Chapter 5 : Business Communication: Creating and ...

1 9/21/13 Cengage Learning eBook Friendly VersionUser Name: Shawn Wynn-Brownemail Id: gw-7924-1975-eb3edc6bed69fd0cG1e3caa8G12 9503ec88 Book: BUSN 2007 Cengage Learning Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may by reproduced or used in any form or by any means -graphic, electronic, or mechanical, or in any other manner - without the written permission of the copyright holder. Chapter 5 : Business communication : Creating andDelivering Messages that Matter (pp. 68-0) Business communication : Creating and Delivering Messages that Matter: Chapter Objectives Lane Oatey/Blue JeanImages/The Agency Collection/Jupiterimages LEARNING OBJECTIVESA fter studying this Chapter , you will be able Explain the importance of excellent Business communicationLO2 Describe the key elements of nonverbal communicationLO3 Compare, contrast, and choose effective communication channelsLO4 Choose the right words for effective communicationLO5 Write more effective Business memos, letters, and emailsLO6 Create and deliver successful verbal presentations9/21/13 Cengage Learning eBook 68 RALPH WALDO EMERSON LO1 Excellent communication Skills.

2 Your Invisible Advantage Much of your success in Business will depend on your ability to influence the people around you. Can you land the right job? Closethe deal that makes the difference? Convince the boss to adopt your idea? Motivate people to buy your products? Excellentcommunicators are not only influential but also well liked, efficient, and effective. Great communication skills can dramatically boostyour chance for success, while poor communication skills can bury even the most talented what exactly are excellent communication skills ? Many students believe that great Business communication equates to a knackfor speaking or a flair for writing.

3 But if that's where you stop, you're likely to hit a brick wall again and again as you attempt toachieve your goals. Effective communication happens only when you transmit meaning relevant meaning to your must be dynamic, fluid, and two-way, which includes listening. Seeking and understanding feedback from youraudience and responding appropriately form the core of successful Business communication . And it isn't as easy as you maythink. American novelist Russell Hoban neatly summarized the issue: When you come right down to it, how many people speak thesame language even when they speak the same language? communication Barriers: That's Not What I Meant!

4 Why is effective communication so challenging? The key issue is noise : any interference that causes the message you send to bedifferent from the message your audience understands. Some experts define noise in terms of communication barriers , which arisein a number of different forms. As you read the definitions, keep in mind that with a bit of extra effort, most are surmountable, andwe'll discuss strategies and tips as we move through the Barriers: These can range from a document that looks like a wall of type, to a room that's freezing cold, to chairs inyour office that force your visitors to sit at a lower level than Barriers: Clearly, if you don't speak the language you'll have trouble communicating.

5 But even among peoplewho do share the same language, slang, jargon, and regional accents can interfere with Language Barriers: Even if your words are inviting, the wrong body language can alienate and distract your audienceso completely that they simply won't absorb the content of your Barriers: How your audience perceives you and your agenda can create a significant obstacle to effectivecommunication. If possible, explore their perceptions both positive and negative in advance!Organizational Barriers: Some companies have built-in barriers to effective communication , such as an unspoken rule thatthe people at the top of the organization don't talk to the people at the bottom.

6 These barriers are important to understand buthard to Barriers: These can include everything from how you greet colleagues and establish eye contact to how youhandle disagreement, eat Business meals, and make small talk at meetings. As globalization gains speed, interculturalcommunication will become increasingly pivotal to long-term Business and understanding communication barriers is a vital first step toward dismantling them, in order to communicate more9/21/13 Cengage Learning eBook 69effectively with any audience. LO2 nonverbal communication : Beyond the Words Most of us focus on what we want to say, but how we say it matters even more.

7 In fact, studies cited in The Wall Street Journal'sCareer Journal suggest that during face-to-face communication , only 7% of meaning comes from the verbal content of the message 38% comes from tone of voice, and 55% comes from body language such as facial expressions, gestures, and goal of nonverbal communication should be to reinforce the meaning of your message. Random facial expressions anddisconnected body language arbitrary arm thrusts, for example are at best distracting, and at worst clownish. But strong,deliberate nonverbal communication can dramatically magnify the impact of your messages. Here are a few examples of how this canwork (but keep in mind that these examples do not necessarily translate from culture to culture):Eye Contact: Within American culture, sustained eye contact (different from a constant cold stare) indicates integrity, trust,and respectful attention, whether you're communicating with a subordinate, a superior, or a of Voice: Variation is the key to effectiveness, since paying attention to a monotone takes more concentration thanmost people are willing to muster.

8 Also, even when you're angry or frustrated, try to keep your voice in a lower pitch toencourage listeners to stay with your Expressions: People vary widely in terms of how much emotion they show on their faces, but virtually everyonecommunicates, whether or not they know it, through a wide range of expressions that include shy smiles, focused frowns,clenched jaws, squinted eyes, and furrowed and Posture: How you handle your body speaks for you. For example, leaning forward can indicate interest,shrugging can suggest a lack of authority, and fidgeting can imply either impatience or nervousness. To increase the powerof your message, both your gestures and your posture should be confident, open, and silly as it sounds, one of the easiest, most effective ways to improve your body language is to practice nonverbal communicationin front of the mirror.

9 Check out your gestures, notice your facial expressions, and focus on eye contact. If you have the time andability, it's also helpful (though humbling!) to videotape yourself delivering both a formal and informal message, and ask a trustedfriend to dissect the results with discerning the body language of others is another powerful Business communication tool. But keep in mind that youmust evaluate others in the context of common sense. When your boss keeps yawning, she may be bored, or she may just be your colleague crosses his arms, he may be indicating defensiveness, or he might just normally stand that New Look at Dressing for Success Brenda Does it ever make sense to go to work looking like THIS?

10 Well, it all depends on your job. If you're a copywriter at an ad agency, or amanager at a record label, or a recruiter for a teen marketing firm, you may even find that a visible tattoo or a pierced tongue canboost your credibility. But if you're a teller at a bank, or a manager at an insurance company, or a salesperson for a pharmaceuticalfirm, you'll find that a clean-cut, mainstream appearance will work in your appearance is among the most powerful forms of Business communication . Some experts believe that more than 50% of another9/21/13 Cengage Learning eBook 70person's perception of you is driven by how you look. Does your appearance always correspond to your performance?