Develop and Practice Negotiation Skills

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AND COMPUTERS
COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MODULE ON

ENG 111. ENGLISH COMMUNICATION SKILLS 1
MODULE 3
DEV ELOP AND PRACTICE

NEGOTIATION
SKILLS
By:
RIZZA R. RENOMERON
National Assessor for VG NC III
CA-VGD0313140909003
SHERYL R. MORALES
National Assessor for BKP NC III
CA-BKP0313140911226
Module 3 Develop and Practice Negotiation Skills
MODULE 3
DEVELOP AND PRACTICE

NEGOTIATION
SKILLS
• Information Sheet 1 TELEPHONING
• Information Sheet 2 PRESENTATION
• Information Sheet 3 MEETINGS
• Information Sheet 4 NEGOTIATIONS
ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

MODULE TITLE DEVELOP AND PRACTICE NEGOTIATION SKILLS
Description: This module covers the knowledge, skills and attitudes required in
developing and practicing in negotiations. Negotiation is done at all
times whether in oral or written.
Course Objective: At the end of the course, the student will be able to develop
comprehension skills in telephoning, presentation, meetings and
negotiations
CONTENTS:
Information Sheet 1 Tel ephoningg
Telephone B asics
Telephone Etiquette
The Phone Call and Customer Service
Verbs
Self Check 1
Information Sheet 2 Presentation

Oral Presentation
W ritten Presentation
Self Check 2
Information Sheet 3 MEETINGS

Types of Meetings
Planning and R unning a Meeting
Self Check 3
Information Sheet 4 Negotiation

Negotiation Principles
Stages in Negotiation Process
Languages of Negotiation
Self Check 4

MODULE 3. DEV ELOP AND PRACTICE NEGOTIATION SKILLS
LEARNING GUIDE
Learning Steps Resources
1. Read Information Sheet 1 on Information Sheet 1

Telephoning
2. Answer Self-Check Self-Check 1
Presentation
Meeting
Negotiation

INFORMATION SHEET 1
TELEPHONING
1.1 Telephone Basics

You are probably used to making informal calls to family and friends. When
making calls to companies, however, some special rules and conventions apply. On
this page we explain how to call someone in a company that you do not know
personally (the most common kind of formal call made by students) and give you
some models and language that you can use.
General rules
When making a formal call, three rules should influence your choice of words:
• Be brief. Do not waste the receiver's time.
• Be clear. Explain the background and purpose of your call.
• Be polite. Recognize the receiver's point of view.
These rules can sometimes conflict. If you are too brief, you may confuse the
receiver or appear impolite. Try to balance the three rules.
Making a call to someone you do not know

The most difficult calls to make are calls to people that you do not not know.
Usually, the purpose of your call will be to make a request for information or a
meeting. This kind of call can be divided into sections according to the function
each serves:
• Locate the person
• Make request
• Make arrangement
• Close the call
In the following examples, we will imagine that you are calling Mr. Lau to arrange
a visit to his office.
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Locate the person

If the person you want to speak to answers the call, this part is simple. If the
receiver gives her name when he answers your call, you can skip to the next
stage. If the receiver does not give his name, you can confirm that you have
the right person: See example below
Hello, is that Mr Lau?
More often the number that you have will connect you to an operator or
secretary. In this case you will have to ask to speak to Mr. Lau:
Hello, I'd like to speak to Mr. Lau Kam-cheong, please.
If Mr. Lau is not available, you will need to find out when you can speak to
him:
Could you tell me when he will be available?
If the person you are calling has a busy schedule, you may have to call
several times. When you are finally connected, it is best to pretend that this
is your first call. Do not mention how difficult it was to make contact!
Sometimes, you will not know the name of the person who might be able to
help you. In this case, you can state your request and then say:
Could you put me through to someone who might be able to help me?
Locating someone at a company can be frustrating if you are passed from
person to person. Try not to let your frustration show
Make request
Making a request involves three stages: introducing yourself, giving
background, and making the request itself.
Introduce yourself by giving your name and explaining who you are:
I'm ...., I'm a first-year student at Hong Kong University....
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If you have been given the receiver's name by someone else, you should also
mention this:
Mr. Chan from Eurasia Products suggested that I call you....
Give the background to your request by explaining why you are making it:
I'm doing a project on work experience and I need to arrange a visit to a
company in your field....
Make your request politely and clearly. Make sure that the receiver knows
exactly what agreeing to your request will involve: how much of her time
will it involve and what will she or her staff will have to do:
I wonder if I could pay a visit to your office for an hour or so sometime in
the next two weeks, to talk to one of your staff about....
Make arrangement
If the person you are calling agrees to your request, it is important to make a
clear arrangement. If you are arranging a meeting, for example, arrange the
time and place and make sure you know where to go and what to do when
you get there. Make a note of all the information so that you do not need to
call back again to find out something you have missed.
If the person you are calling cannot agree to your request, he may modify it.
Listen carefully and try to fit in with his schedule.
If the person you are calling cannot agree to your request at all, ask if he
knows someone else who can help:
Do you know anyone else who might be able to help me?
Whether the receiver can help you or not, thank her and close the call
politely.
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Close the call

As the caller, it is your job to close the call when you have got the
information you need. Unless the receiver shows that he wants to talk, it is
not polite to chat once your business is finished. If there is a difficult silence
at the end of the call, it is probably because you are not doing your job of
closing the call. You can do this by confirming the arrangement:
So, I'll come to your office on Monday at 10....
thanking the receiver,
Thank you very much for your help....
and saying goodbye
Goodbye....
In each case, wait for the receiver's response before you go on to the next
stage. Wait until you have heard the receiver say goodbye before you hang
up.
Close the call extracts:
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1.2 Telephone Etiquette
A phone is ringing somewhere in your office. By the third ring the call should be
answered. BUT… before you pick up that phone:
1. Clear your mind of all but the task at hand – responding to the caller.
2. Prepare your phone voice
3. Answer by the 3rd ring
4. Offer your standardized greeting.
5. Be prepared before you respond.
6. Treat the caller with respect; be efficient, effective, empathetic and responsive.
Clear Your Mind of all but the Task at Hand – Responding to the Caller
There’s nothing worse than trying to carry on a conversation with someone

who is reading their emails, looking at documents or distracted with
something other than your conversation. You can always tell; there’s an
extended pause in the conversation while you wait for a response but, they
have none because they were looking through a magazine while chatting on
the phone. It’s frustrating, it’s rude, it makes you feel unimportant and they
are likely to miss important information for lack of focus.
Be present with your caller
Being present requires FOCUS. Your center of interest should be on the

caller and their conversation. Allowing distractions can result in important
information being overlooked or worse, the caller identifies you as a poor
provider of customer service and tells others.
Hints:
• Turn away from your computer and desk when you answer the phone
• Put down your reading material.
• Focus your attention on the caller
• Take the gum out of your mouth
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• No drinking or eating during the conversation
Prepare Your Phone Voice
How you handle yourself on the phone reflects not only on you, but also
your company. You see it over and over. Someone talking on the phone
forms an opinion of the person with whom they are talking based on the tone
of their voice, their language skills, etc. It may not be fair, but it happens.
According to John Robertson of EZINE @rticles, within 60 seconds people

will make assumptions about your education, background, ability and
personality based on your voice alone. What reputation do you want to
build? What impression do you want to make?
Do you sound like this on the phone?
Pay attention to:

• What you want to say.
• How you want to say it.
Your voice is very important to your career and your personal life. When
you are talking 87% of the listener’s opinion of you is based on how you say
it according to Robertson. That means that only 13% remains to make a
positive impression about what we are saying. Project a tone that conveys
enthusiasm, confidence, friendliness and attentiveness.
Did you know, when you smile while you are talking it comes across in your
voice? Let your personality shine through on the phone.
Hints:
• Take a deep breath before you pick up the phone
• Smile before you speak
• Assume your speaking voice, controlling speed, tone and volume
• Speak clearly,
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Prepare to Offer Your Standard Greeting
YO, Hey, Whazzzzup may be the normal greetings you would expect to hear
in the academic setting if you are calling the dorms but they are not
generally accepted telephone etiquette for University offices. Remember the
87% rule? Make a good first impression with an effective, efficient greeting.
Identify your company, then, identify yourself. Or you may name your
department (Music Department), your name (Glenn Campbell). It should be
crisp, clean and gives all the information the caller can handle at this point in
the call. Adding phrases such as “good morning”, “how may I help you” are
ok so long as you sound like you mean it. Elaborate, drawn out greetings are
distracting and time consuming. You can lose your caller before the
conversation begins.
Be Prepared Before You Respond
Be prepared to answer the phone. It’s not an interruption, it’s your job. Have
pencil and paper ready; prepare mentally to be present with the caller. Write
down the caller’s name immediately. If the caller doesn’t identify him or
herself – ask for a name… “May I say whose calling?” “Could I have your
name please?” “With whom am I speaking?” All are polite, appropriate
ways to get the caller’s name. Use their name frequently throughout the
conversation. Use all of your listening skills, focus your attention on the
caller, speak calmly and choose your words. Be careful to avoid jargon or
acronyms not universally familiar.
Hints:
• Listen not only to what the speaker is saying but to their unspoken
• thoughts as well. What is it this person isn’t saying that is important to
the
• conversation?
• Be sure to get clarification. “If I understand you correctly…”, “So you
are
• saying that…” “This is what I understand you are telling me…”
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1.3 The phone call and Customer Service
Treat the Caller with Respect; Be Efficient, Effective, Empathetic and

