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1UNIT I1UNDERSTANDING BUSINESSCOMMUNICATIONUnit Structure1.1Objectives1.2Introduction1.3Concept of Communication1.4Concept of Business Communication1.5Nature of Communication1.6Process of Communication1.7Channels of Communication1.8Directions of Communication1.9Summary1.10Unit End Questions1.11References1.12Web Resources1.1 OBJECTIVESAfter studying this chapter, you will be able to understand:•The concept of communication•Nature of communication•Process of communication•Channels of communication•Directions of communication1.2 INTRODUCTIONDear students, welcome to the first chapter of this course. In thischapter, we will discuss the theoretical concepts of communication and thekey components in the communication process. Broadly speaking, theprocess of learning to communicate begins from an individual’s childhoodand it continues as he or she grows up. Communication is a continuousprocess. It is used in both formal and informal situations. Every individualcommunicates to express his/her ideas, thoughts, and opinions or to meethis/her needs in different ways. It is a unique and a significant activity ofevery individual. An individual learns to communicate in day to day lifemunotes.in

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2with the help of parents, people around him, through school lessons etc.However, mere speaking ability doesn't help an individual to communicateeffectively in professional life. An untrained person may speak well butmay not communicate effectively at the workplace. It may happen mostlybecause of his/her lack of knowledge about the basic concepts, processand modes and mediums of communication. After your graduation, youwill be placed in different companies and you will have to communicatewith your clients and colleagues in a professional manner. At that time,you should not feel the handicap of effective communication skills. Toprepare yourself to face such situations, it is important to learn the skills ofprofessional communication. So, let’s begin with the basics ofcommunication.1.3 CONCEPT OF COMMUNICATIONCommunication is a continuous and dynamic process. It involvesdissemination and understanding of information in the right context. Inday to day communication, people express ideas, emotions, opinions andthoughts in a casual manner by using colloquial language and non-verbalcues. In such communication, there is a great possibility ofmisunderstanding and misinterpretation. Whether it is a formal or informalsituation, communication should be meaningful, effective and correct.Effective communication requires appropriate use of words, correctpronunciation, speed in delivery of words, suitable tone and befitting bodylanguage. Appropriate use of tools to communicate the message makescommunication meaningful. Effective communication motivates people torespond correctly to the messages and work together in tune with eachother. However, it requires intentional efforts to develop those skills.Theword communication is derived from Latin word“communicare” that means "to share" (Matthew 2018). In general sense,communication is defined as a meaningful exchange of thoughts, opinions,ideas, views or messages between at least two or more than two people. Itcan also be interpreted as a transmission of ideas and information todevelop common understanding for smooth functioning of businessassociation. In simple words, communication is an exchange ofinformation among people to draw common understanding between them.In order to understand the concept of communication more clearly, let'srefer to some of the definitions given by scholars in this field:1.Merriam Webster’s Dictionarydefines Communication as, “Aprocess by which information is exchanged between individualsthrough a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior”.2.Louis Allen:“Communication is the sum of all the things one persondoes; when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another. Itinvolves a systematic and continuous process of telling, listening andunderstanding.”3.Koontz and Weihrich:“Communication is the transfer of informationfrom a sender to a receiver, with the information being understood bythe receiver”.munotes.in

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34.Katz and Kahn:“Communication is the exchange of information andthe transmission of meaning. It is the very essence of a social systemof an organization”5.Robert Anderson:“Communication is an interchange of thoughts,opinions or information by speech, writing or signs.”All the definitions mentioned above highlight the fact thatcommunication is a continuous, dynamic, and systematic interactioninitiated for a specific purpose. The main purpose of communication is toconvey messages clearly and it becomes possible only when it is donesystematically. Although communication is considered as a continuousprocess, thereis difference in day to day communication and BusinessCommunication. So, let’s understand the concept of businesscommunication.1.4 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONCommunication is considered as the backbone of everyorganization. It enables the organizationto exchange information betweendifferent parties and streamline the functioning of the organization. Thisvery process of sending and receiving data from one person to another,within and outside the business organization is called ‘BusinessCommunication’. It is an exchange of business related views, ideas,opinions, etc between business related people.Every organization is formed with certain objectives and thesuccess of every organization lies in the collective efforts of itsstakeholders that are put in to accomplish the organizational objectives. Itbecomes possible only when the organization develops an effectivecommunication system. Effective communication system means a processthrough which information is collected, analyzed and circulated throughvarious channels. It includes various aspects like marketing, publicrelations, internal and external communication etc. As per the growth ofthe organization, it should be upgraded. Speedy and systematiccommunication updates the employees about current happenings and thathelps them achieve their goals. Through the communication system, all theupdates about production, sale, financial status, needs, demands, obstacles,challenges etc are shared with employees. It gives a clear picture of thecurrentsituation and enables them to set goals. In addition to it, with aneffective communication system, the daily operationscan bestreamlinedand everyday results can be achieved.1.5 NATURE OF COMMUNICATIONIn the above discussion, we understood the concept ofcommunication and its importance in the business organizations. Youmust be wondering, how exactly communication is done, when it happens,what are its benefits and what is its nature?Youcan get answers to allmunotes.in

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4these questions afterreading thefollowing points. The nature ofcommunication can be explained with some of its important aspects in thefollowing manner.1.Interactive Process:Communication is an interactive process in which ideas, thoughts,opinions or messages are passed on by using signs, symbols and verbaland non-verbal expressions that are known to both sender and receiver. Itrequires more than two people.2.An Unending Process:Communication is a continuous process. It goes on through verbaland non-verbal cues in personal and professional life. It could beintentional or unintentional. In different firmsand organizations,information or messages are continuously exchanged to promoteunderstanding. In order to achieve desired results, one interaction isrepeated after another and it goes on and on by using different modes andmediums of communication.3.Dynamic:The word dynamic means continuously changing. In thecommunication process, data, information, perceptions, perspectives,findings, recommendations etc are shared between people. The sharingand receiving of information depends upon the situations and moods of thesender and the receiver. Therefore, it keeps on changing as per therequirement of situations, medium, mode or the mood of the receiver andsender.4.All-encompassing:Communication takes place at every level from bottom to top andtop to bottom. Every act of human beings communicates something. Evenour silence also carries symbolic meanings in different situations.Therefore, communication is consideredas all encompassing. Withoutcommunication, nothing can be done in a business organization.5. Verbal and Non-verbal:Communication is done in both verbal and non-verbal ways. In dayto day life, colloquial language and non-verbal cues are used tocommunicate. On the other hand, inprofessional set ups, communicationis done in a professional manner by using appropriate words, proper tone,speed, pronunciationand befitting body language. Every attempt ofcommunication carries a specific goal and it isarchived by using bothverbal and non-verbal cues.munotes.in

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56.Connecting String:Communication is a connecting string in every organization. Clearand meaningful communication enables people to understand themessages clearly and act accordingly. It helps peopleunderstand eachother and decide the course of action to achieve expected results. Withoutproper communication no organization can function smoothly. Throughcommunication, an organization can execute its policy, inspire employeesto accomplish goals andmanage all activities.It’scommunication thatconnects different departments in an organization and acts as an invisiblestring in an organization.7.A Means to Accomplish Goal:Communication is a means to achieve desired goals. Withoutcommunication,no business organization can work properly. Effectivecommunication system is considered as the soul and backbone of everybusiness organization because it helps the employeesto exchangerealtime data that can enable them to prepare action plans to achieve desiredgoals. Therefore, communication is considered as animportant meanstoaccomplish goals.8.Intentional as well as Unintentional:Communication can be intentional or unintentional. Unintentionalcommunication means the things we don’t wish to communicate. Most ofthe time, it happens due to misuse of verbal and nonverbal cues. On theother hand, the communication that is done for specific purposes is calledintentional communication. Intentional communication is done by usingsuitable meansand modes to draw the expected outcome.9.Promotes Socialization:All human beings, as a natural tendency, preferto live in groups.This natural urge to be with others is fulfilled by communication. It is aprocess that helps us to interact with each other. Communicationpromotes as well as accelerates the process of socialization.10. Avoids Misunderstanding:Communication can be done by using verbal and non-verbal cues.Properuse of verbal and non-verbal cues makes communicatingmeaningful. If thesender and the receiver of messages are trained to useverbal and non-verbal cues appropriately,it can help them avoidmisunderstandings. Effective communication reduces the possibility ofmisunderstanding and misinterpretation. It provides clear understanding ofthe messages and thus creates a bond of understanding between sender andreceiver.munotes.in

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61.6 PROCESS OF COMMUNICATIONCommunication is a two-way process. It requires a sender and areceiver who can understand the signs, symbols and language of eachother. The process of communication begins with ideation. The senderthinks of an idea, gives it a shape, decides the mode and medium toconvey the idea, and conveys it. On the other hand, the receiver receivesit, tries to decode and understand it, and finally gives feedback.Communication does not happen abruptly. It happens systematically.There are different steps of communication. The steps involved in theprocess of communication play an important part in sending and receivingmessages clearly. So, let’s understand the process of communication indetail.1.Ideation:The very first step in the process of communication is ideation. Itmeans generation of thought in the sender’s mind. Ideation consists ofwhat is to be communicated. It could be a request,an order, an inquiry orany other such activity. It depends on thesender’s knowledge,experiences, perceptionsas well as context of the communicativesituation.The ideas formed or encoded using specific codes of language arecalled a message. Generally, a message carries a logical or emotionalcontent. Logical messages comprise factual details whereas emotionalmessages carry one’s feelings and emotions. Ideation turns into a messagewhen a particular idea is formed by considering its type and source usingcode of a particular language.2.Sender:Sender is the person who selects a thought or an idea, encodes itinto a set of symbols and transmits it to the receiver by using suitablemedium. Sender is an important element in the process of communicationbecause he makes the idea understandable for the receiver. The entireresponsibility of encoding the message rests upon the sender. For themeaningful delivery and successful transmission of message, the senderhas to keep in mind the purpose of the message and accordingly, as per theabilities of the receiver, has to select the words, images, medium, and timefor each transmission. The sender has to cope with internal and externalfactors.The external factors like physical surroundings, weather, noise,cultural customs etc. and the internal factors like the sender’s physical andmental state, his attitudes, and opinions, past experience, likes and dislikesalso influence the way the sender communicates the ideas. Along with it, asender also has to frame and transmit the message considering thereceiver's needs, skills, status, mental ability and experience. In short,sender is of prime importance in the process of communication.munotes.in

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73. Encoding:Encoding is the next step in communication. It meanstransformation of the idea into a set of symbols that are known to bothsender and receiver. It could be words, symbols, pictures, diagrams,gestures etc. It is a process of converting ideas into a coded message. Thevery purpose of encoding is to formulate ideasor thoughts into the knownlanguage to produce meaningful interaction. Application of known mediadecides the success of the encoding. Ultimately, the sole purpose ofcommunication is sharing information or ideas in a clear andunderstandable manner. Therefore, selection oflanguage is of utmostimportance. If the receiver is not able to decode the message,communication cannot take place. For example-if a receiver does notknow Marathi, he cannot decode the message transmitted in Marathi. Itbecomes an unproductive exercise.Along with language, selection of the right mode and medium forcommunication also determines the effectiveness of decoding. Commonly,interpersonal messages are communicated through verbal or non-verbalcues. Verbal communication includes spoken and written messages and todecode them the sender should be aware of the codes of that particularlanguage. Use of non-verbal cues, generally, depends on the sender-receiver relationship. It may include body movements, facial expressions,touching patterns etc. To decode non-verbal cues is a challenging task fora receiver because it requires mutual understanding of the non-verbal cues.Therefore, to make decoding easy for the receiver, appropriate use oflanguage and medium of communicationis must.4. Medium and Transmission:Another significant element in the process of communicationis selection of appropriate medium for the transmission of a message.Medium can be called as a channel used to pass on the message. It couldbe oral, written or non-verbal. It is always better to choose the rightmedium well in advance before the composition of the message. It shouldbe known to the receiver. On the other hand, Transmission means flow ofmessage over the chosen medium. Selection ofsuitable medium/channeltransmits the information uninterruptedly so that the receiver finds it easyto decode the message correctly. In short, success of communicationdepends on the choice of medium. For instance, displaying instructions inMarathi to Tamil people would not be an appropriate medium ofcommunication.5. Receiver:Receiver is the person or a group of persons who listen to themessage and find some meaning by decoding it. The communicationprocess becomes successful only when the receiverrecognizes thesymbols of the code and understands its meaning. If the sender encodesmunotes.in

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8the message by using codes known to the receiver, the messagestransmitted become more receptive. In short, the receiver is the decoder ofthe message who uses his skillsand tries to understand its meaning toachieve the expected goal of the communication.6. Decoding:Decoding means converting the received message into acomprehensive thought by analyzing the signs, symbols and non-verbalcues used by the sender. It isimportant to note that messages can betransferred from sender to receiver but its meaning has to be revealed bydecoding the message. It involves interpretation and analysis of themessage. In written communication, decoding is done by reading andunderstanding the written words whereas in oral communication, it is doneby listening to and understanding of the spoken words. Correct decoding isthe soul of communication. If it is not done correctly, the message can bemisinterpreted and that can lead to misunderstanding.7. FeedbackAim of every communication is to send a message to the receiverand get feedback on it. Feedback completes the circle of communication.It is an indicator of successful delivery of a message. It is a response of thereceiver to the received message. If the receiver could decode andunderstand the message, he gives positive feedback. Positive feedback is agood sign to continue communication in the same manner. But, if thesender gives bad feedback, the speaker has to refer to the feedback andmake necessary changes wherever required. Without feedback, the sendercannot understand whether his ideas are understood by the receiver or not.There could be verbal or non-verbal feedback. It is a key component inthe process of communication because effectiveness of communication isreflected through the degree of accuracy in the receiver’s response to theintended meaning of the sender’s message.
Fig. 1.1 Process of CommunicationSource:Rathod, S.(ed.).2017.Professional Communication Skills. B.Sc ITSem-I. Mumbai: IDOL, University of Mumbai, Mumbai
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9Dear learners, the process of communication can be understood with theexample of a Poet. Suppose he presents a poem in a gathering and peopleappreciate his poem.In this example, the elements of communication are:1.Sender:Poet2.Message:Poem3.Medium:Verbal (oral)4.Channel:recitation , gathering5.Receiver:Audience6.Feedback:Appreciation1.7 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATIONCommunication is defined as transmission ofinformation, ideas,perspectives, plans etc. It is a must component to gain properunderstanding of the messages and thereby to attain pre-decided goals ofthe organization. It is a prerequisite for every organization to decide anddevelop channels of communication. These channels maintain a smoothflow of information. In fact, for meaningful transmission of messages, theflow of information is to be managed, regulated and structured; andtherefore, communication channels are required. Generally, they arecategorized as External and Internal.External communication includes exchange of business messageswith people outside an organization. The goal of external communicationis to spread a specific message amongst the people outside theorganization. It can be done through press releases, advertisements, e-mail, customer communications etc. On the other hand, internalcommunication includes transmission of messages within an organization.As it is limited to people within organization, it can be informal or formal.An informal communication is not considered as official orauthentic because information is not passed on through official channels.It, basically, happens among colleagues or friends during tea or lunchbreaks. Such informal interactions are known as ‘grapevine’-gossipspread by spoken word. It is built on friendship, career opportunities oramong common interest groups.On the contrary, formal communication is considered as officialand authentic as it is communicated through official channels like notice,email or circular etc. It is a systematic and structured way ofcommunication. Every management prefers to follow formal channels as itsets the hierarchy and the reporting system in the organization.1.8 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATIONOfficial communication takes place through set channels andprotocols; and it is expected that employees should use it for all officemunotes.in

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10related matters. The set channels of communication can be categorized asvertical (upwards and downwards) and horizontal communication. Insimple words, in official communication, information or messages flow infour directions i.e. downward, upward, lateral and diagonal. Let us studythe directions of communication one by one:1.Downward Communication:Downward communication streams from the higher level in themanagerial hierarchy to the lower ones. It can also be understood as acommunication from a superior to a subordinate. In other words, acommunication from the general manager of a company to the branchmanager is called downward communication. The purpose of suchcommunication is to provide official directions, announcement ofcompany policies, orders, procedures, rules to the staff on the local font. Italso consists of confidential reports, performance appraisals, projectfeedback etc. Usually, downward communication is clear and direct. Itmay be done through circulars, notices, memos, e-mails or face-to-faceconversation.Downward communication is essential for the smooth functioningof an organization as it sensitizes staff about new politics, decisions andvaluation and appraisal of the employees. However, biased or excessivedownward communication can lead to opposite responses from the loweremployees and it may spoil healthy employee-employer relationships.2.Upward Communication:The messages or information passed on from lower staff to thehigher authorities is termed as upward communication. The chain of suchcommunication goes up from the lower line of employees to the superior,from supervisor to the manager, from manager to the general manager andso on. Basically, upward communication involves problems anddifficulties faced in implementation of company policies, suggestions forimprovement, grievances, disputes, financial requirements etcAs upward communication comes from the staff working on theground level or on the field, it is considered as a feedback on theeffectiveness of newly implemented policies and possibilities of progress.It helps the management to revise their plans and policies and decidefurther course of action. In upward communication, lower employees get achance to express their problems and opinionstherefore;it develops ahealthy employee-employer relationship. It promotes employees'involvement in the work process and decision making.However, in anyorganization, there should be balance between upward and downwardcommunication.3.Lateral/ Horizontal Communication:Lateral communication happens amongst the employees of equalmunotes.in

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11rank. It promotes exchange of information and clear understanding ofmessages amongst the employees of the same position. Lateralcommunication is less formal than other types of communications becauseit can be carried out through informal discussions, routine meetings,telephone calls, etc.4.Diagonal Communication:The communication that happens between employees at differentlevels of the organization is called diagonal communication. It isconsidered as a protocol-free communication of employees from twodifferent departments. It is considered as an outcomeof an increasingsense of equality in the corporate sector. It is done to meet therequirements of market needs. It generally takes place between the peoplewho do not follow rigid rules or protocol of communication. It streamsfrom all directions.1.9 SUMMARYDear learners, in this chapter, we have learnt that communication isan interactive, continuous, and multidimensional process. Incommunication, messages, data or information are transferred from onesource to another through different channels. Communication happensthrough a systematic process. Basic elements in the communicationprocess are: ideation, sender, encoding, medium of transmission, receiver,decoding and feedback. In every business firm, internal and externalchannels are used to exchange messages and information. Formalcommunication is always preferred in business firms as it uses officialchannels like memo, notice, email, circular etc. On the other hand,informal communication is considered as unofficial because it intends topass on information unofficially. In a business organization,communication flows from vertical or horizontal levels. However, balancebetween the two is always good for maintaining a healthy employee-employer relationship. In short, communication is like the heartbeat ofevery organization. If it stops, organization can’t function.1.10 EXERCISESAnswer the following questions1.Explain the meaning and concept of communication with relevantdefinitions and examples.2.Illustrate the nature of communication.3.Explain in detail the basic elements in the communication process.4.Outline the differences between formal and informal communication.5.Write a detailed note on channels of communication6.Comment the basic tenets of vertical and horizontal communication.munotes.in

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121.11 REFERENCES•Mathew, S. 2018. Communication Skills. Pune: TechnicalPublications, pp.1.2-1.24.•Murphy, H., Hildebrandt, H., and Thomas,J., 2008.EffectiveBusinessCommunication. 7th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill PublishingCompany Limited,pp. 04-27•Ober, S. 2008. Contemporary Business Communication 5th ed. NewDelhi: Biztantra, an Imprint of Dreamtech Press.pp. 12-22•Raman, M. and Prakash, S., 2012. Business Communication. 2nded. New Delhi: Oxford University Press,pp. 03-43•Business Communication (Study Material). 2004. published byDr. T.P.Ghosh, Director of Studies, ICAI, Noida.pp.02-141.12 WEB RESOURCES1.Ferguson, Sherry Devereaux; Lennox-Terrion, Jenepher; Ahmed,Rukhsana; Jaya, Peruvemba (2014).Communication in Everyday Life:Personal and Professional Contexts.Canada: OxfordUniversityPress.p. 464. ISBN 9780195449280https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication#cite_note-12.Nordquist, Richard. "Professional Communication Definition andIssues." Thought Co, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/professional-communication-1691542. https://www.thoughtco.com/professional-communication-16915423.https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communication4.https://www.coursehero.com/file/p5nj8kh/12-Definitions-of-Communication-Different-scholars-have-defined-communication/5.https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/notes/management-notes/communication-management-notes/notes-on-communication-meaning-nature-and-importance/51836.https://www.thoughtco.com/professional-communication-16915427.
           
  
    
  

 
 
 

  https://www.msuniv.ac.in/Download/Pdf/b125554a866946f9.http://www.universityofcalicut.info/SDE/B%20Com%20-VI%20Sem.-%20Additional%20course%20-%20Business%20Communication.pdf10.https://www.uou.ac.in/sites/default/files/slm/BHMAECC-II.pdf*****munotes.in

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132NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONANDTHE SEVEN Cs OFCOMMUNICATIONUnit Structure2.1Objectives2.2Introduction2.3Non-verbal Communication2.4Seven Cs of Communication2.5Summary2.6Exercises2.7 References2.1 OBJECTIVESAfter reading this chapter, you will be able to understand:•The concept of non-verbal communication•Importance of non-verbal communication•Forms of non-verbal communication•Types of non-verbal communication•Seven Cs of communication2.2 INTRODUCTIONDear students, in this chapter, we shall discuss in detail the conceptof non-verbal communication and the seven Cs of communication.Communication is considered as a spine of any business association. It isdone for multiple purposes and in multiple ways. However, an ultimateaim of any communication is to exchange data in an effective andmeaningful manner. An effective communication creates a bond betweenpeople in the organization as well as between collaborators. Effectivecommunication contributes in maintaining smooth functioning of theorganization and therefore, it is highly valued in professional life.Communication is an active process and it is done by using variousmediums. Commonly, language is used as the most convenient mediumfor communication. Nonetheless, it is not the only medium ofcommunication. There are a large number of signs, symbols, images, etcthat are used to convey messages. We often see images like a lightedmunotes.in

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14cigarette with a cross mark on it; or an image of a man or a lady onwashroom entryways that clearly convey the messages: No smoking, orwhich washroom is for menand which washroom is for women. It means,without using a single word, messages can be communicated in ameaningful way. Even your silence also conveys a significant message indifferent situations.Sometimes, we cannot convey an exact message by usingwordsbut it may be done very well just by using a sign, a symbol or a picture.Therefore, it is important to understand the concept of non-verbalcommunication in detail. In this chapter, we will try to comprehend theconcept of non-verbal communication,its significance, its forms andvarious types. Along with it, to make communication effective andmeaningful, we need to apply certain principles. They are termed as SevenCs of communication. We shall also discuss in details the Seven Cs ofcommunication.2.3 NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONLanguage is not the only medium to convey our thoughts,messages or data. Communication is possible through various mediums. Itcould be verbal or non-verbal. In our day to day life, we use maximumtime for communicating information or messages with others; however webarely notice that a lot of it is done byusing non-verbal cues. It includeseye contact, facial expressions, body movement, tone of voice, touch, etc.Even our outfits and physical appearance also convey somemessages.In face to face communication, if the spoken words and non-verbalcues do not match with each other, the communication may lose its effect.For example: If you face an interview without using any body movementsor facial expressions, you will look like a robot. In short, in ourinteractions with others, we exchange wordless signals and it conveysmessages more strongly than our words. Even when you are silent, youractual appearance, your eye to eye connection, the manner in which yousit and howclose you stand-it sends solid messages to other people andthat is called as non-verbal communication.Non-verbal communication means transmission of messageswithout using any written or spoken word. It is a communication betweenat least two people by using images, pictures, signs, facial expressions,body language, postures, gestures, etc. In simple words, we can define itas an exchange of messages by using means other than expressed orcomposed words. It may include images, pictures, signs, facialexpressions, postures, gestures, signs, and so on.Non-verbal communication includes everything except spoken andwriter words. Its scope is very vast and it is stronger in conveyingmessages. “Experts have also found that 55% of messages received andprocessed by our brain are based on our body language and; less than it,munotes.in

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1538% messages are processed on the basis of our tone of speech. Just 7% ofthe received messages are understood based on the spokenwords.”(Mathew 2018) For example, if you say, "I’ m happy", with a sadface, nobody will believe what you said. Rather, your sad face will conveythe opposite message than the spoken words. If there is no uniformity inverbal and non-verbal cues, the listeners certainly believe thenon-verbal cues. In short, non-verbal communication plays a vitalrole in conveying messages in personal and professional life.2.3.1 Importance of Non-verbal Communication:For human beings, the process of communication begins with non-verbal cues. A newbornbaby cries after birth. This cry of the newbornbaby is the first attempt of communication with the people around it. Atlater stages, a child learns language and shortly verbal communicationbecomes the main source of sending and receiving messages. But,itdoesn’t mean that the child doesn’t use any non-verbal cues. He uses it buthardly pays any serious attention to it. It’s only after stepping intoprofessional life, he realizes that he is not prepared to use appropriatebody language and to comprehendthe implied meanings of non-verbalcues.In professional life, it is very important to know how messages arepassed on through non-verbal cues. If you pay attention to the verbalmessage only, you may miss out a significant message conveyed throughnon-verbal cues. It should be remembered that our words pass on strictimplications however non-verbal messages convey our emotions andattitudes. Our true feelings are conveyed through non-verbal cues.Developing a skill of interpreting non-verbal messages helps you get theexact message conveyed by the person. It can also help you avoidconveying unintentional messages by controlling your body movements.How the message is communicated carries more importance thanwhat is said. Greeting your team with a pleasant smile on your face createsa positive impression. On the other hand, greeting your team members inan authoritative tone; or insulting someone in front of others, may create abad impression. So often, non-verbal cues are ignored but they are verystrong and powerful sources of communication. All professionals shouldlearn an appropriate use of non-verbal cues in order to succeed inconveying messages in a meaningful and effective manner. To be a goodteam leader or a manager, it is very important to know the use andinterpretation of non-verbal cues.2.3.2 Forms of Non-verbal Communication:Non-verbal communication includes all the impressions we receiveand interpret through our senses. Broadly speaking, there are two forms ofnon-verbal communication: Conscious Non-verbal Communication andSubconscious Non-verbal Communicationmunotes.in

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161.Conscious Non-verbal Communication:In conscious non-verbal communication, the sender sends amessage with a specific intention and the receivers also know the intendedmeaning of the sender. For example: In India, we fold our hands and jointhe palms of both hands to welcome the guest. It symbolizes respectfulwelcome of the guest. It is a conscious non-verbal communication; inwhich both-sender and receiver-are aware of the general meaning of theact. Conscious non-verbal communication can be effectively done byusing graphics, pictures, maps, diagrams, etc.2.Subconscious Non-verbal Communication:In subconscious non-verbal communication, messages arecommunicated to thereceiver unconsciously. Even, the receivers of suchmessages are not consciously aware of it but they get impressions justafter looking at or listening to something. For example: an ambulancesiren conveys a message about casualty or medical emergency. Afterlooking at the uniform of a police man or an apron of a doctor, peopleunconsciously get a message about their power and position. In short, thetransmission of messages happens unintentionally or subconsciously insubconscious non-verbal communication.2.3.3 Use of Non-verbal Communication:Non-verbal messages are quickly grasped by the receiver and theyhave an instant effect. It requires less time to see color, an image or to heara horn or alarm than understanding a word or a sentence. Non-verbalcommunication doesn't need any conventional training. It is normal andquick in nature. Because of its speed in passing on messages and gettingreaction, non-verbal cues are used to warn or give instructions. Some ofthe uses of non-verbal cues can be listed as below:1.For road safety and traffic light, various signs, colors and pictures areused. Particularly at the traffic light, rather than composed directions,green, amber andredlights are usedto send messages to stop or toproceedand drivers followthemundoubtedly.2.Non-verbal signs arealsoused to present data in an exact manner.Through maps, diagrams and charts, much significant data can bepresentedinan exact,straightforward and shortmanner. A lot ofinformation can be presented in a minimized structure by usingdiagrams andcharts. Indeed, even a short table can contain data thatwould require numerous pages toillustrate the messagein words.3.Pictures, sounds and colors catch our attention more rapidly thancomposed or expressed words.Therefore, cover pages of books ormagazines are alwaysdesignedin attractive colors or with catchingimages. Indeed, even a cry of a newborn child orthe silenceof anindividual makes various impressions. Therefore, non-verbal cues likemunotes.in

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17sounds, tones, colors and pictures are used in films and on TVchannels to make it more convincing and realistic.4.An easiest and effective medium of information transmission foruneducated people is non-verbal communication. The pictures ofcancer tumors on cigarette andtobacco pockets intensely convey themessage even to uneducated people. By referring to the signboards onhighways, illiterate drivers also get implied messages about road safetyand speed. In a nutshell, we can say that, by using non-verbalcues, wecan overcome languagebarriersand can convey or receive messagesforvariouspurposes.5.Non-verbal cues and codes are also used in face to facecommunicationto accomplish various objectives. It is used to makeimpressions, control communications, to express feelings, emotionsand attitudes.2.3.4Mediumsof Non-Verbal Communication:In the above discussion, we understood that we do notcommunicate through words alone. We use various mediums tocommunicate non-verbally. Interestingly, in all other ways of non-verbalcommunication, our body language plays a key role. A number ofmessages areconveyed through our body movements. It is studied by theexpertes and termed this domain as Kinesics




about kinesics.A.Body Language (Kinesics):In order to make meaningful communication, we should learn tointerpret both verbal and non-verbal messages. Non-verbal communicationis done without words but it conveys messages more strongly than spokenwords. It reflects the communicator’s true feelings, attitude and intentionsthrough his/her facial expressions, gestures, posturesetc. our kinesic actsor body language is an important factor in face to face communication. Itincludes nodding of neck, head, eye contact, shrugging of shoulder,movements of legs, arms, lips, eyebrows, fingers, hands, etc. All thesemovements can conveywhether you are happy or unhappy, agree ordisagree, nervous or excited and so on.Every movement of our body, consciously or unconsciously,conveys our attitudes, moods, status relationships etc. Our feelings andemotions like-anger, pity, sympathy, horror, anger, determination, andunderstanding are expressed more strongly through our body languagethan our oral or written words. Though it is so, if there is no properequation in use of verbal and non-verbal cues, there is always thepossibility of misinterpretation and misunderstanding. Nobody can believewhat you are saying if your body movement or tone of speech doesn’tsupport it. Would you believe a person who says I am sad unless his faceand sound reflect it?munotes.in

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18Therefore, to be a successful communicator, one needs to learn theskill of using verbal and non-verbal cues effectively. By developing theability to interpret body movements, one can easily point out the issues incommunication and can solve them immediately. Our body languageshows our status, role, authority, sense of superiority, inferiority and so on.So, let us see how different body parts of our body communicatedifferently.1.Facial Expressions:It is considered that the mirror of our mind and heart is our face.Whatever we feel or think that gets reflected on our face. A number offeelings can be expressed through our farcical expressions without utteringa single word. In face to face communication, it is very important to readthe facial expressions of the speaker as it can reflect his attitude,confidence, understanding, mood etc. Each change in our temperament ormind is quickly reflected through outward appearances. Facial expressionsreceived in the same manner in all cultures across the globe. Facialexpressions speak louderthan words. A pleasant smile on your face cancreate a positive impact on others. It helps you establish rapport withothers and increases the chance of acceptance. Confidence and attentionreflected on a speaker's face shows his credibility. To be a goodcommunicator, one should learn to control one’s feelings and to adopt apositive attitude in all situations.2.Gesture:Movements of our hands, legs, arms and head are called gestures.Like facial expressions, our gestures also convey messages effectively.We use gestures in formal and informal interactions. Despite the fact thatgestures can convey messages effectively, they can also create confusion.Pointless and irrelevant gestures like touching your face or clothesfrequently can distract participants from your presentation. Generally, weuse gestures like-rolling our eyes, raising our eyebrows, frowning,spreading our arms, etc and each of them carry a specific message in aspecific culture. The speaker should be aware of the fact that gestures areculture specific. They are used and interpreted differently in differentcultures. For instance, “spinning your finger around your ear is consideredas ‘you are crazy’ in America but in Algeria, it means, ‘you have got aphone call’.” (Matthew 2018). Itmeans, it is always good to use gesturesappropriately otherwise they may create confusion or misunderstanding.3.Posture:Posture means a way of bearing one’s body. It’s an arrangement ofone’s body and limbs. Every position of your body imparts specific signalsabout your intention, mood, thought, emotions and feeling. If you shutyour eyes frequently while listening to someone, it means you aremunotes.in

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19disinterested in the talk. Hands rising slightly on the chin and the firstfinger on your cheek indicate thatyou are analyzing or evaluatingsomething. On the other hand, if you face your audience with stretchedhands and open palm, it indicates honesty. While communicating withothers, all precautions should be taken to control unwanted movements ofbody parts.Our postures shouldn’t send wrong signals to the receivers. Itis always better to face the people confidently.4.Head:How do you stand or sit in face to face interaction matters a lot. Aperson standing with head high is considered as a confident man. On theother hand, a man with a bent down head is considered as polite andrespectful. Assertive or negative nodding of the neck gives positive ornegative feedback to the speaker. Along with facial expressions and eyecontact, head positioning also contributes in conveying the messagescorrectly.5.Personal Appearance:Personal appearance is a key factor in creating an impression aboutone’s personality, status, credibility and capability. Our body, height,weight, hair style, skin color, clothes, personal hygiene, use of accessories,footwear, etc provide the primary data to judge the person. It could beright or wrong,but a person is judged at first on the basis of onepersonal appearance. Therefore, one should take care of one’s appearance.Our physical fitness, body shape, weight, height also contribute in makingan impression. Personal appearance can be changed byusing professionaloutfits and accessories. Clothes reflect one's job, designation, value, etc.Poorly dressed people are treated poorly whereas well-dressed people aretreated respectfully.Personal appearance can change the perspective of the viewer. Itplays a vital role in business meetings. For Example: If you attend abusiness meeting in unclean clothes, your client may look at you as acasual and unprofessional person. It means, your appearance gives clues tothe viewer to form an opinion about you. To have an impressiveappearance, wear professional-looking clothes, decent accessories, havewell-combined hair, use mild perfume to cover body odor, wear wellpolished shoes, etc. Avoid uncomfortable clothes, heavy jewellery, overmake-up and strongperfumes.6.Eye Contact (Oculesics):Eye contact is of utmost importance in face to facecommunication. Subtle movements of our eyes, eyelids, eyebrows, size ofpupils also communicate our intense feelings. Eye contact is an influentialmedium of communication. We can convey a number of messages throughour eyes. Use of eye contact differs in situation to situation. It plays a vitalmunotes.in

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20role in professional communication. When you interact with your clients,you can easily judge whether they are interested in your talk or notthrough their eye contact. At the same time, your client can also judgeyour confidence and credibility through your eye movements.Eye contact can also provide or receive feedback. A speaker caneasily understand after looking in the eyes of the audience if they arereceiving him or not. If they are looking at the students, it shows theirinterest in your talk and if not, that indicates their disinterest.In face to face meetings, those who do not look directly in thecommunicator's eyes, their credibility is suspected. Proper eye contactincreases the credibility of the speaker. Confident eye contact indicatesfidelity whereas shifty eye contact indicates disinterest.Usually, those who are nervous or have lack of confidence, they avoideye contact. Maintaining eye contact shows respect and interest; whereascontinuous gaze may give a feeling of encroaching on another's space. Itcan convey emotions or signals about when to stop or when to start. Howyou look at someone matters a lot.Eye is the most accurate predictor of aspeaker’s true feelings. It communicates your honesty, interest, affection,hostility etc.B.Space Distancing (Proxemics):Non-verbal communication is done through different mediumsrelated to our body movements, sounds and space. Space is of supremeimportance in every individual’s life. In fact, everyone finds his own safespace around him and if it is encroached by others, the person feelsuncomfortable. Different reactions in relation to space have been studiedby experts and it is termed as ‘Proxemics’. It is a study of space around anindividual.Space is an important factor in personal as well as professional life.Especially in professional settings, space is used as a marker of power. Itis often seen that officers on higher positions are given excellentlyfurnished spaces compared to their subordinates. Even in meetings,authorities are given a separate space to sit and subordinates are givencomparatively smaller spaces.Space is used as a tool to create rapport with the audience.Competent presenters make excellent use of space to convey messageseffectively. On the other hand, intimate space can be used to threaten aperson as it happens in examination hall. Space distance not only showspower or position, it also shows intimacy. It’s an interesting area to knowmore about it. Experts have divided space into four categories i.e.Intimate, Personal, Social and Public. Let’s know more about them.munotes.in

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211.Intimate Space:Intimate space, as the name itself suggests, is very close to one’sbody. The distance from 0-18” is considered as intimate space. Most ofour body parts move in that area. As it is very close to the speaker’s body,only intimate friends, family members or selected people can enter in thatspace.Other’s entry in that space is not welcomed. However, they can beallowed in certain special occasions e.g. to congratulate, console orsympathies. As it is very close distance, speakers use low voices orwhispers. It is commonly used to discuss highly confidential matters.2.Personal Space:Personal space starts from 18” to 4ft. It goes beyond the intimatecircle. Only friends and colleagues can get into this space. Commonly,normal volume of speech is used. However, this space can also be used todiscuss some important issues with limited people.3.Social Space:The area of social space extends from 4 to 12 feet from thespeaker. It is suitable for official / formal communication. Most of thebusiness meetings are done in this space. The speaker, as most of the timeit is used for dealings with customers or visitors, uses formal tone with aloud or normal speech volume in this space. In the previous two spaces,personal matters, emotions, feelings can be discussed but in social spacemostly formal or official matters are discussed.4.Public Space:This space extends beyond 12 feet from the speaker. In this space,most of the time, there is one way communication in formal settings. Thespeaker has to adopt an objective approach with a formal tone and loudvoice. It is always good to use a public address system to communicateeffectively in this space. It is commonly used to address large publicgatherings.C.Vocal Characteristics (Paralanguage):Voice is a unique gift that we have received from nature.We canconvey multiple feelings through our voice. Through voice, we can easilyidentify many things like the speaker's gender, socio-economicbackground, intention, etc. Our emotions and feelings are also expressedthrough our voice. We use words for verbal communication but along withactual utterances, many other voice patterns are also used for non-verbalcommunication. It is called a paralanguage. The term paralanguage is usedto describe vocal features like vocal quality, loudness, and tempo, pitchvariation, speed, pause etc. Through these vocal sounds, we can expressvarious feelings like happiness, sadness, anxiety, excitement, confidence,munotes.in

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22enthusiasm, etc. Therefore, it is important to learn about the role of vocalcharacteristics in non-verbal communication. In our day to day as well asformal communication, we use a vast range of vocal cues. Let’s knowmore about the commonly used vocal cues:a)Volume:The volume of a speaker determines the effectiveness of thespeech. The volume should suit thesituation and the size of the audience.It should not be too low or too high. The low volume indicates lack ofconfidence of the speaker. On the other hand, very high volume suggeststhe speaker has less attitude. The volume should be decided as per therequirement of the situation. In fact, the appropriate volume increases theeffective delivery of messages and therefore the speaker should take careof it.b)Pitch:Pitch variation means rise and fall of the voice. We use differentpitch variations while conveying different messages. In fact, pitchvariation attracts the audience towards your speech. A speech withoutvariations, rise and fall becomes monotones and that can distract theaudience from the message. The pitch of speech depends on the positionand mood of the person. It also reflects feelings like anger, excitement,anxiety, enthusiasm etc.c)Pace:Many times, high speed of speech is wrongly associated witheffectiveness, but it is not true. High speed cannot convey the messageeffectively.It is said that to speak 125 to 150 words per minute is an idealspeed to make your speech understandable. There should be a propercombination of slow and high speed while conveying simple and complexmessages. Simple things can be spoken in little highspeed but it is alwaysgood to deliver complicated concepts in a low or medium speed. If ourspeed does not match with the content, it could be an unproductiveexercise.d)Pauses:Pause is a short gap or break that is taken during speech. Everyonetakesshort pauses between sentences. The pause at the right place enablesthe listener to grasp what has been said and to get ready for the nextsentence. Though it is so, the correct use of the pause is important. Thepause taken in the middle of the sentencemay destroy the meaning of thesentence. The listeners may get distracted by the wrongly taken pauses. Apause is used to emphasize an important point or to stop and restart thespeech with a new point.“Vocalizedpauses like ‘‘umm…’’ , ‘‘err..’’,‘‘aah’’; and repetition of expressions like ‘‘ok’’, ‘‘yes’’, ‘‘is it’’, etc alsomunotes.in

