how to improve business communication skills and how can business communication skills build a good business manager. business communication skills mcq free pdf
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Published Date:18-07-2017
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Arab British Academy for Higher Education.
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Introduction:-
Developing good business communication skills is as much about the ability
to develop good content as it is about good form. Business documents must
maintain certain standards and should be, at most, recognizable
internationally.
Documents can be classified into two types: internal and external. Internal
documents circulate within the organization and may include memos, reports
and proposals.
External documents circulate outside of the organization. Examples include:
letters, tenders, proposals and reports. The external environment may
include clients, customers, suppliers, stockholders, government, media and
the general public.
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Unit 1
Business Communication:
What is Business Communication?
Strong Business Communication skills are critical to the success of any
organization despite its size, geographical location, and its mission. Business
communication is intertwined with the internal culture and external image
of any organization. It therefore determines what is communicated, by
whom, and at what level in the organization. Ultimately, good business
communication practices assist the organization in achieving its objectives
by informing, persuading and building good will within both the internal
environment and, the external environment.
If organizations are to survive and prosper in the rapidly changing global
environment, they must continually change the way communication
processes are structured and delivered. This global environment forces us to
think about communication issues against the backdrop of culture,
technology and competition, which continually raise legal and ethical
concerns.
Meaning of Communication:
The word “Communicate” comes from the Latin verb “Communicare” that
means to impart, to participate, to share or to make common. By virtue of its
Latin origin it is also the source of the English word “Common”.
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Thus, communication is defined as the process of conveying or transmitting
a message from one person to another through a proper channel.
Elements of Communication:-
For communication to exit there must be at least four basic elements:
- A Sender/Encoder
- A Receiver/Decoder
- Message
- Channel and Medium
SENDER MESSAGE RECEIVER
RESPONSE
CHANNEL
Sent GAP Received
FEEDBACK
Encoder/Sender:
- Encodes Message
- Chooses Appropriate Channel
- Chooses Appropriate Medium
- Solicits Feedback
- Attempts to Minimize Noise
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Decoder/Receiver:
- Decodes Message
- Practices Active Listening
- Provides Feedback
P.S. For communication to be more effective there should be Common
Background and Purpose, Interest, Cooperation between Sender and
Receiver.
Medium VS. Channel:
These two terms are often confused in business communication.
Understanding the distinction is essential to understand business
communication. Consider the following examples:-
Channel air
Medium airplane
Channel water
Medium boat
The Choice of the Channel and by extension the Medium should therefore
be determined by the following:
1- Purpose of communication
2- Ability of Encoder to effectively use the medium
3- Effectives of the medium to deliver the message.
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Other Elements:-
Response:
When the sender transmits the message, he expects a response. The
response may be immediate or deferred, favorable or unfavorable.
Feedback:
Feedback is essential to the communication process. It tells the sender of the
message that the message has been received and understood and the purpose
fulfilled, whether it is to persuade or inform or for good will reasons.
Feedback both reassures the sender and indicates that the receiver is
involved in active listening. Feedback should always be solicited by the
sender, and in the best case built into the process of communication.
General Guidelines for Effective Communication:-
1- Clarity of Purpose: this requires careful planning. Lack of planning
becomes the first major barrier in communication. Communication
does not take place. We have to make all possible efforts to
understand the why’s and how’s, the when and where, and above all
the “what” of our message. As George Berneard Shaw says, “The
major mistake in communication is to believe that it happens.”
2- Shared Activity: Lets not forget that effective communication is the
responsibility of all persons in the organization. At any level –
managerial or no managerial. They are all working towards a common
goal. It means that all of them have a share, directly or indirectly, in
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many different ways, in the process of communication. Whether
communication is effective can be judged on the basis of the intended
results.
3- Common Set of Symbols: The encoding and decoding of the message
should be done with symbols that are familiar to the sender and the
receiver. It is an immutable condition of communication that the code
or set of symbols be mutually understood/intelligible.
4- Focus on the Need of the Receiver: Whenever we communicate we
must keep in mind the needs of the receivers of the
message/information. It should be our endeavor to see that whatever
we communicate should be of value to the receiver, both in the short
run and in the distant future. Our awareness of the needs of the
receiver will make him more receptive.