Responsive
5 Forbidden Phrases
1. “I Don’t Know”
2. “I/We Can’t Do That”
3. “You Have To”
4. “Just a Second”
5. “No”
Be positive, a problem solver, honest and helpful.
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Problem Callers
Problem callers don’t usually start out that way. Something happens to make
them go ballistic. Customers have an expectation of how they ought to be
treated and if you fail to meet that expectation, they become agitated. When
you get a caller on the phone who is getting agitated:
Listen.
Allow them to vent. Stay calm and be sincere. Remember the 87% rule – if
you aren’t sincere the caller will know immediately. Don’t jump in, even if
you have heard the same thing 10 times. The caller will be offended. A
sincere voice will have a calming effect on the caller. If you become upset or
defensive you will make a bad situation worse.
Hints:
• Don’t over-react to trigger words. Callers will often try to push your
buttons.
• Listen completely to the complaint, allow the caller to vent. Only when
they are finished should you comment.
• If the call is long-distance you might offer to call them back to avoid phone
charges. This can have an immediate positive impact.
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Empathize.
Acknowledge their feelings. “I can hear that you are upset by this” or “I can
tell this situation is upsetting you”.
Hints:
• To help with this process, keep family pictures in your work area.
Pretend you are talking to someone you know and like while you are
working with your caller.
• Force yourself to focus on solving the problem rather than
internalizing the caller’s attacks.
• Don’t blame anyone for the problem, no matter who is at fault. It’s
counter productive to resolving the issue.
Apologize.
It doesn’t matter who’s at fault. Anyone who has been inconvenienced wants
an apology. You don’t have to agree with the caller, but should express
regret that there is a problem. Empathize with the person’s feelings and
apologize, sincerely… “I’m really sorry this happened”. This makes the
caller feel that you have aligned with them. It’s hard to be upset with
someone who is sympathetic and trying to help.
Hint
• Use the person’s name a lot and apologize frequently.
• Solve the problem. Suggest agreeable solutions. Ask how you can
help and if it’s reasonable, do it; if not, find a compromise. Make sure
something is done.
• Take it upon yourself to ensure the customer gets some satisfaction.
Hints
• Handling difficult customers isn’t easy. Remembering the Golden Rule,
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, and putting it into
action with difficult customers, will help increase your job satisfaction.
• Paraphrase the problem and repeat it to the caller – get clarification before
offering solutions.
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• Work with your managers to streamline office/departmental procedures so

people who answer the phone are empowered to solve the customer’s
problem.
• Picture how good it feels to solve a problem and send someone away
satisfied. It makes your whole day better.
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Screening Calls
Screening calls is often an unpleasant part of the job. But it is sometimes

necessary because the person for whom you are screening does not always
have time to talk or want to talk to the caller. Key to handling these
situations is considering the “availability” of the called party. In order to
keep a caller from being irate over not finding the person they are calling
available to them, try sequencing the questions to avoid a conflict.
Sample Conversation:
Receptionist: “Bookkeeping, James Stewart”

Caller: “Is Ms. Stell available”
Receptionist: “I’m sorry, Ms. Stell is unavailable at this time, may I
take your name and number and have her return your
call? Or may I help you?” (Note: you have given the
caller the expectation a phone call will be returned but
also offered immediate assistance if desired.)
Caller: “This is Sam Davis, would you please tell her I called,
she has my number.”
Receptionist: “Mr. Davis, she has asked me to interrupt if you should

call, so
please hold while I tell her you are on the line.” (Had Mr.
Davis not been someone who should be passed through
you have left no room for doubt about
Hint
• Have a list of callers for whom you should always interrupt
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Placing Callers on Hold
The other line is ringing, and you are anxious to answer…requiring you to
put your current caller on Hold – it’s a necessary evil. We all hate being on
Hold. So when it’s necessary to place a caller on Hold, check with them first
to determine if they
can/want to Hold. WAIT for an answer. Remember back when we talked
about “being present” with your caller? If you are present with your caller it
is only polite to let them decide if they will Hold, go to voice mail, or call
back. Handle your current caller before you rush off to another…first come,
first serve. the availability of Ms. Stell.)
Once you have placed a caller on Hold, check back every 15-30 seconds to
update them. Thank them for holding and be as specific as you can about
how much longer you expect to keep them on Hold. Each time allow them
the opportunity to decide if they would like to continue Holding.
Transferring Calls
When the caller needs to be transferred, be polite and ask if they would like
to betransferred. Ask the caller for their number in case you lose them
during the transfer. Give the caller the name of the person to whom you are
transferring them along with their number in case the call does not go
through or in case they would like to call later. If at all possible, stay on the
line until the transfer is complete.
If you have a frustrated caller who has been transferred several times
already, do not transfer them again. Take ownership of their situation. Call
the appropriate party; ensure they have a solution to the situation, only then
should you transfer the caller. If you don’t know how to fix the situation,
take the caller’s name and number, find the appropriate person and have
them return the call. Check back to make sure the caller’s situation has been
resolved. The caller will always remember your kindness and will tell others
about your terrific customer service skills.
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Hints:
• Treat the caller as you would want to be treated
• Look at those pictures in your work area; help the caller as if they
were
family
• Make it your goal to call them back within 4 hours if you have to do
research to help them with their situation
Taking Messages
When taking a message for someone else, be sure you get the following
information recorded:
1. The caller’s name and company/department
2. The correct spelling of the caller’s name, date and time of the call
3. Complete telephone number
4. Brief explanation for call.
Be sure to verify this information with the caller to make sure you have
taken the message correctly and give him/her the opportunity to check what
they told you.
Hints
If someone is covering the phones for you, pick up your messages when you
return. Don’t wait for them to come to you.
Voice Mail
Voice mail can be a very effective tool for communication if it is used

correctly. In general people don’t mind getting transferred to voice mail if it
gives them helpful information. Your voice mail message should be short
and to the point. When forced to leave a message, callers prefer to get right
to it, not listen to a longwinded
voice mail greeting. Don’t state the obvious, (I’m away from my desk or on
the other line). State your department, your name and leave clear instruction
as to what information you need from the caller such as:
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Name and phone number,

Best time for you to return the call
Brief summary of the reason for calling
Hints:
• Sample voice mail: “Asian Academy of Business and Computers;

Mary dela Cruz. I will be out of the office until Tuesday. Please leave
your name, number, and a brief message as to the nature of your call. I
will respond when I return.”
• Sample voice mail: “Asian Academy of Business and Computers;
Mary dela Cruz.. I will be out of the office until Tuesday. Please leave
your name, number, and a brief message as to the nature of your call. I
will respond when I return. If you need immediate assistance please
contact Jeeves Butler at x5555.
• Sample voice mail if you change your voice mail daily: “Asian
Academy of Business and Computers; Mary dela Cruz.. Today is
(date). At the tone, please leave your name, a brief message regarding
your call, along with your phone number and the best time to call you
back.”
If you are going to be away from the office, say so and leave your date of return so
people will know when they might expect a response. If you are going to be out for
an extended period, you should consider offering information on another source for
helping the caller. In this case, you would state your department name, your name
and information about who the caller can contact for assistance. If you plan to refer
your calls to another member of your department, be sure to make arrangements
with them ahead of time. Leave them a cheat sheet on how to handle special
procedures.
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SELF-CHECK 1.
A. Put check (√) only to proper Telephone etiquette
 Whenever possible, try to answer your phone by the fifth ring. Do not let the phone ring
endlessly—doing so will most certainly annoy your caller.
 Show respect for your listener's time.
 Put someone on "hold" for more than a minute or so.
 Control the overall length of a call, and limit the nonbusiness part of the call to a minimum.
 Identify yourself immediately when you place a call.
 Identify yourself immediately when you answer a call.
 Identify yourself immediately when you answer someone else's phone.
 Show a willingness to take a message for another person.
 Be sure to reveal personal or confidential information when answering someone else's

phone.
 Always be polite. Remember to say "please" and "thank you" whenever appropriate.
 Adjust your voice quality to your telephone equipment.
 Shout at or snap at people or give others the impression that you feel superior or are being
disturbed unnecessarily. Try to control any negative feelings you might have.
 Respect each person with whom you work, regardless of his or her rank or position.
 Treat your job—and every business caller—seriously and professionally.
 Do not say negative things about the company or any of its employees.
 Do not argue or become defensive with a "problem caller."
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B. Review the sample conversation below
Receptionist: Bookkeeping, James Stewart

Caller: I need to speak with Ms. Stell, right away.
Receptionist: May I get your name and number please?
Caller: This is Sam Davis and I need to speak with Ms. Stell
Receptionist: Let me check to see if she is in, will you hold please?
Caller: Yes, thank you I’ll hold.
Receptionist: I’m sorry, Ms Stell is not available, Let me take your number
and have her return the call.
Caller: NO, I’ll hold until she can take my call.
Why do you think Mr. Bellefonte thinks Ms. Stell is in the office?
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INFORMATION SHEET 2
PRESENTATION
2.1 Oral Presentation
Making a good oral presentation is an art that involves attention to the needs
of your audience, careful planning, and attention to delivery. This page
explains some of the basics of effective oral presentation. It also covers use
of notes, visual aids and computer presentation software.
THE AUDIENCE
Some basic questions to ask about an audience are:

1. Who will I be speaking to?
2. What do they know about my topic already?
3. What will they want to know about my topic?
4. What do I want them to know by the end of my talk?
By basing the content and style of your presentation on your answers to
these questions, you can make sure that you are in tune with your audience.
What you want to say about your topic may be much less important than
what your audience wants to hear about it.
PLANNING YOUR PRESENTATION

