Business Communication

Mod 4

Oral communication
According to the University of Virginia, "oral communication is the effective interpretation, composition, and presentation of information, ideas, and values to a specific audience." Oral communication describes any type of inter-action that makes use of spoken words, and it is a vital, integral part of the modern business world.

 "Knowing the content of the functional areas of business is important, but to give life to those ideasin meetings or in solo presentationsdemands an effective oral presentation. "The ability to communicate effectively through speaking as well as in writing is highly valued, and demanded, in business, " According to Herta A. Murphy and Herbert W. Hildebrandt

Oral communication: Significance

Communication is used daily to talk to friends, make business proposals and pass legislation. It is the exchange of messages between a sender and a receiver. Effective communication is the ability to send a message and have it be understood in its entirety. Oral communication is used in business to make deals, sell products and train employees.

Types of Oral communication

The types of oral communication commonly used within an organization include staff meetings, personal discussions, presentations, telephone discourse, and informal conversation. Oral communication with those outside of the organization might take the form of face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, speeches, teleconferences, or videoconferences.

 Conversation management skills are essential for small business owners and managers, who often shoulder much of the burden in such areas as client/customer presentations, employee interviews, and conducting meetings.

Effectiveness of Oral Communication

For oral communication to be effective, it should be: Clear Relevant Tactful in phraseology and tone Concise, and informative. Presentations or conversations that bear these hallmarks can be an valuable tool in ensuring business health and growth.

 Unclear, inaccurate, or inconsiderate business communication, on the other hand, can waste valuable time, alienate employees or customers, and destroy goodwill toward management or the overall business.

Oral Presentations
The public presentation is generally recognized as the most important of the various genres of oral business communication. The first step in preparing a public speech or remarks is to determine the essential purpose/goal of the communication. Business presentations tend to have one of three general purposes: to persuade, to inform or instruct, or to entertain.

 The purpose is to include the main ideas in the presentation. These ideas should be researched thoroughly and adapted to the needs of the audience. The ideas should then be organized to include an introduction, a main body or text, and a summary or conclusion

 The introduction should grab the listener's interest and establish the theme of the remainder of the presentation. The main body should concentrate on points of emphasis. The conclusion should restate the key points and summarize the overarching message that is being conveyed. Visual aids are an important component of many oral presentations. Whether they are displayed on chalkboards, dryerase boards, flip charts, or presented using a slide projector, overhead projector, or computer program, visual aids should be meaningful, creative, and interesting in order to help the speaker get a message across.

 Once the presentation has been organized and the visual aids have been selected, the speaker should rehearse out loud and revise as needed to fit time constraints, cover points of emphasis, etc. A good oral presentation will include transitional phrases to help listeners move through the material, and will not be overly long or technical. Professional and gracious presentation is another key to effective communication

 Use the event as an opportunity to promote good will. Avoid complaints, criticism, or controversy. These will alienate the audience and destroy your credibility quickly. Instead, talk about what the audience wants to hear. Praise your host, honor the occasion, and compliment the attendees. Radiate success and optimism. Oral presentations can be delivered extemporaneously (from an outline or notes); by reading from a manuscript; or from memory.

 The delivery of effective oral presentations requires a speaker to consider his or her vocal pitch, rate, and volume. It is important to incorporate changes in vocal pitch to add emphasis and avoid monotony. Speakers should be careful not to add extraneous words or soundssuch as "um, " "you know, " or "okay"between words or sentences in a presentation.

 Nonverbal elements such as posture, gestures, and facial expression are also important factors in developing good oral communication skills. "Your outward appearance mirrors your inner mood. "Thus good posture suggests poise and confidence; stand neither at rigid attention nor with sloppy casualness draped over the podium, but erect with your weight about equally distributed on each foot."

Interpersonal Oral Communication

Interpersonal oral communication is the exchange of words between two individuals. This form of communication is commonly seen between friends, co-workers and within families, but is not limited to people who know one another. The purpose of interpersonal communication is to build and maintain relationships. Effective interpersonal oral communication will encourage, educate and inspire. Interpersonal oral communication is the most effective when one is able to predict what the other person will understand.

