1. Business
Communication:
An
A Presentation by Rajiv Bajaj
An
Introduction

2. What is Communication ?
Dictionary Meaning – Source – www.dictionary.com
com·mu·ni·ca·tion (noun)
Pronunciation Key - [kuh-myoo-ni-kay-shun]
1. the act or process of communicating; fact of being
communicated.communicated.
2. the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions,
or information by speech, writing, or signs.
3. something imparted, interchanged, or transmitted.
4. a document or message imparting news, views,
information, etc.
5. passage, or an opportunity or means of passage,
between places.

3. What is Communication ?
Derives from Latin word ‘Communis’ –
Common / Shared.
Until we have shared information with another
person we have not communicated it.person we have not communicated it.
They have to see the information in the same
way that we do.
It is the process of shared understanding.

5. Communication:
A Two-WayA Two-Way
Process

6. Communication skills
involve:
Asserting / Expressing -Asserting / Expressing -
Sending
Listening to others -
Receiving

7. Communication : The Flow
Sender Receiver
Message
Channel
DeliveryFormulating
Sender Receiver
Feedback
PerceptionResponse
Understanding

8. Role of
Communication
In Business

9. Working in business environment involves
communication – a lot of it. It is a major &
essential part of it.
Because it is so important, businesses want &
need people with good communication skills.

10. Many surveys conducted in recent years find
that communication –
Ranks at or near top of desired skills
needed for business – especially written
communication;communication;
96% say employees must have good
communication skills to get ahead.

11. To stand out from competition, you must
demonstrate the unwritten requirements that
are now most in demand – leadership &
communication skills.
Unfortunately, business’s need for employees
with good communication skills is often not
fulfilled.
Most employees, even college graduates, do
not communicate well.

12. One more interesting survey finding - High
correlation between communication skills &
income.
Even among graduates & post graduates, those
with higher scores in literacy (use of printed &
written information) earn 47% more thanwritten information) earn 47% more than
lower scoring persons.
Skills such as writing & speaking well, displaying
proper etiquette and listening attentively will
probably determine career success.

13. Technology magnifies the view of one’s
communication skills, forcing workers to
communicate more effectively because these
skills will be showcased more.
Email often results in sender’s language skills
being placed in front of different people
simultaneously, while audio & video will
reveal caliber of one’s verbal & diplomacy
strengths as well.

14. Whatever position you have, your
performance will be judged largely by your
ability to communicate.
If you perform & communicate well, you are
more likely to be rewarded with advancement.

15. The higher you advance, the more you will
need communication abilities.
Improving your skills improves your
chances for success !

16. Why Business
Needs to
Communicate

17. To understand how important communication
is to business, observe HOW MUCH
communication business requires.
E.G. – Pharmaceutical Manufacturer –
Throughout company, employees send &
receive information.receive information.
They process information with computers,
write messages, fill out forms, give &
receive orders & talk over the phone.

18. Sales Staff > Receive instructions &
information from HO / Send back Orders for
supplies / Write reports of sales activities.
Executives > Use written & Oral Messages
to initiate business with customers & otherto initiate business with customers & other
companies / Respond to incoming
messages.
Production Supervisors > Receive work
orders / Issue instructions / submit
Production summaries.

19. Research Specialists > Receive problems to
investigate / Communicate findings to
management.
Similar activities occur in every level in aSimilar activities occur in every level in a
company.
Everywhere workers send & receive
information as they conduct their work.

20. Communication takes many forms – Oral /
Written / Computer etc.
ALL of this communication goes on in
business because communication isbusiness because communication is
important to organised effort involved in
business.

21. Communication enable human beings to
work together.
It is the vehicle through which management
performs its basic functions – Direct /
Coordinate / Staffing / Planning / Control /
Organise.Organise.
THROUGH COMMUNICATION ONLY !
If we are not communicating, we are not
managing !