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23destroy the effect of the speech. Along with it, repeated utterances like-‘‘oh’’, ‘‘ah’’, you know’’ also distracts the listeners.” (Mathew 2018)e)Word Stress:Voice modulationand proper word stress is of vital importance inmeaningful communication. Voice modulation includes volume, pitch andtone of the voice whereas word stress is related to putting stress oremphasis on a particular word. Voice modulation helps speakers to attractthe attention of the audience. Various emotions and sentiments can beeffectively expressed through voice modulations. On the other hand, byusing proper stress, particular meaning can be conveyed. The stress ondifferent words in a sentence can change the meaning of the sentence. Forexample:Have you seen myspectacles?Have you seen mynewspectacles?Have you seenmyspectacles?Haveyouseen my spectacles?The sentence is the same but the stress on different words conveysthe meaning differently. To communicate effectively, one should learn theappropriate use of word stress. Along with word stress, properpronunciation of words also determines the effective delivery of messages.Omission of sounds, use of mixed language or mumbling expressionschanges the meaning of the speech.D)Silence:It is not always necessary to communicate verbally. one canremain silent to communicate his message. It is because our silence alsocarries different meanings in different situations. Our conformation,incongruity, disinterest, respect, disrespect and so on can be conveyedthrough silence. It can be used to neglect someone or stop communicationwith someone. On the other hand, with a short silence before the speech, aspeaker can drag the attention of theaudience. Silence during thepresentation may convey the consent of the audience to proceed or silenceafter asking a closed question (seeking agreement or disagreement) alsocommunicates disagreement. In short, silence can convey both positiveand negative messages and therefore, a skilled communicator should learnhow to use silence for both the purposes.E)Time Language (Chronemics):We often say, ‘time is a precious commodity’ or ‘time is money’.It implies the value and importance of time in personal and professionallife. It is said that time management is one of the most crucial aspects insuccessful business because it may generate positive or negative results.Immediate reply shows interest, preparedness and eagerness whereas latereply shows disinterest or lack of concern. All communication should bemunotes.in

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24done on time otherwise it loses the importance. The time given to theperson also shows his importance and priority. Importance of time variesfrom culture to culture.F)Haptics (Touch):The communication that is done by using touch is called Haptic ortactile communication. Touch is the strongest medium of non-verbalcommunication. Touch can communicate your intention, attitude,emotions, status, perception, need, etc. In informal situations, you cancommunicate your affection and concern simply by holding hands or witha warm hug. On the other hand, in a professional set up, you cancommunicate your interest or attitudes with a firm handshake. A weakhandshake conveys lack of confidence and less credibility. Just a pat onthe back of an employee also communicates the positive attitude of theboss.Mostly, touch is an intentional act but sometimes it could be anaccident or unconscious act. However, touch can be used to guidesomeone, to express sympathy and to console someone. Meanings oftouch differ from culture to culture. In India, close intimacy in publicspace is not accepted while in some counties it is considered as a normalact of expressing one’s sentiments. Therefore, one should be veryparticular about use of touch in professional life. It may be a boon or abane.G. Visuals:Non-verbal communication is possible through both-visual andauditory-mode. Visual means those that can be seen and auditory meansthose that can be heard. Visuals like graphs, maps, charts, signs andsymbols are used for visual communication. On the other hand, bells,tunes, whistles and sounds are used for auditory communication. Let’sstudy them one by one:a) Pictures, Posters, Maps, Graphs and Charts:Pictures convey messages more strongly than written or spokenwords. They are understood universally. They do not demand any formaleducation to understand the depicted message. On the contrary, posterscommunicate messages through pictures and words. Usually, instructionsor processes are explained through posters and they are used foreducational or information purposes.Graphs, maps and charts can communicate messages in a preciseform and in a limited space. Charts and graphs depict statisticalinformation in a pictorial manner. They communicate information in aquick and accurate manner. Special training is required to prepare andunderstand the charts and maps. All details about a particular situation canmunotes.in

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25be presented through charts and graphs and it can be presented in a moreaccurate manner within a limited space.H)Signs and Signals:A sign is a mark that is used to signify something. Signscommunicate messages without words or sounds. They communicatemessages instantly and therefore they are commonly used to giveinstruction about directions or procedures. Signs are used in variousdisciplines like mathematics, science, geography etc. Even languages arefull of signs. Each sign carries a specific meaning. We often use signs like;+,-,%,@,& etc. Signs convey messages faster than words thereforethey are often used on roads and highways. With the use of signs,special language for dumb and deaf people is developed and is used veryconfidently to communicate. Braille language isalso a sign language.Signals are different from signs. Signals are a set of formerlydecided actions that are used to convey messages. They can be both visualand auditory. The signals could be hand movements, light, colored cloths,lamps, smoke etc. Small children also use signals to get food or drinkwater. It is a kind of expressive communication. We witness effectivecommunication through traffic signals daily. Though it is so, previousknowledge of uses of signs and symbols is required for a person torespond to them.Colors:Colors are inseparable parts of nature and of our life. Colors areused in almost everything including cloths, toys, furniture, equipment,food, etc. However, sometimes, they are used for specific purposes. Colorsnot only increase beauty of a product but they also indicate some messagesabout its use and nature. Different colors are used for classification inindustries. Even in electricity supply, wires of different colors are used todecide the buttons and lights. In offices,files and papers with specificcolors are intentionally used for a smooth work process.Color is an important medium of non-verbal communication.Colors are also associated with human moods and emotions like-black isassociated with death, white with peace and purity, red with love anddanger, etc. Colors also affect our mind and eyes. Pleasant colors create apositive atmosphere whereas dark colors may increase dullness. Colorssymbolize different messages in different cultures. A good communicatorshould get knowledge about color symbolism while using it in non-nativeculture.J. Auditory Signals:Auditory symbols are used for specific and limitedcommunication. Auditory signals include sirens, alarms, bell, whistles, etc.munotes.in

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26Generally, auditory signalsare used to warn or to direct. Sirens are used inthe army and police force to warn about emergencies. An ambulance andfire engines also use sirens to warn about some casualty. Whistles are usedby police and army as a signal to convey a message. Whistlesare used intransport systems like trains and ships as a signal of arrival and departure.Along with it, bells and buzzers are also used in companies andeducational offices to inform about beginning and ending of work or class.Bells are also used in places of worship.In a nutshell, non-verbal communication is an important area ofstudy for the students of communication skills. The professionals who useappropriate codes and cues in verbal and non-verbal communication caneasily succeed in conveying aswell as receiving messages in professionaland personal life. To be a successful professional, skills in non-verbalcommunication substantially help a person to seek information as well asconvey messages in an effective and meaningful manner. The ultimateaimof communication is conveying and receiving messages and it can be doneeffectively by using techniques of non-verbal communication.2.4 SEVEN CS OF COMMUNICATIONPrime objective of any communication is to convey and receive themessages clearly. Tomake meaningful communication, we need to followcertain principles of communication. They include: Completeness,Consciousness, Consideration, Concreteness, Clarity, Courtesy andCorrectness. They are called the Seven Cs because each of the wordsbeginswith the letter C. The seven Cs provide some important guidelinesto make communication meaningful and effective.So, let’s understand the importance of each principle in detail.1.Completeness:In communication, receiver and sender may have differentbackgrounds, status, needs and levels of understanding. Therefore, thesender of the message should take into account expectations andbackground of the receiver and provide all the essential details to thereceiver. In business communication, when a customer enquiries for someproduct, the seller should provide all the details of the product as well ashe should send additional details like cost, payment facilities, offers etc.Considering the expectations of the receiver, the sender shoulddraft hismessages. Completeness can beachieved byanswering the five ‘Wh’Questions i.e. Who, What, When, Where, and Why?Complete communication draws expected outcomes and also helpsto build good rapport with the receiver. The message answering five W’sgives a complete message to the receiver and it creates a positiveimpression. It develops a feeling of concern in receivers mind and it canalso save the receiver from claims of cheating or hiding the fact. It helps tomunotes.in

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27avoid misunderstandings as well. Therefore, completeness is an importantaspect of effective communication.2.Conciseness:Conciseness is a key aspect in effective communication. Literally,concise means ‘brief’. In official communication, it is good to draft shortand succinct messages. It can be done by avoiding wordy, repetitive andirrelevant expressions. A concise message highlights the key points in themessages and it helps the reader to concentrate on it. Following strategiescan be used to achieve conciseness:•Include only relevant details.For example: if you are asked for youracademic details, just send what is asked. Don’t send details aboutfamily and profession.•Focus on the purpose of the message. Avoid over elaboration.•Unnecessary repetitions disturb the flow of thought. It makesthemessage boring.•Use abbreviations and short forms to avoid repetition.•Don’t use fillers like ‘‘actually’’, ‘‘I mean’’, ‘‘sort of’’, ‘‘forinstance’’, ‘‘basically’’, etc.2.Consideration:Consideration means giving importance to the receiver’s needs. Itmeans drafting messages considering the requirements, desires, problems,and background of the receiver. In short, it is a receiver centriccommunication. It is handling matters from the receiver's point of view.Consideration reflects sympathy, human touch and understanding natureof the communicator.To achieve consideration, following points can be useful:(a)You Attitude:‘You attitude’ means drafting a message stressing on how thereceiver will get benefited with the message. It shows thatthe receiver ishighly valued by the sender and the communication is done for the benefitof the receiver.Example:I-Attitude: We accept part payment of fee.You-Attitude:You can step in just by paying the first installment.(b)Highlight theBenefits of theReceiver:The second way to show consideration is to highlight the benefitsof the receiver. In business, profit is the prime expectation of both sellerand purchaser. Therefore, while communicating with customers, theirmunotes.in

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28benefits should be highlighted. Sender can attract receivers only when hefeels that the sender is considering his situation. So for that, whileapplying “You Attitude”, do highlight the benefits of the receiver. It helpscreate a positive impact on the receiver.(c)Use of Positive Vocabulary/Tone:One can express consideration through appropriate use of positive wordsand polite tone. It creates a positive impact on the receiver.Example:Negative:It is impossible to issue you books today.Positive:As soon as we receive yourlibrary card, we will gladly issue youbooks.4.Clarity:Clarity in communication decides the effectiveness ofcommunication. Clarity is must in every message as it gives a clear idea tothe receiver. Clarity can be added to the message by following sometechniques like:•Framing effective sentences and paragraphs•Adding suitable illustrations.•Use of short, familiar and formal words:For example:Formal words Less Formal WordsParticipateJoinUtilizeUseInterrogateQuestion5. Concreteness:Concreteness means to be specific, definite and unambiguous. Avague and general message spoils the credibility of the sender.Concreteness can be achieved by using accurate details, putting action inverbs and using image building words.a)Use specific facts and figures:Example:General: Company has suffered a great loss.Specific: Company has suffered a loss of 10 crore.b)Put action in the verb:Use verbs to highlight the action ofthe subject:Example:Noun: They held a meeting in the office.Verb: They met in the office.munotes.in

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29c) Choose image building words:Vivid image building words create an impression upon the reader,Example:He is a successful entrepreneur. (Simple word)He isa business tycoon. (Image building word)6.Courtesy:The prime purpose of business communication is to seek a positiveresponse from the recipient. Courtesy is an important factor in conveyingconcern and respect to the receiver. Courteous messages develop goodrelations. It helps to build goodwill. Courteousness is expressed throughbeing sincere, tactful, thoughtful and appreciative. To achieve courtesyfollowing strategies can be used:a)Be Tactful:Tactful means to convey messages positively. Rudeand direct replies mayhurt the receiver.Example:Tactless: Your speech does not make sense…..Tactful: If I understand your words correctly, you want to say that…….b)Avoid negative expressions:Negative remarks and words are not liked by anyone, soavoid them. Theexpressions like:You have failedYou have no choiceYou are a foolYou have no sensec)Answer / Mail Promptly:Your prompt response to mails or asked questions indicates yourinterest and positivity. It’s always good to reply to all mails promptly. Alate reply shows your disinterest.7.Correctness:Correctness is very important in all communications in general andwritten communication in particular. The sender should use correctsentence structure, appropriate words, punctuationsand suitable tone toachieve correctness. It helps the sender to convey the message in the wayhe/she wants to send and get expected feedback. The following points canbe helpful to achieve correctness:a)Use correct facts:In official correspondence clarity is given utmost importance. Indoctoral dissertations, legal documents, top-level government agreements,munotes.in

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30clarity is maintained by using correct facts like correct bill no, cheque no,correct spellings, double check totals, verify statistical data, avoidguessing etc.Even in formal letters, use correct facts. For example, if you arenot aware of the educational qualifications of the person, avoid using titleslike Dr, Prof, Adv, C.A. Instead of it, use formal expressions like-Mr. Mrs.Ms. Shri. Smt.etc.Do write correct spellings of names, institutions etc.b)Appropriate words and correct tone:Formal writing demands clarity and it can be achieved by usingappropriate words and suitable tone. Use the words that are short, well-known and conversational. For example:More FormalLess FormalParticipateJoinEndeavourTryAscertainFind outAlong with it, use punctuation marks correctly:Example:Your’s Faithfully (incorrect)Yours faithfully (correct)The appropriate tone of the write up is very important to maintaincorrectness. The mood of the writer gets reflected through the tone of thewrite up. Therefore, it is always good to re-read and re-edit the draftbefore finalizing it.2.4SUMMARYDear students, in this chapter, we learnt that non-verbalcommunication plays an important role in formal and informalcommunication. Non-verbal communication is a continuous process and itkeeps on sending signals through body language, appearance, facialexpressions, eye contact, posture, gesture etc. The sender’s and receiver’slikes, dislikes, attitude, agreement, disagreement, interest, disinterest etccan easily be understood through non-verbal cues. Therefore, to become asuccessful communicator, the person should get proper understanding ofvarious non-verbal cues. Along with it, the Seven Cs: Completeness,Conciseness, Consideration, Concreteness, Clarity, Courtesy andcorrectness are important principles of communication. The seven Csprovide important guidelines to make communication meaningful andeffective.2.5UNITENDQUESTIONSA.Answer the following questions:1.Define non-verbal communication with its importance in personal andmunotes.in

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31professional life.2.Explain the term ‘‘Kinesics’’and write a note on six major types ofbody language.3.Outline the importance of space distancing in non-verbalcommunication.4.Write an essay on the paralinguistic aspects of effective oralcommunication.5.Write a note on the roleof Chronemics, Haptics and Silence in non-verbal communication.6.Write a detailed note on signs, symbols and signals and theiruse in non-verbal communication.7.Explain the methods of making effective non-verbal communication.8.Write theimportance of dress, appearance and distance in non-verbalcommunication.9.Explain in detail the significance of seven Cs in professionalcommunication.B.Write notes on the following:1.Uses of non-verbal communication.2.Forms of non-verbal communication3.Facial expressions4.Gestures and postures5.Pause and word stress6.Consideration and clarity7.Correctness and conciseness8.Completeness and concreteness2.6REFERENCES●Mathew, S. 2018. Communication Skills. Pune: TechnicalPublications, pp.3.1-3.7.●Murphy, H., Hildebrandt, H., and Thomas,J., 2008.EffectiveBusinessCommunication. 7th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill PublishingCompany Limited,pp. 31-68●Ober, S. 2008. Contemporary Business Communication 5th ed. NewDelhi: Biztantra,an Imprint of Dreamtech Press.pp. 46-50●Raman, M. and Prakash, S., 2012. Business Communication. 2nded. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 46-86●Business Communication (Study Material). 2004. published byDr. T.P.Ghosh, Directorof Studies, ICAI, Noida.pp.23-31*****munotes.in

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323CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGY-ENABLEDCOMMUNICATIONUnit Structure3.1Objectives3.2Introduction3.3Concept of cross-cultural communication3.4Factors affecting cross-cultural commutation3.4.1 Body movements3.4.2 Views and practices3.4.3 Differences in use of language3.5Cross-cultural communication strategies3.6Tips to improve cross-cultural communication3.7Technology-enabled business communication3.7.1 Technology-based communicationtools:3.7.2 Advantages of technology-enabled communication3.7.3 Disadvantages of technology-enabled communication3.8Summary3.9Exercises3.10References3.1OBJECTIVESDear students, after reading this chapter, you will be able to understand:•Theconcept of cross-cultural communication•Major factors that affect cross-cultural communication•Strategies to improve cross-cultural communication•Modern tools used for communication•Positive and negative impact of technology-enabled communication3.2INTRODUCTIONIn this chapter, we shall discuss the concept of Cross–culturalcommunication in detail and the major factors associated with technology-munotes.in

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33enabled business communication. Today’s world is considered as theworld of technology. With theadvent of the internet, the whole world hasbeen transformed into a worldwide town. It has drastically increasedbusiness interactions among professionals from different cultures.However, it is observed that cultural differences create barriers inconveying messages correctly. In this chapter, we shall try to understandthe concept of cross-cultural communication, factors affecting cross-cultural communication and shall get some tips for effective cross-culturalcommunication. Along with it, we shall alsoget some insights abouttechnology assisted communication, its tools, advantages anddisadvantages. So, let’s begin with understanding the concept of Cross-cultural communication.3.3CONCEPTOFCROSS-CULTURALCOMMUNICATIONCulture is an umbrella term.It includes customs, traditions, beliefs,socio-economic structures, languages and behavioral patterns of differentgroups of people having different races, religions and geographicallocations. People belonging to their particular culture can easilyunderstand the meanings of verbally and non-verbally communicatedmessages. But, if two persons having different cultural backgrounds areasked to interact with each other, they face a number of difficulties. Evenafter using the common language, they cannot understand the meanings ofthe messages implied through non-verbal cues like body language,posture, gesture, facial expressions, attire, physical appearance, behaviorsand so on. It happens so, because various cultures carry different sets ofmeanings for different behaviors, ways of greetings, postures, gestures,and other non-verbal cues.Culture influences everything including an individual’s thinking,behavior, and attitude to look at problems and how to solve them. Indifferent cultures, we find different styles of communication includingvariations in the contexts of use of words and degree of non-verbal cues.In some cultures direct context is used. For Example: “I do not agree withyou”. On the other hand, in some other cultures indirect context ispreferred. For Example: “Exploring other ideas may give us moreinsights'' (Raman and Singh 2012). Such variations in use of contexts,words and non-verbal cues play a vital role in cross-culturalcommunication. If one neglects these cultural variations, one maymisunderstand and misinterpret the communication. Such cross-culturalcommunication may result in misunderstandings and misinterpretations.To avoid such mistakes, let’s get some insights about the major factorsthat affect cross-cultural communication.munotes.in

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343.4.FACTORSAFFECTINGCROSS-CULTURALCOMMUTATIONAs stated earlier, culture is a complex term and it encapsulateseverything that is related to human beings. The dominant culture in thesociety affects thinking, attitudes and ways of communication. It followscertain sets of beliefs, social practices, and behavioral patterns. Those setpatterns carry cultural and contextual meanings and those meaningsare mutually understood by the people of that culture. On the contrary,people from other cultures may not understand them. Thus, they act asbarriers in cross-cultural communication. There are many factors thataffect cross-cultural communication. Some of the major factors arediscussed below:a) Body Movements:Physical behaviors varyfrom culture to culture and it drasticallyaffects communication. Physical positions like sitting and squatting carrydifferent meanings in different cultures. For example-“people from theUS prefer to sit when they wish to remain at some place for some time. Onthe other hand, for the people from Zimbabwe and Indonesia, squatting isa normal body position.” (Lesikar et al., 2015) It means persons fromdifferent cultures may get different messages from body movements.Sitting could be normal for one partner in communication but the samebody position could be interpreted as unprofessional by the othercommunication partner. Hand gestures also convey different messages indifferent cultures. For example: “the two-fingered sign means “victory” inthe UnitedStates but it is considered vulgar in Australia; and the “OK”sign is considered an insulting sign in countries like Russia, Germany andBrazil.” (Lesikar et al., 2015)Eye movements and touching additionally pass on variousmessages in various cultures.Looking directly in the eyes of older peopleor high officers is considered as disrespect in Indonesia. On the otherhand, some cultures prefer to maintain direct eye contact while interactingwith authorities. Touching and handshakes also vary from culture toculture. People from China do not like much touching therefore their weakhandshakes may be misinterpreted by the people who consider touching asnormal. There are different styles of handshakes in different cultures. InIndia, smile is considered asa sign of happiness and positivity but inAfrican culture it is considered as a sign of weakness in certain businesssituations. Uses of left and right hands also carry different meanings indifferent religions. It means body movements are used for communicationin all cultures but they carry various meanings in various cultures. Thisunderstanding of differences is very important in cross-culturalcommunication. If they are neglected, it could result intomisinterpretations. Understanding of cultural differences help us avoid“ethnocentrism-the tendency to see only your behavior/culture is properand others are improper”. (Lesikar et al., 2015)munotes.in

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35b)Views and Practices:In each culture certain perspectives and practices are followed tomaintain interpersonal and intra-personal relationships. These views andpractices also determine the nature and meaning of communication.Therefore, this aspect should also be understood by business professionalsto avoid misinterpretations and false impressions. These factors arecommonly noted as: time, space, odors, frankness, social hierarchy,workplace values and expression of emotions.Broadly speaking, we find monochronic and polychronic people indifferent cultures. Monochronic people give excessive importance totime. They believe in utilizing time effectively and complying withtime constraints. On the other hand, polychronic people do not giveimportance to time, planning and meeting deadlines. Use of Space is alsoan important factor in cross-cultural communication. For example:“People from North America prefer to maintain two feet of distancebetween themselves and their communication partner whereas people fromsome Arabian and South American cultures stand close to each other.”(Lesikar et al., 2015)Space distancing conveys meanings differently indifferent cultures and it should be taken into account during cross-culturalcommunication.Body odors are also perceived differently in different cultures.“People from America consider it as unsanitary and use deodorants to hideit. Whereas people from some Asian cultures consider body odors as anatural thing and it is something that friends should experience”. (Lesikaret al., 2015) Such behavior may be irritating to people from other cultures;and therefore, there could be some misunderstandings andmisinterpretations of such behaviors. Another important factor indetermining human relations is Social hierarchy. Social hierarchy inculture determines how people from different socio-economic sections aretreated in communication. Treatment given to superiors and subordinatesalso matters a lot in cross-cultural communication. Sometimes, powerequations between subordinate and superior authorities also createcommunication gaps and that may become the reason for taking decisions.Workplace values and expression of feelings and emotions also vary fromculture to culture and therefore it is also to be understood in their culturalcontexts.c)Difference in Use of Language:Thousands of languages are used indifferent parts of the world.Technology has made it possible to translate messages from one languageto another but such translations are not always correct. The crucial elementin use of language is the use of words and their meanings. Most of thetime,meanings of words are contextual. They are to be understood in theircultural contexts. In addition to it, there is no uniformity in grammar andsentence structures in different languages. It’s difficult to find equivalentsmunotes.in

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36in English for many words in Indian regional languages. So, suchdifficulties can affect translations and may not convey the exact meanings.There are differences in use of English as well. The spellings andexpressions that are used by Americans differ from British speakers ofEnglish.In short, use of language is also a major problem in cross-culturalcommunication.3.5CROSS-CULTURALCOMMUNICATIONSTRATEGIESThere is always a possibility that due to cultural differences,messages conveyed through verbal and non-verbal cues can bemisinterpreted. To avoid such problems, it is always better to take someprecautions. They can be termed as the strategies for meaningful cross-cultural communication. Let’s see the strategies one by one:1.Understand the conveyed messages completely. Don’t hurry up to drawconclusions by assuming other people’ s intentions. It’s better to ask fora re-explanation and confirm the message that you have understoodfrom the discussion.2. Have proper knowledge of the language which is to be used forcommunication. There may be differences in spellings orpronunciations of words. It should be understood clearly. Sometimes,some words or phrases are used in specific contexts so it should not betaken for granted. It is always better to confirm the meanings andclarity of message before jumping to concussion.3. Assistance of translators who are familiar with the cultures of both thepartners in communication can tremendously help to have meaningfulcommunication.4.People from different cultures may have different styles ofcommunication. Some people prefer to talk directly about the pointwhereas some people use indirect context for communication. Thesevariables in communication styles should be understood. Appropriateuse of communication style and non-verbal cues can help you establishgood rapport with the partner in communication.5. In cross-cultural communication, sometimes, much attention is focusedon differences rather than similarities. It should be understood thatways of interpretation could be different in other party’s cultures andthey should not be forced to think and interpret messages the way youwant.6. Variations in the perceptions, attitudes, and needs of people should betaken into account while communicating in cross-cultural settings.7. Cultural identities get reflected through language and behaviors of thepartners in communication. Respect the cultural differences and useappropriate language and behavior that suits the cultural context of thecommunication.munotes.in

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378. Cultures keep on changingin the flow of time. So update oneself withthe changes in cultures of different countries and follow them whileinteracting with people from that country.3.6ADDITIONALTIPSTOIMPROVECROSS-CULTURALCOMMUNICATIONAs stated earlier, there is always a vast scope formisunderstandings and misinterpretations in cross-culturalcommunication. But by following some strategies one can reduce it to alarge extent. In addition to those, one can also follow some tips to makecross-cultural communication more effective and meaningful.1.Appropriate use of Language:Use of language includes selection of words, pronunciation, speedand tone. Though English is preferred by many people for cross-culturalcommunication, everyone cannot have fluency and proficiency like nativespeakers. So, while using English, it’s not good to copy others. Speak atnormal speed, maintain clarity and use correct pronunciations.2.Improve questioning Skill:Cross-cultural communication takes time to comprehend messagesand get replies from the other partner in communication. Therefore, avoidasking double questions like-‘‘Do you want to continue or should we stophere?’’ Such double questions may not be understood by the person and soit can be a bit difficult for the partner to answer it.3.Take a Pause and Go Ahead:Instead of drawing conclusions hurriedly, take a pause whereveryou find difficulties in comprehending messages. Discuss it again, listen tothe clarification and then go ahead. If you are not clear about any point,note it down and re-discuss it.4.Be Cooperative:Comfort level of both the partners in communication is to bemaintained. If your partner is not comfortable in use of English, encouragehim positively. It will boost his confidence and build trust inyou.5.Summarize and conclude:Due to cultural differences, sometimes things can be understoodwrongly. Therefore, summarize the discussed items before you concludeyour communication. Don’t assume that your partner has understoodeverything. Donot endthe conversation abruptly.munotes.in

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386.Avoid colloquial expressions:Avoid colloquial expressions while communicating with parties fromother cultures. They could understand the words but could not understandthe meanings.7.Maintainetiquettes:Every culturehas different communication styles and etiquettes. It isalways better to know them before the actual communication. Formaltraining in it can help one to be a better communicator.3.7TECHNOLOGY-ENABLEDBUSINESSCOMMUNICATIONTechnology has become an inseparable part of our personal andprofessional life. It is being used in almost all disciplines. Technology haschanged the traditional modes of communication. Nowadays, informationis easily and rapidly exchanged through various devices oftelecommunication such as email, fax, voice mails, social networkingsites, blog etc. Videoconferencing and distance learning has brought intremendous changes in functions of business organizations andeducational institutes. Through teleconferencing and videoconferencing,people from any part of the world can communicate audio-visually at arapid speed.Technology has become a backbone of communication in almostevery small and large business organization. Right from attendance of theemployees to the presentations ofhigher authorities, everything is donethrough various technologies. Internet access to computers and laptops hasenabled employees to communicate all the time from any part of theglobe. Due to systematic use of technology, many offices have becomepaperless offices. It has tremendously changed organizationalcommunication and that has resulted in a number of benefits. Therefore, inthis chapter, we shall take a speedy review of the technological tools thatare used for communication in various business organizations.3.7.1Technology-Based Communication Tools:1.Telephone and Mobile Phones:The telephone is a great gadget that is used for communication innumerous associations. Earlier, telephones were being used for verbalcommunication but latest innovations have added audio-visual features toit. On the other hand, cell phones have gained a vital space in our lifetoday. They enable us to call anywhere anytime; but in addition to it, theyare stacked with numerous useful applications.munotes.in

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39Mobile phones are little computers as they provide access toemails, multimedia, contacts, calendar, games, etc. Any feature can beadded to it as per the requirement of the person. There are manyadvantages of cell phones. The greatest benefit of mobile phones is theability to contact anyone at any time from any part of the world. It alsooffers multiple communication options like text message, audio call, videocall, call recording etc. It saves time. The Internet can be connected to cellphones and any information can be accessed through it.Options like banking, appointments, email messaging, redirectionand answering facilities, and international access have made mobilephones a pertinent gadget in our life. We all have witnessed the change inuse of mobile phones during Covid-19 pandemic times. Earlier, cellphones were considered as distractions in classes but the same device wasused for online lectures and examinations. In a nutshell, telephone and cellphones are important tools that are used for communication.2.Computers:Computer is not a new word for today’s generation. It is anelectronic machine that can be used to find information, process, organizeand save it. Various functions in computers have made it a basicrequirement in all organizations. Its two major types are-desktops andlaptops. Desktop is a basic type of computer. It has a keyboard to type. Itcan be connected to external devices like speakers and printers. Usually itis fixed at a place. On the other hand, a laptop is a portable computer thatworks with a battery. All the features of a desktop are included in a laptop.It is easy to carry. Recently launched iPads and Netbook are also veryuseful technology-based devices that are used for communication indifferent sectors.3. The Internet:The Internet is an international computer network. It can beconnected to computers, cell phones and other devices. The Internet iscalled ‘‘network of networks’’. Use of the internet varies from person toperson and company to company. It can beused for basic purposes likeelectronic communication or seeking information. It can also be used forbusiness purposes. Nowadays, the internet has become an indispensabletool for every professional. It is used for emailing, file sharing, socialnetworking, marketing, education, banking, web conferencing etc. Someof the popular applications of the internet can be discussed as follows:a)Email:Email means a mail that is sent and received through the internet.It is also called an ‘electronic mail’. It can be sent to anyone who hasinternet connectivity and an email address. It can be sent from any part ofthe globe and at any time. It is the fastest medium of communication. Anmunotes.in

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40email can contain text, files, images or other attachments that can be sentto one or many recipients at a time.b)Blog:A blog means a write up that is commonly written in an informalor conversational style and published on the World Wide Web. Such writeups are called ‘‘Posts’’. It could be on any topic. They are written inadiary-style. Along with write ups, images, links to other blogs, web pages,etc can also be shared in a blog. Bloggers publish their content on theirblog and through it they communicate with the readers. It is used as acommunication tool. Readers posttheir comments and give feedback tothe posts. A blogger can use different settings to make it more secure andsafe. There could be single author or multi-author blogs. There aredifferent types of blogs: personal blog, collaborative blogs, corporate andorganizational blogs etc.c) Website:Website means a set of web pages that include multimedia contentand published at least on one web server. Websites could be interactive orstatic and they are designed for different purposes. Websites are also usedfor communicating information to its visitors. Appearance, content,functionality, usability and search engine optimization are considered askey elements of an effective website.3.7.2 Advantagesof Technology-Enabled Communication:Today, everyone is digitally connected to one another. Technologyhas provided various tools to bring in tremendous change in the workingstyles of various associations, business firms and educational institutions.It has immensely increased the speed of communication. In today’stechnologically interconnected world, every institution prefers to adoptnew technology. They have seen numerous positive changes in the overallfunctioning of organizations and associations. Let’s discuss the advantagesof technology-enabled communication:1.Technology-enabled communication has reduced the distance. It hasenabled us to communicate around the world at a rapid speed at anypoint of time. It is the fastest and easiest medium of communication.2.The organizational communication becomes more effective as itenables every employee to get access to required data or collect andanalyze data whenever required. It also creates a common platform todirectly communicate with higher authorities and do the requiredactions quickly.3.Due to increased and direct access to information, decision makingbecomes more easy and quick.4.The projects that are depending on constant communication can becompleted within limited time.munotes.in

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415.Teamwork in organization may get increased as technology enabledcommunication provides platforms to share their knowledge andexperiences whenever required.3.7.3 Disadvantagesof Technology-Enabled Communication:Although technology has increased speed of communication, it hascreated new sets of problems. These problems are physical as well aspsychological. Technology-enabled communication has tremendouslyincreased interactions between humans and machines. Maximum time isbeing spent in the company of machines. Easy and speedy transmission ofinformation at any pointof time has become a cause for ill health andstress for many employees. Some of the major negative effects are listedbelow:1.HealthIssues:Health issues is a very serious problem that technology-enabledcommunication has created. Most of the employees are burdened withoverload of information. They have to be on their toes all the time as theyare always connected to their authorities through different gadgets. It hasdrastically affected the health of the employees. “It is reported in surveysthattwo thirds of managers suffer from the increased tension and one thirdfrom ill-health because of information overload”. (Raman and Singh,2012) It has also caused psychological problems like-reduced attentionspan, anxiety, difficulties in memorizing etc.2.Effect on communication skills:Due to excessive use of communication aids, many people,especially the young generation, are lacking communication skills. Mostof the communication is done through texting and chatting and thereforethey hardly getany chance to have face to face interaction. It is resultingin lack of communication skills. They lack the ability to communicateeffectively in face to face communication. It also affected the ability ofusing non-verbal communication skills.3.Disturbance in professional and personal life:Technology-enabled communication has become a source ofdisturbance in professional and personal life for many employees. Mobilephones have become the major source of disturbance. Everyone isconnected through mobile networks and therefore anyone can be disturbedwhile in a meeting or on a vacation.4.Isolation:One of the serious effects of technology is peoples isolation. Thereare no social gatherings as earlier. People are more bothered about theironline life. The process of socialization is affected due to it. Earlier,munotes.in

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42people used to gather together to read news papers or to chat with eachother. But, now everyone chats through whatsapp or facebook. Youngstersare digitally connected to each other but physically and emotionally theyare isolated. Generation gas is increasing day by day.Technology-enabled communication has both negative andpositive effects. But logically thinking, technology has tremendouslychanged the process of communication. Ultimately, it depends on how weuse it.3.8SUMMARYDear students, in this chapter, we discussed the concept of cross-cultural communication, factors affecting cross-cultural communicationand also discussed some useful tips for effective and meaningful cross-cultural communication. Along with it, we also got some insights abouttechnology-assisted communication, its various tools and its advantagesand disadvantages. In cross-cultural communication, it is better tounderstand the messages carefully before jumping to any conclusion.Respect the differences and be patient and flexible during communication.On the other hand, use various communication tools for specific purposes.Focus on the advantages and disadvantages of technology and use itsanely.3.9 UNIT END QUESTIONSAnswer the following questions:1.Define the concept of cross-cultural communication and discuss thefactors that affect cross-cultural communication.2.Discuss the strategies that can be used for successful cross-culturalcommunication.3.Explain how you will overcome the challenges in cross-culturalcommunication.4.Discuss the need for technology in business communication. Givesuitable examples.5.Explain in detail the uses of technology-based communicationtools in businessorganizations.6.Write a detailed note on advantages of technology enabledcommunication.7.Explain in detail the negative impact of technology-enabledcommunication.3.10REFERENCE●Lesikar, R., Flatley, M., Rentz, K., Lentz, P. and Pande, N., 2015.Business Communication. 13th ed. Chennai: McGraw Hillmunotes.in

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43Education (India) Private Limited, pp.28-54.●Mathew, S. 2018. Communication Skills. Pune: TechnicalPublications, pp.6.1-6.7.●Murphy, H., Hildebrandt, H., and Thomas,J., 2008.EffectiveBusinessCommunication. 7th ed. New Delhi: Tata McGraw HillPublishing Company Limited,pp. 118-136●Ober, S. 2008. Contemporary Business Communication 5th ed.New Delhi: Biztantra, an Imprint of Dreamtech Press.pp. 86-108●Raman, M. and Prakash, S., 2012. Business Communication.2nd ed. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp.87-129*****munotes.in

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44Unit II4WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGESAND DOCUMENTSUnit Structure4.1Objectives4.2Introduction4.3Business correspondence4.3.1Importance of Business communication4.3.2Principles of writing business letters4.3.3Kinds of business letters4.3.4Components of business letters4.3.5Formats of business letters4.4Instructions4.4.1What are instructions4.4.2How to write instruction4.4.3Basics of writing instructions4.4.4Tips for writing effective instructions4.4.5Conclusion4.5Business Reports4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Characteristics4.5.3Significance4.5.4Stages involved in writing of reports4.5.5Formats of reports4.5.6Sample reports4.6Proposals4.6.1Proposals defined4.6.2Categories4.6.3Requisites4.6.4Structure4.6.5Sample proposal4.7Summary4.8Unit End Questionsmunotes.in

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454.1OBJECTIVES●After studying this unit, you will be able to:●Understand the need, functions, and kinds of letters, know how towrite effective business letters, get acquainted with the components ofbusiness letters, write business letters using different formats.●To know what report writing is, understand and equip the art ofreportwritingand learn the various steps involved in report writing.4.2INTRODUCTIONEvery business organization, whether small or big, needs tomaintain contact with people inside the organization and outside theorganization to run business.Inside the organization with the peopleworking forthe organization and outside with the customers, suppliers,government officials, and policy makers etc. They need to rely on certainmethodologies to network with people. These methods can be eitherletters, e-mails, information in form of reports or a suggestion orpersuasion in form of proposal or performing day to day activities byreceiving instructions.4.3NATUREANDFUNCTIONOFBUSINESSCORRESPONDENCEBusiness correspondence is basically, exchange of information in awritten format mostly letters,for the process of business activities. It usesformats that are widely accepted universally, and can also be used forfuture reference in business settings. It helps in remaining in contact withpeople. Furthermore, letters are still preferred means forprofessionalcommunication.A business letter is a written document through which companiescorrespond with their customers, clients, shareholders, suppliers, and otherorganizations. The complete style of the letter relies on the relationbetween the parties involved. This letter is written to inform, congratulate,request, order, enquire, and so on, and usually sent through post orcouriers.4.3.1 Importance of Business correspondence•Business-related information conveyed through letters can serve asapermanent record of information.•Letters make a lasting impression in the mind of the reader because itstays with them.•They are economical and can be reached at any place, even on to theplaces where there is no mobile network or towers.munotes.in

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46•It is used to build goodwill of the organization.•A letter signed by authority is a proof of what is said in it, it makes itvaluable and can be treated as a legal document.4.3.2 Principles of writing business letters:A business letter should capture the attention of the reader andencourage him/her to consider the message with a sense of acceptance.The best way to do so is by empathizing with your recipient and writingthe letter.While writing a business letter, it is vital to understand the readerprovision and make changes accordingly. To avoid poorly writtencorrespondence, it is crucial to follow 7Cs of business Correspondenceand they are as follow:(1)Clarity:To be clear in expression one has to be clear in thought first.Clearly stating your point with the use of a simple expression canhelp the reader understand your purpose. Avoid using ambiguous words,jargon, slangs, long sentences as it can create misunderstandings to thereader. The prime motive here is to convey the right meaning in the givencontext. Basically, a business letter should contain one single idea or pieceof information, broken up into small distinct paragraphs. For example:Instead of ‘‘purchase,residence, and release’’ replace it with ‘‘buy, houseand free’’.(2)Conciseness:Conciseness makes a letter readable and interesting. Here,maximum information is transmitted in minimum words. Unnecessarydetails, redundant words, tautology i.e. same idea with different wordsshould be eliminated for example:Verbose:As advised in our correspondence. Clear and concise: As statedin our letter.Verbose:Enclosed herewith please find. Clear and Concise: Enclosed.(1)Completeness:Incomplete letters keepthe receiver guessing or making wrongchoices or decisions. A complete letter conveyed with all facts can bringexpected results from the receiver. Eliminate using abstract expressions,ambiguous words & phrases. Once you complete your letter, proofreadingcan help you to ensure the accuracy of grammatical usage and spellings.munotes.in