10 Principles For Better Oral Communication

Design a dynamic format than a static one. Keep your outline clear and simple. Oral design should be oriented to time rather than space. Emphasize main ideas by placement and reiteration. Use carefully worded transitions as you move trough the presentation.

 Plan carefully for a combination of inductive and deductive movement. Use language best suited to the ear, not the eye. Plan the introductory segments carefully. Plan the closing segments of the design carefully. Plan the whole design from the audience point of view.

Presentation Skills

Introduction
Presentations are a way of communicating ideas and information to a group. A good presentation has:

Content - It contains information that people need. It must account for how much information the audience can absorb in one sitting. Structure - It has a logical beginning, middle, and end. It must be sequenced and paced so that the audience can understand it.
Packaging - It must be well prepared. A report can be reread and portions skipped over, but the audience is at the mercy of a presenter.

ORGANIZING CONTENT
Make sure your talk has a beginning that introduces the content, and an end that explains your conclusion. Know your audience. Talk at the audience level. Humor is good if it makes the talk easy to listen to, but questionable if it is offered at the expense of an art or cultural object or a person, living or dead. Don't try to convey all the information. Thank people in a fresh, real, meaningful way.

The Voice
The voice is probably the most valuable tool of the presenter. One of the oddities of speech is that we can easily tell others what is wrong with their voice, e.g. too fast, too high, etc., but we have trouble listening to and changing our own voices. There are four main terms used for defining vocal qualities: Volume Tone Pitch Pace

1. 2. 3. 4.

The Body
People not only listen to you, they also watch you. Displaying good posture tells your audience that you know what you are doing and you care deeply about it. Also, a good posture helps you to speak more clearly and effective.

 Throughout you presentation, display:

Eye contact: Speakers who make eye contact open the

Cont.

flow of communication and convey interest, concern, warmth, and credibility.

happiness, friendliness, warmth, and liking. So, if you smile frequently you will be perceived as more likable, friendly, warm, and approachable. as boring and stiff. A lively speaking style captures attention, makes the material more interesting, and facilitates understanding.
messages by the way you talk and move. Speaking with your back turned or looking at the floor or ceiling should be avoided as it communicates disinterest.

Facial Expressions: Smiling is a powerful cue that transmits

Gestures: If you fail to gesture while speaking, you may be perceived Posture and body orientation: You communicate numerous

Cont.
Proximity: Cultural norms dictate a comfortable distance for interaction with others. Vary your voice. One of the major criticisms of speakers is that they speak in a monotone voice. Listeners perceive this type of speaker as boring and dull.

Active Listening
Good speakers not only inform their audience, they also listen to them. Some good traits of effective listeners are:
Do not answer questions with questions. Aware of biases. We need to control them. Never daydream or become preoccupied with their own thoughts when others talk.

Cont.
Let the other speaker talk. Do not dominate the conversation. Plan responses after others have finished speaking...NOT while they are speaking. Provide feedback but do not interrupt.

Keep the conversation on what the speaker says...NOT on what interest them.

Speaking
Begin with a joke to grab the attention of the audience and put them at ease. Starting off with a beautiful or unique image (when speaking to visual people). Identify words you have difficulty pronouncing and use alternative words. Practice foreign words and difficult names until they fall readily off the tongue.

Cont.
You don't need to fill every available second with the sound of your voice. Take your time. Pauses may seem like millennia to you, but they help the audience keep up with you and digest what you're saying. Let the silences BE silent. "Um" and "Uh" and other noises to fill silence are distracting. You can use silence to emphasize important points. Try not to read from a text if at all possible. Know your topic and rehearse it so well that you can speak the talk with your head up.

Cont.
One technique to make your talks more intimate is to speak in a friendly, relaxed manner, as you would to a friend standing next to you. The audience is your friend, they want to like you and to hear what you have to say. People want to hear the new information, resources, or ideas that you are giving them, they are interested...so keep their interest!