5- Active Listening: Active or “participative” listening is as important as
any other element in the process of communication. It shows, again,
that communication is a joint responsibility of both the sender and the
receiver.
6- Controlling Emotions: Emotions play an important role in
interpersonal relationships between superiors, subordinates and
colleagues in an organization. It should be, therefore, an important
aim of communication to create an environment in which people are
motivated to work toward the desired goals of the enterprise by
which they achieve their personal goal.
7- Politeness: This leads us to the tonal aspect of communication. There
is a saying, “The tone makes the music”. In the same way, the tone of
voice, the choice of language and the congruency or logical
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connection between what is said and how it is said influence the
reactions of the receiver.
8- Eliminate Noise: Every possible effort must be made to eliminate the
element of noise that distorts communication at the transmission
stage. It becomes especially important in the wake of modern
technological advancement. Anything going wrong with the
equipment or any disturbance in the transmission line is bound to
defeat the very purpose of communication.
9- Clarity Assumptions: No effective communication can be based on
assumptions. The sender of the message must clarify his assumptions
and then go ahead with proper encoding of the message.
10- Avoiding connotations and ambiguities: Semantic problems can
be solved by using simple language and avoiding connotations. Care
must be taken to see that the receiver of the message does not have to
go beyond the text of the message. It is also necessary to avoid all
ambiguity, which means to avoid using words with double meaning.
11- Socio- Psychological Aspect: As communication is a two-way
process involving both the sender and the receiver, both should make
conscious efforts to understand each other’s cultural and social-
psychological background. As a golden rule for effective
communication one must remember, “First understand, then be
understood.” An effective communicator is an informed
communicator.
12- Completeness: One must also endeavor to send a complete
message, furnishing all necessary facts and figures. Incomplete
communication annoys the receiver as a result of which proper
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feedback will not come. The message should be so organized that the
receiver is not left in doubt about any aspect of the message.
13- Conciseness: Completeness does not mean inclusion of
unnecessary details or diversions. An effective communication is
concise and crisp. The sender should be clear headed and properly
focused in his vision.
Review Questions:
1- What do we mean by “effective communication”? How does the
knowledge of the communication process help us in communicating
effectively?
2- “The major mistake in communication is to believe that it happens.”
Discuss
3- Why is it desirable to avoid the use of jargon?
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Unit Two
Essentials of Effective Correspondence:
Introduction:
Letters are the most important means of written communication, the most
numerous and the most personal. They are also very important for any
organization or individual for the purpose of giving or seeking information.
Modern technological developments have not diminished their importance.
As an executive goes up the ladder of his career he has to spend more and
more of his time in handling correspondence. Needles to say that the success
or failure of an organization depends to a large extent on its correspondence.
It is, therefore, obligatory for an executive to learn the art of writing
effective letters. Let us have a look at the salient features of an effective
letter.
1- Simplicity: it must be kept in mind that the writer of a letter is a
person communicating with another person. It is, therefore, the polite,
personal touch that proves to be more effective than the stiff, detached
style generally associated with business correspondence. To highlight
this point some typical expressions used in business correspondence
are given below along with reasons for objection and suggested
alternatives:
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Typical expression Reason for objection Suggested alternative
“I beg to acknowledge a- Verbose “Thank you for you
receipt of yours of…” b- Tone servile and letter of..”
insincere
c- Phrase lack
firmness
Respectfully yours False complement, Yours faithfully
unduly servile
“ I regret to inform you A convenient “I am sorry to have to
that..” phrase, but sounds tell you that..
rather formal.
Apologies to be
effective must be as
personal as
possible.
2- Clarity of Goal: Both in thought and expression we have to be clear in
our correspondence. Every letter is a reflection of the writer’s mind.
He should be therefore clear about what information he is seeking or
wishing to give. All facts and figures must be stated in the simplest
possible language. It means that there is no scope for ambiguity and
flowery language in business letters.
3- Public Relation Aspect: Besides aiming at the immediate goal,
business correspondence is also deeply concerned with the image of
the company in the eyes of the public. People form images about
companies from many sources, and correspondence is a major factor
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among them. All effective correspondence has the broad objective of
enhancing the company’s public relations.