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47Try to answer 5 Ws who, what, when, where and why.(2)Concreteness:A business letter should be specific, definite, unambiguous, andvivid. Using correct facts and figures can make the letter concrete.Necessary details should be specifically mentioned, in addition to choiceof words that create a powerful impact.For example:•This material is feather-light. (Vague)•This material weighs 5gms. (Concrete)•This dress is very inexpensive. (Vague)•The price of this dress is 1500 rupees. (Concrete)(3)Correctness:Correctness stands for addressing your reader in an appropriatemanner. Inquiring and collecting authentic information before drafting theletter will ensure the transmission of correct information. A letter shouldbe written keeping in mind grammatical precision i.e. correct usage,appropriate punctuations, and no spelling errors with clear and concisecontent. Inaccurate statements, facts, and typographical errors should beavoided. In addition, Format, style of presentation, and addressing peopleaccording to their designation should be taken care of.(4)Courtesy:In correspondence, showing courtesy and respect towards therecipient is a very important principle. Unpleasantinformation can beconveyed with courteous words showing consideration towards recipients.Courtesy is one of the most natural and economic means of creatinggoodwill in the recipients. Mostly, the letter is written by the reader’spoint of view. Courtesycan be shown by replying promptly and attendingcomplaints or requests immediately. Usage of words like ‘‘please’’ or‘‘thank you’’ can get you a favorable response.For example:“We are glad to note that”, “We regret to inform you” etc.(5)Consideration:Consideration helps in promoting business and building goodwill.It also means to emphasize positive and pleasant facts. While writing aletter, it is very important to consider the reader’s interest. It shouldexplain the reason for refusal, acceptance, etc.4.3.3 Kinds of Business letters:•Enquiries and replies.•Orders and their execution.•Credit and status enquirymunotes.in

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48•Complaints and adjustments.•Collection letters.•Circular letters.•Sales letters.•Bank correspondence.•Insurance correspondence.•Import-Export correspondence.•Agency correspondence.•Application letters.•Interview letters, references, testimonials, letters of appointment,confirmation, promotion, retrenchment, resignation.•The correspondence of a company secretary.•Correspondence with state and central government.•Letters to the press.4.3.4 Components of a business letter:In formal letters, structure, layout, and form play a very important role.When writing the letter, the content should be organized in the correctmanner. The following are components used in formal letters.•Heading:It is also called Head Address or Letterhead. The headingcontains information related to the organization name and completepostal address along with Email address, Telephone Numbers and faxnumbers with web addresse.gThe Supreme Industries LimitedK1 to K4, K8 and K9, Ghirongi Industrial AreaMalanpur, Distt. Bhind Madhya Pradesh 4771160736-45263788, 45632100, 4532100(Fax) www.sil.com•The Date:It indicates the date, month, and the year on which letter iswritten. Dateline is aligned to the extreme right side or left side of themargin on the basis of format chosen.Dateline can be presented as:May 3, 2020•Inside address:This is the complete address of the recipient of theletter or it can also address a department or job title. A courtesy titleshould be added in front of the recipient’sThe Manager (Human Resource)Reliance Industries LimitedKoparkhairanemunotes.in

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49Thane Belapur RoadNavi Mumbai•Reference Line (optional):This indicates details like letter number,department from where the letter is being sent, year etc. if you arewriting a reply, place the corresponding reference number first and thenyours. The reference number helps you locate the letter'sfuturereference.RIL/Prod./2020/681•Attention line (optional):it is used to draw the attention of a particularperson or a particular department to ensure quick and prompt action. Itis written as follow:Attention: Dr. N.K Roy•Salutation:it is usedto greet the receiver of the letter. It usually beginswith the word ‘‘Dear’’ followed by name or surname and comma orcolon can be used after the salutation.For example, Dear Dr Joshi,•Subject line:Subject line offers the motive of the letter. Alsohelps therecipient to know what exactly the letter is about.•Body:it communicates business information or the intent of the letter.Use only necessary words that convey the reason for writing the letter.Body has three parts. Introductory para, MainMessage, and Closingpara.e.g.:•The first paragraph:Introduction and Statement of the purpose•The middle paragraph contains further details about the main subject.•The Closing para:polite closing, expression or appreciation forassistance (evenin advance) and/or statement of follow-up intentions,expected actions.•Complimentary close:This is a courteous way of ending the let•Terms like, ‘‘Yours sincerely” is the ideal one.•Signature block:This is a mandatory part of the letter, withoutasignature block the letter is useless. Signature block indicates the signedname of the letter’s writer, with the designation. It is positioned justbelow the complimentary close.•Enclosures/ attachments:It offers the documents that are attached to theletter. Here, the type of document and its specifications are alsomentioned.Encl.:marksheets 10th and 12thmunotes.in

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504.3.5 The layout of a Business Letter.Basically, layout refers to the arrangement of text and graphics.The basic parts of a business letter remain the same but variation inlayouts changes. It also depends on what policy the company may adopt oran individual may choose to use a particular format which suits hispurpose. The commonly used formats are:a.Complete block formatb.Modified formatc.Semi block formata.Complete Block Format:In full block business letters, every component of the letter i.e.heading, address, salutation, signature, identification, enclosures arealigned to the left. Paragraphs beginning are unintended that are notspaced, open punctuation is followed which means end punctuation marksare omitted in each element except for salutation, complimentary close,message.Heading------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date--------Reference No.-----------Inside address------------------------------------------------------------------------Subject---------------------------------------Salutation------------Openingpara--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mainmessage-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Closing para----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Complimentary close----Signature----------Enclosure---------Ref.Ini•Modified Block Format:Here, the positioning of heading, complimentary close, andmunotes.in

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51signature block are aligned to the right side of the margin. Paragraphsbeginning arenot spaced and mixed punctuation is followed. Theappearance of a modified block form is more balanced and traditional.Heading-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date--------Reference No.-----------Inside address------------------------------------------------------------------------Subject---------------------------------------Salutation------------Opening para---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Main message------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Closing para----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Complimentary close----Signature----------Enclosure---------Ref.Ini.Semi-Block format:The semi-block format is the combination of block and indentedform. Heading, date, complimentary close, and signature block are alignedtowards the right side of the margin. The body of the letter is in anindented form with paragraphs and mixed punctuation is followed.Heading-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date--------Reference No.-----------Inside address------------------------------------------------------------------------munotes.in

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52Subject---------------------------------Salutation------------Openingpara----------------------------------------------------------------------Main message----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Closing para---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Complimentary close----Signature----------Enclosure---------Ref.Ini.4.2WRITINGINSTRUCTIONS4.4.1What are instructions?:Imagine cooking for thefirst time, teaching drawing for the firsttime or even riding a bike for the first time. How did you that, who helpedyou do that, who guided you through that process. The answer can varyfrom person to person but the medium of how they did remain the same.Someone had instructed them or if someone did not instruct them. Surely,they had read instructions from somewhere. The rate of getting success inthat particular task is directly dependent on how clear the instructionswere given or how clear they were understood by the other end andaccordingly performed.4.4.2 How to write instructions?:Instructions are generally directions through writing. They areguidance to the audience who is going to refer to perform certain tasks.The instructions must be clear and the writing must be easy enough forthem to get it right on the first attempt. The attention of the reader must becarried till the end of the set.If the instructions are lengthy or long then number them so that thereader will not get confusedabout the sequence of performing the task.Using pictorial representation is also a great way of making instructions tothe point. The pictures are a universal medium of communication. It isrecommended that if the tasks are to be performed internationallythat it isadvisable to use pictures more. They are more convenient for everyoneirrespective of the language.munotes.in

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534.4.3 Basics of writing instructions:• Title:Remember title is a very important part of any form of writing.The reader must be clear onthe task or why they are reading thesesequences. The title must deliver it accurately and precisely without takingmuch space.• InformationProvide enough information regarding the topic, So the in and outof the topic is clearly understandable. Everybare minimum must bementioned so the reader doesn't have to realize in the middle of theprocess that they have to stop the process.• ConditionsThe basic requirements, tool required, technology needed oranything or everything that needs to be informed ahead should be clearlymentioned. This helps the readers get ready in advance.• SequenceThe sequence of performing the activity must be clear and concise.The readers must clearly need what to perform next. Do not even miss avery small word or usethe verbs properly. The language used must bevery easy and as less complex as possible.• SafetyNotes or warnings must be clearly written with special font orunderline. The readers must know the risk of performing the particularstep if there is anystep like this at all.• EndThe end results of the task must be clearly stated or if at all anyother result possible also must be mentioned with proper explanation. Thechances of achieving this result and why one could have achieved this.Also, whatcould have gone wrong must also be clearly written.4.4.4 Tips for writing instructions more effectively:a.The sentences must be short and easy going. The first words of thesentences should be written smartly. So as to keep the reader engaged.b.Be specific about what you want to deliver. One sentence must deliveronly one specific instruction.c.Avoid jargons, use technical if neededmunotes.in

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54d.Give a proper explanation for example if you think this set ofinstructions is confusing or complex to perform.e.Do not omit even a single small step or anything which is evenobvious. State everything from your end.Understand the targeted audience who you are writing instructions for andwhy are you writing this. Never complicate it, as guidance needs to be aseasy as possible. For instance:How to make a cup of tea?Ingredients:-Indian Tea-Sugar-Container /utensil-Tea strainer-MilkRecipe:1.Turn on the stove and keep a container over it.2.Add one cup of water to it.3.Boil it down to half4.Addhalf tablespoon tea and sugar to it.5.After it starts boiling, add milk to it.6.Wait for it to boil all over again.7.Now, take a cup and put a tea strainer over it.8.Filter your tea and enjoy your evening.Note:For strong color add more tea to the mixture and for more sweetness addmore sugar.Caution:At any point, do not touch the container and if you do not know how tocontrol the stove. Do it under adult supervision.4.4.5 Conclusion:Whatever you have written in the terms of the instructions, try toperform them. Call any individual from your targeted audience and asksomeone to perform the very same activity/task and see how they areperforming it. Try to see what part is hard to guide and which is hard toguide. Refine it again and try this technique till the instructions are as clearas water for someone totally doing it for the first time. Improvise till youthink it is sufficient enough.The writing is short and sweet. It prepares you beforehand withrequirements. Subtly, guides you for the entire process. Less points makesit easier for you to read and enact them. The note makes you aware of thesignificant changes that can be done. You give a possibility of choice.Later, the caution avoids the chances of unforeseen accidents.munotes.in

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554.5 BUSINESS REPORTS4.5.1 Introduction:• What are reports?:A report is a statement of the results of an investigation or of any matteron which definite information is required. (Oxford English dictionary)Formal reports differ with organization and it iswritten inprofessional, technical and business context. Reports are a highlystructured form of writing, followed by conventions for readers to easilyunderstand the purpose of the report and know about new findings.• Definitions:Reports are written to inform about subject matter in short, sharpand concise documents for a particular purpose and audience. Reportspresent facts about the situation, project or process and analyze the issuein detail. Following are some definitions:“A report is a communication from someone who has information forsomeone who wants to use that information”-C.A. Brown.“A report is any written or oral communication in which according to thenature and purpose of the report, the reporter presents a collection of factsor anumber of alternate propositions, states his conclusion and (if calledupon to do so) submits his recommendations”-M.C Shukla and S.SGulshan.4.5.2 Characteristics of a Good Report:•A formal piece of writing.•Written in an organized and objective manner.•Contains relevant information.•A factual account.•Written for a specific audience.•Written with a specific purpose.•Easy to understand language.•Record findings and recommend actions.4.5.3 Significance of reports:Reports help professional achieve the following things:1.Report is a basic management tool, so it helps to plan, acquire,execute, coordinate, organize, manage and evaluate business activitiesin an effective way.2.It facilitates the flow of information to ensure smooth conduction oftasks so as to meet challenges successfully.3.It enables the authorities to make timely decisions.4.It creates awareness among shareholders or investors regarding themarket position of the company.munotes.in

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564.5.4 Types of report:1.On the basis of communication, the report can be oral or writtena.Oral reports present the information orally and face to face.Example: Accident reportb.Written reports are when information is presented in writing.Example: Project report, Progress report2.On the basis of function report can be informational or analyticala.In an informational report, the data is presented objectively withoutanalysis or interpretation.Examples:Seminar reports, conference reports.b.Analytical report has the analysis and interpretation of presenteddata which is helpful in decision making. It is also known asinvestigative report.Example:Project report, survey report, feasibility report, Marketresearch report.3.On the basis of periodicity, a report can be called asa routine or specialreport.a.Routine report presents routine informationExample:Weekly production report, Monthly sales report, annualreportb.Special report presents specific information related to a singlecondition, situation, problem or occasionc.Example:Inquiry report, Research report, Thesis or DissertationThe purpose of a report varies because not every field is the same andrequires a formal structure and careful planning followed by presenting thematerial in a logical manner in addition with clear and concise language.Following are the categories where reports are used on a large basis.•Technical reports•Recommendation reports•Annual reports•Auditor’s reports•Census reports•Feasibility reports•Progress reports•Budget reports•Appraisal reports•Workplace reports•Inspection reports•Military reports.•Policy reports.munotes.in

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574.5.5 Stages involved in writing of a report:Basically, the report’s format depends upon the purpose of thereport and its intended readers, according to which layout is decided. Thefollowing stages are involved in writing a report:1.Define the objective and audience:Before writing a report, youshould first clearly mention the objective for preparing the report. Thepurpose of the report should offer the overall intentof creating thereport and define the audience of the report.2.Gather the necessary information:Collect all the necessaryinformation and make a list of the sources you are taking informationfor, as it will help for future purpose and also to make thelist ofreferences.3.Analyze the information:Analyzing the information and carefulplanning requires you to write clear and concise content. Breakingdown the task of writing the report into various parts can make yourtask easier. While planning the report, work with a sensible time scale,check and revise the content once you are done with the report.4.Organize theinformation:Your report should have central ideas andkeywords related to it. The ideas you state in the report should connectto each other. Highlight the points if necessary and arrange your mainheading in a logical order. Every heading, subheading you mention inthe report should be in a sequence, organized manner.5.Write the report:Keeping in mind all the above-mentioned points,you can start writing your own report. While writing the report avoidusing jargons, unnecessary words, grammatical mistakes, to-the-pointcontent i.e. short and concrete.4.5.6 Formats for writing report:1. Letter format2.Memorandum format3.Letter-text combination formatThe letter format is used in case of brief and informal reports.Its main parts are:1.Heading;2.Date;3.Address;4.Salutation;5.Body;6.Complimentary close;7.Signature.munotes.in

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58The body of the letter can be divided into the following parts:•Introduction:Here the writer states the problem.•Findings:Here the findings of the investigation are presented.•Recommendation:After the findings, recommendations are given inthe last paragraph of the body. (Refer components of a business letterpage no.4 to 6 for better understanding)•Memorandum format•To follow the memorandum form is a simple way of presenting thereport. Here the formalities are not maintained. The date is mentionedat the top, it is followed by the name ofthe receiver, the name of thewriter, and the subject of the report. Next follows the actual text andthe conclusion.MemorandumTo: Mr………….January 01, 2021From:……………Subject:…………….Here is the report on…………………………………..FindingsSolution• Organisation of Letter-text combination format:Long reports are usually organized in the letter text combination form. Areport presented in this format includes three major parts.a.Front matter consists of title page, letter of authorization, letter oftransmittal, Table of contents and executive summaryb.Main matter consists of introduction, research methodologies,presentation of facts, analysis of facts, results and recommendations(optional)c.Back matter has reference list, bibliography, table of figures orillustrations, appendicesTitle page:It should provide precise indication of the title of report.followed by to whom it is prepared for, by whom it is prepared and date ofsubmission.Light water Nuclear ReactorsPrepared for,National Atomic research Centre,Prepared byMr. David A. McMurreyEnergy research Consultants, Inc.Austin, Texas May 9, 2020munotes.in

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59•Letter of authorization:This is a letter through which a person or ateam of members is authorized to work on a project and submit thereportwith proper findings.•Letter of Transmittal:Formal report often includes cover letter bythe name of letter of transmittal which provides personalizedintroduction to your document. It includes Reasons for writing thereport, how and what you find. Through this letter you can thank allwho helped in writing the report. Address the letter of transmittal to aparticular person. Use separate letters, each personally addressed, ifyou are distributing many copies.•Table ofContent:This section acts as amap of the report.It shouldinclude headings with page numbers. Tab the subsection and sub-subsections for clarity.•Abstract or summary:Summary/abstract is a short synopsis of theimportant ideas, observations, problems and conclusion contained inyour report. Use the clear language to highlight main points asappeared in your report. It should be concise and informative.Abstract/ summary should be written after you completed working onyour report.Main matter takes 85% of the entire report. It includes a detaileddiscussion of the report. It should offer the objective, scope of report,outline of enquiry method, brief history of subject matter, and suggestionsfor future development.•Introduction:It contains origin, purpose, scope and background ofthe title or hypothesis of the report.•Methodology:Here, you write about methods you used to conductyour inquiry. No complex or twisted words/phrases should be used, itshould be simple to understand.•Results or findings:Present facts or findings that are useful,important or necessary for your readers. You can present yourfindings/result through tables, graphs, pie charts, bar charts, anddiagrams for quick and better understanding.•Discussion:In this part you analyze the information and interpret theresults by explaining its importance. You identify and suggest newfindings, and also outline the problems you encountered.•Conclusion and recommendation:In this section, all the main issuesof the report are drawn together and consist of alist ofrecommendation in separate sections.•References:The work cited in the text is credited into this section.Reference list is located at the end of the report. This list includesAuthor’s name and initials, Date of publications, title of book, paper orjournal publisher, place of publication, page number, detail of thejournal volume in which the article appeared. These points should bementioned very clearly, and it should be listed in alphabetical order.Select one of the standard ways to cite references.munotes.in

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60•Bibliography:If the report is based on extensive research, the worksconsulted by the writer are given in the bibliography. It may alsoinclude the work recommended for further studies.•Table of figures or illustrations:A table of figures list the figurelabel, figure captions and page number of each illustration.•Appendices:It contains supplemental material or additionalinformation regarding a report which is not essential in main findingsbut other users might find beneficial. It includes details of interviewquestions, statistical dates, glossary of terms etc.4.6 BUSINESS PROPOSALS4.6.1Introduction:Into an era of globalization and rapid advancement of business,sustained improvement is a necessity. To bring about improvementsorchanges it is essential to constantly review the existing situation and waysof effective changes. Most of the time the suggested changes are putforward in the form of proposals.According to Dictionary.com, “Proposal is the act of offering orsuggesting something for acceptance, adoption or performance”.Collins Dictionary suggests “A proposal is a plan or an idea, oftena formal or written one which is suggested for people to think about anddecide upon”. So, any properly conceived idea, service project or plan,whether theoretical or practical in nature, put forward for action orimplementation is a proposal.4.6.2 Types of Proposals:•Solicited and Unsolicited.•Solicited Proposals are those proposals where a writer follows theprescribed formatfor the offering his ideas or suggestions orschemes.•Unsolicited Proposals are those where the writer takes the initiativeto design the format for the submission of proposal.4.6.3 Requisites of effective proposals:•Proposal is basedon the AIDAplan.•Ais attention is caught towards what is being proposed•I Is Interest is created by pointing out how the plan would be executed•D is desire is generated to accept by highlighting the benefits oradvantages that would accrue and finallyanimpulse for actionisinduced by persuasive reasoning. (persuasion is an art of influencingpeople to accept willingly and Idea, a position or a course of action)munotes.in

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614.6.4Instructions for writing effective Proposal:•Specify the scope clearly.•Be realistic in your estimate oftime, money, material and personnelrequired.•Establish your credentials for accomplishing the task.•Highlight the benefits that would accrue to the customer.•keep the proposal short and precise.•Use easy to understand language.•Ensure that the presentation and layout are neat and attractive.4.6.5Structure of proposal:1. Title page:This page acts as a cover of the proposal and contains thefollowing information.a.Title of the proposalb.Name and designation of the proposerc.Name of the organization to which he belongs andd.Month and year of submission of proposalThese four items are separated by the space and stand out clearly on page.2. Table of content:This is given when the proposal is long running into15 or more pages. It contains headings and subheadings with pagenumber3. Executive summary:This part summarizes the entire proposal. Manyreaders need to have a preview of the proposal before beginning to gothrough the details. Sometimes a summary is circulated independentlyfor comments among the reviewers. so, it should be self-contained. Infact, the entire proposal is condensed and given under the samesubheading as those in the main body. This is where you talk about themain takeaways.4.Statement of the purpose: This part statesthe purpose to which theproposal addresses itself. To establish the need, you may sometimeshave to give a brief background or history in terms of the work alreadydone and its adequacy in the present circumstances. This sectionweaves around a problem for which a solution is proposed.5.Objectives:To what extent your proposal is going to serve thepurpose or bring the change, should be clearly specified in this part theobjectives may be listed as stated in terms of short term and long-termgoals.6.Business plan (procedure):This describes how the proposal wouldaddress the purpose, stated earlier. Methods used to collect statisticaldata for the project, plan of action, sequence of activities, time linemunotes.in

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62Show the clear picture of phases of activities(this shows adequateplanning and preparation for various activities equipment, facilities,products and personnel are required).7.Budget or cost estimate:This section is mandatory for all proposals.It is customary to include the budget justificationsection in paragraphform or tabular chart. Estimates should be realistic and complete. Thissection also discusses the billing procedure and legal handlings.8.Conclusion:This section of the proposal provides a formalopportunity to re-emphasize and persuade the recipient that you haveall the resources in terms of material expertise and enthusiasm toaccomplish the project. No new ideas should be added here. Thissection should be very brief, maybe one paragraph.https://images.template.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/New-Business-Proposal-Format-Download.pdf4.8UNIT END EXERCISE1.The formal greeting with which a business letter begins is called2.Reports sent at regular, specified intervals in the usual routine ofbusiness are called ………………..reports.3.An analytical report also be called an…………….. report.4.Write short notes on the following.a)The letterheadb)Complimentary closec)Courtesyd)Concisenesse)You attitude5.What is the need for typing the inside address?6.Describe with illustrations different parts of the letter.7.In business letters courtesy and clarity are as important as concisenessand completeness.8.Why is a written report preferred to an oral report?9.Mention at least four important characteristics of a good report10.How do you define a proposal?11.Briefly describe the format of the long proposal12.Prepare a proposal for the consideration of Principal, GovernmentBoys college for designing software for online admission.13.Differentiate between solicited and unsolicited proposal14.Write the instructions for getting a demand draft from bank*****munotes.in

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635WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES ANDDOCUMENTSCHAPTER V: CAREERBUILDING AND RESUME WRITINGUnit Structure5.1Objective5.2Introduction5.3Career building5.4Resume Writing5.4.1Structure of Resume5.4.2Resume formats5.4.3To do and not to do5.4.4Resume example5.5Cover page5.5.1Example of cover page for students5.6Links for better understanding5.1OBJECTIVEAfter studying this unit you will beable to:•Understand the concept of career building•Designing of Resume and cover letter5.2 INTRODUCTIONCareer is the most important part of one's life. The planning of anentire life depends on the path one chooses to build his/her career. It is notonly to earn the bread and butter but it is also for gaining a reputation inthe society above all it is for mental satisfaction of the human being wherehe feels needed in the world and serving the society. Career is not a choicethat you have to make but rather a choice you would want to make. Thedecision is going to make up 50 percent of your life. It is a choice that isvery important. To choose a correct career there is much more than justlooking at the salary. You need to create a mind map in order tohave agood career. Step by step you need to complete small tasks that keep youon track. The task that you do must add to the quality of your resume.Anything you do should be notable in your resume. You need to knowmunotes.in

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64what resume is more impactful and formal. A cover page is also an add-on. The knowledge of how to use it properly is really useful. Below in theunit all of the above requirements are mentioned in detail.5.3 CAREER BUILDINGGrowing up we have always wondered on the topic what we wantto become or what we want to do? Even after completing our entireeducation we are not satisfied with our work. There could be a wholebunch of reasons for getting the education that may be of your choice ormaybe not. The only lesson we need today is to chooseto do what welove. The simple reason why we are not happy with our job is we neverproperly pondered enough on the choices we made or never mustered upthe courage to do what we love. So, there are few things that we mustclearly think about before choosing a career or while changing a career.•Research•Develop•Set•Plan•Change•PrepareThe following points are explained in detail below:Research:To make a decision you must understand what are the optionspresented to you. What are the options that arepresent in your locality andkeep up with the trend. The type of job you want to do, do a broadresearch and come down to which part you would like to specialise in.Always consider your future while considering anything else. Thegrowth in that career, will it be as important as it is today? In the future,will your education have that much value or not? If you have a dreamcompany, start reading about it. Make sure it offers the exact role that youwant to work.Keep on attending the seminars related toit. Today, due to theadvancement of technology there is nothing that is not available on theinternet. So, research as much as you can before making a concretedecision.Try to have practical experience while doing internships. Knowwhat exactly is present in it for you. Do internships, part-times orvolunteering, so that you can have more exposure to what you do.Develop:Learn to write about what you want to do and make a course pathmunotes.in

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65for yourself. Nobody knows what you want more than yourself. Do notletthe other negative factors differ you from your path. Make sure you knowwhat exactly is your aim in life. Whatever you do is exactly the same thatyou wished for.Make a checklist and keep it updated. Consider all the minor andmajor details like from accommodation to the where would you like to besettled. Will all the cost be covered in it? There can be a number ofpossibilities with that plan, be open to all those and try to keep it posted.Set:Make milestones so as to know how far you are withyour plan.Have monthly and yearly plans by your side. Choose the correct type ofeducation for yourself, Choose your first job properly. Also find the jobthat adds to your experience and career growth.Every occupation needs a particular requirement anddegree. Thereare special training and certifications that you need to fulfill your planaccordingly.Always remember that opportunities can be found across theworld. So, think that you will have to move and be prepared in those termsas well. It is advised not to spend your entire life in one organisation. Tryto change it every 4 or 5 years. Always take up the training offered byyour employer. Keep on enhancing your skills. Rewards and evaluation ofan organisation is also an important way to promoteyour career.Change:Change in career will always be uncomfortable but necessary foryour growth. Career change is a risk that one has to take to reach theheights of your career. It is recommended that you take a calculated risk,as much as the change is inevitable does not guarantee that it will be inyour favour.Compare and contrast, even if the money is the same. Ask yourselfwill this help you in further journey or do you have more chances of goinghigher than where you are currently working. Mental health is also a veryimportant influencer. If the environment is stressing you more than itshould or you are not happy. Change can be considered a blessing too.Prepare:Every step regarding career needs to be prepared and mappedproperly. The main reason to work must always be kept in mind. You needto prepare yourself with your own morals and rules. You need to learn tobe flexible but set a limit to that.munotes.in

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66When giving new interviews, always be ready with necessaryaccessories and requirements. Whenleaving a job for whatever reason youmust resign with appropriate reasons and bid a farewell nicely. Leave thegrudges there and take away the good from there. Keep in check with youraccomplishments. Celebrate every single win in the journey of yourcareer. Provide proper notice and in advance when shall you leave.5.4 THE RESUMEA résumé is a career document that records your employmenthistory, education, training details, highlights skills, experiences, talents,and achievements. It formally introduces you to the prospective employer.AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire & action), the same marketing principleis applied to resumes as well.Firstly, yourresume catchesthe attention, if proper keywords,format, and structure are used. Secondly, the resume should create interest,which can be achieved by showing your unique ability as a candidate andyour benefits like a product. Then, your resume should stir the desire i.e. itshould convey what exactly you want. And lastly, an action which can beachieved via phone call, if you have met all the requirements of theemployer.5.4.1 Resume structure:The resume creates the first impression of you, in front of your employer,therefore, the structure should reflect your style.1.Heading:“Where to reach” is the foremost information in the resume.It shouldhave your full name,current address, phone number, and emailaddress.2.Job/ career objective:Mention clearly your career objective, as itmakes it easy for recruiters to classify what kind of jobyou are lookingfor. If you are not sure or want to leave your options open forgo the careerobjective.3.Work experience/ employment history:Start with current or mostrecent employment and go backward. If you have no relevant experienceyou can writefirst about education and then work experience.4. Education:Start with the highest degree that you hold with the mentionof the institution, college, school. Write about your specialization,diploma, certificates received, and marks obtained.5.Honors:If you have three or more awards you can mention them underthe heading of Honors. You can also mention scholarships, awards, andcondemnation.munotes.in

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676. Activities:Write about the extracurricular activities you took part inlike clubs (like drama club, dance club, etc.) It can reflect yourpersonality.7. Certificates & license:If you have relevant certification or license,make sure to write it down under this heading.8. Patents & publications:Include patent registration and books/ paperpublished if they are pertinent to the job.9. Professional membership:Professional membership with professionalbodies, trade association demonstrates your commitment towardscontinuous change & constant upgrade. Mention this membership underthis heading.10. Testimonials/ endorsement:Here, you can include positive reviews,thank you letters from customer condemnation letters, recommendationletters etc.11. Special skills:Mention any special skills you may have and is relevantto the job and describe how these skills can enhance your performancetowards your job.12. Personal information:It includes hobbies and interests that will helpyou to perform on the job. Apart from this, include basic information likegender, age, and marital status, if these are requested by the company.13. References:References allow the recruiters to verify the aboveinformation. If the information is fully accurate, he may trust you with thejob. Give references only if references ask for it. Make sure the referencesare accuratewith name and designation. Select the person who can vouchfor you.5.4.2 Resume format:The chronological Format:The chronological format of your resume requires you to enlist allyour details in reverse chronological order i.e. your most recent workandthen going backward. Here, the focus lies on work experience. This typeof resume is highly recommended when you apply for a position in thesame field, and it shows the growth and steadiness with no time gap inbetween your employment.The Functional Format:Applicable skills are highlighted in this kind of resume. Thus,shifting the focus from your recent employment to relevant skills. Thiskind of resume is mostly used when you are switching the field, or youmunotes.in

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68have a diverse experience range or youare returning to the field after along period of time.The Achievement Format:Here you place an achievement statement in your resume. Anachievement addendum allows you to showcase your personal story withmore details where you talk about problem, solution, result, action &accomplishment. Using an active voice with action words, and describingyour achievements can let your resume stand out of the box.The Hybrid Format:When you combine chronological order with functional order ittypically leadsto a hybrid format. It combines your experience and skillsets. The hybrid format is recommended when you have varied andunrelated work experience, short working history, or you want to highlightcertain internships.5.4.3 To-Do & Not-To-Do:a.To-Do-When you write down the information be sure that you writehonest information with relevant details. Offer the description of thejob you are looking for and use an action verb. If writing facts provideevidence. Write everything in a proper format. And lastly, proofreadyour resume.a.Not-To-Do–Never start your sentences with ‘‘I’’. Limit the use ofjargon, and do not exaggerate any fact. Don’t capitalize every word inthe resume, only the necessary one.Instructions for effective Resume1.Always use white colour background for drafting a resume.2.Set one inch margin on all four sides.3.Use 14 font sizes for heading and 12 for text.4.Stick to one font style. Use single or 1.15 line spacing.5.Divide your resume into various sections like contactdetails, Resumesummary, work experience, education, skills and achievements.6.Make your resume as long as it requires to be.7.Photos to be pasted on resume only when asked by the employer.Resume example:Your name ExpertisePhone no.Linked in detailsE mail: xyz@email.comSUMMARYmunotes.in

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69Passionate and focused Marketing Executive with three years ofexperience carving out new markets that quickly develop a desire forproducts ed by a sharp team.EDUCATIONYearDegreeCollege detailsEXPERIENCEYearName of organisation Job profileKey achievementsSKILLS123ReferencesDesignationContact detailsTime for communicationInterests/Additional informationCertified………………………….Member of…………..Personal InformationDate of birthPermanent address5.5 UNCOVERING THE COVER LETTERS.The cover letter introduces you to the prospective employer andcompels him to buy your service. A cover letter is not the mirror image ofthe resume. Paragraphs are used with highlighted content which is mostrelevant to the job profile and provides substantial information to back upthese claims. Furthermore, it is important that you don



cover letter to different companies simultaneously. Downloading orcopying the cover letter through the internet is not the best option. Coverletters are written in complete block format (Refer business letter formats)Five hallmarks define cover letter:1.Strong personality2.High energy3.Relevant information.4.Moderately informal5.Interesting to read.munotes.in

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705.5.1Cover Letter Example for student:XYZB.Sc. IT studentMr. ABCHuman Resource ManagerAuckland Software consultancy Ltd.Road No. 12 CAW CrosswayMNOPIndiaDear Mr.ABCI am writing to express my interest in your Software consultancy firm.I learned about your firm through afriend of mine who completed hisInternship from your organisation last year. I have immense interest insoftware development and gaining knowledge from a reputedorganisation like yours will definitely help me to establish myself wellin the software industry.I am in the third year of my graduation and took software developmentas my elective. I have experience of working in a software company for8 months.After my graduationIwould like to get experience from anestablished organisation like yours andserve the clients withsatisfaction.I have completed an online course on “Public speaking” and “EffectiveCommunication” to master my communication skills. Kindly look intomy resume for academic and other details.I look forward to working as an intern in your firm.Thank youYours truly5.6 LINKS FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OFCOVER LETTER AND RESUMEhttps://www.grammarly.com/blog/write-cover-letter/https://resume.io/app/create-resumehttps://www.thebalancecareers.com/job-resumes-4161923munotes.in

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715.7 SUMMARYThelearningfrom this unit are much more important and must bethoroughly understood. The choice of career you want to pursue is animportant decision. Please make sure you have read enough andresearched it. Then later there are points that you need to keep whilemaking large changes in your career. To present yourself formally, youneed a resume. The resume outline is given in detail. Not many people areaware but there are different types of resume. There are very commonmistakes that a lot of people make in their resume and they miss theirchance.The cover letter helps you to get the employers attention. Theformat of the cover letter is mentioned and an outline is stated.5.7 EXERCISE1.Define a cover letter.2.Prepare a detailed resume, a one page profile and a cover letter forsoftware developer/ software consultants profile.*****munotes.in

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726DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIONSKILLS FOR BUSINESSUnit Structure6.1Objective6.2Introduction6.3Effective listening6.3.1 Process6.3.2 Advantages6.3.3 Strategies6.3.4 Outcomes6.4Business Presentation and Public Speaking6.4.1 Format of the presentation.6.4.2 Essentials for a presentation6.4.3 Key points Public Speaking6.5Conversations6.6Interviews6.6.1 Types of questions6.6.2 Clothing6.6.3 Mannerism6.7Summary6.8Exercises6.1 OBJECTIVESAfter studying this unit you will be able to:1.Understand the basics of effective listening.2.Know the format of the presentation.3.Get acquainted with essentials for public speaking.4.How tohold good conversations.5.Ways to ace your Interview.6.2 INTRODUCTIONCommunication is an art of speaking. An individual mustunderstand that communication is a very important of many professions.munotes.in

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73Speaking inEnglish and communicating well are two entirely differentconcepts. English is simply a language whereas communication is an art.There is a misconception that it is important to speakEnglishin order tohave good communication. You can master communication even in yourregional language. English can be learnt later. Communication has muchmore to it than just speaking. Communication accounts for your bodylanguage,gestures and postures while you deliver. How elegantly andeffectively you deliver the content is also a kind to be considered whileconsidering the communication skill. Communication can be improvedwith continuous rehearsing but there are alot of factors. Listening isamongst the most underrated skills learnt which eventually helps a lot inimproving your communication. Listening gradually leads to improvementof your public speaking. The more you listen, the more you can speak. Themore clarity you have on what to deliver and how to do it. The same helpsin having better conversations. When you have knowledge regardingsubjects, speaking comes more easily. Alongside improving the speakingskills you will see a drastic change in your interview skills also. All theabove techniques are stated in detail below:6.3 EFFECTIVE LISTENINGListening can be recognized as the commotion to clearlyunderstand what has been spoken by the speaker. Hearing and Listeningare two sides of the same coin. People often tend to mix up the meaning ofboth words. Hearing is merely listening without understanding what thespeaker is trying to convey.Listening is visibly different from hearing. Listening is like thebasic foundation in becoming a good communicator. Hearing does notneed a reason whereas this might not be the same for listening. Listeningis generally supported by a solid reason. Listening in general increasesyour grasping and interpretation sense. Hearing and listening may seemlike a similar thing but it is not. Hearing is an action that happensunknowingly but listening it's rather a planned action. You have to hearand understand for itto be concluded as listening. Listening is anunderrated skill. People may think it's a natural talent but it's not.Listening requires as much practice as any other skill like writingor acting. People tend to believe that listening comes naturally or is a partof a person's personality. There is no such thing, listening like any otherskill is learned and should be practiced to succeed.6.3.1 Process of Listening:In order to be a good listener, it is necessary to understand the variousstages of listening. These are:1.The Selecting Stage:The listener selects the only one that seemsimportant at that point in time and into a message.munotes.in

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742.The Interpreting Stage:The listener is mostly trying to understandwhat the speaker is trying to say.3.The EvaluatingStage:This is mainly the stage where the listenerdraws the interference from what the speaker tried to convey to theaudience. The evidence, facts and figures are considered. Thespeakers share their experiences, emotions and beliefs.4.The Responding Stage:This stage generally involves the views ofthe speakers and sharing the thoughts of the listener with thespeaker. This stage determines whether the listener understood thespeaker or not.5.The Memory Stage:This is the final stage of listening. Effectivelistening helps listeners remember whatever information has beendelivered by the speaker. The sign of a good speaker is to help itslistener carry as much as they can. People tend to remember moreabout what they see rather than what they hear.6.3.2 Advantages ofListening:Listening to other people is the easiest way of earning knowledgewithout paying a cent.It helps you and people around you.It becomes asimple way of bonding with people around you. If you attentively listen toeach other youcan understand that there's a lot more to learn.Attentivelistening prevents arguments. The more you listen the more youunderstand their point of view. That’ s why they say “you have two earsand one mouth”.We listen toa)Gather as much as informationas possibleb)Come to a conclusion or reach a point that satisfies people.c)Learn from others’ experiences. Why should one listen carefully?Sometimes a person misses the real meaning by only listening tothe facts and figures and deciphering it wrong. A person should try to talkas less as possible because when you try to speak you are not exactlylistening to the speaker but trying to string out what you want to say.Selective listening of a person tends to create a lot of problems. They willpick uponly what they want to and ignore the rest. Some people refuse toaccept others' perception of the world. When we do something that wedisagree with we become a lot more rigid and we don't focus on what is infront of us. Judging the speaker by their actions and not listening to them.Being only present there to find out mistakes is also a reason for havingpoor listening skills. What a speaker wears, what kind of brand they wearare not the point of which the listener should worry about.munotes.in

