such a

way that there is no room left for any misrepresentation or
confusion.
  Suppose a salesperson presents a product to a customer for
selling. The customer is in two minds about the product, and
the salesperson needs to convince him to go ahead and buy it.
In such a situation, will an e-mail suffice? Certainly not.
2. Better  A business meeting enables an organisation to win a
persuasion customer’s trust through perception, choice of words, dressing
sense, and body language. People can assertively present
themselves and win the customer’s trust. Although this is
possible through e-mail. Also, however, the trust-building
process will take a longer time.
3. Team  Team meetings are great at strengthening teams. Running a
building few but effective meetings will help an organization improve
teamwork and collaboration. This is because people sit
together and get to know each other and their shared goals.
  In a meeting, an organization can invite participants to share
4. new ideas and solutions to a problem. Such brainstorming
meetings should ideally be held for days to derive better
Brainstorming results. Ideas need to be proposed, incubated and shared
again.
 To conduct an effective meeting, planning and communication are
the most important things to consider. The following strategies
need to be considered while conducting a meeting:
A. Set Objective for the Meeting
Requirements
of Conducting B. Provide an Agenda Beforehand
a Meeting C. Assign Meeting Preparation
(Planning a
Meeting) D. Assign Action Items

E. Examine Your Meeting Process

  One benefit of setting objectives for the meeting is to help you
plan the meeting. The more concrete your meeting objectives, the
more focused your agenda will be.
A. Set
Objective for
the Meeting  A second important benefit of having specific objectives for each
meeting is that you have a concrete measure against which you
can evaluate that meeting.
  Provide all participants with an agenda before the meeting starts.
Your agenda needs to include a brief description of the meeting
B. Provide an objectives, a list of the topics to be covered and a list stating who
will address each topic and for how long.
Agenda
Beforehand
 When you send the agenda, you should include the time, date
and location of the meeting and any background information
participants will need to know to hold an informed discussion on
the meeting topic.
  Give all participants something to prepare for the meeting, and
that meeting will take on a new significance to each group
member.

C. Assign
 For problem–solving meetings, have the group read the
Meeting background information necessary to get down to business in the
Preparation meeting.

 Ask each group member to think of one possible solution to the

problem to get everyone thinking about the meeting topic.
  Assigning tasks and projects as they arise during the meeting
means that your follow–through will be complete.
D. Assign
Action Items  Addressing off–topic statements during the meeting in this way
also allows you to keep the meeting on track.
  Assign the last few minutes of every meeting as time to review the
following questions:
E. Examine
Your Meeting
Process  What worked well in this meeting?
 What can we do to improve our next meeting?
 1. The primary objective of a business meeting is to provide the
attendees with an opportunity to communicate and discuss
ideas, plans, and decisions relevant to their respective roles in
the organization.

2. Business meetings provide a platform for different

Objectives of stakeholders to collaborate and brainstorm strategies, plans,
and goals to help the business achieve its desired outcomes.
Business
Meeting 3. Common goals of a business meeting include setting meeting
objectives, reviewing results or progress, making decisions,
sharing information or updates, solving problems
collaboratively, developing working relationships among team
members, identifying improvement areas, and establishing
future plans.
 1. Status Update Meetings- to share updates on the latest
projects and make sure everyone on the team is on the same
page about the process of the project.
2. Decision-Making Meetings-The process of making a decision
could be spread out over several different meetings so that all
parties have a chance to gather information, come up with
solutions and vote on how best to move forward.
3. Problem-Solving Meetings-based on emergencies that need to
Types of be resolved quickly.

Business 4. Team-Building Meetings-These meetings can be corporate

events or outings for the team, department or entire company
Meeting and can serve to generate some employee loyalty and
engagement.
5. Idea-Sharing Meetings-these meetings allow the speaker or
presenter to go more in-depth on a topic, conversations can
happen in real time and team members can ask questions.
6. Innovation Meetings-Every organization needs new ideas from
time to time, and innovation meetings are the standard answer
to that need.
  A participant who is invited to attend a meeting is known as a member.
 It is the members who actually put forward their viewpoints and queries.
The effectiveness of a meeting largely depends upon the conduct of its
members and the quality of their inputs.
 To improve their contribution, the members attending a meeting should
follow these rules:

Role of  Homework
 Be punctual
Participants in  Attitude matters
a Meeting  Respect
 Phone etiquette
 Be an active listener
 Stay on the agenda
 Body language

Leading Chairperson of a meeting has to perform following tasks:
– Planning and making arrangements for the meeting
meetings – Steering the discussion
(Role of – Enabling the group to reach to a conclusion
Chairperson in – Creating a plan for proper implementation of conclusion
a Meeting)
  Minutes of the meeting are the official record of discussions
and decisions at the meeting.
 For creation of minutes of meeting document a standard format is
followed. It includes items in a particular sequence. These items
are:
i. Name of the department/ unit/ chapter
ii. Date, time and venue of Meeting
iii. Members Present and Members Apologies

Minutes of iv. Reading and Approval of Minutes of previous meeting

the Meeting v. Agenda Item #1. Discussion held. Action taken.

vi. Agenda Item #2. Discussion held. Action taken.
vii. Announcements (if any)
viii. Future Agenda Items
ix. Next Meeting
x. Signatures of secretary and Chairperson.
 Once finalized, these minutes should be circulated to all the
members for review within seven days of meeting.
  Media management is seen as a business administration
discipline that identifies and describes strategic and
operational phenomenon and problems in the leadership of
media enterprises.

