Business Communication & Etiquette

Q1

Answer: Technology in communication has become a necessity and is a part of our

lives. People communicate through various mediums, namely: emails, faxes, mobile
phones, texts, video conferences and social media channels. Due to advanced
technology messages can reach the targeted audience within few minutes.

Previously, companies and small businesses faced difficulties informing their

consumers about a new product. Companies paid for expensive door to door
marketing which would take time to yield results. Things are simpler now, due to
various technological inventions like email subscriptions; wherein companies have a
database of its consumers, and once a new product or service is launched it can be
promoted effectively. One email can be sent to a large number of consumers with
just a click.

Before internet invention, conducting a survey was difficult for a company since costs
were high, process was time consuming. To understand market responsiveness,
taking a survey is imperative for a business as it helps the company to gauge the
areas of improvement. Nowadays, surveys are done using social networks and
provide users with incentives like ‘’gift cards’’.

Business promotion pages are created using facebook and twitter and large
numbers of consumers are tapped with geographical barriers with just a click. The
process is simple and at times free, or sometimes with a nominal charge. A good
example is ‘’Nordstrom’’ which is one of the largest fashion retail businesses in
America. Nordstrom used its facebook page to update followers about new items
and discounts.

Use of digital networks:

Phones and printers are digitized, unlike before where communication was hindered
due to bad weather. Now with satellite and broadband transmissions, one can
communicate with anyone at work or off work via their mobile phones.

Technological Tools:

Thanks to smart phones, laptops and tablets, present day communication is

instantaneous.

Businesses use intranets, apps, emails and video calls to communicate with
employees across departments and locations. With so many communication options
available these days, it can be hard for businesses to know what tools to use and
how to use them most effectively. Here are some of the most popular and efficient
business communication tools:

Intranet/Social Intranet
 An intranet is a private hub that can be accessed by any authorized user within the
organization - it is mainly used for internal communication and collaboration. In this
age of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and telecommuting, an intranet solution will
result in a more flexible workforce and ensure effective results and communication.

Organisations implement an intranet strategy if:

 You and your employees find it difficult to stay up to date with any company
announcements or news
 Eradicate communication breakdown between departments and employees
 Documents go missing or are buried in thousands of emails and reduces
paperwork
 There is no clear or standard orientation policy for new employees or interns
 Difficult in forming cross functional teams to resource projects

Intranet has taken a big leap in recent years and now includes features to allow
teams and individual users to collaborate and communicate with people (internal and
external), send, receive and edit documents as well as intuitive features to easily
navigate the user interface and connected environments. External data sources like
Google, Google+, and Wikipedia are connected easily to provide additional real time
data and enhanced knowledge across the workforce. Business intranets have
become the standard in managing data including policies, guidelines, procedures,
protocols, corporate documents, branding, logos and other resources.

Chat rooms, Private and Group Messaging

Collaborative spaces which provide private/group messaging and chat functions are
often viewed as one of the best business communication tools to keep teams
working together. It’s an effective form of communication for busy employees and
managers. Instant messaging makes updates on projects and team discussions
easier. This helps to connect employees from different geographical locations and
time zones. Chat rooms and group messaging environments may seem the same,
but the interfaces are often different.

Let's take a look at the differences in these digital communication tools:

Instant messaging (IM) – instant messages are commonly used for recreation but
are now widely used within organizations for employee-employee messaging or
employee-management messaging. IM provides an interface for individuals to
communicate one-on-one.

Chat rooms – whether business or casual, private or public, chat rooms are forums
for specific groups of people to interact and receive notifications. Many chat rooms
are based on a shared topic or characteristic, example, there are chat rooms for
specific age groups and interests. Although many IM clients and intranets support
some kind of group messaging, chat room software is specifically designed for
team/group-based information sharing and messaging.
Bots – chat bots or chat robot is software that interacts with users using chat
mechanisms, whether a person is using IM or has joined a chat room. Users can get
stock status, weather reports, even movie listings. Some bots are hi-tech, but in most
cases users are aware that they are not interacting with an actual human.

Customer service is improved via IMs, chat rooms, and customer’s no longer wait
for long to get a revert for a product or service. Examples of these tools are Slack,
Hip Chat and Skype.

Discussion Forums

Discussion forums may seem an old tech, but are still one of the preferred
communication business tools used today. Management and employees come
together in a discussion forum which allows them an open discussion on any topic. It
helps in knowledge dissemination and brings the workforce together. These are
effective in archiving organizational knowledge to be used by anyone as a reference.
Forums can also boost employee morale.

Companies face lack of participation from employee’s in day-to-day activities of the

organization. Employees are likely to enjoy their work and do well if they feel they
are part of the work community. Logging on to a discussion forum at the start of a
day is a great way to increase employee engagement and produce new ideas and
decisions. A discussion forum integrated with internal email allows business to have
best of both the worlds.

