Business Communication (MB0039) Q.1 Explain the different types of communication with relevant examples.

Ans-- Oral communication has some advantages compared to written communication. These include its personal quality, high interactivity, possibility of making immediate contact, instantaneous feedback and control over the receivers attention. Oral communication was also classified into oral face-to-face communication (meetings and presentations) and oral non faceto-face communication (teleconferencing, telephone and voice mail).While face-to-face meetings are more effective than non face-to-face communication in most ways, they are expensive and impractical sometimes, due to the distance factor. Thanks to advances in technology, meetings today can still take place without being face-to-face, through teleconferencing. Teleconferencing allows participants at distant locations to speak and sometimes to see each other. Apart from the high cost and the difficulty in setting it up, teleconferencing has the same advantages as oral face-to-face communication. Example Several retailers like Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, make use of teleconferencing to keep their US headquarters in touch with their store managers worldwide. Some headhunters also make use of the facility to conduct preliminary interviews and shortlist candidates based in other countries, before inviting them for face-to-face interview.Many multinational corporations and large Indian organizations also use this facility extensively. In spite of its advantages, teleconferencing will not replace face-to-face meetings completely, since it is unsuitable for certain types of communication that involve brainstorming, negotiations, persuasion and problem solving. Telephone communication, another form of non face-to-face communication, has the biggest advantage of being able to contact a receiver who would be impossible to reach in person. Today, mobile phones have made it even easier to contact people who are on the move. Telephone communication also has a personal quality and permits the use of some non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, to enhance the communication. Voice mail is a type of telephone communication and is similar to an answering machine. Although it is generally inferior to speaking in person to the other party, it has some advantages. When you leave a recorded message, you can make your point felt and save time that might be wasted in exchanging pleasantries. Invitations can also be declined without having to give an explanation or reason, or having the other person talk back. Thus, there is greater control over how the message is composed and delivered. Besides, voice mail also makes it possible to keep a permanent record of the communication, unlike other types of oral communication. In spite of these advantages however, voice mail has not caught on in India. Q.2 What are the general principles of writing especially business writing? Ans- Written messages must be made as readable as possible, by making them uncomplicated and easy for even the average person to understand. Readability in turn is largely determined by the length of words, sentences and paragraphs. A common mistake made by writers, especially Indian writers, is to try and impress the reader by using flowery language and an oratory style of writing. Two broad principles of writing are Write to express, not to impress and Keep it short and sweet. A good writer is one who follows these principles and asks himself/herself even before framing a sentence What am I trying to say? What words will express it? Let us try to understand these principles by first looking at some tips on writing style, followed by some specific rules regarding English language usage, spelling and punctuation. Tips on Writing Style Writing style can be vastly improved through the choice of words. Some of the common problems of word choice include use of complicated words, use of jargon, slang and colorful language and mistakes in various part-of-speech categories. 1. Simple vs. Complex Words As far as possible, the sender should select words that are within the receivers vocabulary. If the words used are outside the vocabulary of the receiver, the latter may either not get the

message at all, get the wrong message by guessing the meaning incorrectly, or wonder whether the sender intentionally selected a complicated word for making an impression. Therefore, it is better to rely on plain, simple words, such as the ones shown in the left column, rather than in the right column below, even though they mean the same thing