Media  There are 4 types of media:

management 1. Print Media (Magazines, Newspapers)

2. Broadcast Media (TV, Radio)
3. Out of Home (OOH) Media.
4. Internet.
  Press releases are brief written statements or communication
that public relations specialists use to provide specific
information about a product launch, new business update,
special event or a similar occurrence.

 Businesses submit press releases for immediate publication

Press release through broadcasting, digital advertising or other media
channels.

 Additionally, press releases can serve as an approach to

building brand awareness and gaining recognition in customer
markets.
  The objective of a press release is to generate media coverage
and build buzz around a company, product, or event.
 It’s an earned media tool that businesses use to create
awareness, generate leads, or even drive sales without paying
for it.
Purpose of  A press release is one of the most efficient and cost-effective
Press Release ways to get a story published in numerable media outlets that
sounds natural and more appealing to the target audience.
 A press release can help the business achieve its marketing
goals and earned media objectives when done right.
Essentials of a
Good Press
Release
  Logo: The logo of the company issuing the press release. It signifies that the
company is the source of information in the release. Usually, a business
includes a 200×200 pixel version of its logo so that the journalists can easily
insert it in their reports.
 Contact information: The name, email address, and phone number of the
person who wrote the press release. This is so that media representatives
can get in touch with them for more information.
Essentials of a  Release date and Dateline: The dateline contains the date when the press
release should be published. It is typically placed at the top of the document,
Good Press before the headline with an aim to indicate whether the business wants its
press release to be published immediately or at a later date.
Release  Headline: A catchy headline that accurately reflects the content of the press
release. It aims to grab the attention of media outlets and journalists in less
than six words (65-to-80 characters). It’s a practice to use a 14 point size,
bold font for the headline and keep it centered.
 Sub-headline: A secondary headline that provides more information about
the press release. It aims to elaborate on the headline without giving too
much away. It is usually limited to 120 characters and is placed immediately
below the headline.
  Place stamp and date: A press release’s body traditionally starts with a place
stamp and date. The place stamp indicates the city where the press release
originated from and the date indicates when the press release was issued.
These are often highlighted by being bold or in all caps before the main body.
 Introduction: The introduction contains the most important information in
the press release. It answers the who, what, where, when, and why of the
story. This paragraph often sticks to the facts, is single-spaced, and uses a

Essentials of a regular 12-point Arial or Times New Roman Font.

 Body: Body paragraphs provide additional details about the story. They
Good Press typically contain quotes from company representatives, data, and statistics
within 300 to 400 words long, and follow the AP style guidelines.
Release  Boilerplate: The boilerplate is a short paragraph that contains information
about the company, such as its history, mission statement, and contact
details. It is placed at the end of the press release so that media outlets can
easily find it.
 Media Contact: The media contact, also called the end notation, is a person at
the company who is responsible for fielding media inquiries. This information
is typically included at the end of the press release after the boilerplate.
Sample
  A press conference is an event organized to officially distribute
information and answer questions from the media. Press
conferences are also announced in response to specific public
relations issues.

Press  Corporate press conferences are generally led by the company's

executive management, press liaison, or communications officer.
conference Given limited resources, particularly during a time of quarterly or
annual earnings, it may be difficult to attract major media
attention unless a company has a truly unique or newsworthy
announcement to share.
  A media interview is a discussion involving questions and answers
for the purpose of broadcast.
 It is distinct from an informational interview (McLean, S., 2005),
where you might be asked questions to learn background on a
story, but you will still need to observe the three hallmark rules of
Media interviews:

interviews o Anything you say can and often will be used against you.
o Never say anything you would not feel comfortable hearing
quoted out of context on the evening news.
o Be prepared for the unexpected as well as the expected.
  Seminar is defined as “a discussion in a small group in which the
result of research or advance study is presented through oral or
written reports.”

Seminars  Seminar is a mixture of speech and group discussion.

 It is group communication in which open person makes a

presentation or speech on a topic by highlighting its content in the
light of present and pressing problems.
  Organizer’s Role

How to make  Speaker’s Role

seminar
effective??  Chairperson's Role

 Audience’s Role
  A workshop is a long interactive meeting or educational session
designed to create a specialized result.
 Workshops are longer than the typical business meeting and
require more preparation beforehand.
Workshop  Workshops involve a central trainer or facilitator who works with a
set of sponsors to design the sequence of presentations, plan
collaborative activities, and ensure the workshop will lead to the
desired result.
 Workshops emphasize hands-on interaction.
  Define the Goals
 Decide Who Will Attend
 Choose the Right Location
 Create an Agenda
Before the a. Main points
Workshop b. Visual aids
c. Discussions and activities
 Develop a Follow-up Plan
  It can be defined as “An event, sometimes lasting a few days, at
which there is a group of talks on a particular subject, or a meeting
in which especially business matters are discussed formally.”