Nerves
The main enemy of a presenter is tension, which ruins the voice and posture. The voice becomes higher as the throat tenses. Shoulders tighten up and limits flexibility while the legs start to shake and causes unsteadiness. The presentation becomes "canned" as the speaker looks in on the notes and starts to read directly from them.

Cont.
If you welcome nerves, then the presentation becomes a challenge and you become better. If you let your nerves take over, then you go into the flight mode by withdrawing from the audience. When you feel tension or anxiety, remember that everyone gets them, but the winners use them to their advantage, while the losers get overwhelmed by them. Tension can be reduced by performing some relaxation exercises.

Cont.
Mental Visualization During the presentation: Take a moment to yourself by getting a drink of water, take a deep breath, concentrate on relaxing the most tense part of your body, and then return to the presentation saying to your self, "I can do it!" Know that anxiety and tension is not as noticeable to the audience as it is to you Know that even the best presenters make mistakes. The key is to continue on after the mistake. Winners continue! Losers stop!

Questions
After inviting questions, do not rush ahead if no one asks a question. Pause for about 6 seconds to allow the audience to gather their thoughts. When a question is asked, repeat the question to ensure that everyone heard it. Answers that last 10 to 40 seconds work best. If they are too short, they seem abrupt; while longer answers appear too elaborate. Also, be sure to keep on track. Keep cool if a questioner disagrees with you. You are a professional! No matter how hard you try, not everyone in the world will agree with you!

Habits
We all have a few habits, and some are more annoying than others. For example, if we say "uh," "you know," or put our hands in our pockets and jingle our keys too often during a presentation, it distracts from the message we are trying to get across.

The best way to break one of these distracting habits is with immediate feedback.

Etiquette
Be brief. If asked to speak for 45 minutes, speak for 30, and encourage discussion afterwards. Never, ever, ever go over your allotted time slot. DO NOT go over your allotted time. This is unprofessional and discourteous.

Tips and Techniques For Great Presentations

Speak to the audience...NOT to the visual aids. Also, do not stand between the visual aid and the audience. Speak clearly and loudly enough for all to hear. Do not speak in a monotone voice. The disadvantages of presentations is that people cannot see the punctuation and this can lead to misunderstandings. An effective way of overcoming this problem is to pause at the time when there would normally be punctuation marks.

Cont.
List and discuss your objectives at the beginning of the presentation. Stand up straight. You'll be more believable. If you have glasses that you must push up constantly, tighten them. If you have hair that falls over your eyes, fix it. Some audience members are really distracted by these things. Try not to turn all the lights off. Keep a few lights on along the sides or at the back.

Cont.
Learn to edit. You may have 1,000,000 gorgeous slides, but the audience will not know what they missed if you edit. If you don't, the audience will remember that you went severely over time and that they didn't have a chance to appreciate the slides because you went so fast trying to show it all.

Keep eye contact with the person who posed the question.
You don't have to know everything, so don't try to bluff if someone asks you a question you cannot answer.

Cont.

Diffuse hecklers quickly and politely. A calm, compassionate voice of reason can effectively get them off the microphone. "Sir, I understand your objection. Let's not take up anymore of the conference time with this issue. I'll be happy to discuss this with you in private. Next question, please?" Attacking the heckler will only make the audience sympathize with the heckler and make you look bad.

Cont.
Dont agonize over mistakes, and dont say youre sorry. Keep confident and if you mess upmove on. Learn from your mistakes. If youre getting lots of questions, dont be afraid to ask the audience member to hold that thought if youll touch on the material later, or find a diplomatic way to say that its an interesting question and then ask them to ask it again at Q&A time.

Cont.
Dont pay attention to distractions. Have complete control on your audience like you are the leader of them. Never argue with any audience.

Thanks the audience for the patience to listen you.

What is Extempore
Students expected to speak on a given topic 1-3 min speaking A minute to organise your thoughts(sometimes)

Start on a topic as soon as it is given.

Reason for Extempore

Projecting self confidence

Presence of mind

Guidelines on topic
Define the topic Give examples Use opportunity to narrate personal experience Coherence Include humour

Some tips
Start at even pace Dont speak too fast Time yourself

Use simple language

Make short sentences

Points to remember
Body language Clarity Pitch

Posture

Group Discussions
How To Speak Properly During Group Discussions

Group discussion is the first criteria for screening the candidates for face-to-face interviews.

