Business

Communication
Communicator (sender or encoder) is the one who initiates the communication process.
He may be an editor, a reporter, a filmmaker, a teacher, a writer, a speaker, a leader or anybody who takes the
initiative to start a dialogue.
Before one speaks or writes, the message is conceptualized first and then encoded.

An effective communication depends on the following :

a. Communication skill
b. Knowledge level
c. Attitude of the communicator and how he desires to affect his receiver

Attributes of a good communicator

• An ability to think, to organize thoughts quickly and express himself effectively
• A person who uses appropriate words, sentences, tone, etc. may be called a good communicator
• One who does not fumble, does not look for words and all that he says is accompanied by appropriate gestures
and delivered at an acceptable pace.
• Another element, which is mentioned here, is knowledge level.
• We must be able to find out the knowledge level of the persons on a particular topic before we start the dialogue.
• A person must never look down upon the people with whom he communicates.
• He must never think that the receivers are inferior to him.
• The attitudes of a person should be mature and the minimum respect due to the other person must be extended
to him.
Encoding is the formulation of messages in the communicator’s mind, that is, the communicator not only
translates his purpose (ideas, thoughts or information) into a message but also decides on the medium to
communicate his planned message.
He must choose the media (speaking, writing, signaling or gesturing) that the receiver can comprehend
well.
For instance, an illiterate receiver will fail to understand a written message, but can understand it well if
told orally.
A message is what a communicator actually produces for transmission using spoken or written words,
photographs, paintings, films, posters, etc. a great deal of skill and effort is required to formulate a
message, the meaning of which should be understandable to the receiver.

Actually the purpose of communication is to influence the receiver and get favorable responses so that
appropriate decisions can be taken.

The success of communication, therefore, depends on not only what we say and how we say it.

A message can enhance or distort effective communication. For instance, in an interview your intention is
to impress interviewer, but if you give answer whose meaning is not clear, the interviewer may perceive
that you are incompetent for the job.
A channel is the vehicle through which a message is carried from the communicator to
the receiver.
The channels of communication are many-written, spoken, verbal, non-verbal, mass
media like TV, radio, newspapers, books, etc. choosing the appropriate channel, one
most suitable for the message as well as the receiver, is a complicated task.

Success and failure of communication depends on the selection of the right channel. For
example, if you have prepared a campaign on ‘National Integration’ what media would
you choose to reach the intended audience? And even after selecting the media you
have to decide if it is feasible cost wise, taking into account the number of people and
the kind of people who will be exposed to your message, and certain other factors.

Actually your intention or desire would be to reach out to the maximum number of
people but for efficient communication your attempt should be to minimize time and
cost in the total information exchange effort.
The receiver, at the other end of the communication, is the recipient of
the message and must possess the same orientation as the communicator. If the
receiver does not have the ability to listen, to read, to think, he will not be able to
receive and decode the messages in the manner the communicator want him to.
For effective communication, the receiver is the most important link in the
communication process.

Decoding is the interpretation of the message by the receiver. Actually,

the receiver looks for the meaning in the message, which is common to both the
receiver and the communicator.
The receiver always decodes the message using his or her knowledge of the code
used to encode the message.
A receiver with a poor knowledge of the language used will likely decode the
message poorly
A receiver trying to decode contradictory verbal and nonverbal messages will likely
decode the intended message incorrectly.

The receiver chooses the code he or she will use to decode the message.

Choosing the wrong code is like using the wrong key, the message will not yield its
secret if the wrong code is used.

The receiver will choose a code based on his or her background and his or her
environment.

The receiver has the responsibility of choosing the right code to decode the
message.

More fundamentally, the receiver also has the responsibility of listening to the
sender. So, the receiver decodes the message.
Feedback is the response or acknowledgement of receiver to the
communicator’s message.
The exchange is possible only if the receiver responds. Even through fluttering
eyelids, raising an eyebrow, making a face, organizing a point and asking for
explanation, the message is shaped and reshaped by the communicator and the
receiver until the meaning becomes clear.
In this way both participants in communication interact and constantly exchange
roles. In face-to-face communication the receiver responds naturally, directly and
immediately.
This provides the communicator an opportunity to improve and make his
communication effective. Feedback, thus, provides an opportunity to evaluate what
is right or wrong about a particular communication.
It helps to regulate the conversation among two or more individuals and also
stimulates and reinforces an idea that is desired to be communicated.
Noise is an interruption that can creep in at any point of the
communication process and make it ineffective.