 Conferences are essential in business communication as they

offer a platform for individuals and organizations to connect,
share information, and collaborate effectively. They enable
networking, knowledge exchange, and business development,
Conferences fostering valuable relationships and promoting growth in the
business world.

 A conference is a gathering of people with a common interest

or background, with the purposes of allowing them to meet
one another and to learn about and discuss issues, ideas and
work that focus on a topic of mutual concern.
 The Latin roots of the word “conference” mean, literally, “Bring
together.” A conference brings together people and ideas.
  Business etiquette refers to the requirements and expectations of
social and business behavior, practices and conduct that are
prescribed by social convention, and a code of ethical behavior
among professionals.
Business
etiquettes
 Business etiquette is a set of general guidelines for manners and
behavior that allows professionals to feel comfortable and safe at
work or in other professional settings.
  Good business etiquette is the recipe for advancing your career.
In the business world, people with good etiquette are rewarded
for their professional and polite skills.
 For example, an employee who arrives at a meeting on time (or
early) and is ready to take notes has a better chance of
Importance impressing his supervisor than the employee who shows up to
the meeting late, and forgets to bring a pen.
 Those who exemplify good business etiquette are proving that
they respect their position, job, coworkers and take their
performance seriously. As such, these individuals win
promotions and get ahead in their careers.
  Conducting some research. When at work, pay attention to the
manners and habits of your supervisor, mentor, senior
management, and other key players. If you are unsure about
displaying proper etiquette, consider asking your supervisor or
mentor for advice.
 Joining a professional organization. Aside from being a great
How to way to network, professional organizations give you an
develop opportunity to gain insight into the etiquette that's particular to
your profession. Added benefits include practicing your business
Business etiquette skills outside of your organization.

Etiquettes  Visiting your local bookstore or library. There have been

numerous books written on improving business etiquette. Check
out the self-improvement section of your local bookstore or library
to find them.
 Going online. Whether it's someone selling books, tapes,
seminars, or offering free advice, the Internet is filled with
suggestions on how to improve your business etiquette.
Types
  Put your napkin in your lap when you sit down.
 Order items in a similar price range to your dining companions.
 Don't start eating until everyone has received their food.
 Give others equal opportunities for conversation.
 Pass condiments and dishes from left to right rather than reaching
Dining across the table.
 Chew with your mouth closed.
Etiquettes  Don't snap your fingers at your server.
 Don't blow your nose at the dinner table. Instead, excuse yourself
to visit the restroom.
 After the meal is over, partially fold your napkin and put it to the
left of your plate.
  Phone Etiquette
 Don't speak too loudly or too softly. If you're worried about your
volume, ask, "How am I coming across? Do you need me to talk
more or less quietly?"
Communication  Never interact with your phone while you're with someone else.
Keep it stashed in your pocket or bag at all times.
Etiquette
 If you're on a conference call and you're not speaking, mute
yourself so the others aren't distracted by the outside noise.
 Use a pleasant but professional tone of voice.
  Email Etiquette
 Aim to answer internal emails within one day and external emails
within three days.

Communication  Avoid overusing exclamation marks and smiley faces.

Etiquette  Default to "Reply" over "Reply All."

 Check with each party before you make an introduction.
 Check for grammar and spelling before hitting "send."
 Don’t send anything that you wouldn’t say in-person.
  In-Person Etiquette
 Steer clear of complimenting someone's appearance, since this
Communication can make people feel uncomfortable.

Etiquette  Maintain eye contact 60% to 70% of the time.

 Match their speaking volume.
 Show interest in what they're saying.
  Workplace Etiquette - These rules deal with your behavior at the
office. Culture and expectations differ from company to company,
so what's rude at one workplace may be normal at another.

 Professionalism - Being professional means contributing to a

pleasant, productive, and inclusive work environment.
Professionalism includes an entire range of behaviors.
Cont. …
 Meetings Etiquette - Meetings are an important aspect of business
communication that allow teams to share ideas, discuss strategy,
and get on the same page about projects and priorities.
 1. Define the role of organizers, chairperson, speakers and
audience to make seminar effective.
2. What is Group Communication. Explain with examples.
3. Explain the stages in preparing a press release.
4. What are the steps to conduct a Press Conference?
Assignment 5. Explain various elements of press release.

questions 6. What are telephone etiquettes. Explain its importance.

7. Differentiate between Press release and Press report. State
the essentials of a good Press release.
8. Discuss Media management and its importance with suitable
example.