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756.3.3 Strategies for effective listening:Sometimes we are so stuck up on facts that we do not pay attentionto what exactly the speaker wants to convey. Our understanding of whatthe speaker wants to say varies from what actually could have been thepoint of discussion. S, how should we listen? Here are some strategies :1) Aim for the conversation:A listener should always know why they are listening to theirconversation. They must be clear on what they are trying to achieve out ofthis. The listener is usually looking for knowledge from the speaker. Wemay notice that mostly a speaker speaks from their experience and thelistener tries to learn as much as they can. Sometimes the speakinglistening relationship is extended to the office and can be seen betweenemployer and employee or mentor and mentee. The better the speakingand listening bond is, the better their relationship is. The personalrelationships also flourish if people could just learn to listen more andspeak less. Good conversations are always a mood uplifter. Theconversation may not necessarily be about both parties speaking. Goodmotivating words to brighten your day too. The same way if you can say afew good words to someone else then their day can be good as well. So it'salways important to knowwhy a conversation is being held in the firstplace.2) Be Mindful:Talking and listening go in turns. A smart listener always knowswhat they are speaking and when they are speaking. So it's a skill to knowwhere you are supposed to be speaking and where you need to let a personspeak their point first. Unless you are too sure that it has to be said, prefernot speaking. A good listener should listen as much as they can.3) Try to be attentive:The more you hear properly, the easier it is to inculcate the habit oflistening. Being attentive while listening makes you aware of yoursurroundings and it helps you in connecting with the speaker. Try to keepyourself to a minimum and try to not exert yourself too much in the roomwhere you are supposed to be listening. Exerting yourself at the start, youmay not be able to form the bond between the listener and the speaker. Atany circumstances do not interrupt the speaker, which can change the flowof conversation which they initially planned before starting there.4) One work at a time:Try to do one thing at a time.When you are listening to a person,at that moment just listen. Do not do anything else. You may think thatyou are smart enough to hide but your non-verbal actions give you away.munotes.in

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76So, try tobe physically and mentally present along with the speaker. Thishelps with the confidence of the speaker and he becomes more committedto the listener.6.3.4 Outcomes of effective listening:A person can gather a lot of knowledge just by listening clearly.Teamwork becomes easier when you have good listeners. Showing keeninterest and listening to people can solve a lot of problems. Conflicts areless and are easier to solve if people listen to each other for understandingand not just for a comeback. There are a lot of things that can be avoidedif people would just listen to each other and not be unreasonable.6.4 BUSINESS PRESENTATION AND PUBLICSPEAKINGBusiness presentation:Business presentation is a formal exchange of ideas between twopartiesirrespective of the field they belong to.The best way to conduct abusiness presentation.The most formal of exchanging ideas and views.The ideas should be beneficial to both parties.The most important part of the presentation is how you presentyour ideas. The presentation and your explanation must sync to give yourbest. It would be great if you a prototype or any solid example for whatyou just presented. If it's a complex process make sure you do somethingto make it easier to understand. The goal must be clear here. You aretrying to sell your idea and you must do it gracefully. You have to proveyourself to sell your service/idea to your audience.6.4.1 The outline of the presentation:Outline of presentation differs from purpose to purpose. Thepresentation will have an outline based on what kind of presentation it is.The slides might change according to the situation and hence there is nospecific format for presentation. An example is given for a BusinessPresentation.General guidelines forbusiness presentationsIntroductionCompany overviewDescription of products and services to be offered.Presentation of your product, service, or system prototype.Present a Strategy Canvas illustrating how your product/service works.What is the size of the market you intend to enter?munotes.in

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77Industry analysisDescription of current and potential competitorsMarketing strategyOperations strategyForecasts and financialsWhat do your projections show for sales, profit, expense, growth, andinvestment?Capital requirements over the next 3 years.Stage of development and the implementation planHow much venture capital funding do you need?Summary6.4.2 Essentials for a presentation:1)Knowledge:You must know your content thoroughly. You should know all thelittle details of the idea which you are trying to sell. Your only power atthat moment is your ability to communicate. You have to maintain a goodvibe while doing the presentation.2)Be yourself:One of the most important things that if often neglected is beingcomfortable. You have to be comfortable with your skin. Not everyone isconfident to stand in front of the audience, so practice beforehand. Takethe posture in which you are most comfortable. Decide whether you needa microphone or not.3)Start strong:You have your audience's attention for a little while and you haveto make an impression that will decide whether you are worth listening toor not. So start the presentation with a bang and make them sit tight.4)Interact:Sometimes you have to keep your audience on their toes, so youhave to talk to them.Talking isn't compulsory but you need to make surethat they get exactly what you are trying to sell. You can also ask for theiropinion or ask them if they agree with you or not.5)Use visuals:People tend to remember what they see longer than what they hear.munotes.in

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78Use visuals or statistics wherever necessary. Try not to stuff yourpresentation with all the lines and paragraphs. You have to send your pointacross theaudience;you can get creative as you want to.As much your non-verbal communication holds the importance toimpress the audience. Your verbal ability to communicate plays a key rolein determining how successful you deliver a presentation. Being able tocommunicate is generally referred to as public speaking. Public speakingplays an essential role. Your skills play an important role in deciding therate at which your career flourishes. Public speaking is a skill that is amust in the ongoing era. It is a skill that can belearned, improvised, andexpertise to a certain level.Key points for public speaking:•Planning•Form•DeliverLet's explore public speaking in detail:Planning:Some people are blessed with the talent that they can startanywhere and can deliver beautifully. The others may not be as blessedbut they can improve with the help of proper guidance. The first basic stepfor public speaking is planning. You should always write down what youwant to say. Always write what you want to say just in case you forget oryou feel like adding a point anywhere, you will remember where it issupposed to be added. Writing the speech ahead saves a lot of time andconfusion. It's an effective way to prepare for any kind of public speaking.Public speaking is based on how good you deliver and what you deliver.Every public speaking depends on the event. You must know whatkind of event and what type of people will be present in the audience.Time also plays a major role in deciding what kind of speaking should bedone. In the morning the audience is more energetic and by the night themood shifts. So accordingly you should know what should be delivered tokeep them with you. You should blend in the situation. For example, ifsomething has happened before whether it is negative or positive, ifpossible try to balance the mood so that it does not affect yourperformance. The time, duration, the flow of your speech depends uponthe event's nature. The humor is inappropriate at places.You should beforehand know what kind of audience you will befacing and in a similar way shape the flow of your speaking. Youraudience can beanyone;some may help your career or otherwise. So youhave to be respectful of all that depending on what kind of audience youdeliver to. You must also beclear of your purpose. What are you trying todeliver there? if you are not sure for yourself then it may confuse youmunotes.in

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79later. If you are trying to influence whom you want to influence and howyou want to do. You should know what your aim for this speaking is. Youshould know that your idea must be solid and whatever you speak shouldbe relatable. Nothing should be off-topic for the audience. What you wantto deliver to the audience must be as clear as the sky. There is no option ofbeing obscure while speaking.Information that you use while speaking should be true andverified. Try to assume as little as possible, assumptions make your baseof speaking weakly. You may need comparisons, figures and statistics ofother parties. Sometimes you may need to remember large figures and all.You should collect all the information and then list them down. Read itagain and again unless you think you have included all the necessarythings.Form:After planning comes forming the structure for your material thathas been spoken. A well-structured material will always help you keepyou away from wandering. You will know which part should beemphasized and which should not be. A point should not take up a lot oftime and a proper explanation should be delivered after saying somethingcomplex. All this can be managed well when you know in which form youare going to deliver your part.Generally, every way of speaking can be categorized into 3 partsnamely introduction, main content and summary or conclusion. Theintroduction should be sharp enough to grab all the attention and shouldcontain what you are going to present, so it's like giving a preview of whatyou will be speaking for a few minutes ahead. Introduction in a simpleway is a virtual handshake in the speakingworld. When you meetsomeone for the first time, how do you introduce yourself in the realworld? The same way you have to introduce yourself to the people presentin front of you. After this the introduction usually depends upon the typeof speaking, it can be a question or it can also be a quote. Try to make asmooth transition into the main context. Only you should be aware of thistransition.The main context must contain all the necessary details related toyour idea and lastly, you conclude the topicproperly. There are manyways in which you can choose the flow of your speaking. There aremainly four patterns in which the main context can be formed:Chronological:Arranging whatever you are going to say in a manner thatis relevant. It is written sequence wise, like how the events have occurred.An example is storytelling. Every event of the story is interrelated. If youdon't go according to the story then you will not understand the story.Categorial:You divide your speaking into different parts.You divide themunotes.in

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80topic into parts and subparts. It is very easy and hence the most adoptedpattern for beginners. It is also easy to remember as it is divided into parts.Cause and effect:Another way of expressing your ideas. This can only beused when there is a cause and the cause leads to an effect. The changes orthe impact of the cause is the main reason this pattern is used.Problem-solution:It is usually used when you have a problem and youneed to find the solution or when you have a possible solution for thesame. There can be many solutions to a single problem but we need to findthe best out of it and hence the pattern.These are the patterns in which you can design your context.Always try to stick to the main idea and use only four to five importantpoints. Just because you can speak a lot on the topic doesn't mean youhave to. Try to say less but more meaningful. Try to create a link betweeneach of your points and show a smooth transformation.After all the information has been given to the audience therecomes a point where you have to revise all the important points and endyour speaking. So, conclude your views one by one. Mostly the one youwant your audience to remember, or to think about it. Try not to end yourtime in haste. Add something nice so that they can remember it for a littlelonger, humor works too. There can be questions at the end. So, keep yourkeep and try to answer the question as politely as possible. The questionscan annoy youhence;do not show that on your face. Don't spend toomuch time on one question. Try to answer all the questions asked.Deliver:The most difficult and most important part of public speaking. Forbeing a speaker skills are as important as the message you are trying toconvey. The way you represent your idea has equal value as what youridea is. The values, actions and attitudes contained are equally important.When delivering face to face a lot of things matter. Your clothes, the wayyou stand, your expressions, even your cologne. So, make sureto clean upwell before going anywhere to present anything.There are different types of speaking,1) From notes2) Impromptu3) From memory4) From a manuscript.Notes:Notes can vary from an outline, cards to written references on penand paper. This is a very well written and rehearsed way of speaking. Youspeak what you have already planned and known to you. Also, you havemunotes.in

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81objects to help you. You can practice this beforehand and delivergracefully. Since you know what you will be delivering you can haveconfidence and control over yourself. You have the freedom to choose thelanguage that you are going to deliver in.Impromptu:Impromptu is like sudden, unexpected talks that you have todeliver in a short period and you don't have time to rehearse or prepare forthe speaking. Sometimes it's like someone calls you up and asks you tosay a few words. At that, you don't even have a small time to prepare. Soat that time, your speaking experience comes in handy. Try to recalleverything you know aboutthe very same topic and mentally think whichshould be said and which should not. Think of what is expected of you.Anything relevant is good.Memory:Out of all the ways, this is the hardest way of delivering. Unlessyou are a professional, we suggestnot to use this mode. Everything ismemorized and so it is hard to maintain eye contact with the audience.You become less free and most of the time of your mind goes inremembering the learned. Some speakers fail to keep the audience withthem as their body language doesn’t cooperate with their voice.Manuscript:This perhaps can be called reading magnificently because youcannot paraphrase the important documents or laws which you abide by.It's just simply reading the past or the present effectively. If you read theimportant documents in your way, it might change the interpretation of thesame. Reading an amendment by the supreme court can be categorized asthe above delivery.6.5 CONVERSATIONSConversations are a very common part of human life. They happenoften and are not pondered upon. You may find that conversations areprobably the only way we can communicate properly. The basic differencebetween communication and a conversation is that conversation needs tobe two-way. A comment, chat, andmessaging can also be considered aslong as replies are given. From getting up from bed to coming to our bed,we hold up numerous conversations. The conversations can be mainlyclassified into two types:•Casual conversation•Business conversationmunotes.in

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82Casualconversation:Casual conversations are the conversation that do not follow anyrules. This communication simply means to freely communicate. You canuse any language, any kind of humor. In short, there are no rules orregulations for this type of conversation. The conversation which you havewith your friend and family is known as casual conversation.Business conversations:The business conversations are the building blocks of theeconomy. Deals of millions are signed through these conversations.Business conversations are a very important part of the organisation.Business conversations are very formal and systematic. Theseconversations are held for the commercial benefit of the organization.Sharing information between the workers of an organization isalsoconsidered as a business conversation.In business conversation you intend to conduct the conversationsthat should be pretty clear. The goal you want to achieve from having thisconversation must be achieved. Always write the notes that you need tospeak or cover in these conversations. Be prepared with the bullet points,so that you can be in control of that conversation. Always have an activeinternet connection just in case you need any data for your reference.Introduce yourself confidently andget to know about the people inconversations too. Refer all the members of the conversations as Mr.XYZ. It is advisable not to use first names in these conversations. As it isa conversation make sure it is a two-way conversation. Try not to soundtoo monologue. Listen attentively to how they are reacting to yourconversation. It's natural to be nervous while making a conversation withimportant delegates but do not let your emotions take over you. Sound asprofessional as you can and try to avoid slang or jargon. Always bethankful at the end of the conversation.6.6 INTERVIEWSAn interview is just a questionnaire between two people or morethan two. Usually, the person who came to give an interview is known asan interviewee and the one who takes theinterview is called aninterviewer. The interviewer can be a group of people or a single person.The interview is usually conducted in a room without any interference.Earlier interviews used to be face to face but as we have seen there is a lotof advancement in the technology. So, Nowadays the interviews may beconducted online. Through telephonic conversations or even videoconferencing.There are many types of interviews but we will only focus onbusiness-related interviews. The business-related interviews are mostly jobmunotes.in

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83interviews or inhouse promotion interviews. Both the interviews are thesame except the fact that the job interviews are the basic ones. The jobinterviews are mostly to evaluate your education and assess your skills.These interviews are generally conducted to test your personality, processof thinking, and your teamwork spirit. The promotional interviews checkhow much you have contributed to the organizational benefit.6.6.1 Types of questions:An interview is like a conversation that decides which path yourcareer takes. The questions can be anything. You can expect that they canask you anything from professionals to private life. There are usually 6types of questions:1) Open2) Closed3) Probing4) ReflectiveOpen Questions:These questions are generally the conversation starters. These areasked to know about you. The more you can answer the better. They mayalso ask you about the area you expertise in. You have to be as smooth aspossible. Explain everything that your resumetends to claim. They mayask questions that are like “How do you rate the relevance of yourbranch/trade in today’s world?”. You have to explain why you studied thatparticular branch. Also, there can be basic questions like How did youhappen to come about this job?. What prompted you to apply for this job?.Why do you consider yourself suitable for this job?Closed Questions:These questions are usually one line or yes-no answers. You don'thave to explain yourself. The answers have to be as accurate as possible.The questions are mostly related to the branch. Any technical term can bequestioned or related to your final year project. The thought or the reasonwhy you choose to do it. Your graduation year and percentage are possiblequestions.ProbingQuestions:Questions like these are usually asked to test how smart you are inreal life. It can be related to your branch or not. It could be your views onthe ongoing external political affairs or any general knowledge question. Itcan be about sharingyour thoughts on a particular topic.munotes.in

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84Reflective Questions:These are the questions that are asking about your opinions.Usually, here your thoughts are asked. What you believe in or follow orwhy do u think this is right?. These questions explain your morale andbeliefs.6.6.2 Clothing:In an interview how you present yourself matters the most. Youhave to sell yourself out there. Your appearance had to do a lot of it withthat. How you walk, talk, and carry yourself is very important.Clothing for men:Shirts:a good quality, white button-down or white classic collarpreferred. Most importantly, make sure the shirt is ironed properly.Suits:dark blue, grey, brown, or very muted pin-stripes. A good-qualitywoven blend of natural fibers looks professional. Suits should be properlytailored and freshly dry-cleaned.Shoes:highly polished slip-on or lace dress shoes in black, brown, orcordovan. Dark socks. Facial hair: no beards; mustaches are a possiblenegative. If you must, make sure it is neatlytrimmed.Jewellery:no chains, bands, or necklaces showing. No rings other thanwedding rings or college rings. No earrings (if you normally wear one,take it out.)Clothing for women:Dresses, suits:conservative business suit or dress of a natural or woven-blend fabric in a soft colour complementing your skin and hair colour--blue, navy, grey, beige, tan or brown. Skirt length should be at least to thebottom of the knee.Blouses:simple style, white or soft colours. Avoid very frilly styles andlow-cut necklines.Shoes:sensible shoes; polished pumps or medium heels in a colour thatmatches your outfit. Purse: (optional) small or medium-size in a colourthat goes with your outfit.Jewellery:simple, minimal. One set of earrings only. No more than onering on each hand.munotes.in

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85Mannerism:1)First impressions:When you go for interviews your first impression must be the best.As they say “the first impression is the last”. You may have an excellentacademic record but if you fail to create a good first impression at first, itmight cost you a great deal. Introduce yourself properly with properposture. Be calm yet firm with your voice. Always sit straight.Be confident:There may be moments in the interview where you may think it isnot going well. Keep your head high and try to answer as truthfully as youcan. Sometimes the organization only needs good character candidates andthey purposely make it hard for them. They are checking how truthful andhonest a person you are.2)Speak less:Always try to answer in fewer words yet gracefully. Somequestions are predictable, some are not. So, make your answers short andyet convey whatever you wish to. Be polite and try to avoid being silentduring job interviews.3)Resume:Your resume is like your choice ofthe weapon before going towar. So wisely design it and always be honest in your resumes. Theresume should have a standard format. Please mention the skills you have,so that your employer trusts you the first time you meet them. Lying on aresume won't send you anywhere6.7 SUMMARYThis unit majorly covers all your needs for having a great careerstart. Listening is a very essential element in career growth. You mustknow how to make the best out of it. Presenting yourself well is anothermilestone that one must achieve so as to be great at what they do. PublicSpeaking is an art. Speaking requires techniques and a brief understandingof the difference between holding different conversations at differentlevels. To get to the career you want, You must cross the bridge by givingseveral interviews. The basics of interviews is well mentioned in the aboveunit.6.8UNIT END QUESTIONS1Differentiate between hearing and listening?2State the process of listening?munotes.in

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863How should you strategize your listening?4Give an outline for a business presentation?5What are the essentials for a presentation?6Describe the key points of public speaking?7State the types of speaking?8Differentiate between casual and business conversations?9State thetypes of questions asked in an interview?10Define proper clothing for men and women during an interview?11Explain basic mannerisms to be shown during an interview?




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87Unit III7DEVELOPING ORAL COMMUNICATIONSSKILLS FOR BUSINESSMEETINGS, CONFERENCES & GROUPDISCUSSIONSUnit Structure7.1Objectives7.2Introduction7.3Meetings7.3.1 Introduction7.3.2 Defining “Meeting”7.3.3 Purpose of meetings7.3.4 Significance of meetings in professional communication7.3.5 Conducting a business meeting7.4Conferences7.4.1 Gearing Up7.4.2 Purpose of Conferences7.4.3 Significance of conferences in professional communication7.4.4 Conducting a business conference7.5Group Discussions7.5.1 Gearing Up7.5.2 Significance of group discussion in professional communication7.5.3 Holding group discussions7.5.4 Self-check your progress7.6Summary7.7Unit End Questions7.1 OBJECTIVES•To understandthenature and significance of meeting, conferencesand group discussions in professional communication•To acquaint oneself with the process of effectively planning andconducting meetings, conferences and group discussions in theprofessional context•To acquire rudimentary linguistic skills necessary for professionalcommunication in meetings, conferences and group discussionsmunotes.in

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887.2 INTRODUCTIONDear student,Welcome to Unit III of this course. In the earlier units, we studied•The factors that make communication effective,•The significance of non-verbal, cross cultural and technology enabledcommunication in business,•How to write business messages and documents, and•How to develop oral communication skills for business througheffectivelistening,businesspresentations and public speaking,conversations and interviews.In this unitwe will continue to explore oral communication skills requiredin a professional set up. The unit is divided into three chapters for thepurpose of convenience.•In Chapter Seven, we will focus on three significant communicativesituations in business, namely, meetings, conferences and groupdiscussions. We will understand the nature, features and functions ofthese speech events with the help of illustrations and activities.•In Chapter Eight, we will explore the role and function of teampresentationsand team briefings and how these can be madeeffective.•In Chapter Nine, we willidentifycommunication needs that arespecific to business and how communication across functional areascan be made effective.7.3 MEETINGS7.3.1 Introduction:Do you think meetings are a waste of time, money and energy? Doyou think a surprise and instant meeting is an effective way of professionalcommunication? Do you think meetings are conducted only to giveinstructions and information? Do you think that you do not really requireany specific skill in attending or conducting a meeting? If your answer tothese questions is YES, then you have certainly fallen prey to a commonmisconception about business meetings. It, therefore, is necessary tounderstand the nature, significance and process of meeting for betterprofessional communication.munotes.in

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89Source: http://clipart-library.com/meeting-pictures-cartoon.htmlAfter your formal training, you may either join an organisation asan employee or start your own business. Professional communication willrequire you to hold and/or attend meetings. In either case, it is importantthat you understand the basic structure and purpose of a meeting and therelevant key phrases and expressions.7.3.2 Defining “meeting”:Let us look atsome definitions of “meeting” and find out commonelements in these definitions. Oxford dictionary defines meeting as “anorganized occasion when a number of people come together in order todiscuss or decide something”.Another definition is “an assembly of people for a particularpurpose, especially for formal discussion”.Jasmine Kim (2019) defines a business meeting as “a gathering oftwo or more people for the purpose of making decisions or discussingcompany objectives and operations”. According toMeeting andConvention Planners (2009), a meeting is a gathering of two or morepeople that has been convened for the purpose of achieving a commongoal through verbal interaction, such as sharing information or reaching anagreement.Looking at the above definitions we can say that a businessmeeting is a kind of group communication with a specific purpose such aspresenting information, discussing specific issues, coming to a resolution,making decision, or creating a specific plan.7.3.3 Purpose of meeting:Let us now look at some of the general objectives in arranging meetings:•Meetings are arranged for the purpose of informing various issues ofthe organisation to its stakeholders. In this communication,information flows from the speaker to the audiences in a one waydirection.•Sometimes the organisation needs to negotiate with members inside or
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90outside the organisation. Here, the flow of communication is two way.•Meetings are also arranged to find solution to complex or criticalissues of the organisation. Members in such meetings have diverseskills and experience which they use to indicate possible solutions to aproblem.•Decision making is an important objective of arranging meetings. Itmay involve various regular and specific professional affairs.•Sometimes meetings are arranged to share information and to interactwith members outside the organisational set up, such as consumers,suppliers, distributors or financers. This kind of interaction is veryimportant for the survival of anyprofessional organisation.•Government or non-government organisations arrange variousmeetings as a legal requirement. For instance, private firm mandatorilyrequires arranging statutory meetings, such as a board meeting, withina specific period in a year.7.3.4 Significance of meetings in professional communication:Imagine that you work at a place where you only receiveinstructions about your work. How would you feel if you are not invited toshare your views, ideas and opinions? How would you feelif yoursuggestions are not asked for in making certain decisions?You will surely not consider such a work culture as encouraging.This is why ‘‘meeting’’ as a communicative event becomes important atworkplace. Once you are in a professional set up, youwill notice thatmeetings are vitally important. They are an important tool that helpspeople in a set up feel included and trusted. It makes them feel importantteam members as well as gives them a chance to contribute to the successof the organisation.Compared to one on one conversation, meeting is agroup communication and requires you to have the ability to present yourideas, views or specific information or reciprocate to that of others in aneffective way.7.3.5 Conducting a business meeting:You must note that merely conducting meetings regularly does notguarantee success. If you do a Google search, you may come acrossreports and articles that inform you that a lot of meetings are ineffective.You will realise that the affectivity of meetingsdepends on how themeetings are conducted or how you perform in these meetings amongother things. We will now see how you can smoothly start and close ameeting by following an order and using formal expressions.munotes.in

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91Starting a meetingA.Introductions:Many times we conduct business meetings with new clients andpartners. It is necessary that you introduce yourself and othersappropriately. The following are some examples of formal and informalexpressions.Introducing yourself:●Let me introduce myself. Ajay Solanki. (Formal)●I would like to introduce myself. I am Rohini Kale. (Formal)●Hi, my name is Peter D’Souza. (Informal)●I am Aziz/ Aayesha. (Informal)Introducing others:●Please join me in welcoming Mr. Sarag Yadav. (Formal)●It is a pleasure to welcome Ms. Sandhya Nair. (Formal)Introducing yourselfIntroducing othersReplying to an introduction●“Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves. Ravi, would youlike to start?”●Have you met Mr. Anant Singh? (Informal) Replying to anintroductionIt is necessary that you reply to a formal or informal introduction.•Thank you. Nice to meet you. (Formal)•I am delighted/ pleased to meet you. (Formal)•Lovely to meet you. (Informal)•How are you? (Informal)B.Reviewing past business:Sometimes there are follow-up meetings. In such cases, it isnecessary to review the earlier business. If you are the secretary of the
91Starting a meetingA.Introductions:Many times we conduct business meetings with new clients andpartners. It is necessary that you introduce yourself and othersappropriately. The following are some examples of formal and informalexpressions.Introducing yourself:●Let me introduce myself. Ajay Solanki. (Formal)●I would like to introduce myself. I am Rohini Kale. (Formal)●Hi, my name is Peter D’Souza. (Informal)●I am Aziz/ Aayesha. (Informal)Introducing others:●Please join me in welcoming Mr. Sarag Yadav. (Formal)●It is a pleasure to welcome Ms. Sandhya Nair. (Formal)Introducing yourselfIntroducing othersReplying to an introduction●“Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves. Ravi, would youlike to start?”●Have you met Mr. Anant Singh? (Informal) Replying to anintroductionIt is necessary that you reply to a formal or informal introduction.•Thank you. Nice to meet you. (Formal)•I am delighted/ pleased to meet you. (Formal)•Lovely to meet you. (Informal)•How are you? (Informal)B.Reviewing past business:Sometimes there are follow-up meetings. In such cases, it isnecessary to review the earlier business. If you are the secretary of the
91Starting a meetingA.Introductions:Many times we conduct business meetings with new clients andpartners. It is necessary that you introduce yourself and othersappropriately. The following are some examples of formal and informalexpressions.Introducing yourself:●Let me introduce myself. Ajay Solanki. (Formal)●I would like to introduce myself. I am Rohini Kale. (Formal)●Hi, my name is Peter D’Souza. (Informal)●I am Aziz/ Aayesha. (Informal)Introducing others:●Please join me in welcoming Mr. Sarag Yadav. (Formal)●It is a pleasure to welcome Ms. Sandhya Nair. (Formal)Introducing yourselfIntroducing othersReplying to an introduction●“Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves. Ravi, would youlike to start?”●Have you met Mr. Anant Singh? (Informal) Replying to anintroductionIt is necessary that you reply to a formal or informal introduction.•Thank you. Nice to meet you. (Formal)•I am delighted/ pleased to meet you. (Formal)•Lovely to meet you. (Informal)•How are you? (Informal)B.Reviewing past business:Sometimes there are follow-up meetings. In such cases, it isnecessary to review the earlier business. If you are the secretary of the
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92meeting, you need to do it immediately after introductions. Some usefulexpressions are as follows.●To begin with, I would like to quickly go through the minutes ofour last meeting.●First, let’s go over the report from the last meeting, which was heldon 28 August 2020.●Here are the minutes from our last meeting, which was held on 28August 2020.C.Stating the objectives (useful expressions)●We are here today to discuss…●I would like to ensure that we discuss/take up…●This meeting has been called in order to…●The purpose of today’s meeting is to …D.Introducing the agenda•Have you received a copy of the agenda?•Let me share the agenda of this meeting. There are 10 items.First…,second…•Shall we take the points in this order? First…•If everyone agrees, I would like to go in the following order.A.Interrupting politely:A. Reviewing past businessB. Stating the objectivesC. Introducing the agendaD. Interrupting politelyE. Asking QuestionsF. Concluding a meetingSometimes, we speak over someone accidently or we feel like addingsomething to what is being said. It is necessary that we do it politely.Expressions such as•“Sorry, but just to clarify….”•“Sorry, I did not quite hear that, do you mind saying it again?”•“That is an excellent point, Aniket (person’s name). Do you think itwould be a good idea to add another point as well?”F.Asking Questions:Any business meeting is a two way communication. To keep theflow of the meeting all members contribute by sharing their views andsometimes by asking questions. There are many ways in which questionsmay be asked during a meeting. When asking someone for clarification,munotes.in

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93youmay say•“Could you explain how …?” or•“I do not fully understand what you mean. Could you explain it inother words?”In case you are leading the meeting and you wish to encourageresponses/feedback, you may ask,•“Are there any questions?”•What do youthink about this…?” or•“Would anyone like to add to this point?”G. Concluding a meeting:The meeting should end by briefly going over the key issuesdiscussed or action points. The conclusion should make sure that theindividuals present in the meeting leave with a clear idea about the nextsteps. Phrases such as “to wrap up”, “to sum up”, “to recap”, “actionpoints” are useful in ending a meeting. It is considered polite to thank theaudience for attending the meeting. The following are some usefulexpressions to conclude the meeting.•“Let’s summarize what we have discussed and agreed upon”.•“Before we end the meeting, let me summarize the main points”.•“To sum up what we have discussed…”•“This brings us to the end of the presentation/meeting. Thank youvery much for attending the meeting”.•I wish to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to behere today. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules tobe here today.7.4 CONFERENCES7.4.1 Gearing Up:Like business meetings, business conferences are an importantchannel of professional communication. First we will understand themeaning of a conference and then we will see its significance inprofessional communication. A Conference isWhat is aConference?generally understood as a meeting of several people to discuss a particulartopic. It is often confused with a convention. A convention is larger than aconference; it is a gathering of delegates representing several groups. Aconference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organised on aparticular subject or to bring together people who have a common interest.munotes.in

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94At a conference, innovative ideas are thrown about and new information isexchanged among experts.7.4.2 Types and Purpose of Conferences:There can be different types of conferences depending on the purpose. Thefollowing are a few major types of conferences:•An academic conference is a gathering of scientists or academicians,where research findings are presented or a workshop is conducted.•A business conference is held for people working in the samecompany or industry. They come together to discuss new trendsand opportunities pertaining to the business•A trade conference takes place on a larger scale. Besides businessmen,there are members of the public who come to network with vendorsand make new connections. Such a conference consists of workshopsand white paper presentations.Most academic and business conferences have one or morekeynote speakers who will deliver the keynote speech. The speakers areeminent personalities in the related field and their presence is meant toattract more people to attend the conference.Let us talk about the business conference and main aims of suchconferences. A business conference is held for people working in the samecompany or industry. In essence, a business conference is a gathering oftwo or more people to discuss ideas, goals and objectives that concern theworkplace. They come together to discuss new trends and opportunitiespertaining to the business.
Source: https://media.istockphoto.comBusiness conference provides a platform for business professionalsand other stakeholders from all around the world to come together tojuxtapose ideas on, for example, how to exploit business in a specificregion or area such as agriculture, health, engineering. A businessconference may consist of networking sessions, exhibitions, tradetransactions, keynote speeches, paper and business proposal presentations,panel discussions, etc. If you are in charge of running a conference, youmay be required to come up with icebreakers for the attendees or to takenotes, at the conference.
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957.4.3 Significance of conferences in professional communication:You may have a question in mind, “What do conferencesaccomplish?” John Mott, one of the founders of the Student VolunteerMovement, which sent thousands of college students to world missions inthe late 19thand early 20thcenturies, said this:“If I had to do it all over again, I would have had more conferencesbecause at conferences more critical decisions are made than at anyother place.”This view of John Mott indicates the significance of conferences.In other words, conferences are facilitators of change. We get time to bondwith others professionally; besides, conferences provide opportunities7.4.4 How to prepare for better performance at a Conference:Planning ahead is one of the most important things you can do to preparefor better performance at a conference.1.Take some time before the conference begins to set goals, plan youragenda, and make a list of people you want to meet while you’re there.You’ll feel more prepared, go into it with increased confidence, andfind value in experiences you may have otherwise overlooked.2.Create a schedule and plan to leave your comfort zone. Once youknow your goals for attending the conference, you can start making aplan for what you'll do while you're there.3.Prepare your elevator pitch and plan to ask unique questions.Everyone'sgo-to question when meeting new people at conferences is“What do you do?” That’ s why it’s important to be prepared with anelevator pitch: a quickANELEVATOR PITCHexplanation of who you are, what you do, and why the person you’retalking to shouldbe interested. Your elevator pitch doesn't need to befancy. Just make sure you cover the basics: your name, your role, andwhere you work. Then let the person know why you're there and what youhope to accomplish. Put together, it might sound something like this:“Hi, I’ m Renita. I’ m a product manager at XYZ in Mumbai.”It is possible that you meet someone who might ask you why you came tothe conference.You must be prepared to respond to it with confidence. A responsesuch as, “I traveled here becauseI wanted to attend the workshop on swiftdevelopment and find out how other companies handle web accessibilitystandards’, helps you build a positive self-image.munotes.in

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96It is better if you develop the habit of practicing your elevatorpitch. Also you must go into the conference prepared with a list of originaland important questions to ask. This will help you stand out and generatelonger conversations. Moreover, make a point to plan your questionsaround your goals for the conference. For example, if your goal is to find anew job, you might ask manager questions such as:“What impresses you the most when interviewing new candidates?”If your goal is to learn new strategies, you might ask:“Has any strategy you’ve employed surprised you with its success?”If your goal is to prospect,“What’ s the biggest challenge your department is facing right now?”Remember that it is not always easy to come up with creativequestions spontaneously. Hence, you should plan well in advance. Thiswill give you an easier time striking up meaningful conversations with thepeople you meet at the conference.4. Present to your team:When you are a part of an organisation and attend a conference,you need to communicate what you learned to your team after you return.You must present to your team the highlights of a business conference.Many experts believe that this will help you not only in sharing theinformation with your coworkers, but the accountability it requires willhelp you think more critically about what you heard and how it applies toyou and the people you work with.7.4.5Etiquettes for business conferences:It is necessary that one follows certain etiquettes while attending businessconferences.1)Prepare yourself ahead of time. You need to have a strong agenda foryour conference.2)Introduce yourself and familiarise all other people in the conference.For instance:“Hi Kiran. This is Aziz from Miraj Technology.”[Make a point to pause to allow others to greet you].3)It’s important for you to be loud and clear when you are puttingforward your points.4)You must ensure that you plan your speaking order ahead of time.5)Do not save your questions for the last. Ask right questions at theright time and correct information at the right time.munotes.in

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977.5 GROUP DISCUSSIONS7.5.1 Gearing Up:Group discussion is an important activity in academic, businessand administrative spheres. Let us now discuss the definition, structureand significance of group discussion in professional communication. Sothe first question is, “What is a Group Discussion?”In general, it is defined as a form of systematic and purposeful oralWhat is Group Discussion?process characterised by the formal and structured exchange of views on aparticular topic, issue, problem or situation fordeveloping informationand understanding essential for decision making or problem solving.Here the exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings take placethrough oral communication. The exchange of ideas takes place in asystematic and structured way. The participants sit facing each otheralmost in a semi-circle and express their views on the given topic/issue/problem.It is essentially an interactive oral process. The group membersneed to listen to each other and use voice and gesture effectively, use clearlanguage and persuasive style.Group Discussion involves a lot of group dynamics, that is, itinvolves both person to person as well as group to group interactions.Every group member has to develop a goal oriented or group orientedinteraction. A participant needs to be aware of needs of other groupmembers and the overall objectives of the discussion.Debate is competitive in nature while group discussion is a co-Is a GroupDiscussion similar to a Debate?operative group process. In adebate, a speaker can speak either “for” thetopic or “against” the topic whereas in a group discussion, the speaker canexpress both. The final decision or result in a debate depends on voting,while in a group discussion, the group reaches group consensus.7.5.2Significanceof Group Discussion in professionalcommunication:A general question is “Why is group discussion an importantactivity at professional development?” Group Discussion helps problemsolving, decision making and personality assessment. Whether one is amunotes.in

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98student, a job seeker, a professional engineer or a company executive, oneneeds effective group discussion skills. Students need to participate inacademic discussions, meetings, classroom sessions or selection GDs foradmission to professional courses. A job-seeker may be required to faceselection GDs as part of the selection process. Professionals have toparticipate in different meetings at the workplace. In all these situations,an ability to make a significant contribution to groupdeliberation andhelping the group in the process of decision making is required.The importance of group discussion has increased in recent timesdue to its increasing role as an effective tool in a) problem solving b)decision making c) personality assessment. In any situation or problem,the perceptions of different people are discussed, possible solutions aresuggested. The best option is chosen by the group. While taking adecision, the matter is discussed, analysed, interpreted and evaluated.As astudent training to be a professional, it helps you to trainyourself to discuss and argue about the topic given, and to express yourviews on serious subjects and in formal situations. It improves yourthinking, listening and speaking skills. It also promotes your confidencelevel.Group discussion is an effective tool in problem solving, decisionmaking and personality assessment. Group discussion skills may ensureacademic success, popularity and good admission or job offer. Thus it isimportant to be able to take part in a group discussion effectively andconfidently. Participants should know how to speak with confidence, howto exhibit leadership skills and how to make the group achieve the goals.According to experts, through a group discussion you can show:•How good you are at communicating with other people•How easily you behave and interact with the other group members•How open minded you are•How flexible or rigid you are in accepting the viewpoints of others inthe group•Your leadershipskills•Your analytical abilities•Problem solving and critical thinking skills•Time management skills•Your skills at putting forth your ideas in an unbiased manner•Social attitude and confidence.7.5.3 Holding group discussions:A group discussion is not like a meeting. It is unstructured. Thereis neither a chairperson/secretary nor is there any detailed agenda. Themembers gather to discuss a specific problem or issue. Similarly, anymunotes.in

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99member can give a preview of what points are likely to arise,provide aninternal summary of the views expressed up to a point of time andsummaries the discussion towards the end. However it is binding on eachmember to ensure that the discussion proceeds smoothly in an orderlyfashion, leading to the emergence ofa solution, a common viewpoint or acourse of action. Display of anger, emotion and excitement are notwelcome in a group discussion.The process of group discussion:Though we said earlier that there is no specific structure to a groupdiscussion, thereis a certain process that makes it organised. This includesinitiation, development and conclusion. Let us discuss it in a little moredetail.Initiation:There is a need for someone to initiate the group discussion.To put the topic into the right perspective is the initiator’s responsibility.Hence it is advised that you should initiate a group discussion only whenknow the topic well.Development:Main part where all the members express their viewpoints.May politely agree, disagree. Speaker should not be interrupted whilespeaking. Entire group must be addressed.Conclusion:Generally, group discussion doesn’t have a conclusion.However, the discussion is summarised. The summary must be brief. Allimportant points should be covered. The focus shouldnot be on thepersonal views alone. No new points must be stated here.
Source https://www.istockphoto.comThere are certain misconceptions about group discussion. Let us knowmore about it.# Myth No.1: You should be aggressive# Myth No.2: You shouldspeak more.# Myth No.3: You should speak in favor.# Myth No.4: You should cut down your opponents.# Myth No.5: You should make others agree to your point
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100# Myth No.6: You should be an individual Speaker.# Myth No.7: You should project yourself in style.Remember, that these seven myths can block the chances of asmooth professional communication. Hence, you need to discard whileparticipating in group discussion.Let us take a look at the points that can make your contribution in anygroup discussionstand out.#Rule No.1: Think before you speak.#Rule No.2: Pick up hints from the discussion and judiciously add pointsthat come to your mind with regards to the topic, in case you don’tknow much about the topic.#Rule No.3: Back up your points with facts and figures if needed.#Rule No.4: Be gentle and sure in your presentation of views.#Rule No.5: Speak to-the-point and make sure that you do not repeat thepoints.#Rule No.6: Be calm and composed while speaking.#Rule No.7: Listen to others.#Rule No.8: Have respectful attitude towards the viewpoints of others.# Rule No.9: Maintain a body language that conveys your ease ofbehavior.#Rule No.10: Intervene when necessary. Especially when the discussionmay take a hostile turn, this canhelp in making the situation relaxed.This act of yours will show your leadership and problem solving skills.7.6 SUMMARYDear students, let us conclude now. In this chapter we studied threesignificant communicative situations in business, namely, meetings,conferences and group discussions. We understood the nature, featuresand functions of these speech events. We saw how to make use ofappropriate expressions in various situations.7.7UNIT END QUESTIONS1.What do you understand by business meeting? How is it important inprofessional communication?2.Write a note on the use of appropriate language during a businessmeeting.3.What are the important elements of a business meeting? Brieflydiscuss each element.4.What is a “conference”? Discussdifferent types of conferenceaccording to their purpose.munotes.in

