Presentation Transcript

1. Business Communication Workshop Lecture# 4 Course Coordinator: AyyazQadeer
2. We have discussed…… To compose effective written or oral messages, we must apply certain communication principles. Seven Cs can apply to both oral and written communication. These principles basically apply on sentence level. 1. Completeness: Message receiver- either listeners or readers desire complete information to their questions. Remember the five W’s & One H Answer all questions: Give extra information, when desirable. 2. Conciseness: Use one word in place of phrases; one sentence in place of two Read out loud to ‘listen’ for wordiness. Omit outdated expression. Ask yourself: What material is really relevant? Look for unnecessary repetition: Does the same word or idea appear too often?
3. We have discussed…… 3. Consideration: See your material from your reader’s point of view. ‘You’ is more desirable than ‘I’ or ‘We’ in most instances. Readers like to see benefits. Be sure benefits are a prominent part of the message. Consciously use positive words; readers will react more favorably. Show audience benefit or interest in the receiver, pleasant facts Emphasize pleasant words
4. 4. Concreteness Misunderstandings of words have produced tragedies in both war and peace, in business and non-business situations. Were you precise in using facts and figure wherever possible? Did you use the active voice more than the passive? Is there action in verbs rather than in nouns or infinitives? Did you try to occasionally use vivid, image-building words? But in business writing, use them sparingly.
5. Vague, General, Indefinite Student GMAT scores are higher. Eastern Europe is making progress in obtaining investments. Concrete, Precise In 2007 the GMAT scores averaged 600; by 2008 they had risen to 610. In 2000 investments in Eastern Europe were about US $ 30 millions; today that figure has increased by 10%. 4. Concreteness (Use specific facts and figures)
6. 4. Concreteness (Put actions into your verbs) Active verbs help make your sentences: Specific Personal Concise Emphatic The dean decided You will notice instead of “it will be noted” Passive slows both reading and writing. Passive verbs dull action: the students held a contest or “ a contest was held by the students”
7. Active Tests were administered by the professors. Professor A. will give consideration to the report. Passive Professors administered the tests. Prof. A. will consider the report. 4. Concreteness (Put actions into your verbs) Be Specific, personal , concise and emphatic
8. 5. Clarity Choose as precise or as concrete a word as possible. Select words that have a high sense of appropriateness for the reader. Opt for the familiar word, the one that is not pretentious. Limit average sentence length to 17 to 25 words. Insert no more than one main idea into a sentence. Arrange words so that the main idea occurs early in a sentence.
9. Unfamiliar After our perusal of pertinent data, the conclusion is that a lucrative market exists for the subject property. Familiar The data we studied show that your property is profitable and in high demand. 5. Clarity (choose precise, concrete, and familiar words)
10. 5. Clarity (Construct effective sentences and paragraphs) Length: average sentence length to 17 to 25 words Unity: one main idea and closely related details in a sentence (simple, compound or complex) Coherence: place correct modifier as close as possible Being as excellent lawyer, I am sure you can help us Emphasis: (put main ideas up front)
11. 6. Courtesy Ask yourself: Does the communication have a sincere you-attitude? Not only politeness like “Please” or “Thank you” but also socially accepted manners. Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and appreciative. 2. Have someone else look at your statement if you have doubts about whether it is tactful. Another opinion may cause you to reconsider making a statement. Be careful about being dishonest Other opinion should be of some expert.
12. 6. Courtesy Be cautious in using humor in communication. Here too it pays to have someone else review your words. Most of the humor is culturally specific. Maintain a line between humor and irony 4. Be careful in using discriminatory language; this means being aware of gender, race, age, color, creed, sexual preferences, or ethnic origins.
13. Tactless, blunt, Irritating Stupid letter; I can’t understand any of it. You are delinquent You did not tell us Your complaint Your stubborn silence Tactful, Courteous It’s my understanding. Contrary to you inference I’m sure you must realize We find it difficult to believe that Why have you ignored 6. Courtesy (be sincerely tactful, thoughtful, and appreciative)
14. Avoid Manpower Man-made The best man for the position More desirable First-year students Workers, employees The best person/ candidate 6. Courtesy (Choose nondiscriminatory expression)
15. 6. Courtesy (Omit irritating expressions) We must insist Simply nonsense Why you have ignored If you care Irresponsible Obnoxious You did not tell us You failed to You forgot to You leave us no choice You should know Your stubborn silence
16. 7. Correctness Select the right level of language for your communication: either formal or informal Formal: scholarly writing like doctoral dissertations, article, legal documents etc. Informal: characteristic of business writing where words are short, well-known and conversational. e.g. Formal Less Formal Participate join Procure get Endeavor try Edifice building Interrogate question
17. 7. Correctness Realize that informal language is also used in business communication. Check –often by letting another person read your material – for correct figures, facts, and words. Verify your statistical data, Double check your total, Determine whether a “fact” has changed over time Apply the principles of accepted mechanics to your writing. Spelling. grammar, sentence construction, sentence fragment, run-on sentences, punctuation, consistency in tenses etc.
18. Recapitulation Concreteness: Were you precise in using facts and figure wherever possible? Did you use the active voice more than the passive? Is there action in verbs rather than in nouns or infinitives? Did you try to occasionally use vivid, image-building words? But in business writing, use them sparingly. Clarity: Choose as precise or as concrete a word as possible. Select words that have a high sense of appropriateness for the reader. Opt for the familiar word, the one that is not pretentious. Limit average sentence length to 17 to 25 words. Insert no more than one main idea into a sentence. Arrange words so that the main idea occurs early in a sentence.
19. Recapitulation Courtesy Ask yourself: Does the communication have a sincere you-attitude? Have someone else look at your statement if you have doubts about whether it is tactful. Another opinion may cause you to reconsider making a statement. Be cautious in using humor in communication. Here too it pays to have someone else review your words. 4. Be careful in using discriminatory language; this means being aware of gender, race, age, color, creed, sexual preferences, or ethnic origins. Correctness: Select the right level of language for your communication: either formal or informal Realize that informal language is also used in business communication. Check –often by letting another person read your material – for correct figures, facts, and words. Apply the principles of accepted mechanics to your writing.
20. Thank You