sandusky org536 mod 8

B E S T P RAC T I C E S

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Domitilla SanduskyORG536-1 – Contemporary Business Writing

and CommunicationColorado State University – Global Campus

Dr. Robert OlszewskiSeptember 28, 2014

WHY IS COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT?

• We live in an information and knowledge based world• The world’s economy is increasingly global• Good communication is necessary to:• Stay connected (socially and professionally)• Collaborate on projects• Share ideas or feedback• Concisely express a perspective or need• Promote products or proposals

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

WHO NEEDS COMMUNICATION?

• Everyone!• Companies want to hire people that communicate

well• Workgroups are often widespread now• Geographically dispersed groups cannot communicate

face-to-face• It’s important to communicate well through oral and

written channels

• Communication skills are verbal and non-verbal

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Identify your purpose• Why are you sending this message?• What are you trying to achieve?

• Know your audience• What is your audience like?• How will they react to the message?

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Select the best communication channel based on:• Importance of the message• Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required• Necessity of a permanent record• Cost of the channel• Degree of formality desired• Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Effective communicators are also effective leaders.• Effective leaders use these communication

practices:• Mind the say-do gap – build follower’s trust by aligning your

actions and words• Make the complex simple – say what you mean concisely• Find your own voice – be genuine• Be visible – interact with your team (even if it’s by phone)• Listen with your eyes as well as your ears – pay attention to

your audience

(Tardanico, 2012)

ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

• Scandals have raised awareness of unethical business practices• Enron and WorldCom were examples in the 2000s (Guffey

& Loewy, 2011)• Corinthian Colleges is an example in 2014 (Halperin,

2014)

• The goals of improving ethical communication are:• Abiding the law and telling the truth• Separating opinion from fact and being objective• Communicating clearly with inclusive language• Giving credit where due (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

• Choose to do the right thing• Use these tools to examine if your decision is

right:• Is the action you are considering legal?• How would you see the problem if you were on the

opposite side?• What are alternate solutions?• Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advise

you trust?• How would you feel if your family, friends, employer, or

coworkers learned of your action?(Guffey & Loewy, 2011, p. 29)

PROFESSIONALISM

• Professionalism is important in the workplace• In your attire• In your attitude• In your communications

• Be aware of how you come across in your communications

• Professionalism is reflected in word choice, sincerity, respect, and consideration of other’s opinions

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

• In an increasingly global economy, be aware of how your culture is different• Know the difference between high- and low-

context communication styles• Low-context communication – messages are

communicated directly; words are taken literally• Used in American and German cultures

• High-context communication – more emphasis is on the context of the situation rather than the words used• Used in Asian cultures

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Figure 1: Retrieved from Business communication: Process and product by M.E. Guffey & D. Loewy, 2011, p. 85.

This figure compares communication in high- and low-context cultures

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS

• Business writing is to educate, persuade, or motivate people• When writing, it is important to remember:• The audience wants relevant information• Clarity is more important than creative word choice• Time is important – the audience wants to get

information quickly and easily

(Shanan, 2013)

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS

• Writing skills are even more important in a technologically based business world• Some basic tips will help you become more

effective as a communicator:• Clearly define what message you are trying to deliver• Know your audience• Select the appropriate communication channel for your

purpose• Be genuine and professional in your delivery

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011; Tardanico, 2012)

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS

• Remember, the tone of your delivery is as important as the message• Being concise does not mean being bossy or rude• Even when the message is urgent, word choice is

important

(Nordquist, n.d.)

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL

• Email is the most common form of written communication in the business world (Nordquist, n.d.)• It is useful for communicating to large numbers of

people (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)• It is best for relaying short messages (Guffey &

Loewy, 2011)• Email is not appropriate for sharing lengthy or

confidential information (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL

• Nordquist (n.d.) shared 10 tips for writing effective emails:• Put a meaningful topic in the subject line• Keep your main point in the first sentence• Be specific about your subject (don’t use “this” – like

“this needs to be done today)• Use appropriate capitalization (don’t use all capitals or

lower case letters)• Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: EMAIL

• Nordquist’s (n.d.) email tips (continued):• Be brief and polite• If the message is longer than two or three short paragraphs:• Reduce the message, or• Provide an attachment

• Genuinely use “please” and “thank you”• Keep appropriate information in the signature• Edit and proofread message before sending• Reply promptly to serious messages, even if it’s to

explain a delay in response

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: TEXTING

• Texting can be a fast, effective way to communicate• Keep texts short and professional• Some professional ways to text would be:• Share information in a meeting or schedule a meeting• Share news with coworkers or send a quick reminder• Track delivery of packages• Interact with customers or clients• Advertise new products or share product alerts

(Inc., 2010)

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA

• 73% of Millennials and 55% of consumers ages 14-75 regularly socialize online (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)• Social media is a huge opportunity for businesses

to connect with their customers• Customer reviews and recommendations, and

company visibility on social media sites increases consumer trust (Hajli, 2014)• Trust is positively linked with consumers

patronizing a business (Hajli, 2014)

