Unit 1 CommunicationUnit 1 Communication

• Main forms of communication in business • Fundamentals of business writing• Techniques for effective communication

Part I Main forms of communication in business

• Oral communication— personal conversations,

speeches, meetings, voice mail, telephone conversations, videoconferences

• Written communication— letters, memos, formal

reports, news releases, e-mails, faxes, minutes

Communication: meaningful

exchanges of information

through messages

• Formal communication— internal: memos, reports,

meetings, written proposals, oral presentations, meeting minutes

— external: letters, written proposals, oral presentations, speeches, news releases, press conferences, advertising

• Informal communication— communication transmitted

outside formally authorized channels without regard for the organization’s hierarchy of authority

• Verbal communication— transmission of messages in

the form of words: meetings, telephone calls, voice mail, videoconferences

• Nonverbal communication— communication transmitted

through actions and behaviours rather than through words: gestures, facial expressions, posture, body language, dress, makeup

Basic patterns Letters (p.138): formal Memos (p.140): less formal Faxes (p.140): less formal E-mails (p.139): least formal

Business reports: formal or less formal

Part II Fundamentals of written business communication

Keep paragraphs short (100 words or fewer)

Use lists and bullets— List items should be parallel in

structure— place important ideas first or

lastMake subject lines informative Tomorrow's meeting Bring consultant’s report to Friday’s

meeting Employee parking Revised schedule for parking lot

Techniques for writing

Use familiar words (Use plain English)

– terminate end – utilize use – ascertain find out – discontinue stop More examples?

Routine, good-news, and goodwill messages

– In the opening, state your main idea directly.

– The body provides all necessary details.

– The close is cordial, emphasizing your good news or making a statement about the specific action desired.

Convey different types of messages

Bad-news messages

indirect approach: put the evidence first and the main idea later.

– Open with a neutral statement that acts as a transition to the reasons for the bad news.

– In the body, give the reasons that justify a negative answer before stating or implying the bad news.

– Your close must always be cordial.

Convey different types of messages

Persuasive messages

indirect approach

– In the opening, mention a possible benefit, referring to a problem that the recipient might have, posing a question, or mentioning an interesting statistic.

– In the body, build interest in the subject and arouse your reader’s desire to comply. Once you have them thinking, you can introduce your main idea.

– The close is cordial and requests the desired action.

Convey different types of messages

Writing Business ReportBusiness reports help companies make

decisions and solve business problems.– to oversee and manage company

operations– to carry out company rules and ways of

doing things– to obey government and legal

requirements– to inform others of what’s been done on a

project– to guide decisions on particular issues– to get products, plans or projects accepted

by others

Reports may be classified in several ways:

– voluntary or authorized

– internal or external

– short or long

– informational or analytical

Four formats:

– preprinted form: fill-in-the-blank reports; relatively short; dealing with routine information

– letter: including all the normal parts of a letter; directed to outsiders

– memo: short, informal reports distributed within an organization

– manuscript: reports that require a formal approach

See p.144

• Review the relevant unit in Learning Strategies

• Refer to p.35, pp.58-59 of Book 3

Part IV Oral Presentations

Types• Facial expression• Gesture & posture: revealing a

lot about a person’s emotions and attitudes

• Vocal characteristics (tone of voice, volume & speaking pace)

• Personal appearance• Touching behaviour• Use of time and space

Part V Nonverbal Communication

• Develop cross-cultural awareness

• Accumulate relevant knowledge and information

Part V I Cross-cultural Communication