Business Management Study Manuals Certificate in Business Management INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS The Association of Business Executives 5th Floor, CI Tower St Georges Square High Street New Malden Surrey KT3 4TE United Kingdom Tel: + 44(0)20 8329 2930 Fax: + 44(0)20 8329 2945 E-mail: info@abeuk.com © Copyright, 2008 The Association of Business Executives (ABE) and RRC Business Training All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, mechanical, photocopied or otherwise, without the express permission in writing from The Association of Business Executives. Certificate in Business Management INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Contents Unit Title Page 1 The Process of Communication 1 Introduction 2 The Communication Cycle 2 Barriers to Communication 5 Overcoming the Barriers 7 Forms of Communication 9 2 Principles of Effective Communication 23 Introduction 24 Planning 24 Acquiring and Organising Information 27 Structuring Communications 45 The Importance of Clarity 49 3 Written Communication 55 Introduction 57 Writing Business Letters 57 Memoranda 74 Using E-Mail 77 Using and Designing Forms 80 Writing Notices 89 Writing to Persuade 92 Internal Company Documents 94 4 Oral and Non-Verbal Communication 101 Introduction 102 Basic Skills of Oral Communication 102 Using the Telephone 108 Face-to-Face Encounters 111 Non-Verbal Communication and Personal Presentation 133 Non-Verbal Communication and the Physical Environment 137 Design and Presentation in Written Communication 139 5 Communicating with Customers 143 Introduction 144 Dealing with Customers on the Telephone 144 Meetings with Customers and Clients 148 Listening to Customers 150 Dealing with Enquiries 153 Supplying Information to Customers 156 Unit Title Page 6 Communication within Organisations 159 Introduction 160 The Role of Communications in Organisations 160 Communications Systems 163 Management Styles 170 The Layout of the Office 171 7 Technology and Communications 173 Introduction 174 An Introduction to the Technology 174 Technology and Communications 186 1 Study Unit 1 The Process of Communication Contents Page Introduction 2 A. The Communication Cycle 2 Basic Elements of the Cycle 2 B. Barriers to Communication 5 Key Components 3 Barriers Caused by Sender and Recipient 5 Barriers Caused by Outside Influences (Noise) 7 C.
Overcoming the Barriers 7 Defining the Purpose 7 Knowing When and How to Communicate 7 Understanding the Receiver 8 Personal Communication Skills 9 D. Forms of Communication 9 Message, Medium and Channel 9 Types of Written and Oral Communication 10 Written Communication 10 Oral Communication 13 The Characteristics of Written Communication 15 The Characteristics of Oral Communication 17 Using Written and Oral Communication 18 The Importance of Non-Verbal Communication 20 © ABE and RRC 2 The Process of Communication INTRODUCTION Communication is something we do all the time, mostly without thinking about it. In business, though, thinking about it is very important because all forms of interaction between people and companies are built and maintained through some form of communication. It is, therefore, vital that communication is effective and the messages between firms and their customers and clients, and those between workers in the same organisation – especially between management and staff – are clear and properly understood.
This course is essentially practical – to help you be effective in your communication. Before we get into the detail of what makes, say, an effective letter or telephone call, though, we need to examine some underlying principles about the process of communication itself. Understanding these will enable you to take account of all the various components of the process when designing your own communications. You need to be particularly aware of the barriers to effectiveness which arise from these components, and the ways in which you can try to ensure that they do not affect your communication.
In this first unit, we shall also take an overview of the three main media through which communication takes place – the written word, the spoken word and non-verbal forms. THE COMMUNICATION CYCLE Communication may be defined as: "the imparting, conveying or exchange of information, ideas or opinions by the use of speech, writing or graphics." Basic Elements of the Cycle In any communication process there are three basic elements, though, as we shall see, there are many other components within this which go to make up the whole of the process. The three fundamental ones are: the message itself; the receiver's understanding of it; the receiver's response to it. A sender sends a message to a receiver in such a way that the receiver is able to understand it.
Note also the way in which the cycle is completed by the element of feedback from receiver to sender. This element is not always there, but is a key part of the process since, at the very least, it provides the means of acknowledging receipt and understanding. This is rather a simple view of the process, however, and the study of communication has identified a number of further components within this basic cycle. These are crucial to its success or failure.