This is because short, simple words convey ideas more effectively and require less time and space. They also invite the sender to concentrate on ideas, rather than calling attention to the words themselves. 2. Jargon, Slang and Metaphors Jargon refers to technical terms that belong to a particular subject area or discipline. For example, medical jargon would include terms that only medical practitioners and not the lay person might understand. Such terms are to be avoided in general writing, since they would be out of context. The only instance where jargon can be used and might be essential is in reports of a highly technical nature, where the reader is in a position to understand these terms. Slang refers to casual words that are not accepted and recognized in a Standard English dictionary. While they could be used in a limited way in general or informal writing, they are to be avoided in business writing, which needs to be formal in nature. A metaphor is a figure of speech and refers to colorful comparisons which evoke visual images. Examples 1. He is rock solid in his support. 2. We provide an umbrella of insurance products for your security. While such comparisons may be used in informal writing or in the language of advertising, they are to be avoided in business communication which has to be objective and formal. 3. Parts of Speech In the same way that use of big, complicated words may result in receipt of the wrong message, use of small words in the wrong way grammatically could have the same result. Such problems exist in all part-of-speech categoriesNouns Just as the main actor in a film is the most important character, the subject in a sentence is the most important noun. There are two categories of nouns abstract nouns or nouns that cannot be visualized and concrete nouns or nouns that can be visualized. A message will be understood more clearly if concrete nouns are used as subjects in a sentence, rather than abstract nouns. Example Cancellation of the contract will be done in March. (Use of abstract noun as subject) The contract will be cancelled in March. (Use of concrete noun as subject) In the above example, the second sentence, using contract as the subject, is likely to be understood more clearly by the receiver. Not only is contract something which can be visualized, it also emphasizes the main idea in the sentence. Consider another example That decision can be made only by the supervisor. (Abstract noun as subject) Only the supervisor can make that decision. (Concrete noun as subject) Pronouns Sometimes, using the masculine form of a pronoun might be taken in an offensive way by the receiver, especially if the receiver happens to be a woman. Even if the receiver is not a woman,

the use of a masculine pronoun may convey the impression of being sexist. Consider the following example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but he has to be a specialist in the area of Finance. In the above sentence, the use of the masculine pronoun he conveys the unintentional message that professors can only be men and not women, which could be taken as an offense. Such offensive pronouns can be avoided in the following ways1. Avoid use of the pronoun completely Example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but a specialist in the area of Finance is required. 2. Repeat the noun Example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but the professor has to be a specialist in the area of Finance. 3. Use a plural noun Example You need to consult some of your professors on that subject, but they have to be specialists in the area of Finance. (The use of they avoids implying that professors can be only men). 4. Use pronouns from both genders Example You need to consult your professor on that subject, but he or she has to be a specialist in the area of Finance. Another principle regarding use of pronouns is to avoid excessive use of the first person pronoun I, since this gives the impression that one is always talking about oneself. Never sound too pleased with yourself or boast of your own achievements. This is especially true of business writing, where it is important to be objective, rather than subjective. The second person pronoun you also needs to be used with care. A rule of thumb is to use the second person pronoun when emphasizing a positive idea or message and to avoid the second person when presenting a negative idea. The following example illustrates this You made a good presentation. You made a number of mistakes in the report. The first sentence contains a positive idea. Therefore, the second person pronoun should be used, since it gives credit to the person who made the presentation. On the other hand, the second sentence contains a negative idea and emphasizes that you are responsible. This should be avoided by framing the sentence differently, such as The report contained a number of mistakes. Verbs Since verbs are action words and action is an essential part of a sentence, correct use of verbs is important. Senders of messages must use verbs that agree in number with the subjects of the sentence. The following examples illustrate the misuse of verbs in sentences 1. Only one of the students are present. (Wrong usage) Only one of the students is present (right usage) 2. Each of the following reports have been modified. (Wrong usage) Each of the following reports has been modified. (Right usage) Note that the singular form of the verb and not the plural should be used in both the above sentences, to agree with the subject which is in singular form (Only one and Each). Verbs must also agree in person. The most common errors are made in agreement with the third person and the second person 1. He dont like to work late (wrong) He doesnt like to work late.(correct) 2. You was informed that the exams begin next week (wrong) You were informed that the exams begin next week. (Correct) Thirdly, since verbs indicate the time of action past, present or future, they should be used in the correct tenses. The tenses should also be used consistently.

