Business Communication Skills

Business Consulting Project

Team number 6 : Bicher Ana-Maria Cruntu Alexandru Ioni Ioana Papuc Nicolae Tudorache Mdlina

INTRODUCTION

THE THREE COMPONENTS OF COMUNICATION

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS

"We all use language to communicate, to express ourselves, to get our ideas across, and to connect with the person to whom we are speaking. When a relationship is working, the act of communicating seems to flow

relatively effortlessly. When a relationship is deteriorating, the act of

communicating can be as frustrating as climbing a hill of sand. - Chip Rose, attorney and mediator

On a daily basis we work with people who have different opinions, values, beliefs, and needs than our own. Our ability to exchange ideas with others, understand others' perspectives, solve problems and successfully utilize the steps and processes presented in this training will depend significantly on how effectively we are able to communicate with others.

Communication Involves Three Components:

1. Verbal Messages
the words we choose

2. Paraverbal Messages
how we say the words 3. Nonverbal Messages our body language

These Three Components Are Used To:

1. Send Clear, Concise Messages

2. Receive and Correctly Understand Messages Sent to Us.

SENDING MESSAGES
Verbal Messages
Our use of language has tremendous power in the type of atmosphere that is created at the problem-solving table. Words that are critical, blaming, judgmental or accusatory tend to create a resistant and defensive mindset that is not conducive to productive problem solving. Choose your words with the intent of making your message as clear as possible, avoiding jargon and unnecessary, tangential information.

Sending effective messages requires that we state our point of view as briefly and succinctly as possible.

Effective Verbal Messages

Are free of jargon

Do not create resistance in the listener

Are brief, succinct, and organized

Nonverbal Messages
The power of nonverbal communication cannot be underestimated. The messages we send through our posture, gestures, facial expression, and spatial distance account for 55% of what is perceived and understood by others. In fact, through our body language we are always communicating, whether we want to or not!

Nonverbal messages are the primary way that we communicate emotions.

Facial Expression

The face is perhaps the most important conveyor of emotional information. A face can light up with enthusiasm, energy, and approval, express confusion or boredom, and scowl with displeasure. The eyes are particularly expressive in telegraphing joy, sadness, anger, or confusion.

Postures and Gestures Our body postures can create a feeling of warm openness or cold rejection. For example, when someone faces us, sitting quietly with hands loosely folded in the lap, a feeling of anticipation and interest is created. A posture of arms crossed on the chest portrays a feeling of inflexibility. The action of gathering up one's materials and reaching for a purse signals a desire to end the conversation.

Nonverbal Messages:

1. Account for about 55% of what is perceived and understood by others.

2. Are conveyed through our facial expressions as well as our postures and gestures. a

Paraverbal Messages:

1. Account for about 38% of what is perceived and understood by others.

2. Include the tone, pitch, and pacing of our voice

For example, the statement, "I didn't say you were stupid" has six different meanings, depending on which word is emphasized.

RECEIVING MESSAGES Listening

The key to receiving messages effectively is listening. Listening is a combination of hearing what another person says and psychological involvement with the person who is talking. Listening requires more than hearing words. It requires a desire to understand another human being, an attitude of respect and acceptance, and a willingness to open one's mind to try and see things from another's point of view.

"Listening in dialogue is listening more to meaning than to words . . .In true listening, we reach behind the words, see through them, to find the person who is being revealed. Listening is a search to find the treasure of the true person as revealed verbally and nonverbally. There is the semantic problem, of course. The words bear a different connotation for you than they do for me. Consequently, I can never tell you what you said, but only what I heard. I will have to rephrase what you have said, and check it out with you to make sure that what left your mind and heart arrived in my mind and heart intact and without distortion."- John Powell, theologian

Listening
1. Requires concentration and energy 2. Involves a psychological connection with the speaker

3. Includes a desire and willingness to try and see things from another's perspective

4. Requires that we suspend judgment and evaluation

Nonverbal: 1.Giving full physical attention to the speaker; 2.Being aware of the speaker's nonverbal messages;

Verbal: 1.Paying attention to the words and feelings that are being expressed; 2.Using reflective listening tools such as paraphrasing, reflecting, summarizing, and questioning to increase understanding of the message and help the speaker tell his story.

1.GIVING FULL PHYSICAL ATTENTION TO THE SPEAKER

Attending is the art and skill of giving full, physical attention to another person. We create a posture of involvement by: o Leaning gently towards the speaker; o Facing the other person squarely; o Maintaining an open posture with arms and legs uncrossed; o Maintaining an appropriate distance between us and the speaker; o Moving our bodies in response to the speaker, i.e., appropriate head nodding, facial expressions.

2.Being Aware of the Speakers Nonverbal Messages When we pay attention to a speaker's body language we gain insight into how that person is feeling as well as the intensity of the feeling. Through careful attention to body language and paraverbal messages, we are able to develop hunches about what the speaker (or listener) is communicating. We can then, through our reflective listening skills, check the accuracy of those hunches by expressing in our own words, our impression of what is being communicated.

3.Paying Attention to the Words and Feelings

In order to understand the total meaning of a message, we must be able to gain understanding about both the feeling and the content of the message. We are often more comfortable dealing with the content rather than the feelings (i.e., the relationship), particularly when the feelings are intense. Our tendency is to try and ignore the emotional aspect of the message/conflict and move directly to the substance of the issues.

4.Reflecting Feeling The listener concentrates on the feeling words and asks herself, "How would I be feeling if I was having that experience?" She then restates or paraphrases the feeling of what she has heard in a manner that conveys understanding. "You're upset because you haven't been able to get in touch with me when I'm at work."