In an effective presentation, the content and structure are adjusted to the
medium of speech. When listening, we cannot go back over a difficult point
to understand it or easily absorb long arguments. A presentation can easily
be ruined if the content is too difficult for the audience to follow or if the
structure is too complicated.
As a general rule, expect to cover much less content than you would in a
written report. Make difficult points easier to understand by preparing the
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listener for them, using plenty of examples and going back over them later.
Leave time for questions within the presentation.
Give your presentation a simple and logical structure. Include an
introduction in which you outline the points you intend to cover and a
conclusion in which you go over the main points of your talk.
TIPS ON CONTENT AND STRUCTURE
Content
It is likely that you already have a topic and you know what you want
to say about it. This is the content of your presentation. You may
already have the content of your presentation in written form: for
example in a written report. Whether your content is already written
down or you are beginning from scratch, you may need to cut it down
for your presentation. Why?
• You will need to fit your content within the time limit. Think carefully
about how much information you can reasonably present in the time
allowed and select the most important point.
• You will need to hold the interest and attention of your audience.
Many people lose interest towards the end of presentations that
contain too much information. Think carefully about the key points
that you want to get across and build your presentation around them.
• Some kinds of information, such as technical explanations and tables
of figures, are difficult for listeners to absorb during a presentation.
Think about summarising this kind of information or referring the
listeners to a document they can read after the presentation.
• You will need to leave time for examples and illustrations of your
points. Think carefully about how you will support and explain your
key points.
• You will need to leave time for an introduction, conclusion and
questions or comments. During this time you are likely to be repeating
points made in the main body of your talk.
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Three points to think about when preparing the content of a

presentation:
• What are your key points? Most good presentations have no more than
5 key points.
• How will you support your key points with examples and
illustrations?
• How will you make it easy for your audience to follow your key
points?
Structure
Most presentations will consist of an introduction, the body of the talk
and a conclusion. The introduction prepares the audience for what you
will say in the body of the talk and the conclusion reminds them of
your key points. Good presentations raise questions in the listeners'
mind. Good speakers encourage questions both during and after the
presentation and are prepared to answer them.
Introduction
A good introduction does four things:
• Attracts and focuses the attention of the audience

• Puts the speaker and audience at ease
• Explains the purpose of the talk and what the speaker would
like to achieve
• Gives an overview of the key points of the talk
It is often a good idea to begin a talk with a question, a short story, an

interesting fact about your topic or an unusual visual aid. Many
speakers follow this with an overhead transparency that shows the
title, aim and outline of the talk.
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Body
The body of a presentation must be presented in a logical order that is
easy for the audience to follow and natural to your topic. Divide your
content into sections and make sure that the audience knows where
they are at any time during your talk. It is often a good idea to pause
between main sections of your talk. You can ask for questions, sum up
the point or explain what the next point will be. If you have an OHT
with an outline of your talk on it, you can put this on the projector
briefly and point to the next section.
Examples, details and visual aids add interest to a presentation and

help you get your message through. Here are some questions you can
ask yourself about the examples you include:
• Are they relevant to the experience of the audience?

• Are they concrete?
• Will the audience find them interesting?
• Are they varied?
• Are they memorable?
Conclusion
A good conclusion does two things:
• Reminds the audience of your key points

• Reinforces your message
Your conclusion should end the presentation on a positive note and

make the audience feel that have used their time well listening to you.
Questions
Many speakers worry about questions from the audience. However,
questions show that the audience is interested in what you have to say
ad can make the talk more lively and interactive. You should be more
worried if there are no questions at all! One way of handling questions
is to point to questions you would like to discuss as you are talking.
You can control questions better if you leave pauses during your talk
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and ask for questions. It is important not to let question and answer
sessions during the talk go on too long, however. Answer briefly or
say you will deal with the question at the end. Make sure you are
ready to go on with your talk when questions have finished.
DELIVERING YOUR PRESENTATION
People vary in their ability to speak confidently in public, but

everyone gets nervous and everyone can learn how to improve their
presentation skills by applying a few simple techniques.
The main points to pay attention to in delivery are the quality of your
voice, your rapport with the audience, use of notes and use of visual
aids.
Voice quality involves attention to volume, speed and fluency, clarity

and pronunciation. The quality of your voice in a presentation will
improve dramatically if you are able to practise beforehand in a room
similar to the one you will be presenting in.
Rapport with the audience involves attention to eye contact,

sensitivity to how the audience is responding to your talk and what
you look like from the point of view of the audience. These can be
improved by practising in front of one or two friends or video-taping
your rehearsal.
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TIPS ON DELIVERY
Voice quality
Your voice is your main channel of communication to the audience, so make
sure you use it to its best effect.
Volume
Is your voice loud enough or too loud? Adjust your volume to the size of the
room and make sure the people at the back can hear. In a big room take deep
breaths and try to project your voice rather than shout.
Speed and fluency

Speak at a rate so your audience can understand your points. Do not speed
up because you have too much material to fit into the time available. Try not
to leave long pauses while you are looking at your notes or use fillers such
as 'um' or 'er'. Use pauses to allow the audience to digest an important point.
Repeat or rephrase difficult or important points to make sure the audience
understands.
Clarity
Speak clearly. Face the audience and hold your head up. Your speech will be
clearer if you look directly at the members of the audience while you speak.
Keep your hands and notes away from your mouth and keep your eyes on
the audience when you are talking about overhead transparencies. If you
have to look at the whiteboard or the overhead projector, stop talking until
you are ready to face the audience again.
Pronunciation
You may not be able to improve your general pronunciation much before an
important presentation. However, you can make sure you know how to
pronounce names and difficult words. Do not use exagerrated intonation or
pronunciation of individual words. Your natural speaking style will be good
enough as long as you speak clearly.
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Engaging the audience
One of the secrets of a good presentation is to involve the audience.
Maintain eye contact

Look your audience in the eyes. Spread your eye contact around the
audience including those at the back and sides of the room. Avoid looking at
anyone too long because this can be intimidating!
Ask for feedback

You can involve the audience by asking occasional questions. Try to ask
genuine questions to which you do not already know the answer and show
interest in any replies. Leave time for the audience to think and try to avoid
answering your questions yourself or telling members of the audience that
their answers are wrong. Questions to the audience work well when you
manage to make those who answer them feel that they have contributed to
your presentation.
You can also pause occasionally to ask if anyone has any questions for you.
If a question disrupts the flow of your talk too much, you can say that you
will answer it later (but don't forget to do it!). Before you ask for questions,
make sure you are ready to pick up your presentation again when the Q & A
session has finished.
Look confident
It is natural to feel nervous in front of an audience. Experienced speakers
avoid looking nervous by breathing deeply, speaking slowly and avoiding
unnecessary gestures or movements. Smiling and focusing attention on
members of the audience who show interest can also help you feel more
confident as your talk progresses.
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EFFECTIVE USE OF NOTES
Good speakers vary a great deal in their use of notes. Some do not use notes
at all and some write out their talk in great detail. If you are not an
experienced speaker it is not a good idea to speak without notes because you
will soon lose your thread. You should also avoid reading a prepared text
aloud or memorising your speech as this will be boring.
The best solution may be to use notes with headings and points to be
covered. You may also want to write down key sentences. Notes can be on
paper or cards. Some speakers use overhead transparencies as notes. The
trick in using notes is to avoid shifting your attention from the audience for
too long. Your notes should always be written large enough for you to see
without moving your head too much.
Tips on Notes
One of the decisions you have to make before you give a presentation is how
to remember what you are going to say. Experienced presenters use a variety
of methods. On this page we outline the advantages and disadvantages of
each. It is up to you to decide which is best for you.
Speaking without notes

Some presenters do not use notes at all. They just remember the
outline of what they are going to say and talk.
Advantages: If you do it well, you will seem natural, knowledgeable

and confident of your topic. You will also find it easier to establish
rapport with the audience because you can give them your full
attention.
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Disadvantages: It is easy to lose your thread, miss out whole sections

of your talk or to go over the time limit. People who speak without
notes often fail to convey a clear idea of the structure of their ideas to
the audience.
This is a high-risk strategy. A few people can present effectively

without notes. If you are one of them, good luck!
Reading from a script
Some experienced presenters write down every word they intend to

say. They may read the whole script aloud or they may just use it as a
back-up.
Advantages: You will find it easier to keep within the time limit. You
are likely to less nervous and make fewer mistakes.
Disadvantages: It is difficult to establish rapport with the audience.