Consider the following examples 1. He listens to the presentation and gave his feedback. 2. The manager spoke to the customer, but does not respond to his complaint. In both the above sentences, it is not clear whether the event is past or present, since the tenses are not used uniformly. It is better to use two present tense verbs or two past tense verbs, but not one of each in the same sentence 1. He listens to the presentation and gives his feedback. 2. The manager spoke to the customer but did not respond to his complaint. Adjectives Adjectives give information about or describe nouns. Although they play a less important role in a sentence compared to verbs and nouns, they must be used with care. A common tendency is to use very strong adjectives, too many adjectives, or superlatives. Examples 1. Sales this year have been absolutely incredible. 2. That is the most wonderful, powerful and moving speech that I have heard in a long time. 3. Ours is the best product in the market today. In the first sentence, if a sales report is being written or presented, it would be better to give details about sales figures, rather than describe sales as incredible. In the second sentence, a single adjective could have been used in place of three adjectives, which are too many. The third example is a claim that needs to be defined (i.e., best in what way?), or supported with adequate proof. Adverbs In the same way that adjectives describe nouns, adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Therefore, the same principles apply when using adverbs i.e., avoid use of adverbs that are too strong, or are superlatives Examples 1. Sales have been fantastically high this year. The adverb fantastically describes the adjective high and is too strong to be credible. 2. This secretary types the fastest. Here, the adverb fastest describes the verb types and is a superlative, which is to be avoided, unless it can be defined or supported with proof. John wrote the report. (Active voice). The report was written by John (Passive voice). Note that in the first sentence, the use of the active voice draws attention to the doer of the action. Namely John. This gives a sharper picture to the receiver of the message. In the second example, the subject, i.e., the report is emphasized more than the doer of the action, giving a less clear picture to the receiver. In most cases, the active voice is preferable to the passive, since it conveys ideas more vividly. However, there are instances when use of the passive voice is more appropriate When the Doer of the Action has to be Subordinated, rather than Highlighted For example, this is the case when writing research reports. It is more important to emphasize what has been done, rather than who has done something. Therefore, it would be better to say A questionnaire was prepared and interviews were conducted among a small sample., rather than saying I prepared a questionnaire and conducted interviews among a small sample. This makes the report more objective, rather than subjective. When an Unpleasant or Negative Idea has to be subordinated Generally, negative thoughts should be de-emphasized and not highlighted. The passive voice comes in useful in such cases, as illustrated in the example below The corrections in the report have not been carried out. (Passive voice) You have not carried out the corrections in the report (active voice) The first sentence downplays a negative idea the fact that the changes in the report have not been included and is therefore less annoying to the receiver than the second. Expressing the same idea in active voice may seem like pointing fingers at the doer of the action and is likely to upset human relations

Q.3 How would you prepare yourself for an oral business presentation? Ans-- Oral business presentations are a powerful way of presenting your ideas to others and are usually called for when a written memo or report will not be sufficient to do the job. A written report tends to be less persuasive and may also be set aside without being read, whereas an oral presentation commands attention and fetches immediate feedback. Besides, approval for important ideas is rarely given without a face-to-face explanation. Presentations may be made to both internal audiences superiors, peers and subordinates, as well as to external audiences consumers, intermediaries, bankers, suppliers etc. Presentations may also be of different types, each with a different purpose. Some of the most common types of presentations and the audiences to whom they are addressed are mentioned in the table below

Steps in Making Oral Presentations The table above indicates that oral presentations can range from simple to more complex ones, each with a different purpose. Whatever the nature of the presentation however, the same steps in planning and preparation are to be followed. In this section, we shall discuss each of these steps in detail. 1. Definition of the Purpose of the Presentation Before preparing for the presentation, it is important to be clear on the goal of the presentation. A statement of purpose, expressing what you want to achieve through the presentation should be framed, so that it becomes easy to measure whether the goal has been accomplished or not. The purpose of the presentation may be stated in broad or general terms, or in more specific terms. A general statement of purpose could be expressed in terms of one of the following To Inform A presentation that seeks to inform would merely create awareness about developments and progress on specific fronts, or try to spread knowledge about something new. In the table above, the first eight types of presentations are aimed at informing different audiences about something or the other new procedures, new terminology, new software, findings of a study, sales progress, company achievements, viewpoints and background. To Persuade A presentation that aims to persuade would try to change the attitude or behavior of the audience. It usually involves selling either a product, or an idea. In the above table, the product presentation, project proposal and policy proposal, are all persuasive presentations. The product presentation seeks to persuade consumers to try a new product, the project proposal tries to persuade bankers to provide funds for a new project and the policy proposal tries to persuade top management to adopt a new policy of reimbursing mobile expenses. To Entertain A presentation with this purpose is meant to make the audience relax and have