Barriers to Effective Communication

When people are under stress, they are more apt to inject communication barriers into their conversation. These barriers can exist in any of the three components of communication . According to Thomas Gordon, author of the Parent Effectiveness Training program, people use communication barriers 90% of the time in conflict situations. For this reason, it is worthwhile to describe some of the common responses that will, inevitably, have a negative effect on communications

1. Attacking (interrogating, criticizing, blaming, shaming)

2. "You Messages" (moralizing, preaching, advising, diagnosing)

Verbal Communication Barriers

3. Showing Power (ordering, threatening, commanding, directing)

4. Other Verbal Barriers: shouting, name calling, refusing to speak.

9. Excessive fidgeting with materials 8. Staring at people or avoiding eye contact 1. Flashing or rolling eyes

7. Doodling

Nonverbal Communication Barriers

2. Quick or slow movements

5. Slouching, hunching over 4. Gestures made with exasperation

3. Arms crossed, legs crossed

Effective Communication . . .
.
It is clear It utilises feedback It is two way.

It is free of stress.
It involves active listening. It reflects the accountability of speaker and listener.

Business Communication
Business Communication is any communication used to promote a product, service, or organization with the objective of making sale.

In business, communication is considered core among business, interpersonal skills and etiquette

In business communication, message is conveyed through various channels of communication including internet, print (publications), radio, television, outdoor, and word of mouth.

Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. If we could somehow remove communication flows from an organization, we would not have an organization.

It is needed for:

Exchanging information

Sending and fulfilling orders

Conducting sales

Making plans and proposals

Reaching agreement

Exchanging options

Executing decisions

When communication stops, organized activity ceases to exist. Individual uncoordinated activity returns in an organization. So, Communication in an organization, is as vital as blood for life.

Internal Communication

External Communication

There are two types of business communication in an organization:

Communication within an organization is called Internal Communication.It includes all communication within an organization. It may be informal or a formal function or department providing communication in various forms to Good communication may help to increase job satisfaction, safety, productivity, and profits and decrease grievances and turnover.

Under Internal Business Communication types there come:

a)UpwardCommunication

b)DownwardCommunication

c) Horizontal/Literal communication

Upward Communication is a mean for staff to:

Exchange information Offer ideas Express enthusiasm Achieve job satisfaction Provide feedback

Downward communication is needed in an organization to:

Transmit vital information Give instructions Encourage 2-way discussion Announce decisions Seek cooperation Provide motivation Boost morale Increase efficiency Obtain feedback

Horizontal Communication is essential for:

Solving problems Accomplishing tasks Improving teamwork Building goodwill Boosting efficiency

Communication with people outside the company is called external communication. Supervisors communicate with sources outside the organization, such as vendors and customers.

It leads to better: Sales volume Public credibility Operational efficiency Company profits It should improve: Overall performancee Public goodwill Corporate image Ultimately, it helps to achieve: Organizational goals Customer satisfaction

EFFECTIVE INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

Talking to people is often a lot more complex than it sounds. While most of us can talk to nearly anyone, talking to people effectively, using strategic interpersonal communications tools, takes study and preparation. It's surprising how often we fail to really communicate with other people. Acquiring interpersonal communication skills and knowledge with help improve communications with coworkers, constituencies,and members of your own family.

Focused Listening
Practice the habit of really focusing on an individual when they talk to you. Stop moving. Square your shoulders to the person. Look them in the eye. Give them all your attention and focus. Not only are you more likely to hear the words they are saying, but you will send signals to the speaker that you are in fact listening, engaged, and interested in what they have to say.

Focused Hearing

Listening and hearing are really two separate skills. You can listen to a lot of talk, but you may not actually hear what is being said to you. Focused hearing means turning off your silent mental comments and reactions while the speaker is speaking. You need to be in hearing mode, not "I'm-thinking-of what-I'm-feeling-while-you-are-talking" mode. You can't hear and talk to yourself at the same time.

Gentle Interruptions
If you feel the need to remember something that has just been said to you, rather than making a mental note--and missing information---put your finger up, and ask the speaker to pause "for just a second while I write something down about what you just said that was very important to me." This will enforce a speaker's feeling that you really are listening. You can also use this tactic to cut off or slow down a compulsive talker.

Information Checks

When someone is telling you something of importance to them that requires your reaction or consent, it helps to be sure you really understand what they are feeling, perceiving, or asking you to do. Check what you heard with what they said. Say, "Now, let me be sure I understand you. You said..." If you've made a mistake, the speaker can correct you before you commit to an bad answer.

Once you've listened to the speaker, you can usually answer with your information or reactions. If the other person tries to interrupt you too hastily, raise your hand up, palm facing the other person, and say calmly, "I want to hear your reaction. But please let me finish my last thought first."

Wrap up what you had to say in one or two more sentences, and invite the other person to interject. Cut them off gently, and provide more, new information, and then hand the "floor" back to them. Be as generous as you can with speaking time, even if you disagree with the speaker's position.

Balancing the

Conversation

The Power Of Touch

Reaching out and touching someone while they, or you, are speaking helps "sell" an idea or anchor a point. While it's not always appropriate to touch other people in conversation, when it is appropriate, it can be very powerful. Many people will be able to remember and connect with something you said at that moment just a few seconds after you reached out and touched them on the hand, arm, or shoulder.

The message is said to be effective when the receiver understands the same meaning that the sender was intended to convey. For any communication in business, in order to be effective, it must have seven qualities. These seven attributes are called seven Cs of effective business communication. (All these attribute starts with the alphabet C so are called 7 Cs).

1. Correctness 2. Clarity 3. Conciseness 4. Completeness 5. Consideration 6. Concreteness 7. Courtesy

Correctness in message helps in building confidence. Clarity makes comprehension easier. Conciseness saves time. Completeness brings the desired response. Concreteness reinforces confidence. Consideration means understanding of human nature. Courtesy strengthen relations.