You may sound like you are reading aloud rather than speaking to an
audience. Listeners often lose interest in a presentation that is read
aloud.
This is a low-risk strategy employed by many experienced non-native

speaker presenters. If you use it, you will need to develop the skill of
reading aloud while still sounding natural. Few people can do this
effectively.
Note cards
Many presenters write down headings and key points on cards or

paper. They use them as reminders of what they are going to say.
Advantages: You will find it easier to establish rapport with the

audience. Your presentation will be structured but you will sound
natural.
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Disadvantages: You may find it difficult to keep within the time

limit. If your notes are too brief, you may forget what you intended to
say.
This is a medium-risk strategy used by many experienced presenters

and the one most often recommended. The disadvantages of note
cards can be overcome if you practice your presentation before you
give it.
Overhead transparencies
Some presenters use their OHTs as notes. They use them like note
cards as reminders of what they are going to say. Handouts and
PowerPoint presentations can be used in the same way.
Advantages: It is easy to establish rapport with the audience because

you are sharing your notes with them. You will sound natural and
your presentation will seem well-organised.
Disadvantages: You may find it difficult to keep within the time

limit. Your presentation may be dominated by your OHTs. Unless you
are careful, you may find that you are talking to the overhead
projector rather than the audience.
This is a medium-to-high-risk strategy. Used well, it can be very

effective, especially by presenters who are used to speaking without
notes.
VISUAL AIDS
Visual aids help to make a presentation more lively. They can also help the
audience to follow your presentation and help you to present information
that would be difficult to follow through speech alone.
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The two most common forms of visual aid are overhead transparencies
(OHTs) and computer slide shows (e.g. PowerPoint). Objects that can be
displayed or passed round the audience can also be very effective and often
help to relax the audience. Some speakers give printed handouts to the
audience to follow as they speak. Others prefer to give their handouts at the
end of the talk, because they can distract the audience from the presentation.
Tips on OHTs
Purpose
The aim of using transparencies is to support the points you want to make in
speech. The audience will be able to follow better if they can see your key
points and examples as well as hearing them. OHTs can
• Reinforce a point you have made

• Show what something looks like
• Illustrate relationships
• Show information patterns
• Present figures or graphs
• Summarise key points
• Help the audience follow passages or quotations you read aloud
OHTs are not the only form of visual aid available to you. For example, if
you want to show what something looks like, it may be better to show the
audience the thing itself rather than a picture of it.
Design
To be effective, OHTs must be attractive and easy to read. Some basic rules
are:
• Use large fonts and images

• Present one key point or example per OHT
• Use headings and bullet points in preference to lines of text
• Use strong colours and don't use too many
• Use simple graphs in preference to tables of figures
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• Pay attention to layout. Use the centre of the OHT rather than the
edges
Using overhead projectors

Overhead projectors are designed to allow the speaker to project an image
while facing the audience. The image may be a picture or graphic, notes
indicating the points you are making or longer texts that you want to read
aloud. Whenever you use an OHT, the attention of the audience will be
divided between you and the image, so there are a few basic rules to follow:
• Make sure the image can be seen. If possible go to the room in

advance and check that everything on your OHTs can be read easily
from the back of the room.
• If possible, make sure the projector is in a convenient position. Decide
where you want to stand when speaking and then position the
projector where you can get to it easily. This will usually be on the
side of your body that you normally use for writing (i.e. your left side
if you are left-handed)
• Keep your slides in order in a pile next to the projector and put them
back in order in another pile as you take them off the projector.
• If possible, control the lighting in the room yourself so that there is
always a light shining on you. If your OHTs are easy to read, you will
not need to turn off the lights.
• When you are presenting, avoid looking at the projected image and the
transparency on the projector. It is a good idea to print out your slides
on paper to keep with your notes so you can refer to them while you
are speaking.
• If you want to draw attention to a point on an OHT, put a pen on top
of it and leave it pointing at the point you want to draw attention to.
Don't point with your finger because you will have to look at the
projector while you do so.
• If you want the audience to read longer texts on OHTs (e.g. quotations
or tables of figures) give them time to do so. There is no point in
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putting an OHT on the projector if the audience does not have time to
read it.
• Make sure you explain the content and purpose of each OHT.
The main rule is to use OHTs to support your talk. Don't let them dominate
it.
OHTs and handouts

Some speakers give handouts for the audience to read while they are talking.
The advantage of OHTs over handouts is that they focus attention on you
and your talk. If you want to give a handout, it is often a good idea to wait
until the end of the presentation before distributing it. Often members of the
audience want to note down points from your OHTs. This can distract them
from following the presentation, so it is a good idea to distribute information
that the audience will want to note down on handout. As soon as someone
starts taking notes, tell the audience that they do not need to do so because
they will get the information on the handout.
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2.2 Written Presentation (Reports)
Written reports are frequently used to convey information within the workplace.
Reports can be informal (e-mails, memos, letters, etc.) or formal. This module
focuses on formal reports.
What is a report?
All reports have the same purpose: to convey information. Reports differ from
essays in two main ways.
• The purpose of a report is to convey information, while the

purpose of an essay is to demonstrate your knowledge of the
subject and writing skills.
• The information in a report will usually be new to the reader,
while the information in an essay may already be known.
There are two basic kinds of report.
• Informational reports tell the reader about a topic. They present

information without analysis or recommendations. The report
writer's task is to select and emphasise the relevant facts clearly
and concisely.
• Analytical reports tell the reader to do something. They analyse
and interpret data and make recommendations. The report writer's
task is to select and emphasise the facts and arguments that
support the recommendations.
2.3 The Writing Process
Writing a report requires hours of work. Approaching the task

systematically helps you break down a large job into smaller, more
manageable tasks. The logical steps for writing a report are listed below
and explained in this module.
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Step 1: Identify a Report Topic
Step 2: Understand Your Audience
Step 3: Focus and Refine Your Topic
Step 4: Create a Working Bibliography
Step 5: Evaluate and Synthesize Resources
Step 6: Take Notes on What You Read
Step 7: Organize Your Ideas and Create Structure
Step 8: Write the First Draft
Step 9: Revise and Edit the Report
Step 10: Cite Your References
2.4 Sections of a report

Formal reports also take many forms depending on the field and topic. Many
companies and organisations have their own house styles for reports. Formal
reports are usually divided into sections with numbered headings. Although
report formats vary, most reports contain the following sections.
Title page
Apart from the title of the report, which should give a clear idea of the topic
of the report, a title page usually includes:
• Your name and position

• The name of the person or group that the report is addressed to
• The names of anyone else the report is distributed to
• The date
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Contents
The contents page should list the main section headings of the report with
page numbers. It may also list the tables and figures in the report.
Executive summary
A good executive summary allows a busy reader to get the main points of
the report without reading the whole report. It should be short and should
include:
• The purpose of the report

• The problem or issues dealt with and the main points of
discussion
• The conclusions of the report
• Any recommendations made
The executive summary comes at the beginning of the report, but it is a good
idea to write it after you have finished writing the whole report.
Introduction
The introduction explains the background to the report, its purpose and the
points covered. A good introduction will be short and will help to guide the
reader.
Main body
The main body of the report should contain a clear explanation of what you
have discovered and how you have found it out. It is often divided into
sections with headings that describe the topics covered. Another way to
divide up the main body is:
• Procedure - what you did

• Findings - what you have found out
• Discussion - relating what you have found out to what the reader
already knows
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Many reports contain tables and figures. Each table or figure should have a
caption containing a number and a title. You should only include tables and
figures which contribute to the information you want to convey. It is not
necessary to summarise all the information in a table in your text, but you
should always explain the main points illustrated in the text following the
table.
Conclusion
This contains the conclusions you draw from the information presented in
the main body of the report. Conclusions should be firmly and briefly stated.
You should not introduce new information.
Recommendations
Recommendations are suggestions for actions or changes. They should be
specific rather than general. If the purpose of the report is simply to present
information on a topic for discussion, a recommendations section may not be
necessary.
Bibliography
A report may contain references or recommendations for reading in a
bibliography. A bibliography may not be necessary, however. In reports, full
references to readings introduced in the text are often given as footnotes.
Appendices
Appendices may include tables, texts, graphs, diagrams, photographs,
questionnaires, etc. You should put these in an appendix when placing them
in the main body of the report would interrupt the process of reading. Items
in an appendices should be referred to somewhere in the main body. If you
do not need to refer to them in the main body, you might think about
whether you need to include them at all.
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Report formats
A formal report should be formatted so that it is easy to read and looks

professional. Microsoft Word and other word-processing packages can help you to:
• Use attractive fonts and page layouts

• Insert page numbers
• Automatically number headings
• Draw tables and figures
• Automatically number table and figure captions and insert
references to them in the text
• Generate a table of contents and lists of tables and figures.
Before you produce your report, spend some time reading the help information
provided with your word-processor to find out how to use these features.
If you use Microsoft Word, you may also use a report template, which will give
you a basic layout for a professional report before you start writing.
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SELF-CHECK 2.
Instructions -- Complete these sentences by filling in the blanks
1. In the introduction to __________ the writer may tell the reader what is
covered, but the beginning of __________ is much more specific with
background and purpose sections.
2. The conclusion of __________ may simply sum up the preceding

arguments, but the end of __________ is much more specific and often
includes recommendations and/or solutions.
3. The format of __________ is much more rigidly constrained than that of

__________. The logical development of material in __________ must be
rigorously maintained.
4. __________ uses headings and figures to make contents immediately clear,

and points may be numbered and in note form. __________ may use some
headings, but numbers are seldom used.
5. A bibliography must be included at the end of every __________ and may

be included at the end of __________.
B. Create a written report by choosing a topic below. Follow the sections of a

written report
1. Many students like you are contemplating systems’ certification beyond the
undergraduate degree. What are the most popular, and useful, certification
programs available? Is it worth the effort? What programs would you
recommend? Why?
2. Many management information systems (MIS) students wonder whether

basic writing skills will be an important aspect of their jobs. You’re curious,
too, so you decide to write a report that investigates what MIS jobs involve.
In addition, you wonder whether the course requirements in your business
school serve to prepare MIS majors for the kinds of on-the-job writing they
will do. After you’ve researched and analyzed these issues, offer
recommendations to fellow students.
35
3. Your college has decided to offer each student the opportunity to establish a
Web presence on its server through a personal home page. As the head of
media and information technologies, it’s your job to develop clear and
understandable directions for students who want to create their own Web
sites—whether they use html or any of the popular Web-page-creation
software. After carefully analyzing your audience’s needs, and investigating
your college’s regulations about content and security, present students with a
set of directions.
36
INFORMATION SHEET 3
MEETINGS
Introduction
A meeting is a gathering of two or more people that has been convened for the
purpose of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction, such as sharing
information or reaching agreement. Meetings may occur face to face or virtually,
as mediated by communications technology, such as a telephone conference call, a
skyped conference call or a video conference call.
Thus, a meeting may be distinguished from other gatherings, such as a chance
encounter (not convened), a sports game or a concert (verbal interaction is
incidental), a party or the company of friends (no common goal is to be achieved)
and a demonstration (whose common goal is achieved mainly through the number
of demonstrators present, not verbal interaction).
Commercially, the term is used by meeting planners and other meeting