a good time. In the table above, presentations marking special occasions such as the company anniversary, may merely focus on making people feel good about them. Although it is useful to define the general purpose of a presentation, it is more important to frame a specific statement of purpose, which clearly spells out the answers to the following questions 1. Whom do I want to influence? 2. What do I want them to do at the end of the presentation? 3. How do I want them to do it? 4. When? 5. Where? Example I want 50% of my prospective customers to be convinced enough to walk in to the store and try out the new product on a trial basis, within the next one week. The above statement of purpose describes the reaction that you are seeking from your audience and also describes the goal in measurable terms. The number of customers who walk into the store and sample the product during the one week period would indicate whether the goal has been achieved or not. As far as possible, the goal should be quantified, so that it is measurable. Presentation goals should also be realistic, keeping in mind the limitations of time, the topic of the presentation and the nature of the audience. For example, a presentation that aims to train employees on the use of complicated software should not expect them to become experts at the end of the session. 2. Development of the Key Idea The key idea of a presentation is a statement that expresses the main message to be conveyed to your audience. It is different from a statement of purpose, in that the purpose is generally meant for yourself as the presenter, while the key idea is mentioned to the audience at the beginning of the presentation. Example If the purpose is to persuade a prospective customer to try out your companys brand of vacuum cleaner, the key idea or message may be to explain how your brand is superior to other brands, feature for feature. Once the key idea is clearly stated, it becomes easy to develop the rest of the presentation. 3. Audience Analysis Making a good presentation alone is not enough. It also has to be tailored to your listeners, in such a way that they understand and appreciate it. The following information should be gathered about your audience, even before you begin preparing for the presentation Job Designations and Areas of Expertise You need to find out whether the audience comprises of specialists in a particular area such as information technology, or generalists. If they are specialists, your presentation could include technical aspects and jargon, which they would be able to understand. If not, you may have to make the presentation more simple, or explain some of the terms elaborately. Preferred Style of Presentation It would also be relevant to know the personal preferences of your audience, with regard to the style of presentation that they are most comfortable with. Some people may prefer a more informal or conversational style with some humor thrown in, to a more formal style. Others may like the presentation to be made at a slower pace. It should be remembered however, that humor should be used with care, so that it is relevant and does not offend the audience. Analyzing all this in advance would help in determining how the presentation should be delivered. Demographic Characteristics of the Audience The gender, age, cultural background and economic status of the audience also needs to be studied in advance, so that the presentation may be tailored to appeal to that particular audience. Example A financial planner addressing an audience comprising of senior citizens, is likely to suggest investment options that would be different from those that might be suggested for a younger audience. Size of the Audience The size of the audience would determine your presentation style, the time set aside for questions and answers, the size of visuals and so on. With a smaller group, the presentation could be made less formal, the time for questions and answers less and the visuals smaller, than for a larger group.