4- You-attitude: The most effective business letters are those that show
the writer’s interest in the receiver. It means that the writer has to
view things from the reader’s point of view so as to get a favorable
response from him. Communication experts, therefore, advise us to
shift our focus from “I” and “We” to “You” and “Your”. A
Comparison of the following examples show the difference in
attitudes.
We-attitude You-attitude
We have received your letter of June Thank you for your letter of June15
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We have shipped the two dozen steel Your two dozen steel racks should
racks you ordered reach you soon/with this letter.
I have five year’s experience as a Five year’s practical experience as a
sales executive sales executive will enable me to
push up your sales.
5- Courtesy: When we adopt the “you-attitude” for mutual benefit it is
natural that our tone becomes courteous. It involves writing directly to
our reader, avoiding the outdated cold style and also excluding
elements of anger and preaching that very often spoil communication.
6- Persuasion: Persuasion is the main function of business
communication. It is most evident in effective business letters. The
basic purpose of an effective letter is to influence, or to sell an idea to
the reader(s).
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7- Sincerity: Sincerity means that our readers must believe what we say.
They must be convinced that we are genuinely in mutual profit-
sharing and well-being. Words of exaggeration like ‘extraordinary’,
‘sensational’, and ‘revolutionary’, ‘greatest’, ‘amazing’ etc. must be
avoided in letters.
8- Positive Language: A wise communicator tries, as far as possible, to
use positive language. Use of positive language becomes all the more
important in a business letter, the primary aim of which is to build up
the best of human relations and to earn business. Positive words stir
up positive feelings. That is why it is advisable to avoid using
negative words like ‘failure’, ‘refuse’, ‘sorry’, ‘no’, ‘do not’,
‘mistake’, ‘loss’, damage’,etc. It should be our effort to find positive
substitutes for them.
9- Coherence: Effective letters present information in logical order by
careful use of linking devices, use of pronouns that are reference
words, and repetition of key words. Linking devices like ‘besides’,
‘therefore’, ‘likewise’, ‘however’ etc. and the pronouns like ‘this’,
‘that’, ‘these’ give a logical progression to the thought content of the
writer. Repetition of key words gives the content of the letter a
forceful thrust. A skilful writer knows which words to repeat.
10- Care for Culture: In international correspondence we have to be
specially careful in choice of words so as not to offend the receiver
who may be having a very different cultural background. We should
avoid use of culturally derived words, slang, colloquialisms and as far
as possible, even idioms and phrases. To write a letter in simple,
general service list words that are universally understood and
acceptable.
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11- Tactful Approach: An effective letter is a tactfully planned
letter. A business letter is not always a simple, straightforward
statement of a situation or giving out of some information. There may
be a problem. There may be not a good news to convey. The writer
has to decide how best to approach the problem or to convey the bad
news.
Review Questions:
1- What do we mean by “You-attitude” in business correspondence?
Why is it regarded important?
2- What do we mean by the public relations aspect of a business?
3- What is the necessity of a “tactful” approach in letter-writing?
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Unit Three
The Lay-Out of a Business Letter
Introduction:
A business letter is supposed to have a lay-out that impresses. Its physical
appearance, that includes the quality of the paper, the arrangement of the
typed/printed, the way it is folded and kept in the envelop, the envelop itself
with the addressee’s name and address, stamping – everything
communicates and passes through the receiver’s mental filter. As has been
said, a letter’s appearance is a part of its message.
Before we discuss each of the points / parts of a business letter let us have a
look at the two most commonly followed lay-out conventions.
The first-indented form follows the old, established British conventions of
writing letters and paragraph construction. Each paragraph can be easily
identified because there is some space left in the beginning. This is also the
way most of us are taught to write paragraphs in the earliest stages of our
learning.
The second – block form – is of recent origin, primarily because of the
American practice of paragraph writing. Now, of course, it is being followed
all over the world. No doubt it looks more presentable, and is easier to
handle.
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Formats for Typing
Block Style
Date
Name of Recipient
Title/Department
Company
Street Address
City, State, and Zip Code
RE
Dear Name:
Subject:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
Sincerely,
(Handwritten Signature)
Writer’s Name
Title
dm (typist’s initials—If the writer is also the typist, you may omit this notation.)
