Oral Communication LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Learn the nature of spoken communication

Know the primacy of oral communication in business transaction and personal interaction

Understand when to choose oral communication as against written communication

Know various barriers to oral communication

Learn key skills of oral communication

Know how to use skills of conversion control at meetings,oral presentation,negotiation to influence,motivate the listener(audience) by your ideas

Oral CommunicationMend your speech a little,

lest it may mar your fortune.

-Shakespeare

Oral Communication

Oral communication skills and effectiveness principles

What is oral communication?Oral communication also know as verbal communication is the interchange of verbal messages between sender and receiver

Verbal communication is more immediate than written communication

Verbal communication is more natural and informal

Oral CommunicationThe ability to speak /articulate single words and later on speak groups of words in meaningful sequence comes to us in due course of our growth as a child

We develop this ability to from listening to verbal sounds(words)

As compared to written communication our ability to communicate through the spoken word(speech)is an ability naturally developed(provided we are not deaf or dumb)

Oral CommunicationNeed for oral communication

A manager should be able to talk/speak/discuss/converse/argue or negotiate an issue

Should be able to converse or discuss persuasively,effectively and convincingly

Manager needs oral communication skills that include abilities:- To help problem solving To resolve conflict To influence people to work together To persuade others to be involved in organisational goals without being

aggressive To develop listening skills To be an effective negotiator To make a proposal

Oral CommunicationOne has to know

-when to talk

-when not to talk but listen

-how to talk

-the tone,pitch and modulation

-to be able to interpret the listeners facial expressions,physical gestures and movements,attitude together with knowledge of his own body talk,(leakage) which consciously or unconsciously flows out to the listener

It does not matter what you say, what matters is how you say

it

Oral CommunicationObjective of Oral Communication

All business activities except telephoning involve face to face verbal communication/a telephone conversation is one one to one oral communication that requires control of tone, voice, pitch and precise use of words

Managers maximum time is devoted to oral communication

manager is engaged in :-meetings,discussion,negotiations,seminars,presentations,interviwes,peer conversation, subordinate instructions and telephonic conversation

Oral Communication

Choice of form of Communication

A manager ‘choice between oral and written communication is guided by considering the suitability of oral or written form for the purpose and nature of the subject of communication

Both written and oral forms have advantage and limitations

Comparative Advantages and limitations of oral and written communication

Oral Communication Written Communication

More personal and informal

Better for complex and difficult subjects facts and opinions

Makes immediate impact Better for keeping records of messages exchanged

Provides opportunity for interaction and feedback

Provides opportunity to refer back

Helps us to correct ourselves(Feedback/non verbal cues received)

Can be read at receiver’s convenience or pleasure

Better for conveying feelings and emotions

Can be revised before transmitting

Can be circulated

Comparative Advantages and limitations of oral and written communication

Oral Communication Written Communication

Limitations

Demands ability to think coherently as you speak

Never know if the message is ever read

A word once uttered cannot be taken back

Impersonal and remote

Hard to control voice pitch and tone, especially under stress, excitement or anger

Immediate feeback is not available for correction on the spot

Reader is not helped with non verbal cues that contribute the total message

Very difficult to be conscious of our body language

Many people do not like reading if business/officialTime consuming

Oral CommunicationPrinciples of Successful Oral Communication

Oral Communication is indispensible in any group or business activity

The purpose of effective talking is to be heard and understood by the listener

Our communication should have:

The rhythm and tone of a living voice-to achieve this quality use language that is

free from long winding sentences cliches old fashioned words and phrases The pitch of the voice should consider the distance between listener and

speaker The tone should be marked by the accent of sincerity and confidence

Oral CommunicationThe listener unlike the reader of a written communication can watch the act of verbalising the ideas and feelings of a speaker

The listerner is able to note the unconscious body language which may contradict the intent of the spoken words and is constantly affected by the tone of endearment, hostility, superiority, conceit, sincerity or insincerity

Speaker has to be very careful about his words and manner of speaking them

Albert Mehrabiam’s research reveals astonishing facts about how different factors contribute to speakers total message-

Verbal------7%

Tone of voice------38%

Visual -----------55%

Oral CommunicationThe nature of the spoken word:

Unlike the printed word (of the written message) the spoken word (in oral communication)is short lived

The listener cannot turn back to the spoken word as the reader can in case he misses its meaning while reading it

To overcome this the limitation the listener has to listen closely and attentively

The speaker should converse slowly with proper semantic pauses-so that the listener registers it in his mind

Research has established that speakers speak nearly 125 words a minute

Brain of the listener processes nearly 4-5 times more rapidly

If gap between the process of receiving and registering more-comprehension will be difficult/speak fluently

Oral Communication

What is Fluency?