Why Group Discussion????

First thing Group Discussion is used for mass elimination! And second thing group discussion selection criterias are based on actual company requirements.

Dos and Donts of Group discussion:

Keep eye contact while speaking. Initiate the GD Allow others to speak Speak clearly Make sure to bring the discussion on track Positive attitude Speak sensibly Listen carefully to others No need to go into much details Formal dressing

What skills are judged in group discussion?

How good you are at communication with others. How you behave and interact with group. How open minded are you. Your listening skill. How you put forward your views. Your leadership and decision making skills. Your analysis skill and subject knowledge. Problem solving and critical thinking skill. Your attitude and confidence.

Guide to Interviewing

Contents
Types of interviews Three steps in successful interviewing

The interview schedule

The interview guide Conducting the interview

Rapport
Questioning Interview review

The interviewee
Dos and donts Further assistance
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Interviews
Interviews are in essence guided dialogues to gain information, made effective by using a well prepared interview guide.
Some examples are:

Requirements gathering interviews Post implementation review interviews Job and team selection interviews Performance review interviews Exit interviews
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Three steps in successful interviewing

Preparation: produce an interview schedule and interview guides. Execution: conduct the interviews Review: write up the interview notes

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Steps in the interview process

Preparation Execution Review

Interview schedule

Interview guides

Interview

Interview notes format

Who you are going to interview, why, when and where?

What questions are you going to ask?

Structure Rapport Listen Probe Clarify

What results were obtained? Information found Decisions Actions

An interview guide should be created prior to all interviews to ensure the interviews are focused and efficient and enable comparison and summarisation.
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The interview schedule

Name John Smith

Position R&D Manager

Rationale

Date

To understand R&D strategy 25/4 and get future R&D expenditures To get facts on competitor Xs latest development. In particular: Potential customers Our position 27/4

Roy Wilkinson

Head of metalurgical research

Bob Johnson

Lab assistant

An interview schedule is helpful, to track who is going to be interviewed, when and why.

Preparing the interview schedule

Identify what the objectives of the interviews are, what information you need to find out and therefore what areas of the business you need to obtain information from. Identify who needs to be interviewed to obtain this information. Create an interview schedule, allowing time to review and record notes between interviews. Book the interviews and record them in the schedule.

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The interview guide

Section Introduction Question 1. Personal background 3. .. Sub Question Education 2. Key mission of the department Work experience Major activities Major interfaces Body 4. Recent development in area x Major products 5. Customer reactions Competitor activities 6. . 7. . 8. . Wrap up 9. Future trends 10.Restate key points Switching costs Timing of change Next S - curve Timing

To make the most out of an interview, a well thought through interview guide is extremely helpful.

Preparing the interview guide

Determine the objectives of the interview. Plan the structure of the interview. Prepare interview questions. Prepare additional notes if they assist. For
example having an organisation chart helps in clarifying roles and responsibilities.
The interview guide enables standardisation of interviews for effective comparison and summarisation

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Guidelines for structuring an interview

Focused Many interviewees tend to go off on tangents during interviews. Your interview guide should clearly state the boundaries for your interview. These should be stated generally at the beginning with more specific instructions to refocus when appropriate. Quantifiable Open questions tend to produce long answers that are difficult to quantify and compare. If you need measured responses ask the interviewee to assign a value to their answer so direct comparisons to be made. For example How reliable is the current system, what score would you give it out of ten? Complete Check that the guide addresses all the objectives of the interview and have a colleague review it.

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Interview execution
Interviews are exceptionally rich sources of information. However, no two interviewees are alike: some tend to ramble, others are suspicious and curt, some will need only the slightest encouragement to speak their minds, while others will have to be guided along. The interviewers job is to conduct the interview to gather the information required, which takes skill, practice and structure. Once you have concluded your interviews, they must be summarised to yield the big picture. Your questions should therefore allow for valid comparison and summarisation of your interviewees viewpoints.