Q2

Answer: Communication audit process evaluates’s the state of communication and

to enable a strategy for improvement required by the company. To determine how
effective the current communications tools are, what are the strength and
weaknesses, and to provide recommendations to improve the communication plan to
work better is called communication audit.

Companies use different processes for communication audit such as observations,

evaluations, focus groups, employee survey which helps a company improve its
communication network.

Communication audit takes place in an organisation to achieve brand recognition,

change people perceptions, and generate additional revenue. There are chances
that most of the employees are not satisfied with the communication audit which
takes place in an organisation. This may happen due to lack of professionalism and
interest of the staff which may be due to company policies, immediate supervisor/
manager, different cultural backgrounds.
A team of professional consultants can be hired or the corporate communication
department can assess the company’s communication effectiveness, keeping in
mind the company’s business objectives, competitor analysis, and target audience.

Audits also help companies to save cost and efforts as they can minimize the
programs that are not generating desired results. If the company hires an outside
auditor, the auditor would also evaluate the corporate communication staff and day
to day activities of the corporate communication department and generates a report
for the management which will help them streamline their communication network.
Some companies follow a process where their internal corporate communication
department would first conduct an audit, there after auditors from outside conduct
the audits.

Processes of communication audit:

1. Identify key areas for audit: Audits are done for both, internal and external
communication. Audits should be carried out beginning from basic identity of
the organisation like logos, business card, and letter heads. Companies look
at changing these items to improve on brand image and attract more external
customers.

2. Audit methods: Companies can initiate audits by various ways. It depends

on the company policies and corporate guidelines which method to choose.
Personal interview with internal staff helps the organisation know the
employees view points and this also helps building relationship between the
management and the employees at all levels. Audits for external
communication can be done through different online channels, telephone,
media survey which helps the company gather information on whether the
consumer is positive on the product and services offered by the company or
no.

3. Visit past done audits: Reviewing past audit helps the company to know
what tools were used to inform the public and if the message was effective
enough for the targeted audience. Reviewing the message from the past
helps the company to evaluate the results derived from the message, basis on
which the company makes changes on the communication channel to
improve their product and services which in turn optimizes revenue.

4. Internal staff audits: It is imperative that the internal audience speak one
language across the organisation. To get the desired result for company,
internal audience needs to be surveyed asking them on their reaction to past
audits and to know the effects and take feedback. Internal audience needs to
be clear on the objective of the communication audit which helps the company
 to build a positive image. Companies should also learn if the internal
communication was correctly understood by the internal audience.

5. Customer and community survey: It is imperative to know what consumers

think of the product and how community has accepted the organisation as
whole. These surveys can be done through telephone, electronic media, or
focus groups, social media which can help reach large number of audience to
get more and more feedback. Community survey can also be done informally
by talking to relatives, friends and colleagues. As per my personal experience
an informal survey, most of the times serves as a best channel as people are
comfortable to speak openly on the views the have for a product or a service.

6. SWOT analysis: This is a very effective tool which should be used by the
company to achieve desired results. After collecting the surveys, as SWOT
analysis must be prepared which helps a company to capitalize on company
strength, work on weakness to overcome gaps, look out for opportunities in
the market by studying the competitor activities which will avoid any threats
from their market and the competitor’s.

7. Future communication plan: After reviewing the surveys and the SWOT
analysis, the company should put forth a plan keeping in mind all the factors
which are collected during the survey and SWOT analysis. This helps the
company place itself effectively and positively in the market, which in turn
helps the company enjoy increased market share and optimize revenue.

Outcome of communication audit:

1. Build support and commitment: Audits helps in change initiative

of the organisations and also builds support for HR. It can
guarantee employee commitment to improve communication in the
organisation.

2. Builds relationship: Audits help building a positive working

relationship and trust among employees, managers and other stake
holders. It also helps in building mutual trust which can in turn
benefit to goal of the organisation.

3. Point of view: Audits involve various surveys for internal audience

because of which the company would know the thinking of its
 employees/ stake holders towards the organisation and its
initiatives.

4. Communication improvement: Through auditors recommendation

for improvement of communication in the organisation, a healthy
communication network is established, internally and externally

5. Cost savings: Organisations can save costs because of the

surveys done, internally and externally, which helps an organisation
eliminate unwanted programs which do not yield results which
would strengthens the communications network. Depending on the
survey, company’s can add value which benefits the organisations.

6. Investment benefits: Due to audits an effective strategic

communication plan can be established which helps a company get
maximum benefit from their communication investment.