 The Level of Knowledge on the Subject You need to know how familiar your audience is with the subject of the presentation. If the audience comprises of experts in that particular area, basic explanations may not be needed. On the other hand, if the level of familiarity is not so high, a lot of background information and explanation will be required. The Attitude of the Audience The attitude of your listeners, both towards you as a speaker and towards the topic of the presentation, needs to be studied in advance. If the audience is prejudiced towards you for some reason, you may have to alter your style of presentation considerably. If the presentation happens to be on a sensitive topic, you may have to proceed very tactfully. This is especially true of presentations that aim to persuade. 4. Analysis of Yourself as a Speaker Apart from analyzing your audience, you also need to do a self-analysis to determine your own purpose of making the presentation, your level of knowledge on the subject and your feelings about the subject. As explained earlier, a clear statement of the specific purpose of the presentation should be developed. If you have a choice of subject, it is always better to speak on a subject on which you are an authority. If the choice is not given to you and you are less knowledgeable, then it is important to research the subject thoroughly, so that you are in a position to anticipate and answer any questions. Finally, you need to assess your feelings about the subject and make sure that you are convinced enough to be able to persuade others as well. This is similar to a salesperson being convinced about a product to be sold.. 5. Analysis of the Circumstances This includes taking into consideration any limitations of infrastructure, time and context that might affect your presentation in any way. For example, if you will be speaking in a small room where the lighting and the acoustics are insufficient, you may have to overcome these limitations by altering the seating arrangement, using brighter visuals and speaking loudly. If the presentation is to be made after lunch, it may have to be made more attention getting, so that the audience is kept alert. If you are making a presentation as part of a team, your style of presentation has to be consistent with that of your team members. 6. Preparation of Outline Once the initial groundwork has been done, you will need to develop an outline of your presentation. Irrespective of the nature and purpose of the presentation, a standard format is generally followed, including the following Introduction This should include an attention getter to get the audience involved and interested in the presentation topic. Several techniques may be used to command attention, which will be discussed later. The key idea, or main message which was discussed earlier, will also be conveyed to the audience during the introduction. Body or Main Section This is where the main points will be presented and elaborated upon. It is best to limit the number of main points to five, so as not to overload the listeners with too much information. Conclusion A brief summary of the presentation, along with concluding remarks would be included in this section. The conclusion should have as much punch as the attention getter in the introduction. 7. Collection of Information and Material Once the outline of the presentation has been developed, you will need to start gathering the relevant material. This is a time consuming process and requires a fair amount of research. The information can generally be gathered from existing sources such as magazines, newspapers and the internet. Sometimes, you may need to do original research in the form of a survey to gather fresh data. For example, if you are making a presentation on a new product, you may have to conduct a survey to find out how consumers feel about that product concept and also about similar, competing products. 8. Organization of the Body The body of the presentation should always be prepared before the introduction. Organizing the body consists in identifying the key points that will support your main idea and then selecting an organizational plan to develop these key points. Let us take our earlier example of a sales presentation on a vacuum cleaner to prospective

customers, where the key idea is to highlight that it is superior to competing brands. The main points in this case may be It has greater cleaning power than other brands. It is more affordable It is easier to use than other brands. Once the main points have been determined, sub points can be developed to expand on each of these. The next step is to choose an organizational plan to present these main and sub points. Example In the case of a sales presentation such as the above, a problem-solution pattern or plan may be followed, where the customer is confronted with a problem and the product is offered as a solution to the problem. 9. Planning the Introduction Since the introduction is where you make the first impression, it should be planned with care. It should take up between 10 and 15 percent of your total speaking time. At the outset, you need to try and establish your credibility, by showing that you are qualified to speak on the subject of the presentation. An attention getting opener should be developed, using techniques such as humor, dramatic questions, an interesting story, a quotation or a startling statement. Example Do you know that the number of road accidents last year touched the 100,000 mark? Once audience attention has been captured, the main idea should be stated clearly, followed by a preview of the entire presentation, so that people know what to expect. Q.4 You are a team manager having 15 members in your team. Two of your key team members are on 3-weeks leave. You have to call for a monthly team meeting within a week. How effectively you would plan and carry out this meeting? Ans- The manner in which the meeting is opened is important, since a good opening will ensure that the rest of the meeting will proceed smoothly. There are different ways of opening a meeting. Generally, it is best to sum up what has been stated in the agenda including the goals, background information and expectations of the participants. It is also a good idea to provide an outline of how the meeting will proceed, as well as a time budget. It is also the responsibility of the chairperson to encourage silent members to contribute to the meeting and to moderate the dominant members, so that they do not hijack the meeting. There are several techniques to encourage participation There is no prescribed length for a meeting. The duration of a meeting will depend on the type and purpose of the meeting. Generally, problem-solving meetings will take longer than other routine meetings. In any case, the chairperson should set a time budget for the meeting, depending on the agenda and ensure adherence to the time limit. Often, a lot of time is wasted during meetings by going off track and by discussing topics that are irrelevant. In such situations, it is the responsibility of the chairperson, or the person moderating the discussion to make sure that the discussion remains focused on the topics mentioned in the agenda Convergence means hearing the points of view of all the members and then arriving at a decision. It is again the responsibility of the chairperson to bring the meeting to a point where an opinion emerges on each item of the agenda. This means summing up the different points of view, the decisions and the actions to be taken. This should be done by the chairperson, identifying the role of each person on each item of the agenda, along with a specified deadline. The way a meeting is concluded is as important as the opening, since it will influence the follow-up action taken on decisions made during the meeting. The chairperson should know when and how to conclude the meeting.The meeting should normally be concluded at the scheduled closing time, unless important issues still remain to be discussed and members are willing to extend the meeting. Sometimes meetings may be concluded before the closing time, when key decision makers are not present, or when important information such as cost figures are not available. There are different ways of concluding a meeting. One way is to signal and indicate how much time is remaining, so that the group can wrap up the discussions. Another way is to summarize what has been discussed and decided and to mention the follow-up action to be taken. The role and responsibility of each member can also be mentioned, so that everyone is clear about what is to be done after the meeting. An