professionals to denote an event booked at a hotel, convention center or any other
venue dedicated to such gatherings. In this sense, the term meeting covers a lecture
(one presentation), seminar (typically several presentations, small audience, one
day), conference (mid-size, one or more days), congress (large, several days),
exhibition or trade show (with manned stands being visited by passers-by),
workshop (smaller, with active participants), training course, team-building session
and kick-off event.
3.1 TYPES OF MEETING?
How do you know it's time to call a meeting? What type of meeting is it? What's
the purpose of the meeting? Here are some typical situations when a meeting may
be called for.
• You're managing a project. Projects tend to require meetings at various
stages: at the beginning, as the project plan is coming together, and at
regular intervals while the work is being done. Toward the end of the
project, depending on its size, daily meetings could be necessary.
• You're managing people. Many bosses call weekly staff meetings in
addition to weekly one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. These
standing meetings provide a chance to review the work accomplished in the
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previous week and look ahead to what will be accomplished in the coming
week. Weekly one-on-one meetings also give the chance to provide
feedback outside the performance review process.
• You're managing a client. Many types of companies, especially
professional services firms, make presentations to clients - sales
presentations, kickoff meetings, interim status meetings, and final
presentations. Ongoing relationships also typically involve periodic
meetings.
• Email is getting complicated. When an email conversation gets
increasingly complex, it can be time to call a meeting so that the
conversation can take place in spoken words - which can be quicker than a
series of carefully crafted email responses. A conference call or an in-person
meeting may be necessary.
• Problems are arising. If a project is getting off course, interpersonal
conflicts are escalating, or any other emergency occurs, it's time to call a
meeting.
Groups are great at some tasks, like weighing alternatives and generating ideas.
But sometimes a meeting is not the best or most efficient way to get something
done. Some types of work are best done in subcommittees - even subcommittees of
one - then presented to the larger group for review and approval. An example is the
group asked to provide comments and suggested changes to a document. It is said
that a committee can write the Declaration of Independence, provided they appoint
a subcommittee with Thomas Jefferson as chair.
What type of meeting is it?

The purpose of the meeting should help determine the appropriate format. If it's to
get clarification on something, a quick question at the water cooler or a visit to
someone's office may take the place of a meeting. The length and formality of the
meeting will vary depending on how many people are invited, how much notice is
given, the size of the company (larger companies often have more formal meeting
protocols than smaller ones), and who's leading the meeting. The basic types of
meetings are as follows.
• Standing meeting. A regularly scheduled appointment, such as a weekly

one-on-one with a boss or a department; or a project meeting taking place at
intervals until the project is over. Since these meetings recur, their format
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and agenda become relatively well established. Although it's important to

hold these meetings at routine intervals for convenience and consistency, at
times they can be rescheduled.
• Topical meeting. A gathering called to discuss one subject, such as a work
issue or a task related to a project.
• Presentation. A highly structured meeting where one or more people speak
and a moderator leads the proceedings. The purpose is usually to inform.
Attendees may have an opportunity to ask questions, but typically their
participation is limited.
• Conference. A highly structured, moderated meeting, like a presentation,
where various participants contribute following a fixed agenda.
• Emergency meeting. A meeting called to address a crisis, whether internal
or external. Such meetings are often arranged with very little notice, but
attendance is mandatory. If the emergency meeting conflicts with another
appointment, the emergency meeting typically takes precedence.
• Seminar. A structured meeting with an educational purpose. Seminars are
usually led by people with expertise in the subject matter.
• Quick business meetings (just to check-in, coordinate, share info, prepare

for next steps, anticipate customer or employee needs, answer questions for
each other, etc.)
• Stand-up” meetings (no more than 10 minutes to plan the day, make
announcements, set expectations, assure understanding and alignment,
identify upcoming difficulties, etc.)
• Business meetings (with customers, clients, colleagues, etc.; often require

presentations.)
• Staff meetings (to clear calendars, coordinate unit activities, share info, etc.)
• Management Team meetings (to solve problems, make decisions, set

policy, etc.)
• Interdepartmental meetings (to get input, interpret decisions and policies,

share info, etc.)
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• Coordinating meetings (to assure all know what’s happening when and
who is responsible.)
• Board meetings (to report results, set policies and directions, scan for
needed changes, etc.)
• Team building meetings (to communicate together, resolve conflicts, share

impressions and feelings, gain alignment and commitment to goals,
strengthen relationships, clear out debris from disputes, develop or deepen
interpersonal trust, etc.)
• Project Team meetings (to define results, methods, schedules,

responsibilities, policies, etc.)
• Creative product development meetings (to define new markets, create

new products, etc.)
• Community meetings (to interpret decisions, get input, build relationships,

gain trust, etc.)
• Conferences and Retreats (to share information, work through strategies

and tactics, involve people, set long-range directions, work in sub-groups as
well as in total group, etc.)
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3.2 Planning and Running a Meeting
MEETINGS - BASIC RULES
Here is a solid basic structure for most types of meetings. This assumes you have
considered properly and decided that the meeting is necessary, and also that you
have decided (via consultation with those affected if necessary or helpful) what
sort of meeting to hold.
1. plan - use the agenda as a planning tool

2. circulate the meeting agenda in advance
3. run the meeting - keep control, agree outcomes, actions and responsibilities,
take notes
4. write and circulate notes - especially actions and accountabilities
5. follow up agreed actions and responsibilities
POSTAD TV
This helps to remember how to plan effective meetings, and particularly how to
construct the meeting agenda, and then notify the meeting delegates:
Priorities, Outcomes, Sequence, Timings, Agenda, Date, Time, Venue.
MEETING PRIORITIES
What is the meeting's purpose, or purposes? Always have a clear purpose; otherwise don't
have a meeting. Decide the issues for inclusion in the meeting and their
relative priority: importance and urgency - they are quite different and need
treating in different ways. Important matters do not necessarily need to be
resolved quickly. Urgent matters generally do not warrant a lot of
discussion. Matters that are both urgent and important are clearly serious
priorities that need careful planning and management.
You can avoid the pressure for 'Any Other Business' at the end of the
meeting if you circulate a draft agenda in advance of the meeting, and ask
for any other items for consideration. ('Any Other Business' often creates a
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free-for-all session that wastes time, and gives rise to new tricky
expectations, which if not managed properly then closes the meeting on a
negative note.)
MEETING OUTCOMES
Decide the type of outcome (i.e., what is the purpose) for each issue, and put
this on the agenda alongside the item heading. This is important as people
need to know what is expected of them, and each item will be more
productive with a clear aim at the outset. Typical types of outcomes are:
• Decision
• Discussion
• Information
• Planning (eg workshop session)
• Generating ideas
• Getting feedback
• Finding solutions
• Agreeing (targets, budgets, aims, etc)
• Policy statement
• Team-building/motivation
• Guest speaker - information, initiatives, etc.
MEETING SEQUENCE
Put the less important issues at the top of the agenda, not the bottom. If you
put them on the bottom you may never get to them because you'll tend to
spend all the time on the big issues.
Ensure any urgent issues are placed up the agenda. Non-urgent items place
down the agenda - if you are going to miss any you can more easily afford to
miss these.
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Try to achieve a varied mix through the running order - if possible avoid
putting heavy controversial items together - vary the agenda to create
changes in pace and intensity.
Be aware of the tendency for people to be at their most sensitive at the

beginning of meetings, especially if there are attendees who are keen to
stamp their presence on proceedings. For this reason it can be helpful to
schedule a particularly controversial issue later in the sequence, which gives
people a chance to settle down and relax first, and maybe get some of the
sparring out of their systems over less significant items.
Also be mindful of the lull that generally affects people after lunch, so try to
avoid scheduling the most boring item of the agenda at this time; instead
after lunch get people participating and involved, whether speaking,
presenting, debating or doing other active things.
MEETING TIMINGS (OF AGENDA ITEMS)
Consider the time required for the various items rather than habitually or
arbitrarily decide the length of the meeting. Allocate a realistic time slot for
each item. Keep the timings realistic - usually things take longer than you
think.
Long meetings involving travel for delegates require pre-meeting

refreshments 30 minutes prior to the actual meeting start time.
Put plenty of breaks into long meetings. Unless people are participating and
fully involved, their concentration begins to drop after just 45 minutes.
Breaks don't all need to be 20 minutes for coffee and cigarettes. Five
minutes every 45-60 minutes for a quick breath of fresh air and leg-stretch
will help keep people attentive.
Unless you have a specific reason for arranging one, avoid formal sit-down
restaurant lunches - they'll add at least 30 minutes unnecessarily to the lunch
break, and the whole thing makes people drowsy. Working lunches are
great, but make sure you give people 10-15 minutes to get some fresh air and
move about outside the meeting room. If the venue is only able to provide
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lunch in the restaurant, arrange a buffet, or if a sit-down meal is unavoidable