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1015.Discuss the significance of a ‘‘business conference’’ in professionalcommunication.6.In what ways can one prepare for a better performance at a businessconference?7.What verbal and nonverbal etiquettes should one follow at a businessconference?Explain with examples:8.What is group discussion? How is it different from a debate?9.What is the significance of group discussion in professionalcommunication?10.In what ways can you make your performance at a group discussioneffective?11.What are the popular myths about group discussion? Which rules canhelp you to avoid such myths?*****munotes.in

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1028TEAM PRESENTATIONS &TEAM BRIEFINGUnit Structure8.1Objectives8.2Introduction8.3Teampresentations: Gearing up8.4Planning and executing a team presentation8.5Use of Language8.6Signposting in team presentation8.7Summary8.8Exercise8.9Team briefings: Gearing up8.10Organising a team briefing8.11Presenting/ managing the team briefing8.12Use of Language8.13Summary8.14Unit End Questions8.1 OBJECTIVESAfter studying this unit, you will be able to:•Introduce learners to the concepts of Team Presentations and TeamBriefing•Familiarise them with the process of effectively planning andexecuting team presentations and team briefings•Develop effective communication and presentation skills so as toenable them to express confidently interpersonally as well as in largegroups8.2 INTRODUCTIONThis chapter introduces you to the concepts of team presentationand team briefing and explains the skills and strategies for effectiveplanning and execution of the same. Beginning with the meaning of theseactivities, the chapter introduces the learner to their structure,significancein the professional arena, the language used and strategies for planning,munotes.in

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103organisation and successful delivery of team presentations and teambriefings.The chapter also provides samples to enable better understandingand reinforcement of the same.8.3 TEAM PRESENTATIONS: GEARING UP8.3.1 Owing the ABC of Team Presentations (What is TP):A group presentation or team presentation is a collaborativepresenting effort in which a team of people seek out, report and explaininformation concerning a specific topic to an audience. The team memberscould be colleagues, start-up partners, classmates, etc., depending upon thenature and purpose of the presentation. Giving a group presentationrequires all the participants to make decisions together,negotiate andshare responsibilities, and collaborate symbiotically to research anddevelop a set of solutions to a research problem. Broadly, a grouppresentation serves the following purposes:i)To informii)To persuadeiii)To build goodwill8.3.2Significance of Team Presentations:“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world.Indeed, it’ s the only thing that ever has.”-Margaret MeadTeam presentations are a significant aspect of all academic andbusiness ventures today and the combined expertise of several individualsis becoming increasingly necessary in many vocational (those which areconcerned with a specific occupation) and avocational (those which arebeyond a specific occupation) presentations. In academics, teampresentationsare commonly assigned to the learners as they combine theco-operative learning benefits of working in groups with the activelearning benefits of speaking in frontof an audience. Team presentationsin business may range from a business team exchanging sales data, theresearch and development teams discussing business expansion ideas, toannual report presentations by the boards of directors. Even in thegovernment, private, and public sectors there are several committees thatparticipate in briefings, conference presentations, and other formalpresentations. Therefore, it is nowadays becoming exceedingly commonfor group presentations to be requested, created, and delivered in orderto bring together the expertise of several people in a single presentation soas to promote efficiency and productivity.munotes.in

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1048.3.3 Types of Team Presentations:i) Informational:This type of team presentation focuses on providing informationabout a specific topic and explaining it to the audience. The presenterssharetheir expertise and exchange information.ii) Instructional:Instructional group presentations are those that give instructionsand explain detailed steps to help the audience about a new process,product or skill.iii) Persuasive:•Informational•Persuasive•Instructional•GoodwillPersuasive team presentations are those where the presenters try toconvince/persuade an idea to the listener, specifically targeting their painpoints. This type of presentations is commonly employed for start-ups ornew projects.iv) Goodwill:The purpose of goodwill team presentations is to build goodwilland maintain professional relationships.8.4 PLANNING AND EXECUTING A TEAMPRESENTATIONStep One: Before the Presentation:i)When to begin:Planning of the logistics should begin well in advance so as toallow sufficient time for brain-storming and development of mature andconcrete ideas. Completing the basic yet crucial tasks involved inpresenting a topic, such as division of duties, designation of a moderator,designing the slide templates etc., at an early stage helps to save time laterand allows the team to focus solely on effectively delivering thepresentation.ii) Sharing the responsibility:Each member of the team should be assigned an equal role inmunotes.in

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105preparation of the presentation and should be given the same amount ofinformation for presentation. The team must, however, unanimously electa moderator to lead the presentation and decide what each team memberwill speak about depending upon their interests and capabilities. Thisensures that each member shares the responsibility for development of theoutline and drafting of the content in their own section.iii) Organising the content:The presentation should be broadly organised in the following manner:-Introduction:The presentation should begin with an introductionabout the team, followed by a brief description of the topic along withits purpose, significance and limitations.-The Body:This is the crucial part of any presentation and shouldprovide detailed information and explanation to the audience about thetopic.-Conclusion:The conclusion must summarize the entire topic and statethe goals and uses of the presentation. A conclusion should bedesigned such that it leaves the audience witha positive feeling aboutthe presenters and their ideas/ opinions.iv) Developing the Content:While developing content for each section of the presentation, thefollowing points should be remembered:-Sequence of the speakers-Time to be allotted toeach section and each speaker-Use and content of the PowerPoint presentation or any other audio-visual aid.-Person in-charge of the use of any technologyThis exercise ensures that the narrative around each section of thepresentation is in sync andflows smoothly. The team should then create adeadline for completing the work assigned to each team member.v) Rehearsing the Presentation:Group presentations face unique logistical challenges which arebeyond merely developing the content of the presentation. Therefore, it iscritical topracticethe presentation as a group (along with the use oftechnology) in order to co-ordinate transitions and to identify and makeany changes, if required. This also provides an opportunity to the teammembers to offer suggestions and constructive criticism, and helps thembecome more comfortable speaking in front of people.munotes.in

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106Step Two: During the Presentationi)Introduction:The presentation should begin with the moderator introducing the teamby giving each member’s name and a brief description of the topic. Thissets the tone for the entire presentation and reflects team unity andprofessionalism.ii)When the other team members are presenting:The team should remember that even if another member isengaging the presentation, the audience can observe everyone in thegroup. Therefore, it is imperative that each team member appears engagedand does not look bored or distracted while others are speaking. Theyshould pay attention to each other and respond positively to the presenterusing non-verbal cues such as, nodding the head, etc., so as to emphasizethe points being made by the presenter.iii) Speaker Transitions and Coordination:The team member who is presenting should position themselves inthe foreground and the other members should stand a few steps behind.When the presenter is done speaking, s/he should step back and the nextpresenter should position themselves at the fore. This choreography allowsthe audience to know who the next speaker will be and ensures a smoothand co-ordinated delivery throughout the presentation.iv)Use of Visual/ Audio-Visual Aids:The use of slides or other multimedia aids should be planned andchoreographed in advance. The team should coordinate who in the grouphandlesthe technology to avoid fumbling and confusion, and should havea plan in place for passing on the responsibility to someone else in thegroup, when it is that presenter’schance to deliver.v)Conclusion:At the end of the presentation, the moderator should step forwardto conclude and thank the audience and ask if there are any questions. Ifthe question is asked about a particular section of the presentation, s/heshould politely delegate it to the team member who presented that part.The team shouldbe courteous and close all their slides or othermultimedia aids before stepping away.8.5USE OF LANGUAGELanguage plays an important role in ensuring that the presentationis effective, engaging and easy to follow. Therefore, the following pointsshould be kept in mind while developing the presentation content and itsmunotes.in

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107delivery:i)Use simple words and short sentencesii)Avoid the use of jargon unless you are certain the audience isfamiliar with itiii)Talk about concrete facts rather than abstract ideasiv)Avoid the use of passive voice as use of verbs in the active voice iseasier to understand and more impactful8.6 SIGNPOSTING IN TEAM PRESENTATIONSignpost language is the use of words and phrases that guides theaudience through the presentation. The table below lists some usefulexpressions that can be used to signpost the different sections of thepresentation:Section of presentationSignpost languageIntroducing the topicThe subject/topic of my talk is ...I’m going to talk about ...Mytopic today is…My talk is concerned with ...Overview (outline ofpresentation)I’m going to divide this talk intofour parts.There are a number of points I'dlike to make.Basically/ Briefly, I have threethings to say. I'd like to begin/startby ...Let's begin/start by ...First of all, I'll...… and then I’ll go on to …Then/ Next ...Finally/ Lastly ...Finishing a sectionTurning to...Let’s turn now to …So much for...Starting a new sectionMoving on now to …That's all I have to say about...We've looked at...The next issue/topic/areaI’d like to focus on …I’d like to expand/elaborate on …Now we'll move on to...I'd like now to discuss...Analysing a point and givingrecommendationsWhere does that lead us?Let's consider this in more detail...What does this mean for...?Translated into real terms... Whyis this important?munotes.in

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108The significance of this is...Giving examplesFor example,...A good example of this is...As an illustration,...To give you an example,...To illustrate this point...Summarising and concludingTo sum up ...Right, let's sum up, shall we?Let's summarise briefly what we'velooked at... If I can just sum up themain points...Finally, let me remind you of someof the issues we've covered...To conclude...In conclusion ...So, to remind you of what I’vecovered in this talk, …Unfortunately, I seem to have runout of time, so I’ll conclude verybriefly by saying that …I'd like now to recap...Paraphrasing and clarifyingSimply put ...In other words ...Sowhat I’m saying is.... To put itmore simply.... To put it anotherway ...Invitation to discuss / askquestionsI’m happy to answer any queries/questions. Does anyone have anyquestions or comments? Pleasefeel free to ask questions.If you would likeme to elaborateon any point, please ask.Would you like to ask anyquestions? Any questions?https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit3presentat ionsi)Use of appropriate non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, eyecontact, and hand gestures also impact the effectiveness and success ofa presentation.8.7 SUMMARYIn this section you got introduced to the concept of teampresentations and its significance in today’s professional arena. Then youbriefly got familiar with the types of team presentations. The sectionmunotes.in

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109detailed you the process of effectively planning and executing a teampresentation. Towards the end, you got information about the kind oflanguage that makes a team presentation effective, engaging and easy tounderstand.8.8 UNIT ENDQUESTIONSForm groups of three to four learners and ask them to create anddeliver a presentation about a social media (Facebook, Twitter, musicdownloads, Linkedin, Photosharing, etc.) for a start-up company.8.9 TEAM BRIEFINGS: GEARING UP8.9.1 Owing the ABC of Team Briefings:Team briefing is a type of meeting in which the entire team and themanager come together in person with the purpose of sharing information,asking questions and providing feedback. Broadlyspeaking, the purposeof team briefing is two-fold:i)To circulate relevant and important information to all the teammembers in a timely, concise and clear manner.ii)To ensure that each team member understands the informationprovided so that appropriate action can be initiated.Thus, team briefings are an efficient system that ensures upwards,downwards and horizontal communication in an organisation.8.9.2 Significance of Team Briefing:I.Team briefing serves as a channel to communicate messages ina clearand concise manner and encourage open communication.II.It helps in preventing gossips and rumours from gaining credibility andcurtails the grapevine thus, ensuring very little or nomisunderstandings.III.It promotes vertical as well as horizontal communication in anorganisation thus, ensuring its smooth functioning.IV.It helps the management identify, understand and address theproblems, questions and suggestions of the team members thus,effectively providing regular feedback.V.It ensures that all team members are abreast about the policydecisions, performance, problems etc. of the organisation.VI.It develops unity amongst all levels of the organisation by promotinginvolvement and a shared sense of the vision and mission.munotes.in

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1108.10 ORGANISING A TEAM BRIEFINGi)Setting the Briefing Calendar:The manager/ individual responsible for organising and deliveringthe team briefing should first try to set a series of dates and the time forthe briefing to be engaged periodically. Thisensures that the teammembers are aware of the briefing dates and time well in advance and canmark them in their calendars. While setting the briefing calendar, themanager should aim for the date and time which would be convenient tomost of the team members so as to ensure maximum attendance.ii)Size of the Team:The number of members in a team briefing should be between four andfifteen as larger groups hinder open communication.iii)Venue:Based upon the number of team members, arrangements essential toconduct the team briefing, convenience and accessibility, a suitable venueshould be finalised.iv)Agenda:A clearly worded agenda should be prepared for each team briefing.v)Publicising the Team Briefing Notice:Once all the arrangements for the team briefing are in place, themembers should be given the notice of the same well in advance to ensuremaximum participation.vi)Preparing the Brief:The manager should ensure that s/he has sufficient time to prepare forthe briefing, gain familiarity with the material, and prepare to answeranticipated questions and to provide relevant additional information ifasked for.8.11 PRESENTING/ MANAGING THE TEAM BRIEFINGWhen the team briefing is underway, the manager should ensure thefollowing procedure:i)Explainthe purpose of the session to the members in clear andconcise mannerii)Make a note of the absent membersmunotes.in

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111iii)Discuss each item in the agenda systematically and allow themembers to voice their opinions while ensuring that they do notramble aimlesslyiv)Address all the questions and queries raised by the participants in apolite, clear and crisp mannerv)Encourage the members to give their feedback and note downimportant pointsvi)Encourage each member to actively participate in the discussion andacknowledge all contributionsvii)Ensure that the briefing stays on trackviii)At the end of the briefing, summarise the entire session and remindthe team of the date and time of the next briefing8.12 USE OF LANGUAGELanguage plays an important role in ensuring that the team brief iseffective, engaging and easy to understand. While executing a teambriefing, the manager should keep in mind the following points:i)Use simple words and short sentences, and avoid the use of unfamiliartechnicalities orexcessive jargon.ii)Try to be informative, clear and concise. At times, a message mayhave to be repeated to make sure that all the members have understoodit but, it should be done concisely.iii)Talk about concrete facts rather than abstract ideas andsupport yourstatements with valid reasons.iv)Use examples and instances that the members will relate to and keepthe tone of the briefing fairly informal to efficiently engage themembers and to keep them interested.v)Do not be patronising or overlyapologetic. It makes the speakerappear nervous and may give the impression that s/he does not whollyagree with the statements being made.vi)Answer all questions calmly, maintaining direct eye contact and in adirect and positive manner.vii)Use appropriate non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, eyecontact, hand gestures etc. to emphasize the points/ statements beingmade.8.14 SUMMARYThis section introduced you to the concept of team briefings and itssignificance in today’s professional arena. You got familiar with thefactors that go into organising team briefings. The section then detailedyou the process of effectively planning and executing team briefings andmunotes.in

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112concluded with providing the learner information about the kind oflanguage that makes a group presentation effective, engaging and easy tounderstand.8.15 UNIT ENDQUESTIONS1.What do you understand by ‘‘Team Presentations’’? In what ways arethe team presentations significant in professional communication?2.Write a note on types of team presentations.3.Which are two major steps in team presentations? Discuss in details.4.Write a note signposting in team presentations.5.What is ‘‘team briefing’’? Why is it important in professionalcommunication?6.How does one organise team briefings?7.Discuss ways of managing team briefing.8.What kind of language should be used in team briefing?*****munotes.in

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1139COMMUNICATION ACROSSFUNCTIONAL AREASUnit Structure9.1Objectives9.2Introduction9.3Functional areas in an9.4Role oforal communication across functional areas9.5Types of oral communication across functional areas9.6Effective oral communication for productive organisational outcome9.7Sample Situations9.8Summary9.9Unit End Exercise9.1 OBJECTIVESAfter studying this unit you will be able to:1.Comprehend the concept of communication, functional areas in anorganization, cross-functional team and the role of oral communicationacross these functional areas2.Recognize the types of oral communication across functional areas3.Apply oral communication across functional areas9.2 INTRODUCTIONDear students, we do understand that communication is an art andsystematic way of sharing thoughts, ideas, information, experiences,feelings, knowledge, data, etc. A good or an effective communicatorbecomes successful in personal relationships and professional dealings.You might run into the challenge of communicating in a cross-functional team if you work for a large organization. A cross-functionalteam is a group of employees from different functional areas workingtogether. Some common functional areas are Management, Production,Marketing/Promotion, Public Relation, Human Resource Sales, Financeand Technology. That means you need to work and communicate withsomeone from Management, Production,Marketing/Promotion andTechnology i.e. software development in the cross-functional team.Hence, you must understand the shared concepts/language used forcommunication that is part of each functional area. Thecross-trainingmunotes.in

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114programmesamong the team members from different functional areasare useful for effective communication. For example, a software developermay not be interested in understanding conversion rates and process ofsales, but in a cross-functional teams/he has to learn all these differentconcepts/terms as this shared language is an essential part of what makesthese teams effective. Alternatively, it may be very hard for salespeople tolearn about software. Thus, effective communication is much moreneeded.You can make decisions quickly once you understand the sharedlanguage and communicate effectively. You must be able to ask questions,contribute to the group discussions so as to reach consensus. You must beat ease while sharing or receiving the information. In all, you must exhibitetiquettes (use of apt expressions, patience, etc.) while communicatingwith other team members. You must be able to communicate and offersmall training sessions whereby you being team member communicatessome key concepts to the rest of the team.These meaningful activities can help you to communicateeffortlessly in different functional areas in an organization. The followingfunctional areas in an organization are discussed subsequently.9.3 FUNCTIONAL AREAS IN ANORGANIZATION9.3.1 Identifying Functional Areas:Students, as discussed earlier, Management, Production,Marketing/Promotion, Public reaction/relation, Human Resource, etc. arefew of the important functional areas in an organization. Discussion overthese functional areas will enable you to identify the key people andexplain their activities within the functional area. Further, you willunderstand the upward, downward and lateral communication that takesplace within these functional areas.Different functions within a business are performed and controlledby different parts of the business just as different functions in the humanbody are performed and regulated by different organs. The following are afew aims for setting the functional areas. One ofthe reasons for separatingbusiness operations into functional areas is to allow each to operate withinits area of expertise, thus building efficiency and effectiveness across thebusiness as a whole. Each department carries out the tasks that relate to itsparticular area. The specific areas are responsible for supporting specifictypes of aims and objectives, for example, human resources (HR) will beinvolved in arranging staff training activities. The key functional areas of abusiness discussed are theManagement, Operations, Marketing,Accounting, and Finance.9.3.2 Management:The primary role of managers in business is to supervise othermunotes.in

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115people’s performance. S/He deals with Planning, Organizing, Controlling,Leading etc. Here, the communication (oral/written) with all thestakeholders plays very important role.9.3.3 Operations:Operationsis where inputs (factors of production) are converted tooutputs (goods and services). The operations manager is responsible foroverseeing the day-to-day business operations, which can encompasseverything from ordering raw materials to scheduling workers to producetangible goods. Hence, his/her communication (oral/written) plays veryimportant role in achieving targets.9.3.4 Marketing:Marketing is done in order to identify customers’ needs, designproducts and services accordingly. It also includes promotion forgoods/services and their delivery, pricing strategy in order to becompetitive. Further, the production and distribution of publicitymaterials,such as catalogues or brochures is also the responsibility ofMarketing. Nowadays, technology-driven communication (e.g., use ofwebsites, blogs, social media campaigns, etc.) is crucial for marketing.9.3.5 Accounting:Accountants help managers in making decisions about theprovision of resources. This area maintains financial transactions andlargely deals with costs, budgets, asset allocation, and performanceappraisal etc. Most of the times written communication is preferred.9.3.6 Finance:Althoughrelated to accounting, the finance function involvesplanning for, obtaining, and managing a company’s funds. It deals withproducing invoices, checking payments, recording received money,preparing the payroll and staff salaries, monitoring budgets, producingfinancial reports, etc.9.3.7 Human Resource:Human Resources deals with the advertising job vacancies andpromotion opportunities, keeping records of all job applications andaccordingly arranging interviews, arranging staff training and encouragingprofessional development, keeping records of grievances and disciplinary,carrying out company welfare policies, and in all maintaining the staffrecords. Thus, you will find that constant and effective communicationand cooperation is needed in all the functional areas in order to achieve itsaims and objectives of business. The joint decisions have to be madeamong departments or in their staff to address key issues/problems.munotes.in

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116Hence, the departmental links are very essential in functionalareas. Theselinks are established with effective communication. In view of this, therole of oral communication across functional areas is discussed.9.4 ROLE OF ORAL COMMUNICATION ACROSSFUNCTIONAL AREASAs discussed earlier, a constant and effective communication iscrucial in all the functional areas of any business. A constant and effectivecommunication among all the stakeholders of a business helps in theachievement of its aims and objectives.Joint decisions have to be made among departments ortheir staffto address key issues/problems. Hence, the departmental links are veryessential in functional areas. These links are established with effectivecommunication. In view of this, the role of oral communication acrossfunctional areas is discussed.Students, you might have noticed that in any business, internalcommunication is used for receiving/sending messages within theorganization, keeping the employees well informed about day-to-dayschedule/information regarding operations. This helps to build a sense oftrust among the employees and further triggers their performance.Likewise, external communication too is used in order to link theorganization with the outside world. Unlike internal communication,external communication flows outward. Itaddresses people outside theorganization, like prospective customers, competitors, public, press, mediaand the government. External communication can take place in variousways and through different channels. This really helps the organization toconveyto other organizations of its status and ultimately helps in buildingpublic relations.In all, internal and external communication can prepare forcompetitive spirit and quality oriented performance for the betterment ofthe business. Now we will discuss important types of communicationacross functional areas.9.5 TYPES OF ORAL COMMUNICATION ACROSSFUNCTIONAL AREAS
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1179.5.1Upward Communication (Function area:Organization/Management):Large organizations have different hierarchical levels or tiers.Banks, finance companies, insurance businesses, railways, and such otherpeople-oriented organizations typically have a 3-or a 4-tier structure. Theprocess of communication to be complete and effective should encompassall these levels and tiers. Upward communication is one which movesupward, i.e., from the bottom to the top levels in the hierarchy.Any communication that moves from employees to supervisors,supervisors to managers, managers to executives, regional manager togeneral manager and so on, maybe categorized as upward communication.Similarly, communication from branches to regional offices, regionaloffices to zonal offices, zonal offices to head office is also referred to asupward communication. Employee suggestions, market reports,performance reports, feedback on new products and requests for facilitiesor instructions are all examples of upward communication in theorganizational context.9.5.2. Downward Communication (Human Resource Management):Downward communication moves from the top to the bottom, i.e.,from the CEO downwards. It travels through senior executives to juniorlevel functionaries, from the controlling office to the branch, from thehead of the division to the head of the unit. Corporate goals, businesspriorities, motivational letters, work-related instructions, newsletters,letters from the CEO/General Manager’s desk are all typical examples ofdownward communication.9.5.3 Formal Communication:Towards ensuring communication on an on-going basis,organizations develop formal systems. Staff meetings, union-managementmeetings, branch managers’’ conferences, periodical sales reviewmeetings and customer meets are examples of forums that facilitate formalcommunication. (This has been discussed in chapter I)
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1189.5.4 Lateral Communication (peer level):Lateral communication generally takes place in an organizationand is neither upward nor downward. It proceeds in a horizontal mannerand takes place among equals and at peer level. It may also be describedas peer-levelcommunication.Any communication that takes place, orally or in writing, from onebranch head to the other, from one division head to the other, from onegroup head to the other, may be described as lateral communication. Animportant point worth notingin any such lateral communication is thatthere is not much difference in terms of the hierarchical levels or positionsof the sender and the receiver.9.5.5External Communication (Functional area: Marketing andPromotion):Unlike internal communication, external communication flowsoutward. It addresses people outside the organization, like prospectivecustomers, competitors, public, press, media and the government. Externalcommunication can take place in various ways and through differentchannels.Letters, notices, brochures, demonstrations, telephone calls,business meetings, press releases, press conferences, audio-visualpresentations, publicity films product launch events and advertisementsare all examples of external communication. It is important to note that theexternal agency or person targeted through such communication quiteoften forms an image or impression based on such communication and itis, therefore, very necessary that adequate care is taken in making it clear,intelligible and appealing.9.6 EFFECTIVE ORAL COMMUNICATION FORPRODUCTIVE ORANGANISAITONAL OUTCOMEEffective Communication is significant for managers in theorganizations so as to perform the basic functions of management, i.e.,planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Communication helpsmanagers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communicationserves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must becommunicated to the managers who, in turn, must communicate theplans so as to implement them. Organizing also requires effectivecommunication with others about their job task. Similarly, leaders asmanagers must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as toachieve team goals. Controlling is not possible without written and oralcommunication. Managers devote a great part of their time incommunication. They generally devote approximately 6 hours per day incommunicating. They spend great time on face-to-face or telephoniccommunication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customersmunotes.in

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119or suppliers. Managers also use written communication in form of letters,reports or memos wherever oral communication is not feasible.Thus, we can say that “effective communication is a buildingblock of successful organizations”. In other words, communication actsas organizational blood.The importance of communication in an organization can besummarized as follows: Communication promotes motivation byinforming and clarifying the employees about the task to be done, themanner they are performing the task, and how to improve theirperformance if it is not up to the mark.Communication is a source of information to the organizationalmembers for the decision-making process as it helps identifying andassessing alternative course of actions. Communication also plays acrucial role in altering individual’s attitudes, i.e., a well-informedindividual will have better attitude than a less-informed individual.Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms oforal and written communication help in moulding employee’s attitudes.Communication also helps in socializing. In today’s life the onlypresence of another individual fosters communication. It is also said thatone cannot survive withoutcommunication.As we discussed earlier, communication also assists in controllingprocess. It helps controlling organizational member’s behaviour in variousways. There are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles andguidelines that employeesmust follow in an organization. They mustcomply with organizational policies, perform their job role efficiently andcommunicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus,communication helps in controlling function of management.An effective and efficient communication system requiresmanagerial proficiency in delivering and receiving messages. A managermust discover various barriers to communication analyse the reasons fortheir occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus,the primary responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain aneffective communication system in the organization.Communication within a business can involve different types ofemployees and different functional parts of an organization.These patternsof communication are called flows, and they are commonly classifiedaccording to the direction of interaction: downward, upward, horizontal,diagonal, external.9.7 SAMPLE SITUATIONS1.Try to visualise in what way you will communicate (while speaking)munotes.in

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120•On telephone calls with consumer•In business meetings with senior and with junior•In press releases/press conferences about the launching of new product•In audio-visual presentations made for other company to have shares(Notice the level of formality, use of language/vocabulary, the context,expressions and etiquettes etc.)2)Consider yourself as H R Manager and write down a dialogue in theway you will communicate with other Managers in business meeting. Youmust ponder over the following questions and accordingly write down thedialogue:•How often do I get inputs from others?•Do I ask follow-up questions in the conversation?•Am I secretly bruised or defensive if the group respondsenthusiastically to someone else’s ideas over mine?•How happy are you with our work together?•How could I make your job easier?•Are you satisfied with my communication?•What’s your management style?•How do you approach feedback?•What do you do in your role and how do you see our partnershipworking?•What ideas do you have for our team that we can work on together?•Does it affect the broader team?•Will process be affected?•Does it change how someone may allocate resources?•Would I want to be looped in if I were the other manager?•Have I given the other person the benefit of the doubt?•Have I Communicated directly?•Could you share your point of view?•What do you see as the root cause of this conflict?•What steps can we take together to ensure this doesn’t happen again?Etc.9.8 SUMMARYWe are aware of the joint decisions that are made amongdepartments to address key issues/problems. Hence, the departmental linksare very essential in functional areas. These links are established witheffective communication. Thus, the constant and effective communicationisessential in all the functional areas of any business. The constant andeffective communication among all the stakeholders of the business helpsin the achievement of its aims and objectives.munotes.in

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1219.9 UNIT END QUESTIONS1. Visit any company/organization and list down the functional areas.Summarise the types of communication used by these functional areas.2.Visit any company/organization and analyse the role of oralcommunication across the functional areas of thecompany/organisation. Suggest some measures/tips for effectivecommunication for the company/organisation.3.What do you understand by functional areas of organization? Howdoes the functional area impact the nature of communication?4.Discuss the types of oral communication across functional areas oforganization.5.What role does oral communication play across functional areas oforganization?1.Write notes on:a)Functional Areas in an organizationb)Upward communication across functional areas in an organizationc)Downward communication across functional areas in an organizationd)Internal communication across functional areas in an organizatione)External communication across functional areas in an organizationf)Lateral communication in an organizationREFERENCES•Barnard, Dom. “Common Business EnglishPhrases for a WorkplaceMeeting.” VirtualSpeech, VirtualSpeech, 12 Sept. 2018,virtualspeech.com/blog/english-phrases-workplace-meeting.•Beare, Kenneth. “Here’ s an Overview of Phrases You Can Use to Runa Meeting.” ThoughtCo, 1 Jan. 2018, www.thoughtco.com/phrases-for-running-a-business-meeting-1209021.•Club, English. “Meetings Vocabulary.” EnglishClub, 2020,www.englishclub.com/business-english/meetings-vocabulary.htm.•Contributor, Chron. “Effective Business Communication in Meetings.”Small Business-Chron.com, Chron.com, 1 Dec. 2020,smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-business-communication-meetings-2883.html.•Crutweets. “The Importance of Conferences: Cru.” Cru.org, 2019,www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/leadership-training/starting-a-ministry/start/send/the-importance-of-conferences.html.•Garth, Andrew. “Lesson Share: A Business Conference.”Onestopenglish, 5 Sept. 2016, www.onestopenglish.com/a-business-conference/555467.article.munotes.in

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122•“Group Discussion.” WikiEducator, 4 Sept. 2012, 19:06,wikieducator.org/Group_Discussion.•Harry. “How to Start a Business Meeting in English-Business Englishwith Harry.” English Lessonvia Skype, 17 Feb. 2020,www.englishlessonviaskype.com/how-to-start-a-business-meeting-in-english/.•Harry. “Presentations in English • Learn English with Harry.” EnglishLesson via Skype, 15 Nov. 2020,www.englishlessonviaskype.com/presentations-in-english/.•Juneja, Prachi. “MSG Management Study Guide.” Importance ofCommunication in an Organization,managementstudyguide.com/importance-of-communication.htm.•Keyser, John. “The Importance of Effective Meetings.” LeadershipCoaching That Improves Organizational Spirit, 12 Mar. 2019,www.commonsenseleadership.com/the-importance-of-effective-meetings/.•Kim, Jasmine. “6 Most Common Types of Business Meetings.”Lifesize, 6 June 2019, www.lifesize.com/en/video-conferencing-blog/types-of-business-meetings.•Kukreja, Sonia. “Types of Communication in Organization.”Management Study HQ, 28 Aug. 2019,www.managementstudyhq.com/types-of-communication.html.•Learning, Lumen. “Business Communication:Communication,Business Writing, Presentations, Employment Communication.”Lumen,courses.lumenlearning.com/sac-businesscommunication/chapter/15-3-meetings/.•The Business Communication. “Definition of Meeting and Objectiveof Meeting.” The Business Communication, 28 Nov. 2017,thebusinesscommunication.com/definition-and-objective-of-meeting/.•Thompson, Kenneth. English for meetings. Oxford University Press,2007.•Sharma, R. C., and Krishna Mohan. Business Correspondence andReport Writing: a Practical Approach to Business & TechnicalCommunication. Tata McGraw-Hill, 2017.•Sophia, et al. “Useful Expressions to Use In Group Discussions andConversations in English.” ESLBuzz Learning English, 16 Dec. 2019,www.eslbuzz.com/useful-expressions-to-use-in-group-discussions-conversations-in-english/.•“What Is a Conference.” EVenues, 2019, evenues.com/event-planning-guide/what-is-a-conference.*****munotes.in

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123Unit IV10NEEDSCORPORATE COMMUNICATIONUnit Structure10.1Objectives10.2Introduction10.3Defining ‘Corporate communication’10.4Development of Corporate Communication.10.5The difference between Corporate Communications and PublicRelations.10.5.1 Corporate Communications10.5.2 Public Relations.10.6Classification of Corporate Communication.10.6.1.Management Communication.10.6.2.Marketing Communication.10.6.3.Organizational Communication.10.7Functions of Corporate Communication.10.8Major Factors/Key concepts in Corporate Communication.10.8.1.Media Management.10.8.2.Corporate Reputation Management.10.8.3.Employee Communication.10.8.4.Managing Government Relations (GR)10.8.4.1Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI)10.8.4.2.Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)10.8.4.3 Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry ofIndia (ASSOCHAM).10.8.4.4 Standing Conference of Public Sector Enterprises(SCOPE)10.8.5.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)10.8.5.1 Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).10.8.5.2 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.10.8.6Financial Communication.10.8.6.1 Reserve Bank of India (RBI.)10.8.6.2. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).10.8.6.3 National Stock Exchange (NSE).10.8.6.4 Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).10.8.6.5 Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB)munotes.in

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12410.8.7Crisis Communication.10.8.7.1 Types of Crisis.10.8.8 Laws and Ethics in Corporate Communication.10.8.8.1 Defamation.10.8.8.2 Libel.10.8.8.3 Copyright Act.10.8.8.4 Digital Piercy10.8.8.5 Right to Information Act (RTI).10.8.8.6 Ethics10.9Summary10.10Chart Vocabulary of Corporate Communication.10.11.Unit End Questions10.12References10.1 OBJECTIVESAfter reading this chapter youwill be able to•To understand the concept of corporate communication, scope andfunctions of it.•To understand the role of Media in corporate communication.•To understand the Importance of employee communication.•To know what is mean Government Relations(GR) mean and whycorporate organisations need it.•To know what is meant by reputation and to know various tools inReputation Management(RM).•To make you acquainted with concepts like CSR, FinancialCommunication and Crisis communication.•To make you familiar with various laws which are relevant tocorporate communication.10.2 INTRODUCTIONDear student,Welcome to Unit IV of this course. In the earlier units we studied•Nature and significance of meeting, Conferences and GroupDiscussions in professional communication.•The process of effectively planning and conducting meetings,conferences and group discussion in the professional contex.•Linguistic skills necessary for professional communication inmeetings, conferences and group discussions.•The conceptsof Team Presentations and Team Briefing.munotes.in

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125•How presentation skills so as to enable them to express confidentlyinterpersonally as well as in large groups.•Concept of communication, functional areas in an organization, cross-functional team and the role of oral communication across thesedifferent functional areas.In this unit we will be going to Understand differentcommunication Needs in business communication set up. The unit isdivided into three chapters for the purpose of our convenience. Chapternumber ten is Corporate communication and we are going to study theconcept of corporate communication and its different stakeholders.The next chapter is on ‘Persuasive strategies & Ethics inBusiness Communication’and it is divided in two parts. Part one wearegoing to study the different persuasive strategies used in businesscommunication and part two we are going to study why ethics areimportant in business communication.Chapter number twelve is on ‘Business Communication Aids’and weare going to study the different aids/tools used in modern businesscommunication for smooth functioning of the organisation.Now, let’ s discuss about chapter number ten on ‘corporatecommunication’Corporate communication is the new buzzword and recent mantrain the corporate world. It helps an organisation to form a professionalrelationship to the public as well as the media. It has been considered andrecognised as an important concept in management circles since the lastfew decades. Its need and popularity are growing day by day but manyprofessionals and management are still very confused about the scope androle of corporate communication especially in India. Some people feel thatit is old PR (public Relations) as corporate communication; others feel thatPR is asmall part of Corporate communication. Some others feel that it ispart of marketing communication.Lets see the opines of different writers.Argenti and Formanargue that corporate communication canclaim historical links to the field of public relations, which has beenconcerned with the voice and image of big business for nearly a century.Harold Burson, Founder Chairman, Burson-Marsteller writes,“Corporate communication is one of the many subsets of public relationsand under that umbrella you can have relations with advisory services,investor relations, internal communications, marketing support, litigationsupport, etc.”Cutlip et.al.Write that among the Fortune 500 companies, onlyone in five uses the“public relations”title. Other commonly used titlesare corporate communication, public affairs, public information, or PR incombination with advertising.munotes.in

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126Corporate communication has become an important component oforganizational management in modern society. Excellent corporatecommunication lies at the heart of industry, commerce and governmentsabilities to build a democratic society. Corporate communications is anarea of both professional practice and theoretical inquiry; and naturally thetwo domains should be linked in a way that advancesboth.Corporate communication is the process of facilitating theexchange of information and ideas between external groups andindividuals who have a direct relationship with a company. It Is concernedwith the communication management of modern corporatehouses fromthe point of view of sharing knowledge and decisions of the company withinvestors, employees, suppliers, distributors, customers, mediaprofessionals, government officials, community members and otherstakeholders of the organization.In theage of globalization, corporate communication serves as theconscience of the corporation and is responsible for establishing andmaintaining the reputation of modern organizations. Formerly called'public relations' or' public matters', corporate communication has acquiredgreat importance in the 21st century as a result of corporate scandals orcrises in modern companies. Public and private Companies haveestablished corporate communication departments, which generallyoversee communication strategy, media relations, crisis communication,reputation management, corporate responsibility, investor relations,government affairs and sometimes marketing communications today.nowlets see the different definitions of corporate communication.10.3 DEFINING ‘CORPORATE COMMUNICATION’‘Corporate’originally stems from the Latin words for‘body’(corpus)and for‘forming into a body’(corporare), which focusmore on a broader way of looking at ‘internal’ and ‘external’communication disciplines. That is, instead of looking at specializeddisciplines or stakeholder groups separately, the corporate communicationfunction starts from the perspective of the ‘bodily’ organization as a wholewhen communicating with internal and external stakeholders.According to P.Jackson,corporate communication is ‘‘theintegrated approach to all kinds of communications produced by anorganization ,directed at all relevant target groups. Each item ofcommunication must convey and emphasize the corporate identity.’’According to Fernandez,‘‘Corporate communications is a long-term strategic initiative to a spectrum of audiences in a globalized marketenvironment. At its core corporate communication is very simple, the waya corporate communicates.’’According toDolphinit is a ‘‘dynamic mixture of problem-solving skillsmunotes.in

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127and insights’’, which should be viewed as ‘‘Process rather than an entity’’.According to Dolphin, corporate communication has to fulfil three keyresponsibilities.•Aid the management of change•Help to define a corporation's role in society.•Assist the creation of corporate vision and responsibility.From above different definitions we can say that corporatecommunication works as an instrument of management by which differentforms and channels (Internal and External communication) are usedtogether effectively and efficiently to create favourable relationshipsamong and with different stakeholders of the company. Thus, Corporatecommunication helps to create a positive corporate image, it ensuresasmooth and long-term relationship with all stakeholders. Corporatecommunication, in other words, can be characterized as a managementfunction that is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the work doneby communication practitioners in differentspecialist disciplines, such asmedia relations, public affairs and internal communication.“Corporate communication is a management function that providesa framework and vocabulary for effective coordination of all media. forthe general purpose of establishing and maintaining a favorable reputationwith stakeholders on which the organization depends”.10.4DEVELOPMENT OF CORPORATECOMMUNICATIONMany people believe that corporate communication cannot beunderstood clearly unless its connection with public relation is considered.Since, 1970’s many people have used the term‘‘Public Relations’’todescribe communication with different stakeholders. The word publicrelation is used by many organisations just to show communication withthe press. When some stakeholders, Internal and External (such asemployees, future employees, shareholders, bureaucracy, opinion makers,media, wholesalers, dealers, consumers, special interest groups, thecommunity, and the public at large) of company demanded for moreinformation from organisations then they started to think beyond the word“public relations”. This was the root of a new corporate communicationfunction that started to take shape.The functions of corporate communication included from differentdisciplineslike corporate design, corporate advertising, internalcommunication to employees, issues and crisis management, mediarelations, investor relations, change communication and public affairs.nowwill see the in detail difference between corporate communication andpublic relations.munotes.in