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How to conduct the interview

Introduction

Conduct at their place of work where possible Always state the reason for the interview and how it will be conducted Put the interviewee at ease Ask the interviewee if they agree to you taking notes Body Listen to the answers and request clarification if necessary Avoid making criticisms or taking sides Keep control of the interview: refocus the interviewee if they are rambling or clarify if they misunderstood the question Stay focused and follow your interview guide Allow the interviewee to ask questions
Wrap-up

Thank the interviewee Advise them what the next steps are and the timeframe
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Build rapport
Your interview needs to balance the building of rapport and collecting of required information. Introduction Gain rapport first. Explain the context, set the tone, and make the interviewee feel at ease. The introduction serves to: Introduce yourself Gauge the interviewees style, expectations and concerns Confirm the timeframe Sequence the interview items Items should be ordered by importance and sensitivity. The more sensitive your interviewee, the more important it is to avoid an inquisitorial interview tone. A non-threatening format for interviews involves the careful arrangement of interview topics: General before specific External before internal
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Historic before current

Listen and question

Listen To reassure the interviewee you are listening and to gain information: use non-verbal cues such as head nods to show you are listening. wait until the current question is answered before preparing the next one

listen for emotions and attitudes as well as facts

interrupt only if you sense avoidance of answering the question or if the interviewee has drifted too far from the topic request clarification and ask follow on questions

Ask open questions

To initiate discussion on a broad subject and to encourage a comprehensive explanation:

use clear, direct phrasing that asks a single question ask how, what or when but avoid the intimidating why question

Ask closed questions To elicit a specific reply:

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use this type of question sparingly to avoid appearing as an interrogator ask in order to understand rather than impress be concise

Open questioning
Examples: So what do you enjoy about the role? Are there any other issues I should be aware of?

Advantages

Disadvantages

Puts interviewee at ease

Interesting for interviewee

Provides depth of detail Reveals other areas of enquiry

You may lose control May use up too much time Interviewer may appear unprepared Harder to analyse later Lower reliability of data

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Closed questioning
Examples: Is the new form better or worse than the old form? Is it Mary or Jane who enter the application details? Do you stamp the form before or after the details are recorded?

Advantages

Disadvantages

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Efficient use of time Easy to compare interviews Higher reliability of data

Can be boring for interviewees Doesnt provide the opportunity to qualify answers You may miss other areas

Less interviewing skill needed

Focuses interviewee

Probe questioning
Probe questioning is honing in on a particular area of interest and drilling down to obtain more detail. It includes asking for more information to clarify a vague phrase or statement made by the interviewee such as quite high or often late. Probe questioning needs to be balanced with open and closed questioning to avoid the interview seeming like an interrogation. Examples: How does that happen?

How did that change impact your department? What specifically do they do as a result of that?
Advantages Disadvantages

Provides data on new aspects Supplies detail in context Shows interest in conversation
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Can appear threatening

Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is a technique used to confirm or clarify something the interviewee has said or implied. There are three levels of paraphrasing: 1. The first level confirms or clarifies expressed thoughts and feelings, for example: so there are three factors that determine the present situation 2. The second confirms implied thoughts or feelings, for example: so you would really like to change this situation 3. The third surfaces core thoughts or feelings, for example: you are afraid that it might make things worse for you or so you think the strategy is wrong (Note that with paraphrasing of feelings you can trigger a strong emotional response particularly with this third option )

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Interview review
A standard interview note format is useful in orienting interviews to results:
Key Steps Format

Write interview notes as soon as possible after the interview Outline key findings, note emerging hypotheses Consider how findings fit with earlier evidence Identify gaps to be filled in subsequent interviews

Interview Notes Interviewees: Interviewers: Location: Date:

KEY FINDINGS

BACKGROUND AND SITUATION

DISCUSSION NOTES

NEXT STEPS

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Interview notes are valuable when sharing information with other team members.