save some time by the giving delegates' menu choices to the restaurant
earlier in the day.
It's not essential, but it is usually helpful, to put precise (planned) times for
each item on the agenda. What is essential however is for you to have
thought about and planned the timings so you can run the sessions according
to a schedule. In other words, if the delegates don't have precise timings on
their agendas - make sure you have them on yours. This is one of the biggest
responsibilities of the person running the meeting, and is a common failing,
so plan and manage this aspect firmly. People will generally expect you to
control the timekeeping, and will usually respect a decision to close a
discussion for the purpose of good timekeeping, even if the discussion is still
in full flow.
MEETING ATTENDEES
It's often obvious who should attend; but sometimes it isn't. Consider
inviting representatives from other departments to your own department
meetings - if relationships are not great they will often appreciate being
asked, and it will help their understanding of your issues, and your
understanding of theirs.
Having outside guests from internal and external suppliers helps build
relationships and strengthen the chain of supply, and they can often also
shed new light on difficult issues too. Use your discretion though - certain
sensitive issues should obviously not be aired with 'outsiders' present.
Avoid and resist senior managers and directors attending your meetings
unless you can be sure that their presence will be positive, and certainly not
intimidating. Senior people are often quick to criticise and pressurise
without knowing the facts, which can damage team relationships, morale,
motivation and trust.
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If you must have the boss at your meeting, try to limit their involvement to
lunch only, or presenting the awards at the end of the meeting. In any event,
tell your boss what you are trying to achieve at the meeting and how - this
gives you more chance in controlling possible interference.
MEETING DATE
Ensure the date you choose causes minimum disruption for all concerned.
It's increasingly difficult to gather people for meetings, particularly from
different departments or organisations. So take care when finding the best
date - it's a very important part of the process, particularly if senior people
are involved.
For meetings that repeat on a regular basis the easiest way to set dates is to
agree them in advance at the first meeting when everyone can commit there
and then. Try to schedule a year's worth of meetings if possible, then you
can circulate and publish the dates, which helps greatly to ensure people
keep to them and that no other priorities encroach.
Pre-planning meeting dates is one of the keys to achieving control and well-
organised meetings. Conversely, leaving it late to agree dates for meetings
will almost certainly inconvenience people, which is a major source of upset.
Generally try to consult to get agreement of best meeting dates for everyone,
but ultimately you will often need to be firm. Use the 'inertia method', i.e.,
suggest a date and invite alternative suggestions, rather than initially asking
for suggestions, which rarely achieves a quick agreement.
45
MEETING TIME
Times to start and finish depend on the type and duration of the meeting and
the attendees' availability, but generally try to start early, or finish at the end
of the working day. Two-hour meetings in the middle of the day waste a lot
of time in travel. Breakfast meetings are a good idea in certain cultures, but
can be too demanding in more relaxed environments. If attendees have long
distances to travel (i.e., more than a couple of hours, consider overnight
accommodation on the night before.
If the majority have to stay overnight it's often worth getting the remainder
to do so as well because the team building benefits from evening socialising
are considerable, and well worth the cost of a hotel room. Overnight
accommodation the night before also allows for a much earlier start. By the
same token, consider people's travelling times after the meeting, and don't be
unreasonable - again offer overnight accommodation if warranted - it will
allow a later finish, and generally keep people happier.
As with other aspects of the meeting arrangements, if in doubt always ask

people what they prefer. Why guess when you can find out what people
actually want, especially if the team is mature and prefers to be consulted
anyway.
MEETING VENUE
Many meetings are relatively informal, held in meeting rooms 'on-site' and
do not warrant extensive planning of the venue as such. On the other hand,
big important meetings held off-site at unfamiliar venues very definitely
require a lot of careful planning of the venue layout and facilities. Plan the
venue according to the situation - leave nothing to chance.
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Venue choice is critical for certain sensitive meetings, but far less so for
routine, in-house gatherings. Whatever, there are certain preparations that
are essential, and never leave it all to the hotel conference organiser or your
own facilities department unless you trust them implicitly. Other people will
do their best but they're not you, and they can't know exactly what you want.
You must ensure the room is right - mainly, that it is big enough with all
relevant equipment and services. It's too late to start hunting for a 20ft power
extension lead five minutes before the meeting starts.
Other aspects that you need to check or even set up personally are:
• table and seating layout

• top-table (if relevant) position
• tables for demonstration items, paperwork, hand-outs, etc
• electricity power points and extensions
• heating and lighting controls
• projection and flip chart equipment positioning and correct operation
• whereabouts of toilets and emergency exits - fire drill
• confirm reception and catering arrangements
• back-up equipment contingency
All of the above can and will go wrong unless you check and confirm - when
you book the venue and then again a few days before the meeting.
For a big important meeting, you should also arrive an hour early to check
everything is as you want it. Some meetings are difficult enough without
having to deal with domestic or logistics emergencies; and remember if
anything goes wrong it reflects on you - it's your credibility, reputation and
control that's at stake.
Positioning of seating and tables is important, and for certain types of

meetings it's crucial. Ensure the layout is appropriate for the occasion:
• Formal presentations to large groups - theatre-style - the audience in

rows, preferably with tables, facing the chairman.
47
• Medium-sized participative meetings - horse-shoe (U) table layout

with the open part of the U facing the chairman's table, or delegates'
tables arranged 'cabaret' style.
• Small meetings for debate and discussion - board-room style - one
rectangular table with chairman at one end.
• Relaxed team meetings for planning and creative sessions - lounge
style, with easy chairs and coffee tables.
Your own positioning in relation to the group is important. If you are

confident and comfortable and your authority is in no doubt you should sit
close to the others, and can even sit among people. If you expect challenge
or need to control the group strongly set yourself further away and clearly
central, behind a top-table at the head of things.
Ensure everyone can see screens and flip charts properly - actually sit in the
chairs to check - you'll be surprised how poor the view is from certain
positions.
Set up of projectors and screens is important - strive for the perfect

rectangular image, as this gives a professional, controlled impression as soon
as you start. Experiment with the adjustment of projector and screen until it's
how you want it. If you are using LCD projector and overhead projector (a
rare beast these days) you may need two screens. A plain white wall is often
better than a poor screen.
People from the western world read from left to right, so if you want to
present anything in order using different media, set it up so that people can
follow it naturally from left to right. For instance show introductory bullet
points (say on a flip chart on the left - as the audience sees it) and the detail
for each point (say on projector and screen on the right).
Position screens and flip chart where they can be used comfortably without
obscuring the view. Ensure the speaker/chairman's position is to the side of
the screen, not in front of it obscuring the view.
Ensure any extension leads and wiring is taped to the floor or otherwise
safely covered and protected.
48
Supply additional flip chart easels and paper, or write-on acetates and pens,
for syndicate work if applicable. You can also ask people to bring laptops
for exercises and presentation to the group assuming you have LCD
projector is available and compatible.
In venues that have not been purpose-built for modern presentations,

sometimes the lighting is problematical. If there are strong fluorescent lights
above the screen that cannot be switched off independently, it is sometimes
possible for them to be temporarily disconnected (by removing the starter,
which is a small plastic cylinder plugged into the side of the tube holder). In
older buildings it sometimes possible to temporarily remove offending light-
bulbs if they are spoiling the visual display, but always enlist the help of one
of the venue's staff rather than resorting to DIY.
Finally, look after the venue's staff - you need them on your side. Most
business users treat hotel and conference staff disdainfully - show them
some respect and appreciation and they will be more than helpful.
49
MEETING PLANNER CHECKLIST
There's a lot to remember, so, particularly for big important meetings and training sessions, use a
meetings checklist to make sure you plan properly and don't miss anything:
Meetings Checklist
Done Comments Date/ ref
Agenda
Priorities
Outcomes
Sequence
Timings
Attendees
Date
Time
Venue
Variety
Notification
Notes of last meeting
Directions/ map
Materials (as required by agenda
items)
Reference material for ad-hoc
queries
Results and performance data
Equipment (make separate checklist)
Electrical power (if applicable)
Domestics
Catering Arrangements
Note-paper, pens, name-plares
Refreshments
Guest care/ instructions
50
MEETING AGENDA
Produce the meeting agenda. This is the tool with which you control the meeting. Include all the
relevant information and circulate it in advance. If you want to avoid having the ubiquitous and
time-wasting 'Any Other Business' on your agenda, circulate the agenda well in advance and ask
for additional items to be submitted for consideration.
Formal agendas for board meetings and committees will normally have an established fixed
format, which applies for every meeting. This type of formal agenda normally begins with:
1. apologies for absence

2. approval of previous meeting's minutes (notes)
3. matters arising (from last meeting)
and then the main agenda, finishing with 'any other business'.
For more common, informal meetings (departmental, sales teams, projects, ad-hoc issues, etc),
try to avoid the formality and concentrate on practicality. For each item, explain the purpose, and
if a decision is required, say so. If it's a creative item, say so. If it's for information, say so. Put
timings, or time-per-item, or both (having both is helpful for you as the chairman). If you have
guest speakers or presenters for items, name them. Plan coffee breaks and a lunch break if
relevant, and ensure the caterers are informed. Aside from these formal breaks you should allow
natural 'comfort' breaks every 45-60 minutes, or people lose concentration and the meeting
becomes less productive.
51
(Meeting Title) Monthly Sales Meeting- ABC Co.- NCR Region

Venue, Time, Date) Conference Room, Dusit Hotel- 0900hrs Monday
09/05/08
Agenda
Coffee available from 0830hrs – Dress is smart casual.
09:00:00 AM Warm up and New starters Ria Cruz and 15