7. Cultural change: Audits can drive a cultural change in the

organisation which can help build a healthy work culture which
promotes credibility, open communication and collaboration.

Q3 A.

Answer: Appearance of a person plays a significant role in success. Appearance is

an image that we give out to other people. A person with an attractive appearance is
always talked about than the person who is always shabby. Personal appearance is
important as it shows our attitude and politeness of treating people as our
appearance affects other’s impressions of us.

The most important part of communication is visual as we remember what we see

than what we hear. Visual communication leaves a long lasting impact on the minds
of our audience and a person with a perfect appearance is not forgotten so easily.

Effects of personal appearance on ourselves:

1. A good appearance not only builds public image of an individual but also
transforms an individual’s state of mind positively.

2. Dressing improves self discipline as we start behaving the way we are

dressed. A disciplined dresser always arranges his outfits to meet his/her
needs from morning till midnight, from interview to meets after work.
 3. Perfectly dressed person tell us the time and efforts taken by him/her in
selecting a perfect dress. This garners a mutual respect when one recognizes
the efforts him/her has put forth.

Effects of appearance on other:

1. Studies have shown that visual cue’s are more powerful than audio cue’s.
90% of our body is covered with clothes; hence dressing plays an important
role on how we are perceived by others.

2. It takes few second to make a first impression and they are very powerful and
is remembered lifelong. We observe a person even before we speak to
him/her and accordingly we categorize individuals.

3. It is also imperative that we choose proper colors, depending on the occasion

we are attending, as colors can send strong message. For eg: A person
wearing a pin-striped navy blue suit, blue shirt with white contrasting collar
and cuffs, and a red tie displays power and authority. A man wearing a solid
brown suit with an earth tone shirt and light colored tie signals trust
and openness. In this example, both are wearing suits, but both are sending
two very different messages.

4. Well dressed people are always given respect and perceived to be smarter,
enjoyable and funnier to be around. Dressing appropriately also helps the
company image, if a sales person is dressed perfectly, he can re-present
his/her company professionally this in turn can gain better results.

5. Last but not the least, apart from dressing perfectly, one should also be
accurate in selecting a right perfume. A proper combination of clothes and
perfume would enhance the overall personality of a person and he/she stands
out in the crowd.

Taking into consideration the above mentioned points, I would most certainly choose
formal attire for the occasion and would choose a white shirt which symbolizes purity
and innocence and a blue suit which symbolizes trust, loyalty, confidence,
intelligence and faith. A good subtle perfume to wear, clean shaven look and neatly
done hair would complete the look.

Q3B.

Answer: Introduction is an important aspect of communication which can make or

break his/her impression. Introduction is much more than just saying our name, it is a
way to connect with someone positively.

It is imperative, before meeting or introducing ourselves we should gather basic

information about the people whom we are going to meet. This helps us know their
topic of interest, nature and hobbies.
While introducing myself, apart from the formal introduction I would brief the
dignitaries about my work and a bit about my family because I believe a man is often
if not always, known by his family background and culture. Since the venue is an
educational organisation I would certainly want to brief them about my school and
university background. Being humble and honest is the best way to conduct and
connect to any audience. I would be interested in knowing from the seniors of their
views and experience about education and how has education system changed over
the years.

Rapport can be described as getting on well with an individual or a group of people

to make communication easier and more effective. Rapport sometime happens
naturally without having to try to build one and it can also be built by finding common
interest and by being empathetic. Body language also plays an important role in
rapport building hence one should be careful while making gestures and also focus
on the gestures, facial expression and postures of the person we are dealing with.

I would practice the below cautions which can help in rapport building:

1. Leaning forward with hands open and legs uncrossed displays an open body
language and helps the person feel comfortable.

2. Proper eye contact is required keeping in mind that we should not make the
person feel uncomfortable by staring continuously.

3. Hands gestures and nodding while listening show our interest in the topic.

4. Asking open question to show interest and get clarity on the topic.

5. Rectify misunderstanding b summarizing, reflecting, and clarifying back to the

person on your point of view.

6. One should keep building on ideas of others. Also refer back to what the
person is saying to find links between common experiences.

7. Never be judgmental and should let go of any preconceived notion about the
person.

8. In situation of disagreement, proper reasoning should be given.

9. Never hesitate to admit, if he/she doesn’t know a thing or two about the topic.
Honesty is a best tactic which helps builds trust.
I would like to conclude by mentioning that his/her appearance, body language,
gestures, eye contact, facial expression, fragrance used, tonality all matter when
he/she wants to create the first impression. One needs to be careful of all the above
mentioned points to create a positive impact on the minds of people you meet. In the
above case study, it is not only about our impression but also our child’s impression
which can also affect his/her image among the teachers and the higher
management.