Fluency usually means ease as a condition of speaking/But a fluent speaker is one who is heard with ease

The listener does not have to strain his mind to receive register and interpret the message heard

Listening is activated and helped when the speaker delivers his words as if they are moving in an ordered procession

Each word is distinctly heard and easily connected with other words to form the verbal structure of the message

Oral CommunicationCharacteristics of effective oral communication

According to Francis J Bergin oral communication is characterised by seven Cs--------

1.CANDIDNESS-unbaised/frank/outspoken

2.CLARITY-(getting the meaning from your head into the head of the listener /readers )

3.COMPLETENESS-Contains all the facts

4.CONCISENESS-say in the fewest possible words

5.CONCRETENESS-Being specific/definite and not vague

6.CORRECTNESS-message should not contain wrong information

7.COURTESY-Focus on you attitude instead of I attitude

Oral CommunicationCharacteristics of effective oral communication

In simple term the communicator should follow the following Consider the objective Think about the interest level of the receiver Be sincere Use simple language/familiar words Be brief and precise Avoid vagueness Give full facts Assume nothing Use polite words and tone Cut out insulting message Say something interesting and pleasing to the recipient Allow time to respond

Oral CommunicationCharacteristics of effective oral communication

Four S’s of Communication

1.SHORTNESS

2.SIMPLICITY

3.STRENGTH

4.SINCERITY

Oral CommunicationBarriers to effective oral communication

Managers have to communicate individually with people at different levels –superiors/subordinates/peers/customers/public figures

The oral mode of communication is easy time saving and functionally helpful in resolving issues

Oral communication demands great control and communicative competence to be successful

Oral communication shares with written communication all barriers

The foremost barriers to oral communication is poor listening

LISTENING: Listening is a psychological act affected by several factors such as- Status Halo effect(-when speaker is trusted-buyer trusts the seller and buys ) Complexes-lack of confidence or superiority Closed and all knowing mind-know everything Poor retention

Oral Communication Contd of LISTENING

Premature evaluation and hurried conclusions as distortions-prejudging

Abstracting:-partial listening/selective on some aspects of the conversation)

Slant-biased presentation of a matter by speaker instead of straight talk speaks in an oblique manner:-almost telling a lie

Cognitive dissonance:-At times the listener fails to accept or respond to assumptions underlying the new information communicated (unprepared to change from old belief and knowledge)

Language barrier:-The language of communication should be the medium shared by both speaker and listener

-In business English I widely used in all parts of the world(essential in a multilingual country like India- English a global medium)

Oral Communication The barriers that interfere with oral communication can be reduced or removed through skills of

conversation control

What is Conversation Control? The art of conversation control consists on our ability to listen with concentration and reply well Conversation control involves skills of listening and talking in a positive and meaningful way at

an appropriate time It includes:- Techniques of changing the direction of conversation smoothly The ability to allow a discussion to develop along key issues in an uninterrupted way towards the

desired end

Conversation control helps us carry on and conclude our conversation (dialogue/discussion )effectively on a note of satisfaction as a result of mutual understanding and agreement

Oral CommunicationIn business the following situations require application of conversation control

Skills:- How to sell or buy How to negotiate How to interview How to participate in a meeting How to disagree without being rude How to protest without offending How to compliment/praise How to respond to personal criticism

Oral CommunicationThe following skills will help your oral communication:- Interacting with people in meetings in a convincing way Handling objections to a proposal made by you Being able to react to criticism in a confident manner Developing skills in interviewing Learning how to get correct information quickly

Oral communication Paralinguistic

We have understood what is Oral and Aural communication

Oral Communication : Paralinguistics

Paralinguistics-Paralanguage or paralinguistics is used to the study of non verbal communication Some call the study of body language-

-facial expressions

-eye movements

-gestures etc which add meaning to what is being said

Paralanguage- refers to all vocally produced sound that is not direct form of linguistic(human voice communicates something beyond language)crying laughing groaning whining

Body language(Kinesics) Spatial language(proxemics)

Overall classification of systems of communication

Communication

Verbal Non verbal

Channel Paralanguage

Oral Audio-visual Written

Language Paralinguistics(Speech)

Linguistics signs(Natural LanguageFor writing)

Sign Language Body Lang(Kinesics)

Spatial lang(proxemics)

Visual signs Aural signs