Introductions. Art Diaz. Guests are Joseph
Gonzales, Fleet Manager;
Jim Perez, Off Shore
Product Manager; and Billy
Ferrer, Tech-range Chief
Engineer
09:15:00 AM Health and safety update Revised procedures for 15

hazardous chemicals at
production facility
09:30:00 AM Product revision update. Tech-range Model 3 now 30

has stand-by mode control.
Product will be
demonstrated.
10:00:00 AM Coffee Chance for hands-on the 15

new Model 3
10:15:00 AM Sales results & forecast Ensure you bring qtr2 60
forecast data and be
prepared to present
prospect lists and activities.
11:15:00 AM New product launch The new Digi-range is 60

launched in month five.
Product demonstratins and
presentationso f
performance data, USP's,
benfefits for key sectors,
and details of launch
promotion.
12:30:00 PM Major accounts initiatives Brainstorm session- How 45

can we accelerate major
accounts development in
offshore sector?- Do some
preparatory thinking about
this
52
01:15:00 PM Lunch Buffet in the meeting room 45
02:00:00 PM New product launch The new Digi-range is 120

launched in month five.
Product demonstratins and
presentationso f
performance data, USP's,
benfefits for key sectors,
and details of launch
promotion.
04:00:00 PM Coffee 30
04:30:00 PM New Company Car Scheme Presentation from Fleet 45

Manager, Joseph Gonzales
about new car scheme
05:15:00 PM Awards and Incentive Qtr 1 Sales Awards and 45

launch of Qtr2 Sales
Incentives
06:00:00 PM Meeting review, quesitons, 30
close
53
RUNNING THE MEETING
The key to success is keeping control. You do this by sticking to the agenda,
managing the relationships and personalities, and concentrating on outcomes.
Meetings must have a purpose. Every item must have a purpose. Remind yourself
and the group of the required outcomes and steer the proceedings towards making
progress, not hot air.
Politely suppress the over-zealous, and encourage the nervous. Take notes as you
go, recording the salient points and the agreed actions, with names, measurable
outcomes and deadlines. Do not record everything word-for-word, and if you find
yourself taking over the chairmanship of a particularly stuffy group which
produces reams of notes and very little else, then change things. Concentrate on
achieving the outcomes you set the meeting when you drew up the agenda. Avoid
racing away with decisions if your aim was simply discussion and involving
people. Avoid hours of discussion if you simply need a decision. Avoid debate if
you simply need to convey a policy issue. Policy is policy and that is that.
Defer new issues to another time. Practice and use the phrase 'You may have a
point, but it's not for this meeting - we'll discuss it another time.' (And then
remember to do it.)
If you don't know the answer say so - be honest - don't waffle - say that you'll get
back to everyone with the answer, or append it to the meeting notes.
If someone persistently moans on about a specific issue that is not on the agenda,
quickly translate it into a simple exploratory or investigative project, and bounce it
back to them, with a deadline to report back their findings and recommendations to
you.
Always look at how people are behaving in meetings - look for signs of tiredness,
exasperation, and confusion, and take necessary action.
As a general rule, don't deviate from the agenda, but if things get very heavy, and
the next item is very heavy too, swap it around for something participative coming
later on the agenda - a syndicate exercise, or a team game, a quiz, etc.
54
MEETINGS NOTES OR MEETINGS MINUTES
Who takes the meeting notes or minutes, keeps command (minutes is a more
traditional term, and today describes more formal meetings notes).
You must take the notes yourself, unless the meeting format dictates a formal
secretary, in which case ensure the secretary is on your side. Normally you'll be
able to take the notes. They are your instrument of control, so don't shirk it or give
them to someone else as the 'short straw'.
If you are seen to take the notes, two things happen:
• people respect you for not forcing them to do it

• people see that you are recording agreed actions, so there's no escaping them
Meeting notes are essential for managing meeting actions and outcomes. They also
cement agreements and clarify confusions. They also prevent old chestnuts
reappearing. A meeting without notes is mostly pointless. Actions go unrecorded
and therefore forgotten. Attendees feel that the meeting was largely pointless
because there's no published record.
After the meeting, type the notes (it's usually quicker for you to do it), and circulate
them straight away, copy to all attendees, including date of next meeting if
applicable, and copy to anyone else who should see the notes.
The notes should be brief or people won't read them, but they must still be precise
and clear. Include relevant facts, figures, accountabilities, actions and timescales.
Any agreed actions must be clearly described, with person or persons named
responsible, with a deadline.
The final crucial element is following up the agreed actions (your own included). If
you run a great meeting, issue great notes, and then fail to ensure the actions are
completed, all is lost, not least your credibility. You must follow up agreed actions
and hold people to them. If you don't they will very soon learn that they can ignore
these agreements every time - negative conditioning - it's the death of managing
teams and results. By following up agreed actions, at future meetings particularly,
55
(when there is an eager audience waiting to see who's delivered and who hasn't),
you will positively condition your people to respond and perform, and you will
make meetings work for you and your team.
MEETING NOTES STRUCTURE AND TEMPLATE
Here is a simple structure for formal meeting notes involving a group of people
within an organisation:
• Heading: for example - Notes of Management Meeting (if a one-off meeting

to consider a specific issue then include purpose in the heading as
appropriate)
• Date and Time:
• Venue:
• Present:
• Apologies for absence:
• In attendance: (if appropriate - guests not normally present at regular
meetings, for instance speakers or non-board-members at board meetings)
Followed by numbered agenda items, typically:
• 1. Approval of previous meeting notes/minutes:

• 2. Matters arising: (items arising from meeting or continued from previous
meeting which would not be covered by normal agenda items)
And then other items as per agenda, for example (these are some of the many
possible typical reports and meeting items discussed within a business or board
meeting; other types of meetings would have different item headings):
• 3. Finance/financial performance
• 4. Sales
• 5. Marketing and Business Development
56
• 6. Operations or Divisional Activities

• 7. Manufacturing
• 8. Distribution
• 9. Environmental
• 10. Quality Assurance, etc
• 11. Human Resources
• 12. Projects
• 13. Communications and Team Briefing Core Brief
• 14. Any other business (AOB - issues not covered under other agenda items)
• 15. Date of next meeting
• Time meeting finished (normally for formal meetings only)
• Signed and dated as a true record (signed by the chair-person - normally for
formal meetings only)
• Writer's initials, file reference and date (useful on all types of meeting notes)
Normally the items and points within each item are numbered 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.,
then 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, etc.
Importantly, all actions agreed in the meeting need to be allocated to persons

present at the meeting. It is not normally appropriate or good practice to allocate an
action to someone who is not present at the meeting. Actions that are agreed but
not allocated to anyone will rarely be implemented.
Responsibility for actions can be identified with a person's name or initials as

appropriate.
Action points and persons responsible can be highlighted or detailed in a right-

margin column if helpful.
These days verbatim minutes (precise word-for-word records) are only used in the
most formal situations. Modern meeting notes should ideally concentrate on
actions and agreements.
Reports should if possible be circulated in advance of meetings giving delegates

adequate time to read and formulate reactions and answers to any queries raised. It
is not good practice to table a report at a meeting if opportunity exists to circulate
the report beforehand.
57
Reports can be appended to the meeting notes or minutes to which they relate.
meeting notes template
58
SELF-CHECK 3
A. Multiple Choice. Choose the best answer which corresponds to the question.
1. When should you call a meeting?

a. Anytime your group needs to share information.
b. When a meeting is the best way to achieve your objective.
c. At least once each day.
Never. Meetings are always a waste of time.
2. What is your objective and how do you find it?

a. Look for the goal, the purpose, the basic reason for holding a meeting.
b. If the meetings are routine, identifying an objective is unnecessary.
c. As the meeting begins, decide as a group what the objective of that
meeting should be.
d. Meeting objective? Sounds overrated to me.
3. Should you hold meetings on a regular basis?

a. Yes. Regular meetings are the only way for a group to communicate
effectively.
b. Yes. However, routine meetings require a clearly defined objective and
each meeting must contribute to the fulfillment of this objective.
c. No. Meetings should never be held on a regular basis.
d. Yes. How else are we supposed to catch up on office gossip?
4. Who should participate?

a. Anyone who wants to participate. The more the merrier!
b. Anyone who has anything to do with what will be discussed at the
meeting. After all, we wouldn’t want to exclude anyone.
c. Those who can influence the fulfillment of the meeting objective.
d. Those who are entertaining, tell great jokes and make meetings fun.
59
5. What should a good agenda include?

a. The objective of the meeting, the issues to be discussed, the time the
meeting will begin and end, the location, the participants involved and
what is expected of the participants in terms of preparation before the
meeting.
b. The objective of the meeting, the issues to be discussed, the time the
meeting will begin and end, the location and the participants involved.
c. The issues to be discussed, the time the meeting will begin and end, the
location, the participants involved and what is expected of the participants
in terms of preparation before the meeting.
d. The types of food and drinks that will be served. This is the most
interesting aspect of the meeting anyhow.
6. Is it necessary for the agenda to be distributed before a meeting?

a. Yes. The agenda should be distributed at least one week before the
meeting. This gives participants enough time to prepare for the meeting.
b. Yes. The agenda should be distributed at least one day before the
meeting. This gives participants time to prepare for the meeting
discussion.
c. No. Distributing the agenda as participants enter the meeting room is
sufficient.
d. No. What’s the point? We never follow the meeting agenda anyway.
7. Is it appropriate to hold a meeting in a restaurant?

a. Yes. But only if you’re in the food business.
b. No. Meetings are most productive when they occur in a boardroom.
c. Yes. If the objective is to establish a social as well as a business
relationship.
d. No. Food puts people to sleep.
8. How can you keep a meeting from running overtime?

a. Buy an extra large alarm clock for your meeting room. When the alarm
rings, the meeting’s over.
60
b. Make each meeting participant contribute a dollar for each minute the
meeting runs overtime.
c. Set a time limit in advance and stick to it!
d. It’s impossible. Your meetings run overtime so often that you don’t know
what "on time" means anymore.
9. When do you end a meeting?