The interviewee may be

Assuming no possible improvement Assuming they have the full picture Assuming knowledge on your part Describing work out of sequence Covering up their own failings Exaggerating Scoring off others

Overwhelmed by you
Protecting others Exaggerating the immediate problem Overestimating the importance of the job telling you what they think you want to hear

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The interviewee can be

Inarticulate A jargoneer A familiarist An obstructionist Too familiar with the job Shy Loud A deceiver A hypochondriac An empire builder

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Adjust your style to suit the interviewee

The nervous interviewee Be very explicit in setting the scene, tell why you are there and what they can expect. Establish rapport and make sure you are relaxed and confident The non-talker Make a special effort to build rapport and find common language and experiences. Avoid closed questions, use open questions to draw them out The angry/hostile interviewee

Do not tolerate threatening behaviour.

If anger is directed at you: admit your mistake if you are wrong stay calm, avoid getting angry in return

If anger is directed at others:

do not get involved and do not taking sides correct misinformation tactfully ie do not challenge honestly held opinions
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Poor interviewing behaviour

Examples:

Did not make an appointment Arrived late Was rude Exhibited one upmanship interview Did not explain the purpose of the Did not explain the scope of interview Used jargon Became confrontational Was inconsiderate Talked down to the interviewee Abruptly ended the interview Did not explain what happens next

Do not

Arrive without warning Forget interviewees name or role Show off Criticise Interrupt Be impatient

Use coarse language

Fidget, lounge or appear bored Go over time without agreement from interviewee Fail to thank the interviewee for their time

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Do
Create rapport Make notes Be sincere Be objective Be courteous Verify your findings Separate fact from fiction Pitch the interview at the right level Keep within the scope of the interview Establish the option to ask follow up questions Wrap up the interview and thank the interviewee for their
time.

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Facing Interviews
-Breaking the ice-

Whats an interview?
It is a process wherein, prospective employers try to evaluate the worth and person-job fit of prospective employees through a one-on-one or many-on-one interaction session.

Wat do THEY look FOR?

Confidence Content Connection Core

How should you appear$?

You should look professional, well groomed, and have an ideal and positive charisma that should be communicated to your interviewers

What matters?
Your clothing, your jewellery, your make up and your perfume etc.( Yes all this, but only in addition to your KSA which r d most important things!)

For males
Clothing: Dark skin tone: White /white shade shirts with black or blue or brown trousers and appropriate tie& belt Light skin tone: blue or pink with black or blue or white trousers

What other things?

Avoid tattoos Your shoes! Your watch Your folders/files etc Your Hair do ought to be decent Perfume should be light (Musk or sandal would be better off, avoid it if you are not comfortable and have a nostalgia towards perfume)

For females
Clothing: Light skin tone: blue light green or maroon shirts with black or brown trousers Dark skin tone: white/light shade shirts with blue or black or brown or ash trousers

Other things
Your jewellery Your sandals and heels Your lip stick shade Your make up( from face wash to bleach to foundation to top up cream to powder to markers, nail polish, bindi, eye make up and ALLLL THAT)!

Dos
Rehearse before you attend the actual interview. Make your own FAQ list Smile when you enter and greet the interviewers Ask for permission before you enter Excuse me sir/ May I come in) Be cool and confident

Dos-2
Respond slowly and clearly to the questions Be brief and to the point Take time to think Be frank Place your files or folders on your thighs Girls can cross your legs depending on the attire

Dos-3
Remember I contact is very very essential THANK the interviewers before leaving Shake hands only if the interviewers offer you a hand shake

Don'ts
Dont be submissive but be confident Dont sit until they specify Dont kneel on the table before you Dont stroke your fingers on anything Dont touch or stroke your head Dont bluff Do NOT FEAR , THEY NEED PEOPLE!

Remember
It s just a matter of projection. Everything depends on how well you project yourself!

CONVERSATION CONTROL When you speak English, you must CONTROL the conversation. There are 3 steps. 1) STOP! If you dont understand, stop the speaker. Excuse me? Pardon me? I dont understand. Once more, please. One more time, please. Could you repeat that, please? 2) UNDERSTAND. Try to understand. What is the problem? More slowly, please. Much more slowly, please. What does (that) mean? How do you spell (that) ? 3) CHECK: Do you understand everything? Make sure! (Do) You mean _______?