Environment is one major cause that interferes with message reception: like
noises from the roadside, constant chattering of individuals outside the
communication act, blaring loudspeaker, faulty transmission, etc. noise can occur
in other forms also; poor handwriting, heavy accent or soft speech,
communication in a poorly lit room, etc. in fact, these are barriers to effective
communication.

For smooth and effective communication, it is necessary to eliminate or reduce

noise as far as possible.
The communication process involves understanding, sharing, and meaning, and it consists of
eight essential elements:
Source message channel receiver feedback

Environment ,Context and Interference play a very important role in communication

Among the models of communication are is

a. The transactional Process, in which actions happen simultaneously

The Transaction Model of communication describes communication as a process in which

communicators generate social realities within social, relational, and cultural contexts.
e.g. nurses don't just communicate to exchange messages; they communicate to: Create
relationships.
It describes the way in which you can use transactions in message flows to accomplish
certain tasks and results.
A message flow consists of the following constituent parts:
An input source
The message flow or logic, which is defined by a sequence of nodes.

Examples of this communication are a

● Face-to-face meeting
● A chat session
● A telephone call
● An interactive training
● A skype call
● Meeting where all the members are participating and sharing their ideas.
b. The constructivist model which focuses on shared meaning
The constructivist communication theory also focuses on the problem that the communicator
cannot know whether there is common ground. During the communication the communicator
can either try to meet the assumed requirements of the addressee or strictly follow the
structure of the factual content.

An example of constructivist model?

1.An elementary school teacher presents a class problem to measure the length of the
"Mayflower." Rather than starting the problem by introducing the ruler, the teacher allows
students to reflect and to construct their own methods of measurement.

Constructivism calls upon each student to build knowledge through experience such that
knowledge can't simply be transferred from the teacher to student.

As such, teachers play a facilitation role. For example, a college that has students pursue their
own projects with the teacher playing a advisory role.
Types of Communication

● Communication can be of Communication

two types: Verbal and
Non-Verbal.
● Verbal can be further Non-
classified into: Written Verbal
verbal
and Oral.

Oral Written
Verbal Communication

• The sharing of information between individuals or

groups by using words is called verbal
communication.
• It is a communication process which uses both oral
and written to communicate via internet, sending
SMS and face to face communication.

Non-verbal Communication

• It is the process of transmitting messages without

spoken words and is done through facial
expressions, gesture, emotions, dressing sense, etc.
• This kind of communication doesn’t use oral or
written process to communicate.
Communication = Words
Verbal Communication

Confidence
Belief
Enthusiasm
Introduction to Verbalisation

● There are 3 Vs involved in communication

○ Visual

○ Vocal

○ Verbal
 Verbalisation

Oral Written
 Instantaneous: It is an It requires at least two
instant process. parties

Characteristics of
Oral Strongly affected by non- It usually has no proof.
verbal cues.
Communication Non-verbal cues are such
The biggest advantage of
oral communication is
as body language, voice that it leaves behind no
pitch, ideas. proof.
VPRACTIS Mnemonic –Oral Paralanguage

V Volume of Voice is a Vital Skill

Pitch brings life to verbal communication

P Pace Choice is a Trick
Pauses Talk Louder than Verbal Skills

R Rhythm is the Song Behind Voice

A Articulation of Language

C Cluttered Verbal Fillers should be Avoided

T Tone of Voice Reflects Feelings behind Verbal Communication

I Inflection Enhances the Modulation of Voice

S Stress is Vital for Comprehension

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Activity
Facilitator to ask for 4 volunteers and tell them to say the given sentence in laying stress to the
underlined words
1. John likes brown shoes (John likes but not anyone else)
2. John likes brown shoes (John likes but doesn’t dislike either)
3. John likes brown shoes (John likes only brown shoes but not any other color)
4. John likes brown shoes (John likes only his shoes to be brown & not any other thing)
Illustrate that how the meaning of the above sentence changes by just laying stress on
different words in the same sentence.
Similarly
I didn't say he STOLE the money
I didn't say HE stole the money gives two different meanings depending on the word stress.
10 Verbal Communication Tips