22. Main forms
of Communication
In
BusinessBusiness

23. Three broad categories of communication in
business –
1. Internal Operational
2. External Operational
3. Personal

24. INTERNAL OPERATIONAL
All communication that occurs in conducting
work WITHIN a business . This is
communication among the company’s
workers that is done to implement the
business’s operating plan.business’s operating plan.
OPERATING PLAN is the procedure that the
business has developed to do what it was
formed to do – e.g. to manufacture
products / provide a service or / sell goods.

25. Internal-Operational communication takes
many forms.
Includes orders / instructions that
supervisors give to workers, as well as oral
exchanges among workers about workexchanges among workers about work
matters.
Also includes reports workers prepare
concerning sales / production / inventories /
finance / maintenance.

26. Also includes all email messages workers write
in carrying out their assignments.
Much of the Internal-Operational
communication is performed on computer
networks.
On Emails / Intranet / common Portals etc – for
workers who may be in same office or
anywhere else in the world.

27. EXTERNAL-OPERATIONAL
Work-related communication that a business
does with people / groups outside the
business.
Communication with its publics – suppliers /
service companies / customers & general
public.

28. Includes all of business’s efforts at Direct
selling / Sales brochures / telephone call-
backs follow-up service calls etc.
Also includes advertising ( communicationAlso includes advertising ( communication
with potential customers ) Radio / TV / Print
media / Websites / Point-of-purchase display
material.

29. All these play important role in business’s plan
to achieve its objectives.
Also in same category:
All that a business does to improve PublicAll that a business does to improve Public
Relations including planned advertising,
community service of employees,
environment friendliness of products &
facilities.

30. Very important to our study of communication,
this category includes all messages that
messages that employees write in carrying
out their assignments.
Public Relations category includes a very
important topic in businessimportant topic in business
communication: Business Messages !
Business Messages communicate more than
just communicate information – they take
the place of human contact.

31. Clarity, warmth & understanding they display
also sends a message.
The positiveness of this message is what we
refer to as Good Business Etiquette.
Good Business Etiquette contributes greatly to
a company’s Good Image.

32. Importance of External-Operational
Communication to a business hardly requires
comment !
Every business dependent on outside people &
groups for its success, and BECAUSE
success of a business depends on its ability
to satisfy customers’ needs, it must
communicate effectively with its
customers.

33. Businesses also depend on each other in
production & distribution of goods &
services.
This inter-dependence also requires goodThis inter-dependence also requires good
communication.
Like Internal-Operational communication,
External-Operational Communication is also
vital to a company’s success

34. PERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Not all communication that occurs in a
business is Operational.
Much of it is without purpose as far as theMuch of it is without purpose as far as the
operating plan is concerned.
Such communication is called Personal.

35. Personal Communication is the exchange of
information & feelings in which we human
beings engage whenever we come together.
We are social animals – we have a need toWe are social animals – we have a need to
communicate, and we will communicate
even when we have little or nothing to say !
We spend much of our time with friends in
communication.

36. Even total strangers are likely to
communicate when placed together – e.g. on
an airplane / in a waiting room.
Such communication also occurs in the
workplace, and it is a part of the
communication activity of any business;communication activity of any business;
Although not part of the business’s operation
plan, personal communication have
significant effect on the success of that
plan.

37. This effect is a result of the influence that
personal communication can have on the
attitude of the employees.
Employee’s attitudes toward the business,
each other, and assignment directly affecteach other, and assignment directly affect
their productivity.
Nature of conversation in a work situation
affects attitudes.

38. In a work situation where heated words &
flaming tempers are often present, the
employees are not likely to make their usual
productivity efforts.
However, a rollicking, jovial work situationHowever, a rollicking, jovial work situation
is likely to have an equally bad effect on
productivity.
Somewhere between these extremes lies
the ideal productive attitude.

39. Also affecting the employees’ attitude is the
extent of personal communication
permitted.
Absolute denial could lead to emotional
upset, because most of us hold on very tight
to our right to communicate;
On the other hand, excessive personal
communication could interfere with work
done.
Middle ground is probably the best

40. Based On Excerpts
From the Book
“Basic Business
Communication”Communication”
By
R V Lesikar & M E Flatley