Enclosure
cc Dr. Rashid Al-Mansori
PS:
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Formats for Typing
Indented Style
Date
Name of Recipient
Title/Department
Company
Street Address
City, State, and Zip Code
RE
Dear Name:
Subject:
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________
Sincerely,
(Handwritten Signature)
Writer’s Name
Title
DDB/cm
Enc
cc Dr. Mahmoud Hasan
P.S.
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1- Heading: The heading, also called “letterhead”, contains the name of
the firm/company and its address. It is usually given at the top centre
or the top right side of the paper. It is also usual to give the
telephone, fax and telegraphic address.
2- Date: Place the date at least two spaces below the letterhead. The
line may be flush left or right, or centered below the letterhead.
Do not abbreviate the month or use nd, st, or th with the day numbers,
like May 5th, 1998. Also, do not use a month’s number, like 6/23/89.
Both date orders listed below are appropriate;
December 10, l997
10 December l997
3- Inside Address: It contains the name and address of the organization
or the individual to whom the organization is being sent. It should be
complete. This is always on the left margin.
a- Addressing individuals;
i- Mr. is used for addressing a man
ii- Miss is used for an unmarried woman
iii- Mrs. is for a married woman
iv- Ms is used for a woman whose marital status is not known.
Most woman now prefer the use of Ms
v- Messrs is a plural for Mr. and is used while addressing a
partnership.
When addressing couples, give both appropriate titles:
Dr. and Mrs. Jehad Hosni
Mr. Jehad Hosin and Dr. Rania Osman
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Dr. Jehad and Rania Osman
Dr. Margaret Wright and Mr. Steven Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Ali Al-Ajmi
Ms. Ghada Al-Ahmad
Mr. Talal Al - Saadi
4- Reference: “Reference lines” assist with filing or routing
correspondence. A reference line can refer to your files and/or your
reader’s files. Place your reference line first.
Our reference: Project 234
Your reference: Invoice 3444
RE Order 4558
5- Attention line: Use an “attention line” whenever you want to direct
your letter to a specific person or department within a company.
Place the attention line two lines below the inside address. Use a colon
after Attention
6- Salutation: Always try to greet your reader by name rather than by
title. If you don’t have a name, you may use one of the following.
Dear Committee Member:
Dear Meeting Planner:
Dear Colleagues:
To All Sales Reps:
To Whom It May Concern:
Dear Madam or Sir:
Dear Purchasing Agent:
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If your letter is addressed to a company, the proper salutation is:
Gentlemen or Ladies:
Ladies or Gentlemen:
If your letter is addressed to an organization of only women or only men,
use:
Dear Sirs:
Dear Mesdames:
Use a person’s full name instead of the Mr. or Ms. or Mrs.
Dear Kim Krause:
Dear K. Krause:
Use a colon after formal salutations, and a comma after informal ones.
Dear Mr. Jones:
Dear Jim,
7- Subject: In external correspondence, “subject lines” tell a clerk how
to file and route a document. When a clerk reads, “Subject: Project
2469-993KLS”, she knows where to file it or to whom to send it.
In internal communications, “subject lines” not only should help clerks,
but also inform the reader as to the content or subject of the letter. The
more information you give in the “subject line”, the better.
Subject: Management Development
Subject: Management Development Classes
Subject: Request for Approval on Management Development
Classes
Subject: Request for Approval on the August 10th
Management Development Seminar
Instead of Subject:, you may use Re or RE.
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Place a subject line two lines below the salutation because it is part of
the body of the letter. Either use all capitals or underline the complete
subject line.
SUBJECT: EXHIBITOR BOOTH SPACE STILL
AVAILABLE
Subject: Exhibitor Booth Space Still Available
the body of the letter carries its message or content. It is
8- Body:
generally divided into three or four paragraphs, each having its own
function. The first or opening paragraph links up the correspondence
and establishes rapport with the reader. The second paragraph may be
called the main paragraph that contains the subject proper. If need be,
the point made in the second or main paragraph is elaborated or
further developed upon in the third paragraph. The fourth or final
paragraph brings the letter to a goodwill ending, leaving the door open
for further business.
9- Formal Close:
The closing should match the tone of the letter. Listed below are closings
that range from the very formal to the informal.
Very Formal
Respectfully yours,
Yours respectfully,
Formal
Very truly yours,
Yours very truly,
Yours truly,
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