Be Friendly Think Before You Speak/write Be Clear

Practice Humility Be Authentic Yourself Don’t talk/write too much

Speak / write with confidence

Focus on your Body Language

Learn The Art Of Listening Be Concise

22
Empathy in communication
What is Empathy in Communication?
● Empathy simply reflects the degree of interpersonal understanding based
on the induced
■ Emotions and emotional connection
● Ability to understand and share the feelings of another
● Ability to both accept and allow different perspectives and
emotions in other people
● It involves the practice of actively listening

● A simple way of understanding empathy is to understand that it involves

“putting yourself in the shoes of the person you’re speaking to”
○ You provide solution to that person
Importance of Empathy at Workplace

A great skill to have in life in general

● Some ways it helps in the workplace are:
○ Resolve conflicts amicably
○ Build more productive, cohesive teams
○ Helps maintain good relations with clients, co-workers and
customers
● It is considered a vital leadership skill, and a key communication skill
for the remote workplaces of the post-pandemic world
● Companies which rank high on empathy in terms of office
communication have been shown to perform better and have better work
environments
5 Tips for Empathetic Communication

1. Respond in a timely manner to the concerns of your target audience.

2. Practice reflective listening - Paraphrase.

"I understand your concern,”
Vs
“I see where you’re coming from. I experienced it in the same way and I dealt
with it ……. (validating the person’s emotional experience).”

○ Don’t rely on interpretation

○ Verbalizing someone’s feelings back to them in your own words helps
people feel not only heard, but understood.
.. (Contd.)
3 Acknowledge people’s subjective experience even if you disagree.
a. For example, preface things with an acknowledgement

e.g. "We know the recent changes to our terms and conditions may make
some people uncomfortable, however, you can rely on us to provide you with
clear communication and flexible options.”
4 Be accountable.
a. Regardless of the intention behind your communication, you should take
responsibility for how your content affects people, even if it elicits an
undesired reaction.
5 Listening is the most critical skill for empathetic communication - ensure
you are giving your audience and their concerns your full attention
Step Towards Empathic Communication

○ Listen to a conversation willingly

○ Stay open to engage in a conversation
○ Respond in a timely manner
○ Listen Actively : It requires both your body language and verbal cues.
○ Acknowledge the fears
○ Understand the feelings
○ Appreciate as human beings
Assertive Communicators

Don’t say no directly

Have the Problem Solution Approach

ability to say Support with specific reason

NO Back up with data, facts and figures

Be polite
Assertive Communication

• To be assertive, use positive language.

• I can’t do that until Tuesday.
• I will be able to do that on Thursday.
• You don’t understand.
• Let me run through that again
• You just can’t do anything right.
• I think you have made a mistake this
time.
● I cannot process your form because you have not furnished the
supporting documents.
●
We can process your form as soon as you furnish the supporting
documents.

● I have a problem at work

● I have an issue at work
• Distracting :Your failure to reply…
• Positive : I have not received your reply yet.
• Distracting: Your refusal to cooperate.
• Positive: Your cooperation shall help us to work better.
○ or
• Your cooperation shall be appreciated
Benefits Of Assertive Communication

• Leaves no room for resentment

• Increases self-confidence
• Feel in control of yourself
• Fosters teambuilding
• Ensures a positive experience
• Allows you to manage colleagues and
friends effectively
• Increases productivity
• Reduces stress and increases
emotional freedom
General tips
● Make eye contact
○ It’s important to make eye contact when you’re listening and speaking. Even if
you’re nervous, try not to look at the ground. If you’re doing a presentation,
practise enough so that you don’t have to read every word from your notes.
● Learn transitional phrases and useful expressions
○ You will keep your listeners’ attention if you know some key expressions that
will make the conversation flow.
● Use hand and body gestures appropriately
○ Body language is generally considered the most important aspect of
communication.
General Tips - (Contd.)
● Keep it simple
○ As with writing it is important to speak in the simplest way you can
○ No need to try to impress people with your large vocabulary as the goal is to
ensure effective communication
○ Use words and expressions that you are confident using and more
importantly words that are easy for your audience to understand.
● Pause and Pace
○ Try not to speak too quickly, or too slowly, and try to speak at a measured
pace in a clear voice.
Communication Through Electronic Media
Electronic Media
• Electronic media is the media that one can share any information on any electronic device
for the audiences viewing.
• Electronic media is used to broadcast the wider community. It helps in easy
communication to connect people from the far end to other ends.
• Electronic media is an efficient way to communicate to one another, either by the use of
media devices and networks or social media sources such as Television, radio or Internet.
• Using electronic media, you can market yourself (ex: YouTube, Insta) and anything else
from businesses to products and so on.
• There is a wide range of Electronic media that broadcast a variety of different things like
advertisements and promotions.
• However, different Electronic media types are below:
• Television
• Radio
• Internet
• Shops
● Television is one of the most used Electronic media devices because franchises can pay
for advertisements to show millions of people, thus bringing in more business for the
franchise owner.
● The Radio is similar but does not give the audience visuals, just sound. This method of
Electronic media can be effective and much more affordable than Television but does
not engage the listeners as much as visual ads.
● The Internet is one of the most profitable Electronic media devices, with a single click
of a button ads will fill the webpage and is definite to catch a few glimpses for fellow
web surfers. This not only spreads through Electronic media but can profit the creator of
the web page throughout time.
● Shops have Electronic media in most places, whether it be on an electric billboard or
ATM screen Electronic media is sure to be in almost everywhere you go.
… (Contd)