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12810.5 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CORPORATECOMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS.As we have discussed earlier in chapter, corporate communications andPR are similar in many ways. They must possess the following skills.•Deep understanding of their role as reporters and how the mediaworks.•The ability to communicate effectively•Confident in problem solving and at time of crisis.Though, they have some common skills between them. They havedifferences in them too. Let’s understand their different functions.10.5.1Corporate Communication:•Corporate communicators generally deal with internalcommunications.•People working in this field are responsible for connecting the variousdepartments within an organization through targeted communications.•If you’re planning to dive into the corporate communications sphere,be prepared for interdepartmental meetings--potentially a lot of them.•“In corporate communications, you have to have your finger on thepulse of everything that's happening in the company. You're constantlyjuggling different things. You think you have a game plan, but inreality, that could be thrown out the window at any moment.”-PierceWhite, corporate communications director, Group Nine Media.10.5.2 PublicRelations (PR):•Public relations professionals deal with information being shared withthe public.•PR persons are responsible for managing an organization’s reputationby crafting newsworthy stories to share with journalists via pressreleases, speeches, social media posts, events and more.•Responsible for dealing with backlash when a company faces a crisisof reputation.•“My mornings are mostly spent going through coverage and readingthe news as a whole. I like to see what’s going on in the world. I check my Google Alerts and my Muck Rack Alerts, and flag anythingnoteworthy that mentions Next-door to the team. We get a lot of smallmentions inarticles, so I try to find what’ s most relevant for ourleadership team to know.”-Nick Brinkerhoff, communicationsmanager, Next-door.Now lets see the below diagram, you will understand differentaspects of corporate communication.munotes.in

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12910.6 CLASSIFICATION OF CORPORATECOMMUNICATIONThe distribution of business communication by target group can bebroadly divided into three groups: market, consumer and employee. Thesethree groups can be achieved through interpersonal or publiccommunication. In communication marketing, one of the organization'scommunication directions, management communicates with consumers.Employees intervene when communicating with consumers. Anotherclassification of business communication drives business communicationaccording to three main models. they; Management communication,marketing communication, organization communication.10.6.1.Management communication:The managers play a significant role in organizations. Often,management is described as “accomplishing work through other people”.itincludes such as planning, organising, coordinating and controlling. It isthe responsibility of the manager to continuously persuade individuals toachieve goals of the organizations. This is an activity performed by thehead of the organization. Experienced managers use communication toachieve certain results. This will help to develop a common vision for thecompany within the organization, build trust in the organization'sleadership, initiate and implement process changes, and motivate andempower employees. Communication with managers is an essential part ofan organization's image and respect for corporate communication. Themost important task of the organization is to motivate employees, show anopen vision, establish effectivedevelopment strategies, develop ethicalstandards, build a good management team, and maximize the benefits ofour partners.
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13010.6.2.Marketing Communication:Marketing communications includes forms of communication likesales of products, services, and brands. The main feature of marketingcommunication is the achievement of financial goals by systematicallycommunicating the message and controlling the attitudes and behavioursof the target group(Okej, 2002: 7).It was understood that the real powerliesin the consumer, not the marketer. Now, thanks to new technology,people can shop online wherever they want. That's why organizations needto make major changes to their marketing communications strategy tobring information closer to consumers. Communication methods such asadvertising, direct marketing, and direct advertising are practiced byorganizations in relation to communication marketing. The purpose ofmarketing communication is to realize product sales so that organizationscan use a variety ofcommunication methods to support product sales.Thanks to the Internet, target groups can easily advertise organizationsthat cannot broadcast due to some television restrictions. Direct mail isdelivered to consumers by email at low cost.10.6.3 Organizational communication:It includes public relations, public affairs, investor relations,corporate advertising, environmental communication, and internalcommunication. Every organisation adopts a different organizationalstructure. It provides the internal and external communications necessaryfor the organization to continue to exist and evolve. The success oforganizational communication is related to establishing effectivecommunication policies in specific systems and structures based onorganizationalgoals. Target groups differ more in terms of organizationalcommunication compared to activities that influence marketingcommunications, organizational attitudes and behaviour. When a targetgroup sees an advertisement for an organization in a newspaper,theyrecognize that it has been targeted in a certain way, and a positive columnfor the organization can more convincingly reflect the organization'sactivities.10.7 FUNCTIONS OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONNow you know that corporate communication has to play manyfunctions. It has different functions. It includes media relations, employeecommunication, corporate image management, government relations,corporate advertising, corporate PR and brand promotions such as eventsand sponsorships.1.Identifying and targeting the key trade press to keep the company infocus as its brand is required.2.To work on a programme that brings people face to face.3.Choosing apt media and drafting appropriate messages to reachvarious stakeholders.munotes.in

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1314.To create a strong, positive corporate image of the organisation.5.To build the reputation of the organisation and key executives.6.To manage crisis communication.7.To maintain the relationship of investor and shareholder.8.To help management in community relations through corporate socialresponsibility (CSR).10.8 MAJOR FACTORS/KEY CONCEPTS INCORPORATE COMMUNICATION (CC)As, we have discussed earlier in this chapter. Corporatecommunication revolves around different factors. It includes mediamanagement,Corporate reputation management, Employeecommunication, managing government relations (GR), Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR), Financial communication, crisis communicationand Laws and Ethics in corporate communication. Let’s learn more aboutthis different factor in corporate communication.10.8.1.Media management:Media work as a connector through which most of the corporatecommunication is achieved. There are different media available and wehave to choose from it according to the importance and usefulness of it.The corporate communicator must understand three elements: message,medium and audience and more importantly the dynamics of how mediaworks. Will discuss in this section, various media, their strengths,weaknesses and dependence of corporate communication on variousmedia.India has seen a long growth of media since our independence.It issaid that media can sustain only in democracy and indeed Indian media isfree with rights. Whenever, the government tried to attack their rights, themedia faced and stood up confidently with spirit. Despite All India Radio(AIR) and Door darshan being considered as Government media, peoplehave different choices now, so that doesn't matter now.Approximately, there are sixty thousand newspapers, hundreds oftelevision channels and dozens of radio stations are available. The printreadership is declining all over the world and especially in the developedwestern countries. There are 60,000 registered publications, less thanthousand members of the IndiaNewspaper Society and 500 registeredunder the Audit Bureau of circulation. According to Mr.khandekar manynewspapers are registered but not published for purpose other than tomake money from the newspapers. Magazines like India today, Sundayand Societyprovide interesting in-depth analysis of stories with colourfulpictures and graphics. They are providing latest lifestyle inputs to theirreader at a cost that is quite affordable.munotes.in

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132Radio has the potential to reach maximum people. Afterliberalization ofthe radio sector, more than150 channels are operationaland this industry estimates 800 FM channels in the next five years. Nowthe internet has changed the world forever by instant connection ofdifferent geographical boundaries.As per industry trend, internet was accessed by 250 million of theurban population in 2007, out of which 32 million were active users, 46million claimed users, 65 million users were PC literate, and 77 millionwere English knowing users.India has one of the largest numbers ofinternet users in the worldapproximately 60 million regular users. Social media is a tool which isused for the youth. Social media suggests the use of online technologiesand practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences andperspectives with each other.Thus, the media scene is changing very rapidly and hence it isimportant to keep pace with changes, draw lessons, understand thechanging trends in media, and prepare media material, keeping in view thetechnological advances resulting in newer content styles and packaging tosuit media needs. The corporate communication has to be updated with thelatest media and he must know how to manage it.10.8.2.Corporate Reputation Management:“A good reputation acts like a magnet: It attracts us to those whohave it.”(Fombrun and van Reil,2004)Every individual has their own reputations in home, society andworking place. Like every individual ‘‘companies/organisations to havetheir own reputations. As we are very much sensitive about ourownreputation, corporate organisations are also very much protective of theirreputations. You may hear news in newspapers about defamation casesfiled by many individuals and companies against certain organizations,media or people when they have felt hurted who has been said or writtenabout them.‘‘A reputation is the set of meanings by which a company isknown and through which people describe, remember and relate to it. It isthe net result of the interaction of a person’s belief, ideas, feelings andimpressions about the company. A company will not have a reputation-people hold reputations of the company’’(Dowling, 1986)Reputation is the overall assessment of a company by theirstakeholders and customers. For instance, when television anchor BarkhaDutt became the target of bloggers after the Mumbai terrorist attacks, hercompany served a notice to a blogger to withdraw the post or facemunotes.in

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133consequences; or when a blogger criticized a newspaper’s strategy tocharge for business news, he too was served with a notice. He thendecided to close the blog. In such media-driven age building andmaintaining a strong positive reputation is the key to success in thiscompetitive age of business.Few years ago, before Hindu festival of Diwali in 2003, Cadburyfaced a tremendous loss of reputation with the media featuring front pagenews about worms in the chocolates and channel CNBC literally showinga crawling worm in a chocolate bar.To create a positive reputation takes a lot of time to create, but onesmall wrong thing or any deliberate action with some vested interest bysomeone can hamper the reputation of the organization in a fraction ofsecond. In order to be successful organisations, have to take utmost careand they have to depend on some external research and perceptionmapping. They have to constantly monitor and improve their reputation oforganisation.Today, the internet has made our world very small as we caninteract among different global communities and we can give our opinionswithout anyobstacles on various issues at home. This has given restlessnights to those who are in charge of corporate reputation, they may beCEO’s, Corporate communication managers, or professional agencies. It isobserved that cyber critics are often active, employees and customers whocan create different virtual images through emails, chat rooms, blogs,bulletin boards etc. Which of all have tremendous reach? Imagineheadlines such as“McDonald’s tops index of unethical companies”onthe net can affect the reputation of the company. So, it’s the responsibilityof the organisational head who handles this section should not waittill someone decides to publish a story on‘‘yourbrandsucks.comsite. It is always better to be proactive than have regrets later. Now,reputation management has become a big business. In such anenvironment managing, it becomes a difficult task. Many companies areappointing specialist reputation management firms to handle corporatecommunication and reputation management for them.George Ludwig,who is author of“power selling: seven strategiesfor cracking the sales code”gives some very important tips on how tocreate and manage a winning reputation. He further explained that it isvery significant for companies to know who they are and areas in whichthey can bring improvement. He suggests that it is worthwhile to create a“world class reputation credo’ (a statement of the beliefs or aims whichguide someone's actions.)to be signed by all employees, which givesmore stress on trustworthiness which is built on a foundation of threeprinciples. namely service-centricity, character, and competence. A personexclusively in charge of reputation management should be employed,which would go a long way in building and maintaining reputation.munotes.in

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134Further he says qualities like honesty, integrity, a sense of fairplay, and respect for others are vital for long-term success in the 21stcentury business world. In a survey of 257 CEO’s from all over the world,conducted bykor/ferry head-hunters.The impact of poor reputation wasuppermost in the minds of all of them.Nine out of ten CEOs believed thatcorporate reputation was somewhat more important today than it wasfive years ago.10.8.3.Employee Communication:Generally,organisations depend on five key stakeholders:employees, customers, investors, government and public.Allorganisations communicate with their employees. It is communicationwhich helps management to to connect with employees, motivate them,and help them to achieve organisational goals. It is said that employees arethe ‘‘assets’’ of any organization. Any organisation generally includespeople with different social, cultural, educational, and economicbackgrounds and it is expected that they must achieve commonorganizational goals or objectives of organisation. The employees are theinternal stakeholders of the organisation and they play a vital role tocontribute to the positive reputation of organisation.The CEO’s generally considered as torch bearers to them becausetheir personality, philosophy and vision reflect the character of theorganization. We can see examples of N.R.Narayana Murthy, chiefmentor of Infosys, is known as a thoughtful leader, a simple person withmiddle-class family values. Another person, The CEO of kingfisher andUB spirits, Vijay Mallya, is known or referred as the ‘‘king of Goodtimes’’, i.e. by the mission statement of his brand and also the kind oflifestyle he lives, as projected in the media. Both Naryan Murthy andMallyaare successful in their areas but are projected differently.Employee communication is all about managing relationships.There is always tussle between the different departments like Marketing,HR, and corporate communication departments for who is goingto handlethe employee related communication. As I mentioned earlier, Employeesare very important stakeholders of any organisation. It is alwaysadvisable;the corporate communication department must handle employeecommunication. Corporate communicationdepartment uses persuasion tomeet desired outcomes.For instance, marketing and production departments maycommunicate targets to employees which they are supposed to complete ina given deadline. All these issues the corporate communication departmenthandles differently by using different channels of communication withdifferent tone and tenor. If the production department had communicatedcertain targets, it is the responsibility of the corporate communicationdepartment to reward, felicitate and facts about the target if the employeefulfilled targets in given time. It will be a good human face andmunotes.in

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135motivational to one and all rather than just sending circular on theachievement of the target.Companies take a lot of hard work to employ the right kindofpeople for that they take references from people who know the candidates.Some organisations even visit social networking sites to study the profileof‘‘future employees’’,to know what they think about, how they respondto different issues and theirlifestyle. Sandra Oliver said that in the USmore than 5000 organisations have honesty tests, using some form ofpencil and paper evaluation, to enable them to find the level of anemployee’s truthfulness for telling the truth.In the report of My Reliance, my life: corporate sustainabilityreport, 2005-06 for employees it says,“We are committed to nurture thetalent of our employees and facilitate their personal development. Wefoster workplaces that are safe, professional, and which promoteteamwork. We emphasize cross learning, knowledge sharing, jobdiversification, and developing cross-functional skills.”The corporate communication department should ideally have asmall cell within it that can handle internal communication. The selectionand choiceof such people in this cell must be done wisely. In other words,a person with great communication skills and an understanding of humanpsyche. Employee communication media includes house journals, videomagazines, interpersonal communication, brainstorming, open days,employees’ blog etc. The new age media has made drastic changes inemployee communication. Many organizations now use the digital mediato connect to their employees.In India, Infosys and Satyam Computers use the Internet andintranet to connect to their thousands of employees who are in variouscountries and continents. Satyam computers launched a web radio stationcalled Planet satyam in 2008 to connect to its over 50,000 workforces.Satyam also launched its‘‘Satyamstarpower.com’’,a webportal toshowcase the creative talents of its associates and employees worldwide.Infosys Intranet, which is connecting its 70,000 employees across 18countries, which is known as Sparsh(Touch).Some organisations use concept like idea boxes through which themanagement encourages employees to submit innovative ideas in variousareas of activity related to organization. Management discusses ideas andrewards those that can be implemented. Idea boxes generally placed atdifferent places. This channel helps to track employee perceptions onvarious issues, areas of their concerns, and their contribution forinnovations. Delhi Jal Board encourages its employees to contributeslogans on safety. The most apt ones as painted and posted on walls.Employees are rewarded if their slogans are selected for the display. Thisscheme helped the organisation to motivate employees by recognisingtheir talent and it helped them be conscious about the safety norms.munotes.in

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136Thus, different organisations use different channels, strategies toconnect, motivate employees.10.8.4.Management of Government Relations (GR):As mentioned earlier, organisations have to interact with manydifferent stakeholders. The most powerful and delicate stakeholder isgovernment. Business in any countryfunctions under various legalframeworks and regulations. Relationships with the government workswith different levels like government relation cell or public affairs/PRconsultancy, through chief executive officer and through industryassociations. Organisations use different strategies and ways to impressthe government for successful government relations. The governmentcontrols business by using various forms. Countries that are capitalist innature apply influence on business, both in normal and critical times.Every country has a set of rules,regulations,and regulatory bodies, forregulating business. Inmanycountries, companies can be formed onlythrough procedures laid down by the government.Organisations liketobacco, liquor, pharmaceuticals, and banking/finance, face moreregulations than comparative with other sectors.To understand the role of government relations, we need to see thecorporate sector in India and different industry bodies, who on behalf ofthe industry are lobbying toinfluence policy making in government aboutbusiness. The Indian industry has a number of associations that play a vitalrole in interfacing and negotiations with the government. Let’s see someof the important industry associations which are working in the corporateworld.Youcan become familiar with them.10.8.4.1 Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI):Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI)set up in 1927 on the advice of MahatmaGandhi. Inits websitereflects that FICCI inspired ‘‘Economic nationalism as a political tool tofight against discriminatory economic policies.” FICCI has a membershipof over 1500 corporate organisations spanning large, medium, and smallenterprises and over 500 chambers of commerce and businessorganisations.10.8.4.2. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII):The confederation of Indian industry(CII)works ‘‘to create andsustain an environment to the growth of industry in India.” Founded longback 114 years ago. It hasmembership of 7500 organisations from privateas well as public sectors including SME and MNCs and membership ofover 83000 companies around 380 national and regional sectors.munotes.in

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13710.8.4.3. Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM):Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM).its mission states: ‘‘As a representative organ ofcorporate india’’. It has 60 expert committees covering different economicactivities in India. it works in the field of informationtechnology,biotechnology, telecom, banking and finance, company law, corporatefinance, economic and international affairs, tourism, civil aviation,corporate governance, infrastructure, energy and power, real estate etc.10.8.4.4. Standing Conference of Public Sector Enterprises (SCOPE):Standing conference of public sector Enterprises(SCOPE)is aprofessional organization representing the central government publicenterprises. Its main objective is to promote better understanding amongthe public about the individual and collective contribution of the publicsector in building the industrial base of the country.To deal with the government is always challenging. Thebureaucracy is always criticised for red tape and a rule-bound attitudetowards issues. They are trained to strictly go by the rulebook.Government relations are dynamic and not always easy to handle.Everyone needs to work out long-term goals and short-term objectives,keeping in mind the vision and mission of the organization. Any business,whether in the public or private sector is handled by a nodal ministry, suchas steel, water, defence, power, industry, HR, labour act. According totype of business or organization, a particular ministry would be morecrucial for maintaining relations.10.8.5.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):Corporate Social Responsibility is a very broad concept and itmeans different things to different organisations. Some organizationsclaim that caring for employees, giving them a bonus, offering equal payfor equal work, keeping reservation of jobs for people from socially andeconomically weak backgrounds, and subsidizing food implies fulfillingCSR.Philip kotler and Nancy Leedefine CSR as a, “commitment toimprove community well-being through discretionary business practicesand contributions of corporate resources.”Mallen Bakerrefers to CSR as a “way companies manage thebusiness process to produce an overall positive impact on society.”The roots of CSR can be traced in religious scriptures thatencourage people to share their fortunes with those less privileged. Thereis a lot of confusion about CSR. Some think that companies put in theresources, it is up to them to decide the methods of CSR but it's not true.munotes.in

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138The stakeholders need to be involved from the beginning in order to makeit successful. There are various reasons why companies include CSR aspart of governance. CSR is now a widely used mantra where organisationsconsider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact oftheir activities on customer, employee, shareholders, communities, and theenvironment, in all aspects of their operations.CSR companies take up diverse themes or areas that incorporatehealth, education, livelihood, poverty, environment, water, housing,energy and micro finance. Some organisations take women empowerment,child development. Following are some of the reputed organizationsselected different areas as CSR activities.10.8.5.1. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL):In RIL’s corporate sustainability report 2005-06, Nita Ambani, thepresident of Dhirunhai Ambani Foundation (DAF) states that “Wesubscribe to the philosophy of coexistence-Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam-thewhole world is one family. We work towards improving the quality of lifeof the people who live with us and around us. Most of the CSR work atRIL is carried out by the DAF, while the plant specific activities arehandled by the CSR and HR departments. In some cases, partnership withlocal NGO’s is done. To create a good environment forchildren fromtribal areas, the company provides uniforms and books in various zilaparishads. (ZP’s)10.8.5.2. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation:Every life has equal value, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundationworks to help all people to lead healthyand productive lives. Foundationhelps to remove hunger, improve public health-giving people a chance tolift themselves out of poverty. It is based in Seattle; the foundation is ledby CEO Patty Stonesifer under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates andWarren Buffett. Bill Gates gives his opinion in one of his newsletters.“With success, I have been given great wealth .and with wealthcomes great responsibility to give back to society, to see that thoseresources are put to work in the best possible way to help those in need.”-Bill GatesThus, different organisations working with different themes/areas/problems according to their choice. I have given the above twoexamples of RIL and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.10.8.6Financial Communication:Financial communication is one of the significant parts ofcorporate communication. It is said that India is one of the nations thatattracts maximum savings in the world. There are many financialinstitutions available in the market and there is a needfor informing andmunotes.in

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139educating this class of consumers. The evolution of financialcommunication started in India in the 1990’s at the time of economicliberalization. Generally, the corporate communication department of anorganization handles communicationrelated public issues and investorrelations. The department always takes help of ad agencies and PR firmswhich have experience in handling financial advertising and investorrelationship management.The corporate communication manager must know how thecapitalmarket is functioning. He must be aware about the role,scope,andfunctions of various regulatory bodies and institutions also familiar withprimary market and different legal aspects of financial advertising.Thegood knowledge of different financial instruments or products is veryimportant in financial communication. He must be smart enough topresent financial information of organisation in a positive way in themedia.Richard Dolphin has given target audiences for financialcommunication by organisation.•Analysts•The city•Financial Journalists•Institutional investors (for investor relations)•Merchant Bankers•Private Investors (for investor relations)•StockbrokersMany people feel that the financial market represents not just thecapital, numbers and figures but also social reality. Media shows things inbits and pieces, which is not the whole truth. Therefore, it is theresponsibility of organisations to share information with shareholdersthrough annual reports and they can publish it continually on organizationwebsites. For example, The ICICI bank in 2008, there was grapevine thatthe bank was facing a huge financial breakdown. After this, they lost theirexisting customer in no time. It affected the bank image very badly. Then,the bank undertaken a customer education campaign, which lasted formonths.The organisation has to communicate with various financial institutions inIndia. letssee some of them.10.8.6.1. Reserve Bank of India (RBI):RBI which was establishedin 1935 in pre–Independence Day, it isapex body of monetary institution in India which is referred as the centralbank of India.munotes.in

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14010.8.6.2. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was established in1988, a non-statutory body for regulating the securities market. SEBI inregulating the market with different objectives like making rules andregulations for the securities market.10.8.6.3. National Stock Exchange (NSE):National Stock Exchange (NSE) was established in 1992 by theGovernment of India. NSE deals with the reading of equity shares, bonds,and government securities. Its reputation is one of the nest-stockexchanges, globally.10.8.6.4. Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE):Bombay is known as thefinancial capital of India. It is known asthe oldest stock exchange in Asia which was established in 1875 under theName “Native share and stock Broker Association.”10.8.6.5. Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB):Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) is one of thespecialised agencies in India which deals with matters related to foreigndirect investment. The main aim is to create a base in the country bywhich large investment can be done to India.The next important thing is that the organisation has to manageInvestor relations (IR) which is the backbone of any effective financialcommunication. The image of organisations is not just formed in stockexchanges and media but also through communities too.10.8.7.Crisis Communication:Crisiscommunication is also one of the important factors ofcorporate communication. The communication can be defined as anadverse event, sudden calamity that needs to be addressed immediately. Itcan be man-made or may occur due to natural sources.Earthquakes, tidal waves, terrorism, wars, epidemics, corporatewarfare, scams, agitations of employees etc will be called a crisis. Everycrisis is different and needs to handle differently as per the intensity of theproblem. Let's see the different stages of the crisis.1.Pre-Crisis PhasePreparednessMitigationPrevention2.Crisis Phasemunotes.in

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141ResponseRecoveryDevelopment3.Post-Crisis PhaseReliefRecoveryRehabilitationCommunication plays a vital role in thedifferent phases of disastermanagement. Each phase in crisis management depends on effectivecommunication happening between different stakeholders.10.08.7.1. Types of Crisis:Hill and Knowlton, PR consultancy from the US has classified thecrisis inthe following segments.a.Exploding Crisis:Actual disasters, like fires, explosions, accidents, earthquakes,floods, famines can be called exploding crisisb.Immediate Crisis:Controversial incidents which involve companies, individuals,governmentsetc.c.Building Crisis:Anticipated crisis due to pre decided decisions like closure of aplant, discontinue from service etc. Comes under this category of crisis.d.Continuing CrisisWhen an organisation, a product, or a service is under long termattack from some stakeholder like media, judiciary, consumer groups willbe referred to as continuing crisis.It is the responsibility of the organisation to communicate withstakeholders and respond to the information needed for them, wheneverthey facea problem of crisis. At times of crisis, the most criticalstakeholder is the media, which represents the public voice. When anorganisation is going under crisis, the leader plays an important role as thepublic is watching him and he will be always on the radar of the media. Hemust prepare some action plan to avoid such disaster managementsituation. We can see an example of Mr.Ratan Tata, Chairman of TataGroup shown great courage ,resilience and resolved the problem when TajMahal Hotel, aTataproperty became the target of the terrorist attack inmunotes.in

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142November 2008.he handled the whole situation smoothly. After the monthof crisis, The Taj hotel attack, it started back to serving their clientsknowing that a lot of repair work was going on in many areas.Theintention behind it was that their spirit could not be killed and the mediaalso covered the incident and talked about the stories of human courage,determination and resilience.Any crisis it may be man-made or natural always requires carefulhandling especially if some life is involved in it. When a crisis comes noone can come back. The damage can happen to organisations but honestintentions and effective communication definitely help any organizationsto repair the image sooner or later.Thus,crisiscommunicationisoneoftheimportantFactorsincorporate communication.10.8.8.Laws and Ethics in corporate Communication:Every profession works within their territories of the legalframework of the law. There are many expectations from any professionand they have to pass many tests to be respected. Many professionalbodies frame their own certain self-regulations for its members, so it willhelp them to be aware of wrong practices. The corporate person has to befamiliar with law and code ofethics to their respective profession as wellas the corporate sector and media.The active media and NGO sector always require information andorganisations must remain ready to respond. The organisation person mustbe familiar with professional codes ofethics and self-regulation given bythe regulatory authorities and professional bodies within the corporatesector, media and corporate communication. Corporate communicationdoesn’t have any specific laws governing the profession but all the massmedia laws impact on it.Wecan see the law of defamation ,invasion ofprivacy and the copyright law.10.08.8.1 Defamation:Defamation is explained as a wrong done by a person to another'sreputation by words, signs or visible representation. The law ofdefamation is widely used in mass media, it has an important place inIndian legal system.10.8.8.2. Libel:Libel means a published false statement that is damaging to aperson's reputation; a written defamation or has an adverse impact on hisoccupation or business. We can see the example of famous authorKushwant singh’s preview of his biography in a publication earneddispleasure of Ms. Maneka Gandhi, a Politician. She feels that remarksabout her in the book were defamatory remarks. She then moved to themunotes.in

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143court requesting it to order the author to delete those references from thebook before it was circulated among people. Honourable court gave thejudgment in her favour and the author was asked to edit the book.10.8.8.3. Copyright Act:India had its firstcopyright act in 1914 and later on it amendedmany times. It provides exclusive right for life of the creator and yearsbeyond their death to those who own the copyright the exclusive right topublish, print or reproduce an original literary, musical or artistic work.10.8.8.4. Piracy:The advancement in technology has made copying and duplicatingfilms an easy thing at low cost. The biggest victim is the content owner.You can see that a film is released, people have the CD at a nominal priceof Rs20 to30 in the open market and in India, Bollywood is an importantcopyright industry.10.8.8.5. Right to Information Act,2005:The act has been in discussion for years in India at last which brings hopeand joy in civil society. Right to information includes the following things.•Inspect works, documents, and records•Take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records•Take certified samples of materialThe ministry of Corporate Affairs lays down rules and regulationsrelating to the corporate governance of organisation. It is important forcorporate communication people to update themselves regarding the latestdevelopments on the subject.10.08.8.6. Ethics:As mentioned earlier, every profession is working in a particular legalframework andin the frame of code of ethics.Gruing and hunt(1984) said that,“Ethics is concerned with freeintentional organizational conduct that affects or has consequences fora public.”This profession is also facing various ethical questions. Likepeoplewithout professional qualification practising corporatecommunication. In the US certification is a must if one has to practicecorporate communication, professional education, accreditation from aprofessional body and agreeing to a code of ethical conduct.munotes.in

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144Some of the Ethics corporate communicators have to follow. He must not•Subordinate truth to any other considerations.•Disseminate information not factually correct.•Lend assistance to any enterprise, which might harm the moral,honestyand dignity of the human race.•The use of such words to make receivers act irrationally.10.09 SUMMARYIn this chapter we have learnt the roots of corporatecommunication. We have discussed similarities and differences betweencorporate communication and PR. We looked at different definitions ofcorporate communication. Then this chapter discussed different factorsinvolved in corporate communication. Finally, we discussed why there is aneed for corporate communication among organizations and also saw howto become a good corporate communicator.Table 1.4 Vocabulary of corporate communicationsMissionOverriding purpose inline with the value orexpectationofstakeholders‘British Airways is aiming to setnew Industry standards incustomer service andinnovation,deliver the bestfinancialperformance andevolve frombeing an airline to a world travelbusiness with theflexibility to stretch its brand intonew business areas’Vision /strategicintentThe long-term aimsand aspiration of thecompanyfor itself.‘To become the undisputed leaderin world travel by ensuring thatBA is the customer’s first choicethrough the delivery of anunbeatable travel experience.Corporateobjectivesand goals(Precise ) statement ofaims or purposeTobe agood neighbor, concernedfor the community and theenvironment’, ‘to provide overallsuperior service and good valuefor money in every marketsegment in which we compete’,‘to excel in anticipating andquickly responding to customerneeds and competitoractivity.StrategiesThe ways or means inwhich the corporateobjectives are to beachieved and put intoeffect‘Continuing emphasis onconsistent quality of customerservice and the delivery to themarketplace of value for moneythroughcustomer-orientedmunotes.in

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145initiatives(on-line bookingservice, strategic alliances) and toarrange all the elements of ourservice to that they collectivelygenerate a particular experience–building trust with ourshareholder,employees,customers, neighbours and withour critics,through commitmentto good collectively generate aparticular experience–buildingtrust with our shareholders,practice and societal reporting.CorporateidentityThe profile and valuescommunicated by anorganizationThe world’s favorite airline’ (thiscorporate identity with itsassociates brand value of service,quality,innovation,cosmopolitanism andBritish-nessis carried through in positioning,design and livery, andcommunications)CorporateimageThe immediate set ofmeaning inferred byanindividualinconfrontation/response toone ormore signals from orabout a particularorganization at singlepoint in time.‘Very recently I got a ticketbooked to London, and whenreporting at the airport I wasshown the door by BA staff. Iwas flatly told that the said flightin which I was travel was alreadyfull so my ticket was not validany further and the airline wouldtry to arrange for a seat in someother flight. You can imagine howembarrassedI felt at that momentof time. To add ghee to the fire,the concerned official of BAStakeholderAny group orindividual thatcanaffector is affected bythe achievement of theorganization’Employees consumer, investorand shareholders, community,aviationbusiness and suppliers,government, trade union, NGOsand society at largePublicPeople who mobilizethemselves against theorganizationon thebasis of some commonissue or concern tothem‘Local residences of HeathrowAirport appeared in November2002 against the Government andBritish Airways concerning theissue of night flight violatedlocalresident’shuman right. BritishAirways continued the presentnight flight regime’MarketA defined group forwhom a product is orThe market for British Airwaysflights consists of passengers whomunotes.in

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146may be in demand(and for whom anorganization createsandmaintainsproducts and serviceofferings)search for superior service overand beyond the basictransportation involved.CommunicationsThe internal andexternalcommunicationstechniques and mediathat are used towardsinternal and externalgroups‘Newsletters,promotionpackages, consultation forums,advertising campaigns, corporatedesigns and code of conduct, freepublicity / public relation…’IntegrationThe act ofcoordinating allcommunications sothat the corporateidentity is effectivelyand consistentlycommunicated tointernal and externalgroups‘British Airways aims tocommunicate its brand value ofservice, quality, innovation,cosmopolitanism and British-nessthroughall itscommunicationsina consistent and effective manner.*extractedfrom BritishAirways annual report and the world wide web.10.11 UNIT END EXERCISES1.Select any organisation.Prepare an organization chart of theorganization and identify the main types of communication in which itengages.2.Find published articles in the important journals of the field that focuson management communication. Compare them to articles in journalswhich focused on marketing communication, and in journals focusedon organisational communication. Observe similarities and differencesamong them.3.Keep yourself in the position of a customer. How do you think theywould interpret the organization’s identity? What will you call thoseidentity elements?4.Identify the corporate brands whose principal target audiences consistofeither investors, employees, or consensus.5.What criteria will you use to judge an effective communicationcampaign.?6.Define reputation. How is the reputation of an individual differentfrom the reputation ofan organization?7.Why is it challenging and at the same time necessary to constantlymaintain a positive reputation in the digital age?8.Do you think that free media coverage helps to build an organization'simage?Discuss with arguments.munotes.in

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1479.What do you understand by concept employee communication? canyou state how it is similar or different from communication from othermanagement departments?10. What are the various popular communication channels of employeecommunication?State the salient featureof at least four such channels.11. Define government relations and describe the various steps for aneffective government relations management programme.12. Follow up stories in the financial media from 15 February, a fortnightbefore the finance minister places the budget before the parliament tosee the various lobbies working thought industry associations andmedia on issues that are being pushed to influence the budget.Frequently, lobbying continues between the time that the bill goesfrom the Lok Sabha to the Rajya Sabha. Go through the budgetcarefully to see what has been accommodated in order to understandthe impact of lobbying and who is pushing it, with what benefit.13. According to you, Which Indian organisation in India is doingexcellent work in CSR and why do you think so?14. Get in touch with a nearby organisation that runs a CSR Programme.Get details from the CSR officer regarding the programme, whether itis run by the company itself or in partnership with a civil societyorganization,the objectives behind the CSR, and the budget given forit.15.Define financial communication and its role in corporatecommunication.16. How would you define a crisis? What are the various types of crisis?17. Media is full of stories on different sorts of crises. Follow one of thesefor as long as it has held in media interest and analyse it from variousperspectives and viewpoints of stakeholders.18. Laws and Ethics are the two sides of the same coin. Discuss it.10.12REFERENCES1.Cees B.m..Van Riel and Charles J. Fombrun (2007), Essentials ofcorporate communication, Routledge, NewYork.2.Jethwaney,jaishri,2010,Corporate Communication principles andpractice, OUP, new Delhi.3.Joep, Cornelissen, (2004) Corporate Communications Theory andPractice, SAGE Publications, New Delhi.4.Corporate communication forms and Interaction process, Instructorby Yalçın KIRDARKyrgyz–Turkish Manas University,Communication Faculty, Public Relations and AdvertisementDepartment.5.Cutlip, Scott M., Allen H.Xenter, and Glen M.Broom 2006,Effective Public Relations,8th Edition, Pearson Education, newDelhi,pp.72-73.munotes.in

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1486.Jackson, P.1987, corporate communication for Managers, PitmanLondon.7.Fernandez, Joseph 2004, Corporate Communication-A 21st CenturyPrimer, Response Books, New Delhi, pp.55-568.Dolphin Richard R.1999, The Fundamentals of CorporateCommunication, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, p.1.9.Grunig, J.E. and Hunt, T. (1984) Managing Public Relations. NewYork: Holt, Rinehart & Winston10.Khandekar, Vanita Kohli 2006, The Indian Media Business,2ndedition, Response Books, New Delhi, pp.20-30.11.5th Pitch-Madison Advertising outlook, PITCH, February 2008,vol..v, Issue 4,quoting source iCube report ,2007,pp.70-73.12.Beder, S.2000, Global spin: The corporate Assault onEnvironmentalism,Scribe,Melbourne.Http;//scribepublications.com.au. /book/global spin13.The Economic Times,13 August 2007 as carried inhttp://www.ibef.org/artdisplay.aspx?14.Oliver, Sandra 1997, Corporate Communication, Kogan page,London, pp.40-41.15.My Reliance, My Life: Corporate Sustainability Report,2005-06.16.Smith, Lyn with Pamela Mounter, Effective Internal Communication,kogan page, new Delhi, p28.17.Kolter, Philip and Nancy Lee 2005, Corporate Social Responsibility,wiley-India,New Delhi,P.3.18.Dolphin Richard R.1999, The Fundamentals of CorporateCommunication, Butterworth-Heinemann, UK, P.95.19.http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1040341721.html.20.www.georgeludwig.com21.www.ficci.com22.www.cii.in23.www.assocham.org.24.www.scoponline.in25.http://www.mallenbaker.net/csr/CSRfiles/definition.html.26.http://www.bharatpetroleum.com/EnergisingSociety/SWR_overveiw.aspx?id=227.www.verimmen.com28.www.cardiffac.uk.29.www.nse.com30.www.encygov.com31.www.cii.in32.www.mca.gov.inprof.himachalam Dasaraju,www.essex.ac.uk.33.www.tvb.org/multiplatform/multiplatform_Glossary.aspex.34.https://muckrack.com/blog/2019/09/23/difference-between-corporate-communications-and-public-relations accessed on 29 Jan 2020




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14911PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES & ETHICS INBUSINESS COMMUNICATIONUnit StructureSection 111.1Objectives11.2Introduction11.3Meaning of persuasion11.4Three steps of the writing process for persuasive messages.11.4.1.Planning11.4.2.Writing11.4.3 Completing11.5 Persuasive Strategies11.5.1.Ethos11.5.2.Logos11.5.3.Pathos11.5.4.Dissonance, motivation and needs11.5.5.Safety needs11.5.6.Social needs11.5.7.Self-esteem needs11.6.AIDA formula11.7.SummarySection two11.1.Introduction11.2.Defining terms11.3.Types of Ethics11.4.Classification of Values11.5.Difference between Ethics and Values11.6.Profession11.7.Professional11.8.Professionalism11.9.BusinessEthics11.10Myths about Business Ethics11.11.Ethics at workplace11.12.Coke’s Five Ps11.13.Ethical leadershipmunotes.in

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15011.14.Engineering Ethics11.14.1.BET code of ethic11.14.2.Principciple/Benchmark for engineers11.15. Media Ethics11.15.1. Classification of media11.15.2. Ethical standards11.15.2.1. Accuracy11.15.2.2 Trustworthiness11.15.2.3 Objectivity11.15.2.4. Integrity of sources11.15.2.5. Avoiding conflicts11.16Summary11.17Unit End Questions11.1 OBJECTIVES•To understand how to organize and write persuasive messages.•To make familiar with different persuasive strategies used in businesscommunication.•To make you aware about the basic terms related to Ethics andMorality•To know the importance of Ethics to individuals and organisations.•To know the difference between the terms profession, professional andprofessionalism.•To know the importance of Ethics in engineering and the mediaprofession.•To understand the concept of Ethical leadership in businesscommunication.Section OnePersuasive strategies in Business communication11.2 INTRODUCTIONThere are different objectives of Business communication.Organisations use different strategies in Business communication to maketheir business successful. Persuasiveness is one of the strategies used byvarious organisations. Persuasive communication is a significant factor ofbusiness communication. Let’s see what is meant by persuasion.11.3 MEANING OF PERSUASION"...a symbolic process in which communicators try to convince otherpeople to change their attitudes or behaviours regarding an issue throughmunotes.in