a. Adjourn the meeting only once it has run 10 minutes overtime.
b. Always adjourn the meeting once the objective has been accomplished.
c. Once every person in the room has fallen asleep.
d. Once all the donuts and coffee are gone.
10. How can you best evaluate the success of your meeting?
a. At the end of the meeting count how many of the agenda items were
discussed. The more agenda items covered, the more successful the
meeting.
b. To get an accurate picture of the meeting's effectiveness, ask participants
for their written opinions.
c. If the meeting finishes on time, the meeting was successful.
d. Count how many people are still awake in the room. The more open eyes,
the more successful the meeting.
61
INFORMATION SHEET 4
NEGOTIATION
Introduction
Negotiation is a dialogue intended to resolve disputes, to produce an agreement

upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, or to craft
outcomes to satisfy various interests. It is the primary method of alternative dispute
resolution. It is the process involving the ability to listen, analyse and take the right
step
4.1 Negotiating principles
1 Set the tone offset any bad rumours and be candid

2 Utilize "human factors" and be open about feelings and motives: this
will enhance trust.
3 Avoid presenting too many issues, highlight the strongest ones.
4 Avoid deadlines, lessening the chance for needless concessions.
5 Summarize frequently: this enhances understanding.
6 Present arguments calmly, without personalization, and make sure they
are logically supported.
7 Avoid use of personal opinions in arguments.
8 Avoid ultimatums and other forms of non-negotiable demands.
9 Admit, when appropriate, the validity of the other party's arguments
62
4.2 The six stages in the negotiating process

Stage 1 - Statement of Intent to Negotiate
Stage 2 - Readiness to Negotiate. Convene an initial meeting of the

parties this will be the first occasion on which they sit down at a
table with representatives. This meeting allows the parties to
exchange information, consider the criteria for determining the
parties' readiness to negotiate and generally identify issues of
concern. The meeting usually takes place in neutral venue. The
three parties must demonstrate that they have a commitment to
negotiate, a qualified negotiator, sufficient resources, a mandate,
and a process to develop that mandate and ratification procedures.
Stage 3 - Negotiation of a Framework Agreement. The framework

agreement is, in effect, the "table of contents" of a comprehensive
agreement. The parties agree on the subjects to be negotiated and
an estimated time frame for stage four agreement-in-principle
negotiations.
Stage 4 - Negotiation of an Agreement in Principle. This is where

substantive negotiations begin. The three parties examine in detail
the elements outlined in their framework agreement. The goal is
to reach agreement on each of the topics that will form the basis
of the agreement. These agreements will identify and define a
range of rights and obligations, including: existing and future
interests; structures; relationship of laws; regulatory processes;
amending processes; dispute resolution; financial component;
fiscal relations and so on. The agreement in principle also lays the
groundwork for implementation of the final agreement.
Stage 5 - Negotiation to finalise an agreement. The agreement

formalises the new relationship among the parties and embodies
the agreements reached in the agreement in principle. Technical
and legal issues are resolved at this stage.
63
Stage 6 - Implementation of the agreement. Long-term implementation

plans need to be tailored to specific agreements. The plans to
implement the agreement are put into effect or phased in as
agreed. With time, all aspects of the agreement will be realized
and with continuing goodwill, commitment and effort by all
parties, the new relationship will come to maturity.
* REMEMBER
Propose
1. Make proposals.
2. State conditions.
3. Express concerns.
4. Search for common interests.
5. Begin to identify those concessions you could make that would hold most
influence over the other side – and those they would be willing to make in
return.
6. Use positive body language.
Bargain
7. Listen out for offers to settle - key words are IF and THEN.
8. Start making concessions.
9. Every concession should have a condition - IF you … THEN I will …
10.Conserve your concessions - don’t give everything away too soon.
11.Don’t be afraid to say no.
12.Be aware that adjournments, especially at this stage in the negotiation, may
give the impression that you are considering an offer.
64
Agree
13.Usually one final concession: “IF you do that, THEN we have a deal!”
14.Gain commitment.
15.Record and agree results.
16.Leave satisfied – both sides should be happy with what has been agreed.
4.3 The Language of Negotiation
MFP - Most Favourable Position (this is what you are aiming for)
WAP - Walk Away Position (the stage at which you would withdraw from the
negotiation)
BATNA - Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement (if you can’t agree, then
what next?)
IVC - Inexpensive Valuable Concessions (valued highly by the other side but
may cost you little)
TO - Time Out (use if new information comes to light that causes you to
reconsider)
7 Deadly Sins of Negotiating!
Pride - Be prepared to compromise

Gluttony - Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Anger - Handle objections calmly
Covetousness - Prioritise needs/wants
Envy - Know competitors strengths & weaknesses… AND your own
Sloth - Do your homework
Lust - Don’t look desperate to settle
65
SELF-CHECK 4
A. True or False. Write T if the statement is correct and F if the statement is

incorrect.
__________1. Negotiation is a key skill - for life
__________2. Negotiation should be win/win
__________3. Negotiation is a process which can't be learnt
__________4. Preparation is vital in negotiation.
__________5. It is important in negotiation to be aware of your own style and

performance and seek every opportunity to improve.
B. Test your negotiation skills.
1. You want to sell your yacht and you know that you would be very fortunate to
get as much as £225 000 for it. While you are considering placing the
advertisement, a keen yachtsman approaches you and offers £250 000 in
cash immediately for your boat. Do you:
A. Accept his offer without further ado?

B. Tell him to wait until the boat is advertised?
C. Haggle?
2. A customer, who buys simple forged metal components from you, tells you
that they have decided to make them in-house when the current order is
delivered. Do you:
A. Offer to discuss your prices?

B. Warn him that in-house manufacturing of these components would be
more expensive when tooling, casting dies and quality controls are
considered?
C. Suggest that you discuss the problem with him?
66
D. Say ‘Fine’, wish them the best and to come back if they experience
problems?
3. Do you see negotiating as being about:
A. A fair and equal transaction?

B. Compromising?
C. Making a joint decision in which you get some of what you want and they
get some of what they want?
4. You are engaged in extremely difficult negotiations with a Lebanese

government department. After much haggling over finance for a rural road
project, they make a small unilateral concession on their demand for
irrevocable letters of credit. Do you:
A. Note the concession but otherwise ignore it?

B. Reciprocate with a concession of your own?
5. You are a package tour operator negotiating with a Spanish hotel chain on the
terms for next season's holiday bookings. The price they are asking per
person per week in their hotels is £45 higher than your current offer. They
offer to ‘split the difference’ 50–50. Do you:
A. Suggest, say, 55–45 in your favour?

B. Say you can't afford to split the difference?
C. Agree to their offer?
D. Agree, if it is 75–25 in your favour?
67
Module 3. Develop and Practice Negotiation Skills
Recording Sheet For Oral Questioning / Interview
Student name:
Module Title/No:
Qualification:
Oral/interview questions Satisfactory response
Yes No
1. Information Sheet 1  
The student's underpinning knowledge was:

Satisfactory  Not satisfactory 
Student's Signature: Date
Trainor's signature: Date:
Acceptable answers are:
68
Rating Sheet
Module 3. Develop and practice Negotiation Skills

Performance Remarks
M Feedback
S NS C NYC
1. Self-Check 1
2. Self-Check 2
3. Self-Check 3
4. Self-Check 4
S - Satisfactory
NS – Not Satisfactory
C - Completed
NYC – Not Yet Completed
Module is
Completed  Not Yet Completed 
Remarks:
Student's Signature Date

70

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ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AND COMPUTERS

COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MODULE ON

DEV ELOP AND PRACTICE

DEVELOP AND PRACTICE

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

MODULE TITLE DEVELOP AND PRACTICE NEGOTIATION SKILLS

Information Sheet 2 Presentation

Information Sheet 3 MEETINGS

Information Sheet 4 Negotiation

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

MODULE 3. DEV ELOP AND PRACTICE NEGOTIATION SKILLS

1. Read Information Sheet 1 on Information Sheet 1

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

1.1 Telephone Basics

Making a call to someone you do not know

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Locate the person

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Close the call

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

1.2 Telephone Etiquette

There’s nothing worse than trying to carry on a conversation with someone

Be present with your caller

Being present requires FOCUS. Your center of interest should be on the

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

• No drinking or eating during the conversation

Prepare Your Phone Voice

According to John Robertson of EZINE @rticles, within 60 seconds people

Do you sound like this on the phone?

Pay attention to:

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Prepare to Offer Your Standard Greeting

Be Prepared Before You Respond

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

1.3 The phone call and Customer Service

Treat the Caller with Respect; Be Efficient, Effective, Empathetic and

Be positive, a problem solver, honest and helpful.

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

• Work with your managers to streamline office/departmental procedures so

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Screening calls is often an unpleasant part of the job. But it is sometimes

Receptionist: “Bookkeeping, James Stewart”

Receptionist: “Mr. Davis, she has asked me to interrupt if you should

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Placing Callers on Hold

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Voice mail can be a very effective tool for communication if it is used

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

Name and phone number,

• Sample voice mail: “Asian Academy of Business and Computers;

ASIAN ACADEMY OF BUSINESS AN D COMPUTERS

A. Put check (√) only to proper Telephone etiquette

 Show respect for your listener's time.

 Put someone on "hold" for more than a minute or so.

 Identify yourself immediately when you place a call.

 Identify yourself immediately when you answer a call.

 Identify yourself immediately when you answer someone else's phone.

 Show a willingness to take a message for another person.

 Be sure to reveal personal or confidential information when answering someone else's

 Adjust your voice quality to your telephone equipment.

 Treat your job—and every business caller—seriously and professionally.