Communication in business

General remarks Dramatic changes fast effective new computer technology sound vision satellites

intention channel common code context sender receiver message expectation skills: listening speaking reading writing skills: interpreting understand

Types of communication (1)  verbal  non-verbal  spoken  face to face  written  letters, memos, reports, diagrams  body language – facial expressions, hands, how you sit, stand …

Types of communication (2)  formal  informal  following procedures  job interviews …  no procedures  discussing a problem when it arises

Types of communication (3)  internal  external  within a business organisation  between sales and personnel department  between organisations  customer and supplier

Task  Outline the message which each of the following types of body language would give you a smile a frown folded arms clenched fists slouching in a chair

Task  Briefly describe the main forms of body language which you personally use.  Can you identify any situations where body language is, or might be, particularly important for communication in the place where you work or study?

Objectives of communication  to enable decisions to be taken  to issue instructions to the staff = vertical communication  to enable people at the same level to communicate with each other = horizontal communication  to communicate externally with customers, banks, suppliers

 to keep staff up-to-date and informed about what is going on = multi-directional communication  to provide essential information to the staff (pay, pensions, holidays, benefits, working conditions) = multi-directional communication

Task An urgent order has just been taken at the main branch of Exclusive Tailoring Ltd, a company which produces high quality made-to-measure suits.  List all possible ways which you can think of to get the order to Head Office for processing.  Which method of communication would you choose and why?

Channels of communication  open to anyone  restricted  electronic  noticeboards, newsletters, computer networks  e.g. management information systems  technology based

Internal CO – verbal methods  face to face  meetings (formal or informal)  telephone (CO between various sections; saves time)  interviews or individual discussions

Internal CO – non-verbal memoranda (memos)  commonly used  short  deals with only one or two specific points minutes  summary of main points discussed at a meeting  filed for future reference

letters  formal situations  external communication notices  to display matters of interest to staff  no way of ensuring that these are read

house journals  weekly or monthly  house magazines reports  formal  to cover a certain topic

Informal communication the ‚grapevine‘  rumours and general gossip lunchtime conversations  internal (casual discussions between staff)  external (working lunches)

social occasions  internal and external  Christmas Dinner, circket match, annual outings

Visual methods of communication  internal and external  charts, graphs, diagrams  complicated information can be understood more easily

External communication  letters and telephone  compliment slips (when a letter is not needed)  advertising and sales promotion  Annual Reports and Accounts (issued to shareholders)