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151the transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice.” (Perloff(2003)"•The term ‘‘persuasion’’ means to force someone into something.•The art of persuasion is the art of finding the best available means ofmoving a specific audience in a specific situation to a specificdecision.•Persuasive communication means, persuading others to understandwhat one is trying to communicate.•Persuasion is the attempt to change a reader’s attitude,beliefs or actionin your favour.The most effective business leaders know how to understand agroup and communicate with them in an effective way. So, whether youare selling cars or just trying to sell your idea to your boss, sellingproducts of your company. Writing effective persuasive messages is animportant skill in all business communication.Now, the next question may come in your mind is how to write persuasivemessages. There areThree Step Writing Process for Persuasive Message.11.4 THREESTEP WRITING PROCESS FORPERSUASIVE MESSAGE•Planning•Writing•Completing11.4.1 Planning:The first step in writing a persuasive message is planning. Every day wemay get various ideas but before planning a message.i.Analysing the situation:First ofall, you must decide the purpose of your message and whatexactly you want to convey to the audience. Your messages are going toconnect with interest and desire. We can ask certain questions to youbefore analysing the situation. Who is my audience? Whatare myaudience member’s needs? What do I want them to do? How might theyrespond?ii. Analysing the audience:Next step is analysing the audience and you must understand theircultural expectations and practices. So that it will help you to frame yourpersuasive message by using an appropriate appeal.iii. Gathering information:Gathering information Once your situation analysis is completemunotes.in

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152you need to gather the information necessary to create a compellingpersuasive messageiv. Selecting right Medium:Next important thing is selecting the right medium is veryimportant while sending persuasive messages. Advertising agenciesgenerally employ media specialists whose job is to analyse the differentmedia options and we need to select the most cost effective for each clientand advertising campaign.v. Organizing your information:The objective of persuasion is to change people, their belief,attitude or action. We want to explain our reason and build interest beforeasking for decision or action.11.4.2Writing a persuasive message:When you're writing a persuasive message. We have to be awareof certain things. Use positive and polite language when we are writingmessages. When we are sending messages, we must Understand andrespect cultural differences. Every organisation has their own culture ofworking so be sensitive to organizational cultures. Whenever we arewriting messages credibility is important and according to it takes steps toestablish your credibility.11.4.3Completing Persuasive message:You are supposed to judge your argument objectively and don't tryto overestimate your credibility.Take care that your purpose fulfils theneeds of organization and audience.You have to design your message in such a way that it shouldcomplementyour argument. Proofread for any mechanical or spellingerrors that would weaken your argument. Your delivery method must fityour audience’s expectations. Evaluate the contents of your messagebefore it goes out. Revise your message and check with clarity andconciseness of the message. You can check draft messages from yourcolleague. Check the overall design elements of messages. If anymechanical errors, you need to proofread it after that you can distribute themessage“The tongue can paint what theeye can’t see.”–Chinese Proverb11.5 PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES“Persuasion is often more effective than force.”–AesopWhen you start to persuade a person, it is very difficult to changetheir attitude, mentality or belief. People will not easily acceptthat theyare wrong with their perception. We will learn about some persuasivemunotes.in

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153strategies that we can use to effectively influence the audience. They areethos, logos, pathos, positive motivation, negative motivation, cognitivedissonance, appeal to safety needs, appeal to social needs, and appeal toself-esteem needs.11.5.1Ethos:Aristotle has given three rhetorical proofs that are Ethos, logos,and pathos. Ethos refers to the credibility of a speaker and includes threedimensions: competence, trustworthiness, and dynamism. The two mostresearched dimensions of credibility are competence and trustworthiness(Stiff & Mongeau, 2003).Competence refers to the perception of a speaker’s expertise inrelation to the topic being discussed. Competent speakersneed to be awareof the content of their speech and be able to effectively deliver thatcontent. Whereas trustworthiness refers to the degree that audiencemembers perceive a speaker to be presenting accurate, credibleinformation to them. The Perceptionsof trustworthiness generally comefrom the content of the speech and the personality of the speaker.Trustworthy speakers always consider the audience throughout his speech-making process, present information in a balanced way, do not force theaudience,he cites credible sources, and he follows the general principlesof communication ethics. In terms of personality, trustworthy speakers arealso friendly and warm(Stiff & Mongeau, 2003).Dynamism refers to the degree to which audience membersperceive aspeaker to be outgoing and animated(Stiff & Mongeau, 2003)There are two components of dynamism that are charisma and energy.Charisma refers to a mixture of abstract and concrete qualities of a speakerattractive to an audience. People are always attracted to charismaticpeople.There are a number of examples of great leaders.See the belowpicture of Mr.Barack Obama.
Dynamic Speaker cataracts people through their oratory skillshttps://presentingwithimpact.nl/the-secret-of-great-charismatic-speakers/
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15411.5.2Logos:Research shows that messages are more persuasive whenarguments and their warrants are made explicit(Stiff & Mongeau, 2003).Logos refer to the reasoning or logical skill set of a person. Speakers showlogos by presenting reliable information with the supporting material andciting their sources during their speech. It said that “Speakers can alsoappeal to logos by citing personal experience and providing the credentialsand/or qualifications of sources of information”(Cooper & Nothstine,1996).The most effective persuasive messages are those that present twosides of an argument and refute the opposing side, followed by singleargument messages, followed by messages that present counter argumentsbut do not refute them (Stiff & Mongeau, 2003)). At last, Speaker clearlyshows the audience why one position is superior to another.11.5.3Pathos:“Emotional appeals are effective when you are trying toinfluence a behavior or you want your audience to take immediateaction” (Stiff & Mongeau,2003)Pathos reference to emotional appeal of the speaker to theaudience. Trilling and exciting emotions plays an important role to get theaudience involved in the speech, and their involvement can create moreopportunities for persuasion and action. For example, reading in thenewspaper that a house was stolen may get your attention, but think abouthow your reaction will be if you come to know that it was your own home.Effective speakers generally use emotional appeals with logicallyconvincing manner, otherwise audiences may be doubtful of a speechwhich is only based on emotion.Emotional appeals are effective when you are trying to influence abehavior or you want your audience to take immediate action (Stiff &Mongeau, 2003)Thus, at last the speakers must strive to appeal to ethos, logos, andpathos and include within their speech otherwise it affects differently onthe audience.11.5.4Dissonance, Motivation, and Needs:The dictionary meaning of dissonance is that lack of harmonyamong musical notes.When we play a piano, it produces a sound that

 
our ears. But if there is no coordination or associations played notes, wemay react by embracing it because the sound is unpleasant to our ears. So,dissonance is that unpleasant feeling we get when two sounds clash. Thesame principle applies to cognitive dissonance, which refers to the mentalmunotes.in

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155discomfort that results when new information contradicts with currentbeliefs, attitudes, or values.Cognitive dissonance is a one of the persuasive strategies relies on threeassumptions:(1) people have a need for consistency in their thinking; (2) wheninconsistency exists, people experience psychological discomfort; and (3)this discomfort motivates people to address the inconsistency to restorebalance(Stiff & Mongeau, 2003)Positive and Negative Motivation:Positive and negative motivation are common persuasive strategiesused by many motivational speakers and parents. When we use positivemotivation in our delivery and people will like advice and it will comewith positive results. Whereas when we use negative motivation, resultswill also be negative.Appeals to Needs:Maslow's hierarchy of needs states that there are several layers ofneeds that human beings pursue. They include physiological, safety,social, self-esteem, and self-actualization needs (Maslow, 1943)
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:Physiological needs is the last one in the diagram of the hierarchyof needs. The closer the needs are to the base, the more important they arefor human survival. It's the speaker's responsibility to first understand theneeds of the audience. According to the diagram you can use differentpersuasive strategies.11.5.5Safety needs:When we work, we always take care of the safety of our own andfamily. It is expected that speakers should use safety with positivemotivation, so the results will be positive one. You can imagine how
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156insurance people appeal to customers with safety needs for their business.You must approach ethically while dealing withthem. Do not overuse fearappeals and the threat must be credible and supported by evidence.11.5.6Social needs:We relate our social needs to supportive and caring groups. Wemeet our social needs through interpersonal relationships from intimateacquaintances.11.5.7Self-esteem needs:You may have seen a financial planner who persuades you bytelling you the prosperity that will result from accepting his or hermessage. A publicly supported radio station may persuade listeners todonate money to the station by highlighting a potential contribution tosociety. The health and beauty industries may persuade consumers to buytheir products by promising increased attractiveness. So, it is expected thatethical speakers should use appeals to self-esteem that focus on prosperity,contribution, and attractiveness in such ways that it will empowerlisteners.11.6 AIDA FORMULAPersuasive messages also use the four parts often referred to as the AIDAformula:
Attention:First you need to get your reader’sattention by answering thereader’s question of “what’s in it for me’’? Explain to him/her the productor service’s benefit. You need to be very quick to catch the attention ofyour audience. Create the situation and tell them how this product orservice is beneficial to them.You can create attention from customers by using open withAgreeable comments or assertions or with a question like Do you knowabout a new product?Interest and Desire:You can create and develop interest in customers by using facts,
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157statistics, examples, testimonials, and specific details. You have toestablish your credibility, if necessary, by explaining your background andexpertise. Tell them the facts to direct and indirect benefit.Action:You can make a precise request to customers and you can tell them adeadline. Again, you canrepeat a benefit, provide details and most importantly offer an incentive.11.7 SUMMARYThus, in this section, we have seen what is meant by persuasionand how it can be used in different situations. We have also discussedvarious persuasive strategies which we can use in businesscommunication. Next section will focus on Ethics in Businesscommunication.Section TwoEthics in Business Communication11.1 INTRODUCTIONThe chapter'smain objective is to make you familiar with morality,Ethics, and values and its importance in business communication. Ethics isactually a branch of philosophy that deals with study of moral standards.You may wonder why ethics is important in business communication?There are certain reasons behind it. We will see it step by step in thischapter. Ethics is related to every aspect of our life. It is an important skillset or guiding force which tells about doing the right things. In today'sdigital and fast-growing world ‘‘Ethics in Business’’ has been a hot topicand growing discipline in India. The unethical behaviour can cost acompany or it can hamper its reputation. It will affect organisations profitand loss. Let’s first understand the concept of Morality, ethics and valuesthrough the following caselet and give your opinions at the end.11.2 CASE LETVipin Chanda is a science graduate. After completing his studies,he joined a publishing house as a junior commissioning editor. He Workedhard and was successful in getting appreciation from his superiors for hiswork. He was ambitious. In addition, he had family responsibility. Hisfather was a clerk in a government office. He also had an elder sister to bemarried. They were just about making both ends meet.The publishing house was working for published engineeringbooks. During his work, he undertook many projects for Publication. Hewas successful in some cases but could not make any headway in manymunotes.in

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158others. He quickly realised that there are not many who are willing towrite books or are capable of writing good material. Many engineeringteachers and professionals shied away from such work.During his years with the company. he made many people whowere willing to write books and many who promisedto do so later.database for such people that he maintained as a part of the normalprocedure of the company. He maintained a good relationship with allthose people, as he was a very enterprising person with goodcommunication skills.He worked for thefirm for three years. His resume and workexperience now looked good and he applied for a higher position atanother publishing house that was also in the business of publishingEngineering textbooks. Due to his past experience in the field, thecompany recruited him and gave him a good remuneration package. Hedecided to join the new firm.While leaving with present employer, he transferred all the data ofWriters and potential writers to a CD, which he took with him. This hadthe names, addresses and telephone numbers of more than 200 people whocould be considered as potential writers. After joining the new firm, hewas under pressure to acquire new projects-identify and contact writersfor engineering books. Since he was very ambitious and faced the pressureof doing well in his job and supporting his family, he used the data fromthe CD. he contacted many of them and got several projects because of hisAssociation with them. He owned the appreciation of his new employersfor the business he was able toget.Give your opinion on the following questions/situations.1.When you work for a company you are privy to a lot of informationthat may be crucial in a highly competitive environment. was it rightof Vipin to take this information with him and use itwhen working fora competitor?2.Do you think that collecting the official data on a CD and using it forpersonal success was a highly unethical act?3.Suppose Vipin had not made a CD of the database he had. Heremembered many people and had their contact numbers with him.Now if he contacts them for a fresh project, would it be ethical?11.3 DEFINITIONS OF TERMSMoral and Morality:The Oxford dictionary defines the word moral as ‘‘concerned withthe principles of right and wrong behaviour’’ and ‘‘alesson that can bederived from a story or experience’’. Whereas morality is defined in thefollowing ways.munotes.in

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159•‘‘Principles governing right and wrong and good and badbehaviour.’’•‘‘The degree to which something is right or wrong, good or bad ,andso on.’’The word morality is derived from the Latin word ‘‘moralitas’ meaningmanner, customs, or proper behaviour.Ethics:“Ethics” has been coined from the Greek Word „Ethikos


“pertains to character. Ethics is a branch of philosophy particularly amoral philosophy that studies the evolution of concepts such as right andwrong behaviour. The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary definesethics as ‘‘the moral principles that control or influence a person’sbehaviour or a system of moral principles or rules ofbehaviour. It alsodefines it as „the branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles.’’
(https://poetsandquants.com/2019/10/16/in-demand-business-ethics-courses/?pq-category=business-school-news pq-category-2=elective-courses/)11.4 TYPES OF ETHICSWe can divide Ethics as follows1.Metaethics:It focuses on the origin of ethical principles that govern the rightand wrong behaviour. The main debate in this term is whether theseprinciples are created by the spiritual world or created by humans. Somepeople opine that these moral values are created by individuals and societyto govern the behaviour of individuals.2.Descriptive Ethics:It is related to the study of moral beliefs of people. It is an area inwhich people or societies considerwhat is right or wrong.
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1603.Normative Ethics:It refers to a set of moral conduct rules against which behavioursare judged.4.Applied Ethics:It is study of ethically controversial topics/issues like death penaltyand cloning.Types of Ethics:1.Personal Ethics:What an individual believes about morality and rightand wrong2.Social Ethics:Defines the behaviour of people in society3.Business Ethics:Examines morals and ethical principles that canarise in a business environment4.Professional Ethics:Principles that govern the behaviour of a groupof persons belonging to a particular profession5.Religious Ethics:The moral principles that guide religions and set thestandard for what is and what isn't acceptable behaviourValues:It is defined as ‘‘Belief about what is right and wrong and what isimportant in life’’in this connection values are closely related to moralityand ethics. Every individual follows a certain value system for theirpersonal behaviour and social values arethose that are accepted by mostof the individuals whereas universal values are accepted by the wholeworld. Degradation in values is considered a major factor affecting oursociety today.11.5BOARD CLASSIFICATIONS OF VALUES1.Individual values:These are the values which are related with the development ofhuman personality or individual norms of recognition and protection of thehuman personality such as honesty, loyalty, honour etc.2.Collective values:Values connected with the solidarity of the community orcollective norms of equality, justice, solidarity and sociableness are knownas collective values.3.Spirituality:Spiritual means ‘‘concerned with the human spirit, rather than themunotes.in

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161body of physical thing.’’, ‘‘concerned with religion’’.The quality of beingconcerned with religion or the human spirit.4.Stakeholders:Stakeholders include individuals, organisations, and society.Individuals:Individuals help to make up organisations and the society. Moralityof individuals is very important in development of society ororganisations. Thus, ethical behaviour being taught to people and how tolearn that is also still studied.For example, let's see the story from the bookWise and otherwiseby Sudha Murthy.There was a very poor young boy, Hanumanth,achieved the eight rank in his secondary school of examination. He was acoolie’s son and could not pursue studies due to poverty. The author methim and offered help to enable him to pursue higher studies.It was agreedthat he will be givenRs300 per month for his expenses as per his ownestimates. The author sent him an amount of Rs1800 for the next sixmonths. After six months she sent him another Rs1800 for the next sixmonths. After a few days, she received the letter, with some moneyenclosed, from the boy. The boy wrote that he had not been in college forthe last two months due to holiday and strike. He had enclosed Rs300 ashe had not spent that money.You can imagine the best example of honesty of that boy. Thoughhe is poor, he didnot keep money with him and return the money whichhe had not used. Where did he learn such honesty? Does this virtue comefrom family background or developed by schooling? OrganizationsThe work ethics is very vital to implement effectiveness atwork and remove corruption from organisation.It includes groups ofpeople like a company, an office, or an institution. Many organizationsgive importance to code of ethical conduct. The organization must giveimportancetoits ethical code and inform or train employees to followgood conduct, not only within the organisation and works related but alsooutside.Society:At the end, individuals and organisations form part of the society.It tells a dynamic system of code of conduct that changes withtime. Thecurrent code of conduct has a big influence on our behaviour.11.6 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETHICS AND VALUESEthics and Values together makes the foundation for sustainability.They are sometimes used similarly, but they are different. Ethics are themunotes.in

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162set of rules that govern the behaviour of a person, established by a groupor culture. Values refer to the beliefs for which a person has a preference.Both Ethics and values are very important in every sphere of life.Sometimes, we have to make a choice between two things, where ethicsdetermine what is right and values determine what is important.In today's world of intense competition, every business entityworks on certain principles and beliefs which are nothing but the values.Likewise, ethics isimplemented in theorganisation to ensure theprotection of the interest of stakeholders like customers, suppliers,employees, society and government.BASIS FORCOMPARISONETHICSVALUESMeaningEthics refers to theguidelines for conduct,that address questionabout moralityValue is defined as theprinciples and ideals,that helps them inmakingjudgementofwhat is more importantWhat are they?System of moralprinciples.Stimuli for thinking.ConsistencyUniformDiffers from person topersonTellsWhat is morallycorrect or incorrect, inthe given situationWhat we want to do orachieve.DeterminesExtent of rightness orwrongness of ouroptions.Level of importanceWhat does it ?ConstrainsMotivatesThese are differences between ethics and values1.Ethics refers to the guidelines forconduct thataddress questions aboutmorality. Value is defined as the principles and ideals, whichhelps them in making the judgement of what is more important.2.Ethics is a system ofmoral principles. In contrast to values, which isthe stimuli of our thinking.3.Values strongly influence the emotional state of mind. Therefore,it acts as a motivator. On the other hand, ethics compels to follow aparticular course of action.4.Ethics are consistent, whereas values are different for differentpersons, i.e., what is important for one person, may not be importantfor another person.5.Values tell us what we want to do or achieve in our life, whereas ethicshelps us in deciding what is morally correct or incorrect, in the givensituation.munotes.in

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163Sometimes we also say professional ethics. We need to understandthe three terms profession, professional, and professionalism. Many times,this term is used differently with many things. You may havesomequestions in your mind like what is meant by profession? What is meantby professionalism? What are the distinguishing features of aprofessional? Now, see the difference between this term.11.7 PROFESSIONThe dictionary defines it as a typeof job that requires specialtraining or skill especially one that needs a high level of education suchas medical, legal, or teaching. Through this definition we can understandtwo things. A profession needs special training, and it generally givesahigh status to the individual person in the society.11.8 PROFESSIONALProfessional is defined in oxford dictionary as someone connectedwith a job that needs special training or skill, especially one that needs ahigh level of education and he/she does it as a paid job rather than hobby.11.9 PROFESSIONALISMThe term is also used in various contexts with different meanings.The oxford dictionary defines professionalism as the high standard thatyou expect from a person who is well trained in a particular job requiringgreat skills or ability.David Maister explains that professionalism is‘believingpassionately in what you do, never compromising your standards andvalues, and caring about your clients, your people and your own career’.11.10 ETHICS IN BUSINESSGood governance is not just good management. It is somethingwhichis muchbroader and includes fair, efficient and transparentadministration designed to meet certain well-defined objectives in anorganization.Good governance demands that a corporate house must have aresponsibility to set exemplary standards of ethical behaviours in itsinternal and external relationships, thereby achieving ‘‘value addition’’ interms of stability and growth, confidence, and long-term sustenance ofstakeholder’s relationships, brand equality, and excellent governancecredentials. An Ethicalbusinessnot onlyis profitablebut also serves itsstakeholders and stays in competition successfully. Earlier people used tosee business as only money makingwithout any moral or ethical values.munotes.in

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164Now it’s very important to domestic business or it may be an internationalcorporation to follow ethical behaviour in their business. If businesses arenot fair and clean to the society, they cannot make profits for long andthey may fail to win the trust and support of the people and the society.11.11.10 Myths About Business Ethics:10 Myths About Business Ethics1.Myth: Business ethics is more a matter of religion than management.2.Myth: Our employees are ethical so we don’t need attention tobusiness ethics.3.Myth: Business ethics is a discipline best led by philosophers,academics and theologians.4.Myth: Business ethics is superfluous—it only asserts the obvious:“do good!”5.Myth: Business ethics is a matter of the good guys preaching to thebad guys.6.Myth: Business ethics in the new police person on the block.7.Myth: Ethics can’t be managed.8.Myth: Business ethics and social responsibility are the same thing.9.Myth: Our organization is not in trouble with the law, so we’re ethical.10.Myth: Managing ethics in the workplace has little practical relevance.(https://managementhelp.org/blogs/business-ethics/2010/10/13/10-myths-about-business-ethics/)11.12 ETHICS AT WORKPLACEGood organizations always spend time and resources to create acordial atmosphere to employees which is ethically attractive. Themanagement must set trends of goodconduct and transparency. Open andharmonious communication is necessary among employees andmanagement.It will help them to imbibe ethics in them. A greatworkplace works like a magnet to the employees. Organizations shouldtake care of their employees.Good organisations treat employees withtrust and responsibility. Management is always sensitive to the employeesbenefits and interests. An ethical workplace always follows that everyonein the workplace is treated with the same set of rules and regulations.11.13COKE’S FIVE PsCoke’s leaders enshrined their values in Five Ps, expressed in terms ofethical values:•People:We are a great place to work where people are inspired tobe the best they can be.•Planet:We are a responsible global citizen thatmakes adifference.•Partners:We nurture a winning network of partners and buildmunotes.in

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165mutual loyalty.•Portfolio: We bring to the world a portfolio of beverage brandsthat anticipate and satisfy people’s desires and needs.•Profit: We maximize return to shareowners while being mindful ofour overall responsibilities.(https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/Documents/Ethical-Workplace-Culture.pdf)11.14 ETHICAL LEADERSHIPThe name itself tells the meaning of leadership. In businesscommunication ethical leadership plays an important role. It's governed byethical behaviour. It means a leader has to be ethical in nature and he mustinspire others to be like that. Ethical leader knows what is good for peopleand organisation. His ethical behaviour will reflect through his actions andothers can take inspiration from them. Ethical leaders create a positiveenvironment for the people, competitors and customers.Ethical leadership creates a healthy and ethical environment forpeople at worksplace.It helps to increase the brand name and reputation ofthe organisation. It will work as a great support system when the timing isnot favourable to the organisation. Ethical leadership is strong enough andcompetent in handling the government policies. This leadership is alwayspeople oriented and customer friendly.11.15ENGINEERING ETHICSIt is well known saying that‘‘engineers don't just build things anddevelop processes; they make a better society’’. The engineered productsand processes have a long effect on society that is the reason there is a linkbetween ethics and engineering. Engineering is a profession like law,media is governed by professional code of conduct or ethics which givesguidelines which things must be and must not be done. Every professionhas some code of Ethics given by professional bodies or societies. Youmay have heard that “Engineers should not sign off on work unless theyhave checked and approved it or 'Once having undertaken a case, thephysician should not neglect the patient”.‘‘Engineering Ethics is the study of the decisions, policies, and valuesthat are morally desirable in engineering practice and research.’’---Martin & SchinzingerIT is important for a group to have a code of ethics before societyrecognises it as a profession. There are different professional societieswho talk about the responsibilities, ethical behaviour and code of Ethicsfor engineers. Boston Society of Civil Engineers, founded in 1848, was thefirst civilian engineering organisation.•American Society of Civil Engineers was founded in 1852.munotes.in

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166•In 1906 American Society of Electrical Engineers voted to have acode.•The code was adopted by AIEE in 1912 and by ASME in 1914.•By 1915 all engineering associations had a code.The different bodies have stated different codes of Ethics butEngineering is too diverse for one code of ethics to apply to all. ThereareSomeindependent practitioners, some are employees of largeorganizations, some are managers, some are closely supervised and someare their own bosses. Engineers do too many different things for the samestandards to apply to all. Engineering is not a single profession but afamily of historically related professions There is a body called theAccreditation Board ofEngineering and Technology (ABET) that hasgiven a fundamental Code of Ethics for all Engineering professionals.11.15.1Code of Ethics:The Fundamental Principles:Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honour and dignity of theengineering profession by:•Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of humanwelfare.•Being honest and impartial, and servicing with fidelity the public, theiremployers and clients.•Striving to increase the prestige and competence of the engineeringprofession.•Supporting the professional and technical societies of their discipline.11.15.2Principle /Benchmarks for Engineers:•Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of theirservices and shall not compete unfairly with others.•Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance thehonor, integrity and dignity of the profession.•Engineers shall continue their professional development throughouttheir careers and shall provide opportunities for the professionaldevelopment of those engineers under their supervision.•Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of thepublic in the performance of their professional duties.•Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.•Engineers shall issuepublic statements only in an objective andtruthful manner.•Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or clientas faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.Thus, Engineering ethics is mainly knowing about theprofessionalmunotes.in

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167area of engineers which is governed by standards of code of ethics and anexamination of moral issues that are related to various aspects ofengineering.11.16 MEDIA ETHICSMedia is known as the fourth pillar of democracy. It has greatpowerto touch every aspect of our life. You people are very much awareabout the power of the media and how it is playing a crucial role in thecurrent situation. It has a very big effect on our life. So, It must beregulated with moral principles and ethicaldecision making. This mediaincludes Radio, television, print, cinema and internet and it has greatcapacity to create good society or crack the society. The many decisions inour life have the effect of the media.
Drawing(https://hindi.oneindia.com/news/fourth-pillar-democracy-dangerous-read-view-writer/articlecontent-pf100910-429883.html)11.16.1Classification of Media:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w4JgeGAB-tQ/UNvFWKFdD6I/AAAAAAAAABI/jg2WloyNYTY/s1600/MEDIA.JPG)
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16811.16.2Ethical Standards:Today, every organisation and country has their own media Ethicsthey are practicing. If media or journalists are not following standards ofethical behaviour then it is going to affect their reputation and credibility.There are some standards which are followed by media professionals allover the world.11.16.2.1Accuracy:Accuracy is the main foundation of Media ethics. You can see thatBBC news channel,they pay highest importance toa accuracy whilereporting, editing and photographing the events. Accuracy is very muchimportant as it shows truth to people who understand the situation.You might aware about the how media has the shown the case ofthe Aarushi-Hemraj murder (2008) by Indian media.11.16.2.2Truthfulness:Truthfulness is needed to show the complete truth of the situation.It requires commitment from journalists as well as from media houses too.It is the responsibility of journalists to whenever they are showing anystory, it must be truthful without any bias, all content and all sides of thestory are presented in it.11.16.2.3Objectivity:This attribute helps media persons to be aware about the personalbiases. It is expected that journalists show stories as objectively and notintentionally hide or omit information to colour their own personalagenda.11.16.2.4Integrity of Sources:It is the responsibility of journalists to check accuracy as well asverify the sources before putting it in stories. Journalists must use originalsources and clearly identify and mention it.11.16.2.5Avoiding conflict of Interest:The media persons must act with integrity and refuse any gifts,favours and special treatment offered to them so they cannot compromisewith fairness of their stories.Now we have seen some of the common ethical standards forjournalists or media. There are some professional organizations that havealso stated some guidelines of media ethics.munotes.in

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169The society of Professional journalists has given some simple code ofethics.•Seek and report the truth•Minimize harm•Act Independently•Be accountableThe full code of conduct can be found on the website www.spj.org.There are some other self-regulatory codes of conduct for journalists andmedia.You can visit the following website of different organisations.•National Union of Journalists (http://media.gn.apc.org/mujcode.html)•Press Council of India (www.presscouncil.nic.in)•Indian Broadcasting Federation (www.ibfindia.com)•Media Alliance (www.alliance.org.au)Thus, every business has their own ethical code of conduct givenby government or professionals organizations or societies. We have seenethics in engineering and media how important it is. Every business has tofollow ethicalguidelines or code of ethics like education, medical,environment, law, advertising, politics and banking so on and so forth.11.17 SUMMARYIn this chapter, we have discussed persuasion communication, itsimpotence and different persuasive strategies used in businesscommunication. Then this chapter focused on the Ethics in businesscommunication. We have explored different concepts like morality, ethics,values, profession, professionalism, professional ethics and at the last wehave seen the importanceof ethics in different professions like ethics inengineering and media.11.18 UNIT END QUESTIONS1.What is meant by Ethics? Why is it necessary in business? Discuss.2.Explain the AIDA Model.3.Comment on the different persuasive strategies used in businesscommunication.4.Explain the three steps of writing persuasive messages.5.State the difference between Ethics and Values.6.Discuss and explain what is meant by „Ethics in Engineering7.State the importance of Ethics in Media. You can select orreference any news channel you like.8.Explain the Cokes 5Ps approach.munotes.in

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1709.Comment on the 10 myths of business Ethics.10.List down the key features of ethical leadership. Identify anybusiness organisation and analyse how ethical leadership makesdifference in organisation from its competitors.11.You have been appointed as a project Engineer and assigned the taskof a installation of a water purification unit to supply potable waterto a drought prone rural area. Identify minimum five ethicalproblems that may arise in executing this project.12.‘‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’’slogan coined by the Prime Minister ofIndia which is based on the philosophy of professional Ethics. Whatkind of ethical roles does it signify for the technocrats?13.Do you think the present media is free from ethical journalism? Ifyes why?14.Choose an article from any reputed newspaper and do analysis of itscontent and structure. Analyze the story whether it’s fair, balanced,and impartial or not?15.Read the following caselet and give your opinions of it .Case letRanveer Singh is the owner of a petrol pump. He is a 50 and is a wealthyman.His children, a son and a daughter, are educated, married, settled inthe US and Well off. He is a religious man and goes to visit manyreligious places. He also donates money to charities and to religiousgroups. As a dealer in the petrol pump. He earns enough money. He alsoruns a service station and sells oil and spare parts. If there isa shortage ofpetrol, he secretly sells petrol at Higher prices. If the price of petrol isabove to rise, he puts up a „non stock
 

 


 

petrol at a higher price after new prices are announced. He also sells cheapspare parts forvehicles at a higher price and earns some extra money. ifcaught for his misdeeds, he Bribes officials to let him off.Question for discussion●Discuss the business ethics of Ranbir Singh.●Being a wealthy man, having no reason to cheat and earn money,why do you think he adopts unethical means to earn extra money?●Compare his devotion and compassion with his business practice.Ashok Jaiswal was the administrative officer in a company. He lived withhis parents. His father owned a stationery shop thatsupplied stationery togovernment departments and retail outlets. The family was doingreasonably well with the earnings from two members. As theadministrative officer, it was Ashok’s duty to purchase a large amount ofstationery. Being a private company,they did not go through elaborateprocedures to purchase stationery items. The company policy was topurchase good items from reliable suppliers for use by the staff. Thecompany did not want to go in for invitation of quotes from differentvendors and select the lowest bidder as it would have been a time-consuming process. The total value of the stationery purchases was alsonot very high, compared to the total purchase made by the company.munotes.in

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171Ashok used to inform his father of the items and the quantitiesrequired for the company. He used to place orders with his father
for most of the purchases. The rates quoted by his father


abnormally high when compared to the market rates. In this way, hemanaged to give his father a lot of business. He also used to give a fewtrivial purchase orders to other firms as well.What is your opinion on the following?1.Was Ashok right in informing his father of the purchases to be made?2.Do you see any conflict of interest in purchasing items from a firmowned by an employee’s relative?3.In any case, the company was not losing much money as the ratesquoted by his father’s firm were also reasonable. How ethical do youthink this was?1. Subramanian R ,(2013), professionalethics ,oxford university press,new Delhi.(Major case studies are taken from this book)2.Shukla tanu,yadave Anupam and Chauhan gajendra,2018,Humanvalues and professional ethics,,cengage learning india pvt ltd,newdelhi.3.https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-ethics-and-values.html4.https://managementhelp.org/blogs/business-ethics/2010/10/13/10-myths-about-business-ethics/5.https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-views/Documents/Ethical-Workplace-Culture.pdf6.http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w4JgeGAB-tQ/UNvFWKFdD6I/AAAAAAAAABI/jg2WloyNYTY/s1600/MEDIA.JPG7. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/aida-model-marketing/8.https://slideplayer.com/slide/13279477/9.https://www.slideshare.net/UmarWaheed10/writing-persuasivemessages




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17212BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AIDSUnit Structure12.1Objectives12.2Introduction12.3What is a Communication Aid?12.4Communication & visual aids12.4.1.Flip Charts12.4.2.Posters12.4.3.Overhead Transparencies12.4.4.Handouts12.5Using graphics and Visual aids12.6Choosing correctVisual aids12.6.1.Table12.6.2.Organizational charts12.6.3.Flow Charts12.6.4.Pie Charts12.6.5.Line Charts12.6.6.Bar Charts & Column Charts12.6.7.Maps12.7Digital workplace12.7.1.Intranet/Social Intranet12.7.2.Chat and Private messaging12.7.3.Discussion Forums12.7.4.Tracking and Case software12.7.5.Internal Blog12.8Collaborative tools12.8.1.Blue Jeans vericon12.8.2.Windstream Enterprise Office Suite UC12.8.3.Cisco WebEx12.8.4.Click Meeting12.8.5.Fuse12.8.6.Google Meet12.8.7.GoToMeeting12.8.8.Join.me12.8.9.Microsoft Teams12.8.10.Slackmunotes.in

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17312.8.11.TeamViewer12.8.12.Unified Meeting 512.8.13.Zoho Meeting12.8.14.Zoom12.9Summary12.10Unit End Questions12.1 OBJECTIVESAt the end of this chapter your able to•You will understand what is meant by business communication aids.•Demonstratehowto use visual aids effectively in your presentation.•To Makeyou aware about the differentavailable platformsforBusiness communication.12.2 INTRODUCTIONAswe have seen in earlier chapters, communication plays animportant role in organisation. We have seen different types ofcommunication strategies which are used in business communication. Youpeople are very much aware of what is meant by business communication.Business communication is the process of exchanging information withinand outside an organisation order to increase profit and achieve aims,objectives and goals of the organisation. Ultimately the main objective isto well inform the employer andminimise the mistakes. In the lastmodule, Chapter Seven which talks about three significant communicativesituations in business, namely, Meetings, Conferences and GroupDiscussions. We have understood the nature, features and functions ofthese speech events with the help of illustrations and activities. In thischapter, you people also studied about the role and function of teampresentations and team briefings and how these can be made effective inbusiness communication. In Chapter Nine, you have understoodcommunication needs that are specific to business and howcommunication across functional areas can be made effective.All the planned activities in an organisation depend on theprocedure of business communication otherwise miscommunication canmake business a problem. It includes management communication ortechnical communication with dealers. They have to regularlycommunicate with different stakeholders of the organisation that we havediscussed in chapter number ten. communication may be verbalor writtenand each one has its importance.As you know that verbal communicationis useful for sharing new ideas and written communication provide writtendocuments.You might know or come across various types of organisationsmunotes.in

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174which have a single officeor having different branches around the countryas well as all over the world. There are some organisations that don't haveany physical office. So, they are always working online. For better andeffective communication, they are using different methods ofcommunication according to the needs of organisation.12.3 WHAT IS A COMMUNICATION AID?Selecting the right communication aid for business communicationwill depend on different factors, such as their method of access andpersonal preferences. A communication aid means anything that helps anindividual communicate more effectively with those around them. Thiscould be a simple letter to a more piece of electronic equipment.Many aids are symbol based and they provide full functionality inenabling the user to communicate with others in business communication.In business communication, we use an electronic aid which can bea device that has been purposely built for that job, it may be astandard computer running specialist communication aidsoftware withthe added benefit of being a computer as well.Now let's discuss some usefulcommunication aidswhichareused in business communication.12.4 COMMUNICATION & VISUAL AIDSVisual aids play an important role in Business communication. Thefirst objective of visual aids is to Generate and hold audience interest incommunication.it will help to increase audience recall. The more you areinvolved in communication then the more likely the receiver willunderstand the sender's message and he will remember it. Visual aids arevery effective when it comes to clarifying any ideas or information. Nextvisual aid is going to help increase credibility and persuasiveness inbusiness communication. In oral communication if we are presentingthings visually that are more persuasive and effective to the audience.When we present with visual aids support then we can easily accept thethings. Why do we use visual aids?It is said that 75% of what we know us 75% comes to us throughvisuals only. There are many types of visual aids OverheadTransparencies (OHT) Slides, Charts, and Posters Objects and Models,Handouts, Whiteboards and Chalkboards Computer Assisted Audio-visuals (PPT) Audio or Video (tapes, CDs, DVDs…)12.4.1.Flip Charts:If you're briefing small groups then flip charts can be used torecord audience comments and questions. Also remember it's not suitablemunotes.in