● Text messaging (phone/WhatsApp etc):

● We lose visual, vocal, and even some verbal aspects of the message; certain
Social Media (like LinkedIn):
○ While there are no vocal tone or visual cues involved here, we may resort
to capitalization or emoticons to convey emotion. Regardless,
verbalisation remains critically important even when networking online
spelling and grammar are modified.
Advantages of Electronic Media
1. Education

In many areas, people get educated through the media where they get to learn many things from media about politics,
outside environment, etc.

2. Informational

People are not blinded now. They have more than the information they need. Media like television is a good source for
people to get information regarding anything that would otherwise be very difficult to attain.
3. Exposure

Electronic media makes people aware of world-wide things. Through this electronic media, you can get to see many
cultural events, sports, and entertainment going in the world. Sitting at your home you can know about the world.
4. Opportunities

With exposure ,greater opportunities lay on your way through electronic media sitting at your place.

Which is the best advantage of electronic media

Electronic Communication

• Electronic communication is any form of communication that’s broadcast,

transmitted, stored or viewed using electronic media, such as computers, phones,
email and video.
• Types of electronic communication
▪ Email
▪ Instant messaging and live chat
▪ Websites and blogs
▪ SMS/Text messaging
▪ Phone and voicemail
▪ Video
1.Email
● E-Mail or electronic mail is the most used type of electronic communication
● Email is the most efficient and fastest for workplace communication, especially in highly
collaborative environments.
● Email has its own uses:
▪ Provides directions, data and links to online sources
▪ Easy usage and completely free
▪ Helps to share documents, brief status and updates
▪ Sends attachments
▪ Delivers timely information, such as weekly newsletter
▪ Keeps track record of information as evidence
▪ Lack of effective email strategy in workplace leads employees to waste their precious
time searching through inbox, spam and junk box.
Tips for email communication - if you are the originator of
the email
● Keep it short and to the point.
○ Limit each message to one or two issues.
○ Including too many topics virtually ensures that some will go unaddressed,
especially with the proliferation of smartphones and other smaller devices as
messaging ports.
● Use the subject line to your advantage.

○ Relate it to content This can also help avoid being ignored if you specify what
you’re communicating about and call attention to any urgency.
○ 3-7 words
● Use signatures judiciously.
○ A signature with your title and contact information is essential, but large images or
quotes can be off-putting.
… (Cont’d)

● Recheck everything.
a. Before hitting the “send” button, reread messages for typos or other mistakes,
and make sure attachments are in fact attached.
b. Grammatical errors tend to stand out a lot more over written communication, so
proof-reading your email before you send it should be a habit
c. You’ll make up the time it takes and more by not having to revisit messages
with errors.
● For urgent messages, ask for an acknowledgment or use the return receipt option, if
your email service offers it.
● Never flame

● Use inverted Pyramid

Tips for email communication - if you are responding
● Answer as quickly as possible—certainly within 24 hours.
○ This practice is both practical and courteous, as it’s easy to lose track of a
message once you’ve put off a response.
● Read incoming messages carefully and respond to all questions or issues
○ When multiple issues are raised in one message it’s easy to miss some, but
doing so will frustrate the person on the other end.
○ Ensure you’ve read the email in its entirety before responding and avoid
rushing - the goal is to reduce the number of emails required so your
response should answer any and all questions.
● Repeat any questions in your email before answering them
○ This helps confirm and ensure that you fully understand the question and are
addressing all questions in your response.
… (Cont’d)

● Use the “reply all” function with care

a. Don’t leave out someone key, but conversely don’t waste others’ time by

including them in a conversation that doesn’t apply to them.