The following diagram outlines these additional components – look at it carefully before going any further. Encoding Decoding Sender Channel/medium Audience message message Feedback to sender if possible or appropriate © ABE and RRC The Process of Communication 3 Key Components Probably the easiest way to understand how communication works is to define each of the key terms shown in the diagram and build these definitions back into a complete picture of the process as a whole. (a) Information This is the raw material of the communication – the actual data which it is intended to convey to the recipient or receiver. Although it is usually called "information", it does not have to be simply factual.
It may be an opinion or an idea, or a combination of fact and opinion. (b) The sender The sender is the body responsible for passing on the information. Although it is most usually an individual, it can also be a group of people, such as a committee or a company. (c) Encoding This is the process by which the sender puts the information into a form suitable for sending.
Usually, this will be language, either spoken or written. In some cases, such as non-verbal communication or "body language", it could be a gesture or sign. In others, such as advertising, it could be a photograph or film with an accompanying slogan. The way in which the information is encoded is crucial to the correct understanding of the message by the recipient.
Indeed, so important is this that the key element in encoding is working out the best way for the receiver to understand the information and then putting it into that form. (d) The message Once the information is encoded, it is known as the message. It contains the meaning that the sender wishes to convey to the receiver. (e) The medium The medium is the larger group of communication instruments within which the message belongs.
Generally speaking, there are three main media: written communication; oral (spoken) communication; and visual communication. (f) The channel This is the physical means by which the message is communicated: for written communication, a postal service or a notice-board; for oral communication, a personal interview or telephone system; for visual communication, a drawing, photograph or film. (g) The aim The aim is the main reason why the act of communication has been undertaken. There are generally three chief aims: © ABE and RRC 4 The Process of Communication To inform This is the desire to supply factual information, or an assessment or judgment of the value of an item or product.
To influence This is the desire to persuade the recipient to adopt a particular idea or possible course of action. To initiate action This is the desire to make the recipient respond by performing a particular task. Within an organisation, all three aims are often present as part of any individual act of communication. It is important to be clear about the overall aim of the communication because this can affect the way the information is encoded and the media and channels used to convey the message.
(h) The recipient This is the person or people to whom the message is directed – an individual, a group (such as a committee or a firm), or even, as in the case of an advertising campaign, a specific target group among the general public. (i) Decoding This is the process by which the recipient interprets the meaning of the message. Note that this may or may not be the same as the interpretation originally intended by the sender – the result of this process is what the recipient understands the message to mean. Some understanding of this part of the process by the sender is very helpful because it can influence the way the information is encoded and the media and channels used to convey the message.
(j) Feedback Feedback is the name given to the information the sender derives from the way in which the recipient reacts to the message. From it, the sender can decide whether or not the message has achieved its intended effect. However, feedback properly refers only to indirect reactions of the recipient rather than any message sent in return. It is thus up to the sender to watch the recipient's response carefully, to look out or "scan" for such reactions when it is possible for them to be directly observed, for example in a personal interview.
(k) Motivation Although it is not shown in the diagram, motivation is a crucial element in communication. It is the urge or desire to achieve a purpose, alter a given situation, or satisfy a need. If motivation is strong, it is likely that communication will be effective. These are the principal elements in the cycle of communication.
They are completed when the process is reversed and the recipient communicates in response to the sender's original message. There are, then, many elements involved in the communication process and this makes it more complex than you may initially have thought. The number of elements means that there is a lot that can go wrong. © ABE and RRC The Process of Communication 5 B.
BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION Any system which involves the exchange of information, especially when the information is complex and the distance over which it is exchanged is large, has to overcome many barriers. These may be divided into two kinds, i. those which are found within the sender and the recipient, and result in part from a difference in attitude or experience between them; and those which result from outside influences in the communication process. Barriers Caused by Sender and Recipient When you are thinking about these, don't forget that they are only very rarely created deliberately by either party.
More often they arise from incomplete understanding of the information, the situation, or the vocabulary and attitudes of the other party. (a) Distortion Distortion is a process which occurs either at the stage of encoding or decoding the message. It comes about when the information is put into a form which does not express its true nature in a way that the recipient can fully understand. We all believe that language is shared by everyone, and that we all use the same words to express ideas; but this is often far from true.
Sometimes we succeed, quite unintentionally, in offending another person by saying something which was "taken the wrong way" or interpreted as an insult instead of a compliment. Distortion in communication can lead to incorrect understanding of the message, or only partial comprehension of its meaning, by the recipient. Where the distortion arises at the encoding stage, the sender is responsible. This is by far the most likely source of the problem, since every effort must be made to frame the message in a way which the receiver can understand.