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175for a use in a large audience.it is very much useful in extendedpresentations where ideas are changed through interaction withtheaudience. If you're taking group brainstorming sessions in front of thegroup then it is very much helpful. Make sure the information is largeenough for the whole audience to see Flip Charts clearly.
Drawing12.4.2.Posters:Posters are very usefulin Smaller audience sizes (except formarketing). They are permanent and removable. To make Elaborateposters is not easy, it requires extensive preparation.Posters and Flip Charts Can be placed close to audiences and theymay provide interactive communication They may display key conceptsfor the audience.
12.4.3.Overhead Transparencies:If you're giving a presentation to an audience of 20 to 50 people in
175for a use in a large audience.it is very much useful in extendedpresentations where ideas are changed through interaction withtheaudience. If you're taking group brainstorming sessions in front of thegroup then it is very much helpful. Make sure the information is largeenough for the whole audience to see Flip Charts clearly.
Drawing12.4.2.Posters:Posters are very usefulin Smaller audience sizes (except formarketing). They are permanent and removable. To make Elaborateposters is not easy, it requires extensive preparation.Posters and Flip Charts Can be placed close to audiences and theymay provide interactive communication They may display key conceptsfor the audience.
12.4.3.Overhead Transparencies:If you're giving a presentation to an audience of 20 to 50 people in
175for a use in a large audience.it is very much useful in extendedpresentations where ideas are changed through interaction withtheaudience. If you're taking group brainstorming sessions in front of thegroup then it is very much helpful. Make sure the information is largeenough for the whole audience to see Flip Charts clearly.
Drawing12.4.2.Posters:Posters are very usefulin Smaller audience sizes (except formarketing). They are permanent and removable. To make Elaborateposters is not easy, it requires extensive preparation.Posters and Flip Charts Can be placed close to audiences and theymay provide interactive communication They may display key conceptsfor the audience.
12.4.3.Overhead Transparencies:If you're giving a presentation to an audience of 20 to 50 people in
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176a room which is not equipped with a computer projection system thenOverhead transparencies are useful aid for communication. Now it is Oldfashioned but, in some industries, it is still used. Transparencies Can beeliminated during the speech. When you're using it, decide the number oftransparencies. Maintain good eye contact with the audience and Point onthe projector, not screen. Only project information is necessary forexplanation otherwise you can Keep relevant information hidden untilneeded. if your projector is not in use then turn the projector light off.
Drawing12.4.4.Handouts:Handouts allow speakers to go into depth on some points whileskimming over others. They are very useful for complex presentations aswell as they are helpful audience members to take with them for futurereference. When you're circulating handouts,you haveto take care of thequality of it .The lists, maps, tables etc must be updated one and decidehow to project with them during the presentation.
12.5 USING GRAPHICS AND VISUAL AIDSA visual aid is any object, picture, drawing, maps, poster, chart andother image that helps the audience or reader understand data andconcepts. A graphic can be an official means of presenting large amountsof data and information. When we use visual aids in documents, youshould identify them well and place them in an aptlocation. We can postphotos or charts in the body of the documents. A number system is
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177necessary when a document has more than one graphic. Title must brieflydescribe a graphic and also if you take material from some other source,you must include a source line.12.6 CHOOSING THE CORRECT VISUAL AIDSChoosing the correct visual aids according to customers/audienceis very much needed. There are different kinds of visual aids available.•Table•Organisational charts•Flow charts•Pie charts•Line charts•Bar charts•Column charts•Maps•Photographs•DrawingsWe can develop graphics electronically and computer programmesallow users to create and edit professional looking graphics.12.6.1Charts:In business communication, for making business documentsseveral types of chars are commonly used. You can see organizational andflow charts are often included in the company’s manuals. Pie charts, linecharts, bar charts are generally used in reports.12.6.2Organisational Charts:Organisational charts which are alsoknown as hierarchy chartswhich are used in businesscommunication. It gives graphicalrepresentation of organizational structure. Its main objective is to show therelationship between different authorities and their positions. When we seethe graph, we can easily trace the people in the organisation their positionand department in the organization
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17812.6.3Flow Charts:It is a step-by-step diagram of procedure and process. flow chartsexplain complex terms in a simple way which can easily be understoodbythe audience. It will show the logical sequence of processes and willcommunicate how different processes work.
12.6.4Pie Charts:Pie charts are widely used in business presentations. It shows howthe parts of the whole are distributed and how the different parts relate toone another. A pie chart is a circular graph that is divided down into parts(i.e slices of pie). These parts represent the contribution of each part todisplay parts of a whole.
12.6.5Line Charts:Which is also known as line graph. It is a chart which showsquantity and value over time.It shows patterns in the data, such as trends,fluctuations, cycles, rates of change.It widely used in presentations andreports.
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17912.6.6Bar and Column Chart:The both charts are a typeof graph that is used to show andcompare different measures for different c of data to each other throughthe use of bars or columns that are separated in each group. This chart iseither in horizontal or in a vertical orientation. In vertical form, it isusually known as a column chart while in the horizontal form it is knownas a bar chart.
12.6.7Maps:Maps is a visual representation of a whole or part of a geographicalarea. It will help readers to visualize different geographical areas and theirrelationship among them. Maps also give cultural, physical andenvironmental information about different geographic territories such astransport routes, crops, animals, sociological factors like religion, literacyand so forth.
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18012.7 DIGITAL WORKPLACEMany organizations' workplaces are now equipped with digitalfacilities. Digital workplace is an emerging trend in industries. It is saidthat all staff use all technologies to do their job.Itmay include HRapplications, business applications to email, instant messaging, socialmedia tools, intranets and different portals. It is important fororganisations to set up a digital workplace definitely that is going to helpthem to work efficiently. There are different digital strategies used likeIntranet/SocialIntranet Chat rooms, Private and Group MessagingDiscussion Forums Ticketing, Issue Tracking and Case Software InternalBlogs, Video and Audio.
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18112.7.1Intranet/Social Intranet:
An intranet is known as a private hub that can be accessed by anyauthorised users within that business organisation. It is used for internalcommunication.Through,Intranets you can5 easily share company news .it will help an information-rich environment, which can be accessible fromany location and on any device.12.7.2Chat & Private Messaging:
It is known as the best tool in business communication. It will helpteams work together. It is also known as an effective tool for busyemployees and Managers. If members of a team project are from differentlocations or time zones then chat and private messaging is one of theimportant tools which can be used in business communication. Theemployees or managers can share files and an access conversationregularly.
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18212.7.3Discussion Forums:
A discussion forum will help to bring together management andemployees for an open discussion on any topic related to theirorganisation. People can share their knowledge and the same can be usedby other members.12.7.4Tracking & Case Software:
A case tracking system always helps to centralise customer supportqueries and keep track of any open issues. Mostly it is used in anorganisation’s customer support centre to create, update and resolvecustomer issues or even issues of employees within the company.12.7.5Internal Blogs:
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183The internal blog is a tool where employees can share theiropinions, ideas and experiences fast and in an informal way. People caneasily share different articles, their views on different topics and that canbe accessible to anyone. Some people might not be comfortable givingtheir opinions face to face such people may give their true feedbackvirtually.It's challenging to make communication between differentemployees who are working in different places and hours. You need toidentify the correct source of technological tools which are right for yourorganization.12.8COLLABORATIVE TOOLS
You can see on office work is transferring from office table tokitchen table in this pandemic time. Now you can easily conduct onlinemeetings through videoconferencing. Now this technology has madecommunication easier and affordable.You can use small software ormobile phones orsocial platforms like Facebook,twitter, YouTube foryour small business.Now lets see some of the important tools which you canuse inbusiness virtually but these tools cannot replace the face to faceinteraction.12.8.1Blue Jeans by Verizon:
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184BlueJeans, which is very famous, a cloud-based videocommunications platform, which gives attendees the flexibility of joiningvideo conferences using a web browser, desktop app, or mobile phone. Itwill help make meetings more productive with a wide range ofcollaboration features which are available across platforms. These includethe ability to host meetings in conference rooms and town halls, sharescreens, and record meetings.12.8.2Windstream Enterprise Office Suite UC:Office Suite UC is a 100% cloud-based UCaaS (unifiedcommunications as a service) system that is accessible anytime, anywhere.It gives facilities like audio,web and video conferencing as well as offersunlimited nationwide calling, toll-free phone service, and digital faxing. Ithas a lot of features like mobile twinning, which makes all incoming callsring your desk and mobile phone simultaneously; virtual voicemail,allowing you to receive notifications and messages from any phone,online, or by email.12.8.3Cisco WebEx:Cisco's Webex is a meeting app which offers HD videoconferences with collaboration and file-sharing facilities for all types ofmeetings, including presentations, sales demos, online training sessions,web-based events, staff meetings and remote tech support.It is fullyaccessible on mobile devices with the Webex mobile app for iPhone, iPad,Android and BlackBerry.12.8.4Click Meeting:
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185It is one of the important tools which is used to host lots ofwebinars. You can plan out your webinar beforehand with your branding,slideshows and screen sharing. You can make custom invitations andregistration pages to get everyone you need into your webinar room.youcan add polls, use a Q&A chat tool and create calls to action.12.8.5Fuze:
Fuze is a meeting tool which can help to take online and livemeetings to the next level. In addition to offering HD audio and videoconferencing for up to1,000 participants, though, users can presentdocuments, multimedia, animations and other types of rich content.It is accessible from any device, whether you are in the same roomin the meeting, down the hall or across the country. You can easilyschedule meetings directly from Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar.12.8.6Google Meet:
It is very popular nowadays in India ,many educational organisationsusing this platform for teaching. It is the kind of group collaboration toolthat makes all types ofcommunication among employees easy.Like other components of the G Suite, Meet features improvementsfrom Google's previous flagship team communication tool, Hangouts.12.8.7GoToMeeting:
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186If you want a basic version of web conferencing. You can use itsone-click meeting feature to schedule meetings through integrations withMicrosoft Office 365, Slack, Google Calendar and Microsoft Teams. Itgives facilities like HD video conferencing, screen sharing, web audio, adial-in conference line, drawing tools and the ability to record meetings.12.8.8Join.me:
Join.me lets you easily start casual voice chats with anyone in yourbusiness, no software required. You can join video meetings and webinarsfrom your web browser. It also has an iOS app, VoIP and toll-freecapabilities. It features several integrations, including with schedulingprograms such as Outlook and Google Calendar, and other applicationssuch as Salesforce and Slack.12.8.9Microsoft Teams:
Today, the Microsoft team is very popular among manyeducational organisations today. It is mainly used for online classes. Itincludes powerful features like screen and file sharing, shared apps andworkflows, and a visual style called Together Mode that makes it look likeeveryone participating in the meeting is in the same room.12.8.10Slack:
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187Slack is a multipurpose platform which is used for projectmanagement and provides services like instant messaging and videoconferencing. It allows you to create several channels for different teamsand makes it easy to add new members to multiple channels.12.8.11TeamViewer
TeamViewer gives anyone complete access to desktops,applications, and data so users can skip explaining problems and reducemiscommunication. Many organisations like dwell laptop company alsouse this application to solve customer care problems.12.8.12Unified Meeting 5:
Collaboration should be easy. Unified Meeting 5, by conferencingsolutions provider West, is an all-in-one audio, video, and webconferencing platform that makes creating and joining meetings a piece ofcake. It provides simplified scheduling tools, offers streamlined audio callmanagement, and seamlessly integrates with popular business tools.12.8.13Zoho Meeting:
Zoho Meeting is a comprehensive online meeting solution that letsbusinesses hold live meetings to share product demonstrations withprospects, provide remote client support and more.Users simply sign inwith their Google, Facebook or Yahoo accounts; via Google Apps; or byentering a meeting session ID from any Windows, Mac or Linux device
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18812.8.14Zoom:
Zoom is very popular in India now in such pandemic situations. Ithelps to conduct all types of online meetings, such as one-on-one videoconferences, town-hall meetings, training, webinars and marketing events.The service can be used on desktops, mobile devices, and your company'svideo and conference room systems. A developer platform is available tointegrate Zoom features–such as video, voice and screen sharing–withapps your business already uses.12.9 SUMMARYThus, in this chapter we have discussed the importance of differentaid which is useful in business communication. In detail we havediscussed communication and visual aids, different types of charts inbusiness communication. At last, we have seen fourteen differentcollaborative tools which are used in business communication. There aremore tools available like video conferencing, social media, Facebook,twitter, LinkedIn and so on. Some of the parts are discussed in othermodules. You can refer to it.12.10 UNIT END QUESTIONS1.How do Visual Aids Help in Business communication?2.What is meant by digital workplace? Discuss it.3.Visit any business organisation and discuss which are the differentdigital tools used for communication?4.Discuss different types of charts used in business communication?5.Explain different collaborative tools used in business communication?Chapter 12 Business communication aids1.https://open.lib.umn.edu/businesscommunication/chapter/11-4-visual-aids/2.http://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/guides/factsheets/factsheet_communication_aids.p df
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1893.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJoEgogSh504.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gqhxrJghP45.https://www.chanty.com/blog/top-business-communication-trends/6.https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6176-communication-tools.html7.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDZsctyk-9U8.https://www.excitededucator.com/home/key-concepts-posters9.https://foodandhealth.com/handout.php10.https://cacoo.com/templates/blank-org-chart-template11.https://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/metalindustry.htm




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190UNIT V13PLANNING THE PRESENTATIONSUnit Structure13.1Objectives13.2Introduction13.3Planning: basic questions13.4Brainstorming13.4.1What is brainstorming?13.4.2Kinds: Individual and Group13.4.3Google Docs for Brainstorming13.3Planning: basic questions13.4Brainstorming13.4.1What is brainstorming?13.4.2Kinds: Individual and Group13.4.3Google Docs for Brainstorming13.5Mind Maps13.5.1What is a Mind Map?13.5.2Illustrations13.5.3Digital Mind Maps13.6Concept Maps13.6.1What isa Concept Map?13.6.2Difference between a Mind Map and a Concept Map13.6.3Illustrations13.6.4Digital Concept Maps13.7Let us Sum up13.8Suggested Reading13.9Web Resources13.10Hints for Self-Check Exercises13.1 OBJECTIVESIn this unit, you will learn about the first stage of a presentation i.e.planning. After reading this unit, you should be able to use sometechniques in planning for your presentation. You will be able to:•brainstorm your ideas•draw a Mind Map•create a Concept Map.munotes.in

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19113.2 INTRODUCTIONIn the previous chapters, you have already grasped the steps inPublic Speaking and learnt the different techniques used in teampresentations. Planning is the first step in making a successfulpresentation.In this chapter, we will understand the basic questions involved inplanning our presentations. Then, we will elaborate on some thinking toolsin planning. Although there are many thinking tools, we will focus onthree main tools-Brainstorming, Mind Maps and Concept Maps. Theillustrations and self-assessment exercises will help you to increase yourskills in using these three thinking tools.13.3 PLANNING: BASIC QUESTIONSPlanning is an important part of any creative process. Begin byasking the basic questions–Why? Who? What? When? Where? Which?This is one way of brainstorming which is discussed in more details in thenext section.Why do you wantto present?State the purpose or goal.Whoisyouraudience?Identify their commonalities anddifferences with respect to age,gender, background, status,qualifications, skills andknowledge, occupation, income,needs and expectations etc.What is your topic?Decide about the content you wantto present.Be sure about the time availablefor making your presentation.Accordingly, list four or fiveaspects of the topic.Emphasize one or two aspects withsuitable examples.Whenisthepresentation?Confirm the day, date and time.Ask if there are other speakers. Geta brief idea about their topics.If possible, link your ideas with theideas of those who speak beforeyou. Linking will help in two ways.First, you can build on previousknowledge. Second, you can avoidrepetitive ideas.Whereisthepresentation?Be familiar with theplace/space/environment. Askmunotes.in

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192yourself:Is it formal or informal? Is itpublic/private?For instance, is it a classroom ormeeting or seminar or conference orget-together of friends or relatives?Which aids do yourequire?Blackboard/Whiteboard, audio-visual aids like a mike, over-headprojector or LCD projector or theinternetOther questionsDo you plan to provide hand-outsor weblinks, create quizzes orconduct polls or ask for feedback?Planning a presentation is similar to creating a structure or script inthree easy steps:tell them what you are going to tell them (introduction oropening) or agenda, tell them (body), tell them what you told them(conclusion or closing or summary).13.4 BRAINSTORMINGBrainstorming is a good tool in any planning process. In thissection, wewill offer a simple definition of brainstorming. Then we willunderstand the two kinds of brainstorming i.e. individual and groupbrainstorming. We will also give a brief overview of using technology i.e.how to use a google document for brain-netting i.e. brainstorming via theinternet.13.4.1What is brainstorming?:Brainstorming is a visual thinking tool. It helps us in askingquestions, in generating a number of diverse ideas and in solving problemsin many different ways. Let us now understand the way we can use thebrainstorming thinking tool individually and as a group.13.3.2Individual and Group Brainstorming:Brainstorming can be done as an individual or group activity.Begin with a simple, individual brainstorming exercise. You planto present the next five-year plan of your life-goals. Take a paper and apen and note down your individual goals for each year. Include thefollowing broad areas–study goals, career goals, financial goals andothers. Write down the time, money and efforts which may be required toachieve these goals. Keep improvising. Start in a linear way or create asimple Mind Map which has been elaborated in the next section. Let usnow understand the steps involved in group brainstorming.munotes.in

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193If you are planning a team presentation, then you will need to dogroup brainstorming. Recall the basic questions. Make a list of yourfriends who can join in the brainstorming session. Formulate the questionsor issues you want to raise. Consult the members and fix the day, date, andvenue. Ask them to reflect and prepare themselves for brainstorming.Create a fun-filled and relaxed atmosphere. Set the ground rules.Remember, your main aim is to pool all your creative ideas. You mustgather a number of ideas and a wide range of ideas. So,keep out criticism.Sometimes, even an idea which may sound silly may have the potential tobring about a revolution. Can you recollect the story of the aeroplane? Itwas inspired by human being’s thought of flying like a bird.Participation is vital ingroup brainstorming. Therefore, be afacilitator. Your friends can raise their hands and you must permit eachone to voice his/her idea, suggestion, comment, question or doubt. Writethe ideas on the whiteboard for everyone to visualize. Finally, review orevaluate the ideas together. Classify the key points, arrange, rearrange andconnect the topics and sub-topics. Decide on the examples to clarify yourideas. Put them in order–introduction, body and conclusion. Now, youare ready with a workable plan ofyour presentation.Do you and your friends or group members find it difficult toarrange a face-to-face interaction? Then, go online and try using brain-netting. Today, there are varied platforms for meeting online.13.3.3Brain-Netting: Using Google Docs and Google Meet:Brain-Netting, in simple words, is using your brains to network. Itis brainstorming on the net. Go online and create aGoogledoc which isfreely available with a Gmail account. Note down your ideas. Create a linkto the document. Choose the option–anyone with the link can view andedit the document. Share it with your friends by sending them the link.Everyone can write down their ideas which can be tracked. This is anotherway of group brainstorming. Using such collaborative methods will resultin multiple ideas and solutions.Covid-19 has made online interactions and learning as the newnormal. All of us have attended lectures, webinars and informal meetingsusing google meet, zoom, webex and many others. These platformsprovidethe option of recording the sessions including the attendance ofthe participants. Your collaboration can save time and effort as well ashelp in creating a permanent record for future reference.Self-Check Exercise 1:1.Do a simple SWOC analysis for yourself. Write down your strengths,weaknesses, opportunities and challenges.2.Your IT class has been asked to create a video onenvironmental pollution.Brainstorm with your friends and plan amunotes.in

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194presentation using the framework of basic questions listed in 13.2.3.Use a google document (send a link) and collaborate with your friendsto plan a presentation on the topic–Using Bollywood Songs tomotivate people.13.4 MIND MAPSIn this section, we will define a Mind Map. Then, we will identifysome of its applications, requirements and elements. Thereafter, we willlook at digital Mind Mapping and some illustrations of Mind Maps.13.4.1What is a Mind Map?:A Mind Map was devised as a study technique by Tony Buzan in1970. A Mind Map is a form of visual communication. It is a diagramwhich helps you to arrange and link your ideas. It increases ourconcentration.A Mind Map has many applications. It is used to generate ideas,brainstorm, take notes, organize information, study and memorize, planand take decisions, and undertake a survey or research and prepare a chartof your plans–personal, professional, educational, career, family,business or organizational. It can help you to think clearly, learn quickly,recall instantly and communicateeffectively. You will require a sheet ofplain paper, a pencil or pen.How to draw a Mind Map? It is easy. Radial thinking (and notlinear thinking) is the main characteristic of a Mind Map. Place the mainidea or topic in the centre of the page. Identify one or two keywords. Usecurved lines to link the ideas. Add the sub-topics or secondary ideas asbranches. Use smaller branches or lines to connect the sub-topics. Becreative and use coloured pencils or pens to make the Mind Map moreattractive. Keep revising your Mind Map till your ideas can be visualizedclearly.13.4.2Digital Mind Mapping:Mind Mapping can be done in the offline and online modes.Although a Mind Map is best done offline with paper and pen, you willfind a number of free and open source Mind Map softwares. Some are freeduring a trial period while some are paid ones. Do check out the terms andconditions. Refer to the websites listed at the end of the unit. You will findsoftwares like lucidchard, mind42 and edraw which you can download anduse for creating Mind Maps on a wide range of topics.13.4.3Illustrations:In this section, we will present some examples of Mind Maps.munotes.in

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195Check out the Mind Map laws by visitinghttps://www.tonybuzan.edu.sq/about/mind-maps/. It lists the elements of aMind Map. The central idea covers the Mind Map Laws. The secondaryideas are shown in capital letters with thick lines and keywords-paper,lines, colours, images, keywords and style. The thinner lines represent theadditional links for secondary ideas.Look at the two pictures which have been compiled and created ona powerpoint slide. The first one covers the main elements of a Mind Map.The second one captures some of the impacts of information technologyon our lives.
Self-Check Exercise 2The following Do-It-Yourself exercises on Mind Maps will help you toenhance your analytical, time management and financial managementskills:1.Draw a Mind Map with Mobile Apps as the central idea. Thesecondary ideas could be the size, benefits,drawbacks and dangers.Plan a presentation based on this Mind Map.2.Time Management is an important skill. Recall how you spent yourtime last Sunday.Draw a Mind Map showing how you spent each hour from the time
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196you woke up to the time you went to sleep. (See hints given at the endof the unit.)3.Your Salary is Rs. 50000 per month. Draw a Mind Map to show yourexpenses and investments. (See hints given at the end of the unit.)13.5 CONCEPT MAPSIn this section, we will define a Concept Map and identify some ofits applications and elements. Then, we will explain some key variationsbetween a Mind Map and a Concept Map. We will also provide someexamples of a Concept Map.13.5.1What is a Concept Map?:The technique of concept mapping or webbing wasput forward byDr. Joseph Novak. A Concept Map is similar to a Mind Map but it is morecomplex. A Concept Map can be used to show the inter-connectionsamong multiple ideas. It has multiple uses: for explaining, brainstormingand organizing ideas, in analysing a complex problem and in findingsolutions.It is a graphical tool used to indicate the relations betweenconcepts and ideas in a hierarchical manner. The fundamental elementsinclude boxes or circles called as nodes, lines or arrows called as arcs andtexts (one or two action words). There is a proposition i.e. a statementwhich describes and links two concepts.So, how do we create a Concept Map? Narrow down the main ideaand place it in an oval shape right at the top. Now write down a number ofideas or concepts which are linked to the main idea. Place them below themain concept. Make use of arrows to indicate the links between variousconcepts. Highlight the connections with the help of one or two actionwords or phrases. Place these action wordsnext to the arrows. It mustresemble a network.Before illustrating a Concept Map, let us examine the differencesbetween a Mind Map and a Concept Map.13.5.2Difference between a Mind Map and a Concept Map:There are some similarities between a Mind Map and a ConceptMap. For instance, both are useful in linking ideas and in brainstorming.However, there are some key differences. A Mind Map is used merely forcreative thinking with a single idea placed at the centre. But a ConceptMap is used for finding solutions to problems. It consists of a hierarchicalstructure. It has multiple ideas which can be inter-connected by using oneor more action verbs. A Mind Map is simple and can be drawn quickly buta Concept Map is complicated and time-consuming. Letus now look at anexample of a Concept Map on planning a presentation.munotes.in

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19713.5.3Illustrations:Refer to the framework of basic questions in planning apresentation. The framework can be presented with a visual appeal in theform of the following ConceptMap:
Go online and search for innumerable Concept Maps. Visit the followingwebsites for more illustrations on Photosynthesis and Climate Change:Photosynthesis https://educationaltechnology.net/concept-maps-and-how-to-use-them/Climate Changehttps://www.researchgate.net/figure/Composite-concept-map-of-causes-of-climate-change-as-well-as-positive-and-negative_fig2_28062272413.5.4Digital Concept Mapping:Concept Mapping can also be done in the offline and onlinemodes. Do remember that creating a Mind Map and a Concept Map with apen and paper is quicker.However, using online digital tools to create a Concept Mapenables us to explore and experiment with the manyinbuilt options. Wecan go online and make use of three digital tools like CMap, Vue andMindmesiter for preparing a Concept Map. There are also plenty ofYoutube videos which will guide you in using these tools.Self-Check Exercise 31.The current pandemic has changed the way we learn or work. Createa Concept Map to show the impact of Covid, especially the learn andwork-from-home scenario.2.All of us have multiple goals and aspirations. Create a Concept Mapindicating your multiple goals in life andshow the connectionsamongst these goals.
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19813.6 LET US SUM UPIn this chapter, we began by asking the basic questions involved inplanning our presentations. Then, we laid out three thinking tools used inplanning. We elaborated on the tools of Brainstorming, Mind Mappingand Concept Mapping with examples. The do-it-yourself self-checkexercises, with hints provided at the end of the chapter, are aimed atsharpening our thinking skills.You can now confidently move on to the next stage–ExecutingthePresentations.13.7 SUGGESTED READINGBuzan, Tony. (2018). Mind Map Mastery. UK, USA: Warkins.Novak, D. Joseph. (2010) Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge.Concept Maps as Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations. Firstpub. 1998. NY: Routledge.13.8WEB RESOURCES•https://businesstutsplu.com/series/the-ultimate-guide-to-better-brainstorming-techniques-cms-1076•https://tonybuzan.com/ https://www.tonybuzan.edu.sg/about/mind-maps/ https://www.lucidchart.com https://www.ayao.com•https://mind42.com/•https://edraw-mindmap.en.softonic.com/https://sourceforge.net/projects/freemind/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Pzz6rDMd8chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2Js_9-ek7ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXU9UKajpVMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axZD1WMPRIohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22YeW55POBshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0DBS-YbRc0https://educationaltechnology.net/concept-maps-and-how-to-use-them/•https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Composite-concept-map-of-causes-of-climate-change-as-well-as-positive-and-negative_fig2_28062272413.9 HINTS FOR SELF-CHECK EXERCISESSelf-Check Exercise 1 (Brainstorming)1.Doing a SWOC analysis is the first step in making future plans. Forinstance, are you a good speaker? Are you afraid of speakingin frontmunotes.in

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199of the audience? Do you have all the capabilities except publicspeaking? What steps will you take to overcome the challenge (fear ofspeaking)?2.Refer to the framework of basic questions (See 13.2). Brainstorm,distribute, collaborate, create the video, get feedback and revise.3.Identify the songs with the help of your friends. Ask them which songmotivated them and when and how did it motivate them. Make a listand present it.Self-Check Exercise 2 (Mind Maps)1.Recall the different Mobile Apps that you have downloaded: Learning,Gaming, Payment gateways, Financial Management, Storage andothers.2.Time spent on personal hygiene (brushing, going to the toilet,bathing), breakfast, lunch and dinner time, helping mother inhousehold work (cleaning the toilets and bathrooms, sweeping andmopping, washing utensils three or four times, washing clothes,cleaning your cupboards, going to the market for making purchases),taking a nap, recreation (exercise, sport, reading, singing, listening tomusic, watching television, watching movies on the mobile, playingmobile games or others). Be honest and record the actual activity.3.Expenses-house rent, housing loan, educational loan, electricity,mobile, internet, restaurant, gas, grocery, vegetables, fruits andmiscellaneous; Investments-Life Insurance, National SavingsCertificate, Postal Savings, Chit Funds, Gold, Fixed Deposit,Recurring Deposits, Mutual Funds, Shares, Debentures etc.Self-Check Exercise 3 (Concept Maps)1. You must have already started learning online. Likewise, your parentsmay be working from home. Go ahead and explore these situations tocreate your own unique Concept Maps. Cover areas like transport,electricity, internet, online and offline interactions and the overallhome scenario.2. All of us have multiple goals and aspirations. Create a Concept Mapindicating your multiple goals in life and show the connectionsamongst these goals: Study, Career, Marriage and Family, Finance,Travel and others.*****munotes.in

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20014EXECUTING THE PRESENTATIONSUnit Structure14.1Objectives14.2Introduction14.3Execution Stage14.4Chunking theory14.5Creating Outlines and Using Templates14.5.1Creating Outlines14.5.2Using Templates14.6Impress Stage: Visual Communication14.3Execution Stage14.4Chunking theory14.5Creating Outlines and Using Templates14.5.1Creating Outlines14.5.2Using Templates14.6Impress Stage: Visual Communication14.6.1Adding Graphics14.6.2Using fonts, colours, shapes and effects14.6.3Using Design and Insert options14.6.4Sequence, Transitions and Animations14.7Let us Sum up14.8Suggested Reading14.9Web Resources14.10Hints for Self-Check Exercises14.1 OBJECTIVESAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to create your presentations.After going through this chapter, you will be able to:•Breakdown complex information into simple chunks or bits•Make an outline of your presentation•Learn to usepowerpointtemplates•Create visually appealing presentations.munotes.in

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20114.2 INTRODUCTIONIn chapter13, we described the steps and techniques of planningthe presentation. In this chapter, you will learn how to execute your plans.You can present in an extempore manner (on the spot delivery) or plan itbeforehand with the help of a powerpoint presentation. The next sectionwill deal with the execution stage of your presentation.14.3 EXECUTING STAGEAfter the planning stage of your presentation, you must go on tothe execution stage. This stage broadly consists of three steps. The firststep deals withchunking (breaking down and grouping) the ideas. Thesecond step comprises the building of a rough and workable outline. Thefinal step involves the creation and use of powerpoint templates tocommunicate your ideas or messages to your target audience.14.4 CHUNKING THEORYChunking is a simple process which aids our memory. First, webreak down our information into little, manageable bits. Second, we groupthem in such a way that we can remember the information easily. Let usillustrate the process of chunking with examples from our daily lives.How do you remember your friend’s mobile number or your creditcard number or Bank Account number? Recall! If a mobile number is0011002200, then it can be remembered if we group them in twos–00 1100 22 00. Breaking down and grouping information is an effective way toremember. Do use and practice this method of chunking to memorise anykind of information.After deciding on the topic and the information that you wish totransmit to your target audience, you should now make an outline of yourpresentation.14.5 CREATING OUTLINES AND USING TEMPLATES14.4.1Creating Outlines:Creating an outline will help in deciding and organizing your ideasrelated to a particular topic. As you continue to build on your ideas, youcan add or delete the sub-topics that you will cover in the presentation.Imagine that you have to make a presentation on the topicViolence against Women (VAW), an important aspect of gender disparity.Given below is a bare outline that you can work on:munotes.in

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202OutlineWhat is VAW? : UN DeclarationForms of VAW: psychological, physical, sexual, financial, domestic,social, spiritual and criminalIllustrations for each form of VAW (give data or facts from reports, link torelevant clippings of videos/advertisements/movies)Causes of VAW (patriarchy) Effects of VAW on women and societyHow to end VAW?: Initiatives by the Government, Media and CitizensYou can use quotes, short stories, clippings from videos, describe asituation, present data or factsSelf-Check ExercisesCreate an outline for the following topics:1.Barriers to Communication2.Learning during the Corona Pandemic14.4.2Using Templates:PowerPoint has many customizable templates. Learn to do themyourself and let your creative juices glow. Are you short of time? Then,head to the innumerable free websites and download the templates forfree. Some may come with a watermark. Never mind, go ahead and usethem. Do learn to attribute the sites, for an artist looks for recognition. Ifyou are the one who is passionate about creating your own work, thenfollow the tips given in the next section to make your presentationsvisually appealing.14.5 VISUAL COMMUNICATIONVisual communication refers to anything that we can see. Forinstance, it could be a text, an image, a graphic, colours, shapes, effects,fonts and sizes, patterns, designs, textures, SmartArt, ClipArt, 3 D models,pictures, photographs, paintings, colours, charts, maps, graphs and the listcould go on. Just as spices add flavour and make the food tastier, visualcommunication techniques are beneficial in two ways. First, they help ingrabbing the attention of the audience. Second, they convert dryinformation into information which is appealing and attractive.14.5.1Adding Graphics:In the context of powerpoint presentations, graphic refers to anyimage or design used on the slides. Graphics have a great impact on theattention span of the audience. The insert option in a PPT is a very usefulmunotes.in

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203tool in this case. Go through the next sections and experiment with thenumerous options available in your PPT.14.5.2Using fonts, colours, shapes and effects:Use a font which can be easily read. Experiment with the font size,word art, themes, spacing and colours on the basis of your content.Colours add a visual appeal to your presentations. So, infuse colours tomake your slides eye-catching. Use the shape option to construct variedpatterns in the slide. Use the option of shape fill, shape outline and shapeeffect for additional impact. While using colours do try to make the shapesstriking by means of the options of gradient, weight and dashes. Some ofthese are already available as Presets. If you like to be creative then try outthe format shape option and let your imagination run wild.14.5.4Using Design and Insert options:An interesting design on your presentation slide will increase theinterest of the audience. You can use the Design option in your PPT ordesign the layout of your slide by means of the available options ofcolours, fonts, size, style, format, effects, paragraph spacing, page colourand border. Insert some beautiful pictures and lay them out in a creativemanner or use the draw option to make your own designs. Do keep inmind that the design should be bothbalanced and appealing.You can also insert shapes, icons, 3D models, pictures, ClipArt,SmartArt, charts, screenshots, audio and video recordings of your own ortake them from online sources. When you take them from online sources,please cite your sources (give the address of the website) and attribute theoriginal creators. Do you find this process of citation and attribution tootime-consuming? Then, go to the free sites, for instance, Pixabay. This siteallows you to download images, vectors, videosand illustrations for free.Download them and use them creatively in your presentations. Give thefinal touches to your presentation with options like sequence, transitionand animation.14.5.5Sequence, Transitions and Animations:Put your slides in a proper sequence. Number them, if possible.However, if you are using techniques like hide slide or goto slide, thenavoid putting a number. This will prevent confusion. The in-builttransition effects and animation options add drama to your presentationwhen you move from one slide to the other.Animate your slides to create a dramatic and lasting impression onthe audience. You can simply refer to the innumerable Youtube sites tolearn how to animate your slides. Learn to use the options like start onclick, with previous, after previous, effect options, timings, formattingbackground, linking your slides and many more. Always remember thatmunotes.in

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204experimentation is the key. Creating visually appealing presentations callsfor time and effort on the part of the presenter and it is a Do-It-YourselfSkill.14.6 LET US SUM UPIn this chapter, we elaborated on the second stage of presentations,namely, the execution stage. Herein, we explained the three steps:chunking ideas, creating outlines and using templates. Thereafter, weprovided a brief overview of the varied options in visually enhancing thepresentations. The do-it-yourself self-check exercises will enrich yourcritical skills with respect to outlining and your creative skills in preparingvisually appealingpresentations.Now, you just need to work on the final stage of your presentationi.e. the performing stage which will let you understand the effectiveness ofyour presentation.14.7 SUGGESTED READINGStewart, John P., and Don Fulop.Mastering the Artof Oral Presentations: Winning Orals, Speeches, and Stand-Up Presentations : Winning Orals,Speeches, and Stand-Up Presentations, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated,2019.ProQuest Ebook Central,https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/inflibnet-ebooks/detail.action?docID=5741996.14.8 WEB RESOURCEShttps://pixabay.comhttps://www.dummies.com/software/microsoft-office-for-mac/powerpoint-for-mac/how-to-insert-graphics-in-powerpoint/https://www.all-ppt-templates.comhttps://www.slideteam.net/blog/50-free-powerpoint-templates-for-powerpoint-presentations/14.9 UNIT END QUESTIONS1.Hint: Define a barrier; Kinds: Physical, Language, Socio-Psychological, Cross-Cultural and Organizational; and how toovercome the barriers?2.Hint: Online Learning, Tools, Merits and Demerits and Impact ofonline learning*****munotes.in

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20515IMPRESSING THE AUDIENCEBY PERFORMINGUnit Structure15.1Objectives15.2Introduction15.3Impress Stage: Performing15.3.1Before the Presentation: Revising and Rehearsing15.3.2During the Presentation: Enacting and delivering15.3.3After the Presentation: Feedback and Improvement15.4Let us Sum up15.5Suggested Reading15.1 OBJECTIVESIn the previous chapters, we learnt about the two stages of apresentation: planning and executing. In this chapter, we will learn aboutthe final stage i.e. impressing the target audience and performing beforethem. After reading this chapter, you should be able to confidently:●make an effective presentation before your target audience.15.2 INTRODUCTIONIn chapter 14, you learnt about the different steps involved in theexecution stage of our presentation. In the chapter on Public Speaking,you also learnt about techniques like using body language and voicemodulation. In this chapter, we will focus on the third and final stage ofour presentation i.e. the impress stage.15.3 IMPRESS STAGE: PERFORMINGPresenting your ideas in front of the target audience is similar toperforming in the theatre. Remember, a theatre actor or actress memorisesthe dialogues, constantly revises and rehearses and is very attentive toaudience responses. Similarly, you should have a clear picture of what youmust do before, during and after the presentation. Go through thefollowing sections which will help you to understand the various aspectsof revising and rehearsing before the presentation, putting your bestperformance during the presentation and what you should do after thepresentation.munotes.in

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20615.3.1 Before the Presentation: Revising and Rehearsing:In a theatre performance,costume and rehearsal are important.Similarly, attending to your dress and appearance beforehand will boostyour confidence and make you feel good. Dress should be professional orcasual depending upon the context and the target audience. Dress in aprofessional manner to be on the safer side.Plan, Prepare and rehearse well before the actual presentation. Tryto state the main idea in a single sentence. Consider how you willapproach the topic. You can prepare a draft of your entire presentation.Keep on revising the draft till you are satisfied. Pay attention to thestructure of the content and take care to put the points in a logicalsequence. Make brief notes on a notepad or your mobile or on slips ofpaper. These notes will make you feel more confident.Rehearsal is significant before the actual delivery. So, try to referto the points on the powerpoint presentation and elaborate on those points.You can memorise, rehearse and deliver the presentation like an actor oractress in front of the mirror or any of your family members or animaginary audience. If possible, try to video record your presentation. Thiswill enable you to notice the pros and cons of your delivery. Two or threerehearsals will clear away all your stage fear and you can standconfidently in front of your target audience.15.4 DURING THE PRESENTATIONYou must be conscious of four important aspects while makingyour presentation. First, learn to control your body language. Second,choose an appropriate language which is familiar to your audience. Third,take special care to modulateyour voice and control your breathing.Fourth, use your PPT and notes effectively.Body LanguageStand while presenting your ideas. You will feelpowerful. Maintain an erect and relaxed posture. Move your bodyeffectively. Remain calm and maintain pleasant expressions on your face.Smiling and eye-contact are vital in keeping your audience interested inwhat you say. Establish eye-contact but keep moving your eyes to includeeveryone. Pay close attention to their non-verbal responses.Avoid distracting the audience with unnecessary body movementslike touching your face or nose or head or coughing or moving nervouslyon the platform or behind the podium. Avoid pointing fingers or anyawkward mannerisms like fiddling with the pen, paper-weight or mobileorrunning your fingers through the hair etc. Use appropriate gestures tosupplement your verbal communication.Language:Use a language that your audience is comfortable with.Avoid jargon or technical language. In the Indian context, since themunotes.in

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207audience comes from diverse backgrounds you can confidently bebilingual or multilingual. To be on the safer side, you can begin by askingif the audience is comfortable in two or more languages.Voice:Vocalics refers to the quality of voice. You must be audibleandclear. Check if everyone can hear your voice. The magic lies in usingyour pleasant voice to create an impact. Unless you sound interesting, theaudience will not be interested in what you are presenting. Pausefrequently, maintain a friendly tone and usea pleasant pitch. Pronouncethe words properly. Speak clearly and slowly.Practicethe art ofmodulating your voice. Introduce variations in the speed of your delivery.When you want to emphasize a point, raise your voice.Presenter Mode:Use the presenter mode so that you can refer to theadditional information which cannot be seen by your audience. Relax!Even if you forget a point, you can always refer to your slides or notes.Keep in mind that you cover the following points while rehearsing as wellas making your actual presentation:Attractive Introduction:Attract the attention of your audience. Use aquote, current news, an interesting story or anecdote to grab audienceattention.Relevant illustrations and Repetitions:Create interest by givingsuitableillustrations to emphasize your points. You can do this by narrating yourpersonal or professional or day-to-day life experiences. Repetition is thekey to reinforcing the points. So, repeat the points to enable the audienceto grasp your ideasand get across your message clearly.Engaging Interactions:Keep the audience engaged with the help ofconstant interactions. How? Ask them about their opinions andinterpretations about the topic. Encourage them to share their ownpersonal experiences. Create a free and friendly atmosphere so that theycan raise their doubts or queries and put forward their suggestions. Even ifyou cannot provide answers to their questions it is perfectly okay to admitthat you don't know the answer. The audience will appreciate your honestyand perhaps their answers may enrich your own knowledge.Summing up:Involve your audience and together you can sum up theideas. But remember, the performance has not ended. You can nowincrease the participation of the audience withthe tips given in the nextsection.15.6 AFTER THE PRESENTATIONFeedback from the audience will prove to be an important aspectof your performance. It is a simple means of self-assessment. If thefeedback is positive, it will boost your confidence. Ifthe feedback ismunotes.in

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208negative, it will indicate the weaknesses in your presentation and help youto improve your presentation skills. Either way, feedback reveals as tohow successful or unsuccessful you were in putting across your message.In order to give finishing touches to your performance, use the followingten tips at the end of your presentation:•Distribute handouts, if any (take the help of a volunteer).•Share downloadable links, if any (keep all the links ready on yourgoogledrive).•Provide your mobilenumber or email for future communication.•Suggest material for further reading (keep the list ready).•Expressthanks to your audience for listening patiently.•Get feedback in the form of questions, suggestions or comments.•Respond positively and honestlyto their questions.•Clarify their doubts by elaborating or illustrating.•Appreciate and respect their suggestions.•Listen gracefully to their comments and criticism, if any.15.6 LET US SUM UPIn this unit, we began by mentioning that the impress stageissimilar to a theatre performance. We learnt the steps involved in thepresentation–before, during and after the presentation.On a final reminder, making a presentation is a Do-it-yourself skillwhich can be sharpened only with constant practice. So, keep practising,polishing and performing!




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