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA

• Companies that successfully use social media engage consumers• Walmart is a company that uses social media daily• Walmart has many Twitter handles to post news stories and

accomplishments of their employees; this channel quickly reaches large numbers of consumers (Pollitt, 2014)

• Walmart engages consumers on their Facebook page by posting fun videos or taking short surveys of products (Moth, 2013)

• Consumers can leave feedback or suggestions on their local Walmart’s Facebook page (Walmart, 2014

BUSINESS WRITING TIPS: SOCIAL MEDIA

• Social media is an informal channel of communication, but messages should still be professional• Some companies encourage employee and

consumer professionalism through social media guidelines• Companies can control social media messages by

limiting the team in charge of using the channels

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

POSITIVE MESSAGES

• Positive messages are straightforward communications (like emails, letters, etc.)• They communicate everyday business requests• They express friendliness or recognition

• Appropriate channels must still be evaluated and used to communicate the message most effectively

• Marketing and use of social media is another way for businesses to share positive messages• They can control how the message is presented• They can control what information is shared

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

NEGATIVE MESSAGES

• Bad or disappointing things happen in business• Negative messages must be carefully planned

before delivery to lessen the impact• Individuals receiving bad news may be more

receptive if they:• Know the reason behind a decision or error• Feel the message was shared in a sensitive manner• Believe the concern was seriously reviewed and dealt

with fairly

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

NEGATIVE MESSAGES

• Companies may also deal with negative publicity or poor customer reviews• Companies should not fear customer complaints

in public settings (like on social media sites)• Poor reviews can be leveraged to positive customer

interactions (Lloyd, n.d.)• Companies can make a public effort to address customer

concerns, thereby building trust

• Customers are more satisfied with companies that quickly acknowledge problems and take responsibility (Gurău, 2012)

BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS

• When preparing a presentation, only add things that will enhance your message• Effective presentations:• Have clear, concise text• Use consistent fonts, backgrounds, and relevant special

effects• Use appropriate images and graphics to enhance message• Engage the audience through interaction or additional

content• Can be accessed later (via the Internet or company

intranet)

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS

• Before presenting• Prepare and rehearse• Time yourself

• During the presentation• Be aware of your audience’s reactions• Stay on topic and use presentation aids effectively• Summarize your main points

• After the presentation• Distribute handouts• Encourage questions• Summarize your main points (Guffey & Loewy,

2011)

BUSINESS REPORTS, PLANS AND PROPOSALS

• First-hand data and research is valuable for business executives (CSU-Global, 2014)• Executives use reports to make informed

decisions (CSU-Global, 2014)• Reports are typically formal or informal• Formal reports or proposals are typically lengthy• Are serious in tone• Tend to be very structured in organization (Guffey &

Loewy, 2011)

BUSINESS REPORTS, PLANS AND PROPOSALS

• There are two basic categories of informal reports:• Informational reports, such as:• Summaries• Periodic activity• Trip, convention and conference reports• Progress and interim reports• Investigative reports

• Analytical reports – have three sections:• Introduction• Findings• Conclusions/Recommendations

(CSU-Global, 2014)

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

• Writing skills are an important tool of every employee• Businesses have many tools to communicate• Effective communication depends on:• Understanding your message• Choosing the right channel• Knowing your audience

(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)

REFERENCES

Colorado State University – Global Campus. (2014). Module 7: Informal and formal business reports, plans , and proposals [Blackboard ecourse]. In ORG536-1 – Contemporary Business Writing and Communication. Greenwood Village, CO: Author.

Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and product (7th ed.). Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.

Gurău, C. (2012). Solving customer complaints: A study of multiple commercial settings. Annals Of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 21(2), 827-833. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org

Hajli, M. (2014). A study of the impact of social media on consumers. International Journal Of Market Research, 56(3), 387-404. doi:10.2501/IJMR-2014-025

Halperin, D. (2014, June 20). For-profit Corinthian Colleges on the brink: Who’s responsible? Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidhalperin/for-profit-corinthian-col_b_5516063.html

Inc. (2010). Ten ways to use texting for business. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/ss/ten-ways-use-texting-businessLloyd, J. (n.d.). Complaints offer opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.joanlloyd.com/Your-Career/Complaints-offer-

opportunities.aspxMoth, D. (2013). How Walmart uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Retrieved from

https://econsultancy.com/blog/61827-how-walmart-uses-pinterest-facebook-twitter-and-google#i.14ocqor72eeqypNordquist, R. (n.d.). 10 Tips on how to write a professional email. Retrieved from

http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/profemails.htmPollitt, C. (2014). An inside view of Walmart’s digital communications strategy. Retrieved from

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/inside-view-walmarts-digital-communications-strategyShanan. (2013, June 7). The three biggest mistakes in business writing [Web log post]. Retrieved from

http://www.theprocrastiwriter.com/the-three-biggest-mistakes-in-business-writing/Tardanico, S. (2012, November 29). 5 Habits of highly effective communicators. Forbes. Retrieved from

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/11/29/5-habits-of-highly-effective-communicators/Walmart. (2014). Walmart’s social media guidelines. Retrieved from http://corporate.walmart.com/social-media-

guidelines