● Be even more judicious forwarding messages
a. We all know of businesspeople, teachers, and even lawyers who have seen

sensitive material end up in the wrong hands because someone

thoughtlessly hit the forward key without first checking the entire thread for
appropriateness.
2.Instant Messaging and Live Chat
● Instant messaging (IM) refers to the real-time or instantaneous transmission of messages via the internet
or an internal network or server.
● IM tools such Google Chat and Facebook Messenger reduce, and often eliminate, the unnecessary and
time-consuming back-and-forth of phone calls and emails.
● IM also lets you immediately raise and address issues that could otherwise languish unnoticed for days or
weeks.
● This type of communication allows people to interact with others who are far away from us.
● However, it is only possible due to use of technology and internet services.
Ex: Gmail, Skype, FB messenger
● Live chat is like IM in that participants can send one another messages in real time.
● To use live chat, you don’t have to be friends with someone
● It’s similar to live-chat apps on websites where customers can chat with a service representative
● For instance: Bank, Flipkart, Covid on WhatsApp
Live chat
Websites and blogs
• Websites are the best way to market the business products.
• Until and unless potential customers know your brand well, they won’t know you’re in
business without a website.
• Most people research a company or product before they visit a store or make a purchase,
and often prefer transacting with businesses online.
• A well-designed website is one of the most powerful digital marketing tools
• A good website is essential to increase your online presence and credibility
• Websites cultivate a professional web presence
• It becomes an information source
• It improves SEO rankings
• Blogging is the most preferred
communication method
Blogs
• This is a type of online journaling, which can
be updated daily, or many times a day
• It covers all the information or a particular
topic.
• By using such blogs, one can share, follow, or
even post comments. This kind of
communication is extremely suitable.
• Additionally, by using the internet, people can
access, read & follow it worldwide.
• Even if an organization don’t have websites,
they can create blogs which can be helpful to
know about that products or business
organizations.
• For ins: There are number of travel blogs;
where many travelers share their own
experience.
SMS/ text messaging
• According to a recently published Pew Research study, 97% of Americans “now own a cellphone of
some kind.”
• Additionally, 85% of Americans now have a smartphone compared to just 35% in 2011.
• Worldwide, Statista found that active smartphone subscriptions stand at more than 6 billion in 2021,
and projects they’ll surpass 7.5 billion in 2026.
• This shows that things will continue to look up for companies taking advantage of the power of
short message service (SMS) and text messaging for customer communications.
Advantages of SMS
• Convenience: More customers have access to it
• Ease: Most SMS platforms also support template use for repetitive tasks such as opt-in
confirmation, order or issue resolution confirmation, appointment reminders and delivery
notifications
• Speed: It takes only a few seconds for messages to reach vast audiences
• Ex: Indian Railway, Airlines, Flipkart, Courier Services, Credit Card, Banking transaction
Phone and Voice Mail

● Most prevalent business communication is via mobile and desktop apps or cloud-based
platforms.
● A voicemail is an electronically stored voice message that is left by a caller to be retrieved later
by the intended recipient.
● The recipient can retrieve the stored message through phone, desktop, email and other
communications devices, depending on the business phone system the recipient's company uses.
● Voice mail is a system of sending messages over the phone. Calls are answered by
a machine which connects you to the person you want to leave a message for, and
they can listen to their messages later.
● Voicemail systems have come a long way too.
● Modern voicemail services take messages and send them as text (voicemail to text) or email
(voicemail to email).
Video

• Explainer videos are short videos that highlight the features of a product or
service.
• They’re particularly helpful for potential customers researching a product or
current customers trying to understand how one functions
• Explainer videos can also be used for online advertising
• Video conferencing platforms Multiple uses besides organizing conferences or
conducting meetings are as follows:
• HR and recruitment initiatives, such as interviewing job candidates and onboarding
new employees
• On-demand training and live , instructor-led courses
• Employee engagement through remote team-building activities, such as virtual
happy hours or any games
• For instance: Online classes, meetings