important point to be remembered is to retain the goodwill of the participants, by thanking them for their contributions. Members who have made significant contributions should be acknowledged individually. Q. 5 Distinguish between circulars and notices along with formats. ANS*- Like memos, circulars and notices are also written forms of communication within the organization. The difference between a circular and a notice is that circulars are announcements that are distributed to small or selective groups of people within the organization, whereas notices are meant for a larger group of people. Example If a manager wants to call a meeting of heads of departments, he will pass around a circular only to the heads, requesting them to attend that meeting. On the other hand, notices generally contain information or announcements that are meant for all the employees of an organization. Example A list of declared holidays for a calendar year is a notice, since the information is relevant to all employees. A notice is therefore a legal document that has to be put up on an official notice or bulletin board. Let us examine another example of a circular and a notice. Imagine that you are the President of the Student Committee in a management college and wish to hold a meeting to plan for the Annual Management Fest of the college. You will have to send some information to those whom you want to involve in organizing the Fest. You may not want all the students to be involved initially, since it may take a lot of time and there may be too many suggestions. Instead, you may choose to invite only the committee members to discuss details such as the date, venue, duration, how to get sponsors and so on. For this purpose, you may send a circular only to the student committee members, requesting them to attend the meeting. During the meeting, the date and venue may be finalized and various smaller committees may be formed, such as a reception committee, stage committee and so on. You may also decide to get each student to contribute a nominal amount for the Fest. In order to announce these details and to ask for student contributions, you may then put up a notice on the official college notice board, which all students can see and respond to. A sample circular and notice are given below

Note that a circular, like a memo is brief and to the point. It has a caption that indicates the message to be conveyed, like a memo, there is no formal salutation or close.

The above notice is meant for all employees of the organization. It has a reference number, date and a subject, similar to a memo. The notice covers two different issues related to one subject. Employees are first informed that a holiday has been declared to celebrate Manipal Family Day. Then the same notice mentions a different working day to compensate for this holiday. Sometimes, under special circumstances, notices may also be sent to individual employees. An example of this type of notice is the Show Cause Notice, which is sent when an employee is found to be guilty of major misconduct. The notice mentions the allegations against the employee and asks for a written explanation within a specified time, failing which the action that would be taken against him/her (e.g., being suspended from the job) is stated. Notices are read by a large number of people and can also be used as evidence in court cases. Therefore, care must be taken when writing them. They have to be worded very precisely and clearly, to make sure that there is no ambiguity. They should also be brief and to the point. The tone should be firm, but not offensive and arrogant. Depending on the type of notice, the duration of display of a notice is specified under various legal provisions. Q. 6You are a sales manager for a particular brand of mixer and blender. Frame a sample bad news letter telling a customer about that her claim for the product replacement is rejected on the grounds that the product didnt have any defect during the sale.
AnsMarch 28th, 2008

Mr. John Smith, Dean XYZ School of Business Cunningham Rd., Bangalore 560 034 Dear Mr. Smith, We make no money when our customers are forced to take long trips by train, rather than by flying Kingfisher Airlines and when that happens, we try to find out the reasons. A review of the March 19th flight records of the cancelled Kingfisher Airlines flight 1256 shows that it was scheduled to leave at 6 am and was cancelled at 5.30 am, because of foggy weather. Passengers were asked to remain in the boarding area and those who did were rebooked on flight 1257, which departed an hour later at 7 am. This flight arrived in Bangalore just an hour later than the scheduled arrival of flight 1256. Therefore, our ticket agent was correct in refusing to grant a refund on tickets to you and other passengers who did not take the later flight. You have mentioned in your claim letter that you are a frequent flyer of Kingfisher Airlines. Although we cannot grant you a refund, I have asked our Scheduling